Any ideas to earn extra cash to pay for Christmas

[dreamerz]

I recently found out that my dh has rather a lot on several credit cards.

I've been through it all and it seems there's been a few issues with his work (he's self employed) and had a few quiet months and used cards and overdrafts to prop him up. Then tax bill was due. Then our car broke. And because the cards are not zero percent the min repayments each month is insane. It's snowballing. There is a bit of silly spending too.

I was furious when I found out and that's another thread. He tends to bury head in sand.

I've made him transfer the largest one to a zero percent card.

But the other two still need 400quid minimum repayments per month also.

Ive stopped all spending
I've started selling all my stuff online (clothes, books etc) I've made hundreds.
He's selling his stuff too.
We've swapped Tesco for aldi
I've ended all subscriptions and exercise and eating out.I've stopped all fun! For everyone.
started paying more each month into joint account. We have separate accounts and each pay into joint account which is why I had no clue.

Obviously it's Xmas and we have three kids. I've started using cash back sites and used some of my vinted money to buy a few gifts. I also had a voucher for Amazon so used that.

Is there anything I'm forgetting?

He obviously feels terrible and whilst I'm furious at him for hiding it, splitting is not what I want.

I actually work full time and earn good money. I always paid my bit. But it's not enough to cover all the bills myself 🤦‍♀️

How else can I make money?

If anyone has any bright ideas re getting us out this situation please let me know? Our mortgage is relatively low so I thought about taking some money out of that? Borrowing a bit more.

Or getting a loan?!

If he is still having a quiet time at work then he need to get a part time job.

Survey sites, won't make you big bucks but can do when you have a spare few mins. Some pay out quite quickly at low amounts like qmee and attapol.

Some banks are offering £175 to switch to them.

No, don't get a loan whatever else you do, when you're in a hole the last thing you need is to keep digging. You've already taken some positive steps but theres only 2 ways through this, make more or spend less. Well done with the decluttering. You could get a reasonable amount if you have any gold jewellery you could sell, it's a good price at the moment, make sure you shop around though. Any chance of some weekend work, extra shifts for either of you? If all else fails scale down the expectations, it's only one day at the end.

Prolific surveys. In a good month, I’ve earnt £80 just in my spare time.

The obvious answer to me is for him to get any kind of job to earn money as self employed one is so slow.

Thanks all some good advice.

I already work full time. We have three kids.

His job is in the creative industry and some days are long. His work is very random. It can be busy and well paid.

This month he's due quite a lot of money but getting it is an issue. Projects get delayed or take an age to wrap up then the final invoice doesn't get paid until January. It's a fucking mess.

Well out mortgage goes out next week so it's useless.

He's got corporation tax due in January and vat bills etc. he's got nothing saved up to cover that.

He has no idea how busy he will be in January.

He's not great with money. Clearly. It's a real worry. I mean I asked him to his face "you have been paying if the credit card each month" and he said yes.

I feel sick with worry.

The only thing I have going out of my account is my phone bill. Nothing else. And the only things going out of the joint account is bills and supermarket costs.

He's also set up a new offshoot of his business to offer another stream for work but it's taking an age to get paying clients.

One thing I think needs to stop is
A) employing someone in his office (£800 a month)
B) renting an office (£500 a month)

But he will not budge

Local takeaway deliveries. My husband does this occasionally and can get over £100 per night on a weekend

Sorry you're in this siutation OP; it must be extremely stressful.

What sort of creative work does your DH do? If it's design work from a computer rather than something that requires a lot of equipment, he needs to face reality and get rid of his office. You don't need an office to meet clients in and he doesn't need one to work in, if his job is primarily desk based.

What does he employ the staff member to do? If they're an administrator, get rid of them. Harsh, but needs must. If they are a skilled junior who can do the simpler creative jobs while allowing him to concentrate his efforts on the more complicated and lucrative work (as well as focusing on bringing in new business), then I would look at how much value they add (does the work they bring in/do cover the cost of their salary, benefits and the costs associated with employing them, at the very least) before deciding to keep them or not. Can he discuss alternative working arrangements with them, like going part-time, or making the employed job redundant and hiring a freelancer to take their place?

It shouldn't just be you looking for solutions. He can't just stick his head in the sand and hope that work wil pick up in January or at some mystical point in the future. Even if it does, you need cash in now and he needs to pay of his debts ASAP. At the very least, he needs to be looking at supplementing his income with a part-time job like bar work or working in a supermarket.

If he will not budge, ask him how he would like to see you and the children living on the street. Because that's the reality when debts spiral.

have a de-clutter and get selling stuff on vinted! I made £100 in a day before by selling about 6 or 7 items. it all adds up xx

This. He needs to do extra shifts - supermarket, bar, delivery driver, dog walking.

@TheGoddessFreyja already doing vinted. I'm getting rid of so much. I've made £80 and got £90 pending in parcels to post. I've sold over 60 parcels. It's like a full time job 🤣

Any ways to save at supermarket?

Our family of 5 usually spend £200 a week at Tesco!

