How do you cope financially if your income fluctuates week to week

[ZeroHours]

Working a zero hour contract, don't know how many shifts will be given from week to week. Wages fluctuate. Find it impossible to plan and budget.

If you're in the same situation, how do you cope? Payday loans/Credit cards? Anything else out there?

Thx

[IceMaiden73]

I think you have to work out what you need as a minimum to live each week

Try and only pay that out for a while so that you can save some for leaner weeks

I think Payday loans are a last resort as they are very expensive

[TomTomKitten]

Exactly what IceMaiden has suggested.

When I first bought my flat and money was a bit tight I listed all my outgoings for the year; electric, gas, council tax, tv licence, food, haircuts, birthdays, Christmas, MOT, car service, petrol, etc. and set myself a budget. Do not go over budget! Any extra money stays in the bank and starts to grow to create a buffer.

I've always done this and we now have a pretty big buffer. Money makes money so if you can get into this mindset of counting the pennies hopefully you will find things easier in the future.

Ditching the zero hours job in favour of set hours each week will also help.

Best of luck!