2026: time to face facts and plan for the hard times ahead

Blackcats

that sound like you have now got some viable options for the future and I'm so pleased you have your mum and sister on your team.

It's good that you are getting some clarity on your current and future expenditure and whilst it might be stressful for your ex to talk about money it's just as stressful for both of you to not know what's what. If she doesn't want to sit down for a chat about money then she can just make a start by telling you how much money is left in the account and what the rest of the money was spent on. (I think this was a joint pot of money that ended up in her account?)

Have you discussed getting the 3 valuations with your ex? Obviously you need to be there when the Estate Agents come round.

RhiBi

@SpireCaptain i am so glad you are getting some clarity and that your mother and sister are there supporting you.

if your ex is refusing to enter into any discussions with you, I think you need to make the decisions that are in your and your boys best interests.

THE John Lennon quote is so apt, and I agree. There will be brighter days ahead, for both of us.

daisy_1571

Evening spirecaptain

Feel free to ignore, just my take on things in no particular order

You are doing great, surviving, trying to be the best parent you can, trying to do your best in very difficult circumstances so very well done.

I salute you trying to be fair with your ex. That is very commendable and I would agree with your steps if she was meeting you halfway but she isn't, so while it might go against your natural inclination I would advise seeing your finances and hers as very very separate from now on. If she wants something and cant afford it - tough tattie. She's a grown woman and can make her own mind up about full time work, where she's going to live, whether she wants her nails done or some wine. In no way should you be giving her a bit extra on splitting up the equity in house etc to sweeten the deal - you have to look out for no 1 now. In the airplanes they tell you to put your own mask on first. This is the equivalent - unless you can cope and support yourself you have to remind yourself can't be doing the 'best' for your kids so you have to put your sensible head on and split things equally, not skewed to one or other of you. In the long run this will help you all the most.

Several things spring to mind on housing. Id think carefully before selling any of the houses. It doesn't seem sensible to get rid of a house you could live in to then give control of your housing to someone else by renting - and throwing away money on rent then trying to get back into buying again. You are subject to their decisions about rent increases, suddenly telling you their circs have changed and they are selling, their decisions on pets, decorations, safety ie carbon monoxide and fire alarms etc etc.

You talk about your mum taking on a fresh btl for you. What about her taking a security on your house? Essentially instead of borrowing a loan or mortgage from a bank or building society you take it with her (if she has the cash or can secure a loan herself) and then instead of a bank having a charge over your house (so they have to be paid back if you sell) it would be her and you'd repay her. That might give you a bit time to get yourself straight.

Your ex says she can't sort the house out to sell while you are there? How's that? If you decide to sell you can either sell as is and get it on market tomorrow or both of you get working on it now. Any rainy day she is out at work you can be getting on with stuff. (Obviously if you are going to buy her out you don't want to be changing the value of it yet.)

You seem like you are in a perfect job to be relying on cash rather than cards? Get your payments from your customers in cash, put 30% away (maybe in a bank account your mum sets up as joint with you so its away and not available for you or anyone else to spend) - thats your tax and ni conts for 26/27. With the rest you live on - no more anxiety in a supermarket about what card to use, no more paying off and adding on the same £20 a month.

With that in mind you could maybe be getting more proactive about earning. I've never understood what the issue is with rain and window cleaning but there must be something in it. On those days, and since you have at least some elderly people on your books, get telling them all you can do and see if you can get inside jobs. Elderly folk have real difficulties getting little bits of help around the house. 1 they aren't sure who to trust and 2 the jobs are too little for the firms to want. Cleaning is the obvious - hoovering round, tidying up, little bits of painting or diy, help cleaning out kitchen or drawers and cupboards, tidying the garden, lifting things down from the attic, tidying garage garden and huts can all do in the rain, creosote a fence panel if you don't have windows on a sunny day etc etc. You clearly get on well with your customers and if you were doing two jobs at same house you'd be saving petrol too. (Also, while you may be used to doing windows in a modern way with your pure water and van, a bucket, brush and chamois would be useful if your van is off the road, you'd still be getting some money in.)

Sorry, I'm chucking loads of ideas at you but I feel you are getting into a more proactive state of mind so might be ready for lots of positive ideas? Apologies if you are more back to overwhelmed and anxious, please ignore my waffle

Daisy xx

SpireCaptain

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81875970#Comment_81875970

Hi Blackcats,

Hope you're well.

It's been a fairly quiet week, the past week. The twins had a residential school trip Mon-Wed but I had to pick up B on the last morning as there was sickness through the ranks . Nice drive over the moors in the snow and they had a fab time. DS1 enjoyed 2 nights to himself for a change.

Rest of the week uneventful and fairly productive at work as dry weather. This week looks similar. It's half term but Ex has taken 3 days off so just need to have the boys tomorrow and Wednesday morning whilst she's at the office. S

OH is agreeable to valuations but would prefer 2 out of the 4 local ones. She went to school with one of the owners so she was going to ask her opinion of spending anymore money to do anything up to add value.

