BIG drop in income help!!!

Dumb_Blonde_3

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

I started the process to become one earlier in the year but ended up not doing it because they had issues with my postnatal depression (which I was nearly over when I applied :mad: )...

Would you consider doing it now?

Dumb_Blonde_3

rachy86 wrote: »

Still it could be worth looking into though, would help make a bit more money when the husband changes jobs. A quick google search pulled up this website, havent really got time to look around should be working not on here anyway but im sure its well worth a browse, could be quite a money maker in school holidays etc

http://www.ncma.org.uk/

Just had a look at that link - you get a start up grant too ..... interesting!

immoral_angeluk

Dumb_Blonde wrote: »

Would you consider doing it now?

No. If having 2 kids gave me postnatal depression could you imagine what having up to 6 would do to me??? :eek: :eek:

immoral_angeluk

Dumb_Blonde wrote: »

Just had a look at that link - you get a start up grant too ..... interesting!

Don't get too excited.. ours was only £100.. :rotfl:

trying-very-trying

Hi Toria.:hello:

Well you've certainly stirred up a hornets nest with this one.

The biggest problem seems to be the mortgage. I can well understand you not wanting to give the house up, but you certainly wouldn't think it would be possible to get a mortgage that would cost approx 65% of your income. Do you have much equity in the house. Would it be possible to extend the term of you mortgage? Would this make much difference to the monthly payments?

I also notice that you only spend £50pm on petrol, so you obviously don't do big mileage in your 2 cars. Would it be possible for you to walk to your work, and maybe get a carshare lift home? Or for hubby to use public transport?

The other biggy, I thought was the life insurance. Is it really £90? per month?

As for increasing your income. What about mystery shopping, you could take your child with you. Or if you have a friend with a child, could you mind her child while you work and her mind your child while you work? Or could you get a night shift job, perhaps in a supermarket, or a nursing home

Dumb_Blonde_3

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

No. If having 2 kids gave me postnatal depression could you imagine what having up to 6 would do to me??? :eek: :eek:

Oh I know - my son is 2 years and 2 months and it feels like someone has come along and stole our wonderful little man and left a devil in his place - oh the terrible two's ................ if I say 'no' he looks at me to make sure I am watching him and does it again ....................... there are days when I don't know how I actually make it through the day and then I start clock watching thinking not long til he's in bed :rotfl: sounds so wicked

He's in bed now having an afternoon snooze so what am I doing - yep addicted to this site and the housework well thats just sitting there ............. I'd better go and do some and star preparing dinner ........

chloebelle

Hi there,

On the one hand I totally sympathise, I have seen a relative driven to a nervous breakdown by being in a horrible job. Your OH health and happiness is very important, stress and depression will not help anyone. If his job is affecting his quality of life then he needs to get out.

However, in order to cut back you will have to make some drastic cutbacks. 3 things jumped out at me when reading your SOA, please don't be offended by my comments, this is just my opinion:

• £50 clothes - I appreciate the shoe problem, I am a wide size 9!! However, this adds up to £600 a year, not affordable on your income. Check out ebay for some good value shoes. I always buy insoles as well to extend the life of my shoes. And why not have a clearout of clothes and shoes you already own and make some extra cash on ebay?

• xmas and birthday spends - you won't like me saying this but I think this spend is too high for your income. Buying nice things is no good if you end up in debt. If necessary, maybe you and OH need to forgot pressies for each other for a few years - I know that sounds awful, but my parents bought each other nothing for 3 years after dad was made redundant.

Your child is at an age when it doesn't matter if pressies cost 10p or £100. A child of 2 can get a lot of pleasure from a few well-thought out gifts rather than lots of expensive ones.

In terms of the rest of the family, don't be ashamed to tell them that money is very tight - any family member should be more than understanding. Check out the xmas threads here for cheap pressie ideas - and use your imagination! Photo scrapbooks or personalised vouchers (e.g. 'I promise to help you do gardening one saturday afternoon') are virtually free presents which can mean a lot.

• Food - you can always cut down here! Try some budget brands and do a stock up at Lidl for essentials. You will have to forget treats for a while but it will be worth it long term.

I hope you don't mind me making these suggestions, everyone here knows that debt is a horrible thing. Its great that you want to support your OH but you can only do it with drastic cut backs - going by your SOA, you can't afford not to.

Good luck

mrsspendalot

I have to agree with what has already been said about the mortgage. If you are downsizing your income, you need to downsize your lifestyle to match. In order to get debt free quicker, we are living in a tiny 2 bed terrace and have 3 children sharing 1 bedroom. Not ideal, but we simply couldn't afford anything bigger.

Food: £200 a month can be reduced. I spend that at the most feeding a family of 5. Meal plan, have some cheapy meal nights (beans on toast etc), buy value. I have managed to shop on £35 a week for 5 with great success, including fruit and veg - and that was in tescos. If you have an aldi or lidl then you could do this even cheaper.

Cars: someone made a good point about the petrol cost being low, which suggests you don't do much mileage. Cars are luxuries, not essentials - and certainly not 2 cars. I just passed my test last week so have only had a week of being able to use the car, and have hardly used it because there are so many things I can do on foot just as easily. Have a serious think about whether you could manage in the short term with just one car.

Life insurance: I went through quidco and got insured with legal and general, who were offering £39.50 cashback. their cashback has since gone up to £80 I think. I pay £8.95 a month for me and hubby. I'm sure you could get yours cheaper if you shop around.

Sorry if this came across a but harsh - it wasn't intended.

toria27

WOW loads of responses thanks.

I will try and answer it all. I currently work in a supermarket although I have a psychology degree and 6 years working as a nursing assistant in a high security hospital, also 5 years experience temping in offices. I am trying very hard to get a better job but am not getting very far.

OH starts work at 6.30am so no public transport, he did use to bike to work but was too tired and now the bad weather is coming. It is 6 miles for me to get to work and can not walk home at midnight, I am the only one who finishes at this time so no one to share lifts either.

I am going to look into the health insurance thing as we don't really understand why ts so high.

AM definetly going to cut back on shopping bill and am going to keep a better check on that spending, we don't really have treats anyway as I am doing slimming world (mum pays) so we all eat really healthy anyway.

At the moment OH is on £36500 so that is how we afford the mortgage, we wouldn't have took on such a big one if we had known he would change jobs so soon. There are 22 years left to pay and we can take a break of 6 months if we want with just a £50 admin fee so that is a possibility.

We only buy our daughter things from car boot and for xmas all she is getting from us is some 12 large tubs of playdough and a coulouring book grand total of £3. I have 6 neices and nephews 2 SIL 1 brother and 2 lots of parents & 1 gran and i do only buy small gifts.

I used to do mystery shopping but DD is having major tantrums when we go out at the moment so can't do it. I had to physically force her into the shopping trolley today!

My mum & dad are very well off and help a lot if I go shopping with my mum she will often help with a bit of shopping or some new shoes, I don't know what I'd do without her, but I don't like to accept too much.

Anyway I feel like I am rambling now, The main aim is for me to get a full time job but this is not easy even with my qualifications I am applying for one tonight as an assistant psychologist, I cannot go back into nursing assistant work at the moment as the shifts are 7am-7.30pm and no childcare at those hours.

bridget81

just noticed the bit about nursing assitsant, i work in the NHS and there is a thing called improving working lives, could you not do one or two night shifts a week as a nursing assistant, and under the improving working lives bit say you would need to finish shift at X time in order to be home for DD before OH leaves for work? or do weekends, or even get on the bank at the local hospital so you could do a weekend shift as and when to help at times like birthdays and xmas.. just a thought : )