Is couponing still a thing?!

My God yes he needs to get rid of the office. Why has he taken one on?

I grew up with a dad who was terrible with money and Mum had to make Christmas out of nothing while doing all the work.

I would stick to one present per child. Tell any family members and friends who would normally give something to your children that you're having to do this, in the frank hope that they will gear up what they give. And if anyone usually gives you a gift, ask for vouchers or cash as that will help you out in January.

For stockings, become a magpie. Our stockings always had a tangerine and an apple - fills up a lot of space. A bag of sweets fills space and is popular. If you're going to a work do and they have crackers, hoover up as many cracker gifts as you can get away with for the children's stockings. One year I got my mother just to wrap things from the house up for my stocking.

Could you (or more to the point, your dh) sign up to be NHS health care assistants on the local bank? It could be a good option for weekend shifts. It might not be quick as there's usually a lot of processes to be signed up.

My reply is more about spending less on everyone for Xmas. It's fine for stocking fillers to be a pound or two. Set a limit for spending on eachother and buy things eachother really needs. Spend less on others or suggest giving presents a miss this year.

So many overspend on food, eg you don't have to have a massive turkey and loads of drinks, tea us is to have sandwiches, crisps and veggie sticks. Look at a cheaper meal for Boxing Day etc.

Me and dh are not buying presents this year. What's the point?! I could cry but my priority is making sure kids don't notice things are shit.

For adults. I'll tell my mum that I'm poor.

Our family usually give money at Xmas so I have £450 coming on Xmas day but that won't be used for sale shopping, it will be used to pay bills

@drdreamerz oh god it is like a full time job. I know its effort but it's a great way to get some cash back in your pockets.

definitely do a meal plan, sit down on a day of the week with the family and ask what meals they want, nothing boujee 🤣😩 and stick to the meal plan and lunches.

asda do a rewards app where sometimes if you buy certain items you get money into a cash pot which you can turn into vouchers for money off your shops xx

At the supermarket I'd say that apparently deals like yellow sticker stuff aren't very often as much of a saving as you'd hope. Would your mum stand you a 20kg bag of rice from the Asian supermarket/sack of potatoes from the farm shop?

Came to say this - bank switching. The £100-200 incentives you receive soon add up

Sounds like he needs a second job to bring in some coin. Even 24 hrs a week would bring in over a grand a month.

Yeah our food is gonna have to drop. We were buying what we fancied before. Often without looking at cost. Then the kids want a magazine, I see a top or some makeup I fancy etc

we no longer drink so that saves.

fussy kids means quite a bit of food wastage too.

and being a family of five is often annoying. The world is made for families of 4

im going to try Aldi and Lidl

Bank switch 100%. I've done Santander this week.

Join Prolific, but they may take several weeks to approve you. It's a survey site and I can earn from £2-5 a day, quick and easy.

Prime Opinion will allow anyone to join right away. Another survey site but surveys don't pay quite as much and can be hit and miss.

Anything you buy, where possible, get cashback. I use Quidco and the JamDoughnut app.
I use JamDoughnut most days as it is cashback on places like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Iceland, Argos.

If you do get JamDoughnut, I'd appreciate you using my code, which I think also gets you £4. My referral code is QNEZ.

Another one I started this month thanks to Mumsnet is Zing. It's an e-money app, part of HSBC. If you open an account, you get £30. Then every referral gets you an extra £30. So you could do your DH you both get another £30, and anyone else you know who's interested nets you more £30s.

Here's my code for that:

You’re invited to join Zing – the worry-free international money app – and get £30. Eligible for 18+ UK Residents only. T&Cs apply. zing.me/referrals?referralCode=NzUxZGFmODgtMDkzZS0zZGYxLWIxMGMtMmM4NDc3M2NiNzQy

Vinted for offloading old kids clothes and toys. I got rid of some kids clothes and un-used make up by selling for cheap, just to get some money in the bank.

Before you buy anything unnecessary, do the 24 hour rule. Put it in your basket and wait. If you still want to buy after 24 hours, go for it. I do this for things like kid's toys, beauty bits, clothes. I've saved a lot this way!

Get out of the mind set of meat or fish every dinner time. We have a few days where we do pulse or egg based meals (omelette, lentil curry, chickpea stew etc.) Saves a lot!

I see you mention couponing upthread.

I use an app called Shopmium and it's kind of like this.

It's not great, but now and then you'll find they've got a coupon for something you'd normally buy.

This fortnight, I've used them to get 50p off fruit puree pouches and 50% off teabags.

If you use my referral, you'll get a feee bag of giant buttons:
5g5v49

Also, head over to the Martin Lewis Money saving site every week or so, as they post any coupons going x

Definitely try Lidl.
Meal planning / batch cooking.
Have you got Clubcard points if you spend a lot at Tescos ?

But your husband definitely needs to get rid of his staff member, is he managing to pay them and his office rent ?

If either of you can drive and live in an urban area then the best way to earn will be Uber eats, just eat or just delivering for an independent takeaway.