OH has said she knows half of what's left in the account is mine but not given definitive proof of accounts. I never said Mum or sister might buy her out just said I needed to know valuations for finances and that I might be able to buy her out.

It's been quite amicable in the house, only issue is OH has bought some skinny jabs online pharmacy and she's feeling the side effects so far, lulls you into a false sense that maybe it can stay this status quo for a while longer. But the credit card payments are looming again at the start of March and I realise I'll have to maybe dip into the Halifax overdraft to cover the Tesco CC payment. I've cancelled Direct Debit for council tax and water so they'll be paid on credit card next month.

Hope you have a nice day and week. Nice to see some sunshine!

SpireCaptain

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81894280#Comment_81894280

Hi Daisy,

Thank you so much for the time taken to read and comment on my diary. It's really much appreciated.

You make a lot of very pertinent points. I'm not completely sure on the bit about Mum taking on a security on the house. I've not heard of that. It's a very interesting avenue to explore. Essentially would it be stumping up the cash that a BTL mortgage would provide to pay OH off and the current mortgage?

I'll have a Google tonight about that possibility.

Regarding window cleaning in the rain, I absolutely agree with you. Unless it's absolutely bouncing down and very windy there's nothing to stop me cleaning apart from myself and my head. It's my biggest negative with being self employed and window cleaning. If I worked for someone that decision to work or not would be out of my hands. It's been 9 years and I almost feel like I'm getting worse at pushing through the inclement weather. As a franchise 2017-2020 I had to work to cover the franchise 20% (although the £15k over 3 years I mainly paid and used Credit to cover what I gave away).

Like you say I'm in the perfect position to use cash as a means to budget and squirrel away for rainy day funds, essential bills etc. that's why a clean slate with a DMP is looking to be my best option. I'd consider bankruptcy if I was renting off Mum but they'd see that it was a disposal of assets when she bought me and OH put and if lose the rental property. IVA sounds super rigid and invasive in my finances and so DMP looks the only option.

I do enjoy internal window cleaning and definitely could advertise it more. I just keep it to regulars who ask. Gutter clearing and fascia/conservatory roof cleaning are all jobs that can be done in the rain and I could push them more. It's just my apathy, stuck in a rut I look for reasons not work in my head people are saying why's he turned up now etc. I cringe asking for money when people are 2 cleans owing etc. this is the problem OH has with me, not having the shrewd business head on. "I'm too soft" don't charge enough etc etc.

I've taken down people's old alarm boxes, aerials, swept up leaves, moved furniture, garden pots etc but never charged, some offer to pay but they might be a couple of quid or don't offer. I never take money as I like the customers. But it eats into my bottom line, the same with people that chat for 45.mins they don't see that a decent price house is now less than minimum wage to me.

Sorry for the rant. Thank you for your points daisy and I'll look into the charge for security thing.

OH has bought a Railcard family and student or something as somehow she's still getting a Student card til 2027 so she's taking the twins to York Dungeons on Friday. She must have enough money to fund her lifestyle. I'll just continue providing food and utilities and she can pay her share if the food and activities she chooses to take the boys on.

daisy_1571

Afternoon, thats a real issue you have there fighting against yourself. I suppose in your case, if its a real big issue, the only way so you don't have to deal with it is going back to being employed by someone else but that seriously limits your earning power.

I'd say it would be better to get working on your mental attitude towards being 'at work' and charging. That will be your best way out of this financial issue perhaps rather than ivas or dmps?

I don't know what way would work or click? Can you set aside a little quiet time to figure that out ? Rather than working against yourself, imagine what you could do if you got out of your own way?

If you do work it out heres me throwing ideas again in case any find fertile grounds 😀

Set a challenge to earn £200 a day then any free time above this, you can do freebies so you still get your chatty times with regulars?

Leave leaflets with current customers giving an hourly rate and a couple of words about each thing you can do alongside a window clean?

Put leaflets through neighbouring houses saying 'I am here every 4th Thursday doing the windows at no 34 and could do yours then too' and of course ask your customers if they are happy to be a reference if the neighbour asks.

Non payers are something you absolutely have to get on top of. That's mad - you are juggling cards in a shop when people owe you money ? What system do you use? I used to be old school with a receipt book from a stationery shop. I used to write in each appointment details and give them top copy as their receipt, I had the back copy left in my book so I knew who I'd seen each day. Useful for doing accounts later. But people paid me as they left their appointment so I never had non payment. If you do work when they aren't there, I presume you have a stack of 'work done' paperwork and they get one of those through their letterbox letting them know you've been? Definitely message them before you are next due back to say friendly reminder that there's 2 outstanding payments, can you please have £xx for me on Tuesday when I'm next there, no one can be upset about that?

