Lightbulb moment- didn't have a clue!

MRSMCAWBER

Ok.... i must have been typing at the same time as Katelu..

Hello fellow forces wife:wave: .... where are you posted???

katelu

We are currently in Ruislip, North West London (hence the MAD childcare costs!!) See you are in euro's ... Germany??

benbenandme

Please don't take this the wrong way, but would it be worth looking for a dfiferent job? Your income is good but once you've paid for the childcare and the petrol (assuming half of petrol is for you) that takes a massive chunk of your income. Would it be an option to find part-time work closer to home that would mean you wouldn't need to pay for as much childcare or petrol and would have more time to yourself or with the family?? Also you may be entitled to more tax credits if you're earning less?

MRSMCAWBER

Hi Katelu

Yep we have only been back in Germany for 3 weeks, but i love it ... dont know if you have been here yet but we find that with the extra pay for being abroad, no car tax, tv licence and tax free fuel..it makes one heck of a difference....

I dont envy you being in London everything seems sooooo expensive....

katelu

Don't worry I haven't taken it the wrong way and it is something I have made a decision about over night!:D My company I work for has just advertised a job that is a job working from home for more money and just round the corner from my parents. That means childcare would be dramatically reduced as my dad could have them in the afternoon and childcare is much cheaper near them. On the down side I would have to live away from my hubbie for a year until he works his notice and we would have to rent a house (but hubbie could move into the barracks for free, just food to pay for and rent would be a couple of hundred more than we pay now though would have council tax as well)
It's a big step and a move from a job I adore to a job I could live with but I have asked for the application form so must know it is the right thing to do.:think:

Aarrgghh my stress levels have gone through the roof this past few days!!

lynzpower

In the interim, if you are spending c400 quid a month on petrol, I suggest that you try to buy your pterol at tescos, then use ytour clubcard to get the extra points. When I was driving for work, i spent about 200 a month on petrol, and this meant I got about 15 per month back in CC vouchers, which we used towards food.

Jacks_xxx

Hiya sweetie,

I haven't read your SOA in any detail cos your situation is a bit too close to home for me.

I just wanted to send you a hug because I can remember the horrible sick feeling I got when I found out the extent of the mess we were in financially.

About a year ago we owed over £90,000, but now it's down to £55,000 and dropping all the time.

One thing I wanted to say is that one of the first things I did when I found out was quit my job. :rotfl:

I know, sounds insane, but it enabled us to sell one of the cars, and it saved us over £1100 a month in petrol, childcare, lunches, work clothes, tights, work shoes, takeaways when I was too shattered to cook, work socialising, birthday / baby / leaving collections etc - plus our food bill has been steadily decreasing as I learn how to cook everything from scratch, and shop at the local market, LIDL and the CoOp rather than nipping into the Tesco Metro all the time or food shopping at the M&S because I could park right outside and I was always starving and knackered when I had to shop.

My 12 yo daughter is well into moneysaving if it means I'm around more - as for the last 12 years she's only seen me after school / nursery on my days off for a couple of hours, and on holiday! (I used to get home from work after she'd gone to bed, I worked weekends, and the stressful morning rush doesn't really count huh?!)

Now I work part time and from home, and cook every night. It's better.

If you do the maths it might work for you too hon?

Love Jacks xxx