SOA/ budget

FatVonD

Have you looked at the upping your income board? Do you currently do surveys? I've only just stated and have made around 20 pounds which doesn't sound much but most of the available ones seem to come on when I'm at work and can't do them, you may be able to catch those?

Will all your younger kids be eligible for the 30 hours free nursery place (or whatever it's called) in September?

FatVonD

Contact all the parenting magazines and try to get on their reader testing panels. Test products for them then either keep them for free or sell them.

iammumtoone

kimplus8 wrote: »

the payout is £250,000 upon my death so the kids could buy a house and have that security.
sadly im worth more dead than I am alive.

Its a lovely gesture but unfortunately you can't afford it. I am sure your children would rather have more disposable money now so you can afford to live rather than spending money on something which the odds are stacked against happening.

You don't have to answer this publicly but are all the children to the same father? if not, you need to make sure each father is paying their share.

Is the swimming private lessons? I agree children need to learn how to swim but it is something you can teach them yourself if it would work out cheaper.

kimplus8

FatVonD wrote: »

Contact all the parenting magazines and try to get on their reader testing panels. Test products for them then either keep them for free or sell them.

hI, Thanks for this..... and your previous comment.
Im gonna hope over to the additional income board tonight once sproglets are in bed. and will conduct and email to the parenting magazines etc to see if I can be a reviewer.
I sometime get sent products to review for waitrose and they give me £20 of my next shop plus I get the products for free. It works out cheaper for me to shop there that week plus I get free stuff!

kimplus8

iammumtoone wrote: »

Its a lovely gesture but unfortunately you can't afford it. I am sure your children would rather have more disposable money now so you can afford to live rather than spending money on something which the odds are stacked against happening.

You don't have to answer this publicly but are all the children to the same father? if not, you need to make sure each father is paying their share.

Is the swimming private lessons? I agree children need to learn how to swim but it is something you can teach them yourself if it would work out cheaper.

hi lovely,
ive pm'd you too but I was just going to add that I am not able to take the kids swimming as I don't have any childcare and im not able to take all 8 in the pool as the ratios are 2 children per adult and only over 12's don't count as children.
I am going to stop each childs lessons though as they can actually swim as none of them want to continue beyond that and I cant afford for them too.
the life insurance is kind of a safety net for me as part of my depression (bipolar) is being convinced that I would die and all the kids would end up in care. maybe its totally irrational but it helps my mental health and to me that's worth the £30.
lovely to see your comment though, all these comments are so helpful and certainly give me food for thought.

Silver_Queen

I don't have any moneysaving advice but I just wanted to pop in to say that you sound like a very strong person and a good mother. I can't imagine looking after 8 kids :eek:

Kim_13

kimplus8 wrote: »

thanks, im tied into contract with virgin and the BT line in this house was cut off at the wall outside by previous owner so would have to pay for an engineer to sort that which makes it more expensive than paying virgin.
great advice tho :-)

Once your contract is up with Virgin, it's worth using the results of a comparison site to haggle with them in order to get the price down. They don't know that the previous owner cut the line.

Car insurance seems high to me. When things ease off (less children with swimming lessons perhaps, or an Emergency Fund saved up) could you pay the annual premium in advance? I'm assuming you currently pay monthly and are being charged extra for the privilege. Make sure you're making full use of comparison sites and trying to haggle come renewal.

Spendless

Gosh Kim, that's a tight budget! I agree that car insurance seems high. Are you able to get cheaper? Kids swimming lessons, can any of them currently having them actually swim? If you've got a child in the relevant year will any of them be having swimming lessons through school (mine went in yrs 4/5 and were free). The child age at your swimming pool seems high. One of our swimming pools had the children had to be 10 before they didn't count, though they've now lowered that to 8 in line with the other local pools. I'm just musing though, I'm not going to suggest you take a non swimming 9 yo to a pool whilst you watch teeny ones!

How full are your food cupboards at the minute? Just wondering if you could stretch the food out that you've currently got in and just add bits from your budget

Spendless

kimplus8 wrote: »

I currently have 4 at school and 4 nursery/preschool age so by the time I take childcare into account (which is capped at 2 kids) I would be far worse off.
however I am starting 2 training courses in September through my local 'back to work' scheme, I hope to find a job through this.
Plus I was just diagnosed with bi-polar this year so while all my medication is being adjusted its best I give myself until September to know im not going to be rocking in a corner at a job.
I have just applied to be a neals yard rep to try and get some Christmas money, I know it wont make me a fortune but will add some to my income.

Do any of the 4 pre-schoolers qualify for the free 15 hours funding (term after 3rd birthday)? Just wondering if you have some that do and some that don't, would you be able to use the 15 hours funding and use the childcare that's capped for the ones that are younger?

kimplus8

Spendless wrote: »

Gosh Kim, that's a tight budget! I agree that car insurance seems high. Are you able to get cheaper? Kids swimming lessons, can any of them currently having them actually swim? If you've got a child in the relevant year will any of them be having swimming lessons through school (mine went in yrs 4/5 and were free). The child age at your swimming pool seems high. One of our swimming pools had the children had to be 10 before they didn't count, though they've now lowered that to 8 in line with the other local pools. I'm just musing though, I'm not going to suggest you take a non swimming 9 yo to a pool whilst you watch teeny ones!

How full are your food cupboards at the minute? Just wondering if you could stretch the food out that you've currently got in and just add bits from your budget

car insurance is high as I have no no claims bonus at all and I was in 2 accidents last year, one my fault and the other a driver smacked into me and then drove off :-(


I actually have lots in my pantry, loads of tins of beans, sauces, tuna, kidney beans and tinned fruit etc
plus a few fray bentos pies and some spam (the kids flippin love spam).
I also have a sack of rice and a sack of pasta that should last a wee while.
plus the kids will be getting free school meals from after half term so that will cut my shopping too.
thanks for the support lovely. The budget is tighter than a divers speedos but I can do this!!