You don't have to answer here, its a public forum after all, I'm just trying to get you thinking about systems and organisation so you can get on top of your business and get money flowing in.

I think you do yourself a disservice thinking your customers will be wondering why you are there. As a customer we want reliable, we want trustworthy, we want a good job, we want to pay a proper rate for what we consider reliable trustworthy jobs completd in our own homes. Theres nothing worse than trying to get somebody to quote for a job and they don't respond. Most people would rather they message back to say they aren't interested. Ask anyone and they'll agree 😆 its sooooo frustrating. Then even more frustrating is someone who then doesn't come at the time and day they've agreed to.

In my local area WhatsApp there's regular requests for reliable painters, garden people, cleaners and window cleaners- people want what you are providing so get out there and get a proper wage coming in

Re the using cash - I was meaning start from now on a cash basis for your day to day ie use the cash from your customers as a fresh start tomorrow to start paying in the supermarket (always putting the relevant percentage into a separate account for your tax and ni before you spend anything of course)

I promise I'll leave you alone now 😆 sorry for taking over your diary 😀

Dxx

(PS If you know somebody is a chatty Cathy, get in first the minute you get there with a friendly 'really busy today so I won't take a cuppa ta, proper catchup next time' and then get on with your work. If they still chat, let them, but keep working and leave when you are finished, no need to be rude just remindthem you have an appointment and need to go)

foxgloves

From a customer point of view, I've just paid a local window cleaner £225 for a one-off 'post-builder's clean' of all our exterior windows & conservatory roof plus gutter clearing. We recently had a new roof & the windows were shocking afterwards. We don't have a regular window cleaner so I asked on our village's FB page if anyone could recommend someone & this window cleaner jumped in, gave me a price & did the work. I've noticed he's since done this with another couple of residents too. He doesn't live in our village but obviously follows various local fb groups so as to pick up work. I'm assuming you already make use of fb groups as opportunities to put your business 'out there'? If not, could be useful?

As for doing extra things for customers as a favour.....that is kind of you, but defeating the object of having a business. I would defo expect to pay for bird boxes to be put up, gutters to be checked, garden or other outdoor maintenance tasks. Perhaps a way round this might be a small flyer listing what additional services you offer with the costs. Then customers who kind of take advantage of your good nature will hopefully be reminded you are a business.

F

RhiBi

I don’t know if this helps, but thought I’d say what my window cleaner does. If I’m not home, he puts a slip through the door saying he’s been on it it has his bank details so that I can pay him. On the odd occasion I have forgotten, the next time he leaves a slip, it’ll have x2 on it to let me know how much I need to pay.

SpireCaptain

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901203#Comment_81901203

Hi RhiBi, yes that's how I've always done it since starting. Since the clean/safe bank account has been up and running I've been highlighting and circling in green my new details and 80% have been changing over.

I've not collected cash on a night since COVID started and it's so much less stressful. It's just about training the customers and refining the round as you want it to work so it runs like clockwork.

SpireCaptain

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901062#Comment_81901062

Hi Foxgloves. That's a very competitive price for all that work depending on the area of the country, were they there about 4 ours or so? Up here that's probably where I'd be. You see some citing £500 on the forums etc but I think it's to be taken with a shovel of salt.

That's the beauty of regular window cleaning is it's repeat business without needing to advertise once the round is established. Others may prefer one offs and add on works and so will be advertising and active on the Facebook groups.

Roof cleaning (scraping and biodie softwash or pressure washing ) is really taking off and everyman and their dog is on the forums asking questions hoping they can set up because they've seen people saying they make £500 a day etc. It's saturating the market. And it's back and shoulder breaking work scraping a roof from ground level or it's the expense and hassle if the scaffolding.

A few customers always add my name into the mix when people ask for window cleaners on FB but I don't actively look for jobs on there as you can get quite a few Messers and jobs that haven't been picked up my regular window cleaners as they're poor customers/awkward jobs. I turned down a lovely customer last night as her brother wanted a window cleaner but she understood when I said I've got too much work and it wouldn't be fair on long term customers taking on new ones that put me behind even more.

I've made the mistake of saying yes to jobs where they're the only job on a road or area of town. I've lost 4 jobs this year for not being around since November. I could probs afford to lose 80-100 customers and put the prices up on the 300 jobs left so I'm cleaning less but earning more but most importantly getting round the jobs in a.more timely manner. (4-5 weeks rather than currently 6-7 weeks)

The bread and butter that is day in day out window cleaning has such low overheads even when turnover increases. My expenses for the past 9 years average about £6k a year and Ives had 6 years of £30k turnover but the past 3 years has dropped to £24k (hence the debt problem- struggling with mental health and motivation to work due to overwhelming debt and rental property getting trashed etc plus the relationship)

If I can push back to £30k turnover or ideally £36k I might be able to avoid a DMP but then again I'll just be firefighting the problem and time is running out to be able to afford the minimum payments.