Fat, forty and financially f**ked

note3

Ouch...I had that recently where I sat and sorted my finances only for a sledgehammer of sods law to hit with sudden costs. Glad you're not letting it beat or deter you

caliew

Hi, any assets lying about. Kids clothes, your clothes - assets, bought car - assets, tools you don't need - assets, furniture you don't need - assets, electronics you don't need - assets, games/dvds - assets. You have your hands - assets, your feet - assets.

Right now sell, sell the clothes on gumtree, ebay, facebook forums even a couple of hours can make a host of differences, get freebies from freecyle, free eagle and upcycle and sell on (a couple of hours a night can chip away), use your transport to best of ability either go around and pick up freebies or sell the car and walk (people who walk to work or bus stop are around 10lb less in weight, it was on sky news that one this morning), sell the furniture you don't need and upcycle the free furniture. Use your hands clearly you are articulate look out for paid surveys to fill in a couple of hours a night, paid products tests - go through all the tips on mse and follow through. DVDs, games, cds - sell on music magpie and download free streams.

Also through working in insurance for a number of years and just left for childcare ideally pay your insurance in one go so you are not subjected to the interest charges of around 20%, every interest look at the hidden ones and change your credit card packages for lower interest rates have you heard of peer to peer lending? Try consolidating credit card spend with a company such as Zopa who are recommended by The Times the interest rates are low.

Cut your own hair or find a willing beauty student if you don't trust yourself. Go through the whole of MSE and follow all the tips, tricks processes.

My partner and I are not cheapskates my partner works for the Courts Service for 20 years and they have poorly paid him for 12 years so we have had to think of other measures, you would think its a good job and it used to be but sadly there does not seem to be much money for the administrators in Law and Order and also I haven't had the best of salaries over the years even though I have a management degree, but sadly degrees don't count for much now in the workplace as lots of people have them so I have taken my knowledge and slashed my household budgets to a minimum and manage my home spend like a business. There is a story of a man in America who swapped an inflatable paperclip for a door knob in turn swapped the door knob for a door swapped the door for a moped, swapped the moped for a car and carried on until he got a house (so swap sites maybe).

Persistence and hardwork prevails Henry Ford and Edison didn't start seeing results until their 40's - life begins. There is nothing wrong with intellectual frugality just keep trying new frugal things so you don't get bored - billionaires are frugal that's how they are billionaires (I think I am not one myself). You don't have to be away from the home and your family to earn and have fun :-). Hope this helps.

Theamazingshrinkingwoman

I just sold a pair of jeans for £12! Hooray! Will look at survey sites, could be a good plan.

Thank you for taking the time to type out all of that good advice. I really appreciate it.

Theamazingshrinkingwoman

DD has just announced that she needs £18 :eek: for a school trip. DS1 & DS2 have got a non uniform day tomorrow - £2. Tickets for DD's show are £4 for adults, £2 for kids. Tickets for DS1's show are £5. All three kids have a rugby match on Sunday so £1 subs each. This is how it all adds up.

The baking money is not going off the credit card but instead will pay off the above. DH and I will go to one show each and the siblings will not go at all. I make that £32 out of £35.50. Can't wait to see what exciting stuff I get to spend the last £3.50 on! :rotfl:

Will keep jeans money for emergency bits and bobs.

Theamazingshrinkingwoman

Been deep cleaning our bedroom today. Moved bed and found a couple of handfuls of loose change down DH's side. Result! Obviously won't be telling him...

Theamazingshrinkingwoman

Today's spends -
£26 vet :mad: and a bit
£8.30 top up food
£2 non uniform day
£18 school trip
£2 sweets for kids

Mostly paid for by baking money and jeans money.

Change found on bedroom floor was £3.74 so will use that for the above too. Had lunch at my parents (and breakfast actually) and they gave me a 2kg bag of basmati rice which my aunt had bought in error and couldn't be bothered to return!

Had fantastic fakeaway - chicken and veg stir fry with egg fried rice. Total cost can't have been more than £3 for the five of us. Friday night will be fakeaway night every week now.

DS2 going to a party tomorrow but managed to get a present reduced to £2 and he will make a card.

DH's car needed four new tyres before MOT but he got reconditioned ones so was £80. Car has passed the first two thirds of the test but the friend who is doing it had to do an emergency job part way through so still don't know if it has passed yet!

Theamazingshrinkingwoman

Friend has offered to take me and the boys to their away rugby match on Sunday which saves a bit of petrol. Will take a flask of tea and possibly sausages in a food flask for butties.

Theamazingshrinkingwoman

DH just got home and his car has passed the MOT. He has also taxed it via the business.

brizzledfw

Best way of luck with the journey TASW..

Have a great weekend

Theamazingshrinkingwoman

Thank you! More cleaning so hopefully I'll find a bit more cash. Hope you have a good weekend too.