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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be worried?

379 replies

RollonBed · 06/11/2016 15:56

New to mumsnet, just joined purely because its all i can think about. Love reading other threads though.

Ok, so the cap comes into place tomorrow 384 pound a week. Im a single psrent 2ith 4 children. How on earth an i expected to pay rent out of this and live? I will have to pay £104 pound rent a week! Thats 280 to buy food, petrol, gas, electric, water... yes i pay monthly for these but each week i make sure i set aside 50 pound... its said some 300,000 children will be pushed into poverty and people may loose there home over it. Im so worried i cant eat or sleep!! Should i be worried. aibu to think this is such an unecessary thing gor goverment to do?

OP posts:
Sallystyle · 06/11/2016 17:42

I have been driving for two years and my insurance is £64 a month with dh on it.

No points or claims.

That is the lowest I could get it for.

beautifulbizarre · 06/11/2016 17:42

Four children are expensive and shouldn't be punished for their dad being in prison. They are innocent and should not have to be raised in poverty.

BusyBeez99 · 06/11/2016 17:43

Is child benefit included in the cap?

RollonBed · 06/11/2016 17:43

With ur dh on it which may make it cheaper. I have no dh anymore.

OP posts:
crashdoll · 06/11/2016 17:43

Ah if you've only been driving for 2 years, that is why it's high. You might be able to get a better ideal if you haven't claimed?

StealthPolarBear · 06/11/2016 17:43

Wow car insurance is expensive

Rosierose98 · 06/11/2016 17:43

I'm not vile I'm just not stupid enough to have children that I cant afford. This country is full of people like you whining can't afford this can't afford that with several kids in tow. How about downgrading & swopping vehicle for much cheaper bus / travel pass like I have ( which I have bcs I can't afford car ) I bet that isn't in your priorities to consider is it?

Seekingadvice123 · 06/11/2016 17:44

No it isn't Busy

Seekingadvice123 · 06/11/2016 17:46

How much child benefit do you get OP?

beautifulbizarre · 06/11/2016 17:46

Buses cheaper than a car don't make me laugh

BusyBeez99 · 06/11/2016 17:46

So OP has more than £380 a week then? Child benefit for four children is how much a month?

beautifulbizarre · 06/11/2016 17:47

She's got 4 kids work it out yourself. £62.80

RollonBed · 06/11/2016 17:47

Oh im stupid for having children with a man whom i loved and was with a long time? I live in a village in the middle of nowhere a bus to school would be 3 buses adding up to 1hr and 20 mins of travelling. Thats unfair on my children. This is not there fault.

OP posts:
beautifulbizarre · 06/11/2016 17:47

*61.80 sorry

RollonBed · 06/11/2016 17:48

Child benefit is included in the cap.

OP posts:
SeenoevilSpeaknoevilHearnoevil · 06/11/2016 17:48

I'm a single parent with 3 kids under 6, I work...
Pay childcare, all my bills etc and I don't even get what you get! I don't start topics claiming the whole government is against me, when in fact I'd love nothing better than to sit on my arse while my DC go school, using everyone else's taxes.... because in theory I'd be better off?
I work, not because I benefit from not, because I don't. It's because I don't want my children growing up and seeing how easy it is to not work?!

You need to reassess your priorities!

Thisjustinno · 06/11/2016 17:49

We had this thread a couple of weeks ago didn't we?

Seekingadvice123 · 06/11/2016 17:50

Were you not entitled to transitional costs? As I understand it the cap comes in at the average earnings for a working family. Have you taken a drop.... how much?

Sallystyle · 06/11/2016 17:50

What has happened to MN?

I remember a time where people mostly had empathy for others, or at least enough respect not to be complete arseholes. Victim blaming an abused woman for not being a fortune teller. Thank god there are still some posters who care or at least can disagree without being complete cunts to someone. I fear they are getting drowned out though.

This is like reading the comments section of the Daily Mail. Full of shit, bitterness and nastiness. Listen to yourselves.

I am sorry OP you had to read some of this shit. Take the good advice on board and try to forget the rest.

StealthPolarBear · 06/11/2016 17:51

" This is like reading the comments section of the Daily Mail."
No one has based them eu immigrant yet :o

Sallystyle · 06/11/2016 17:51

With ur dh on it which may make it cheaper. I have no dh anymore.

No, I was agreeing with you, that it is stupidly high for some people.

I can't wait for mine to go down.

SemiNormal · 06/11/2016 17:51

I'm unsure as to the circumstances of the debt but you may be able to get a Debt Relief Order - more info on that here www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/debt-solutions/debt-relief-orders/

I live on a budget and I pretty much only buy clothes from charity shops. I'm lucky as in my area we have one that charges only £1.99 per item of clothing, that includes winter coats which obviously tend to be expensive.

Keep an eye on HotUkDeals - especially for cheap groceries or 'glitches' where you can often get amazing deals.

Also join the Facebook page - 10WaysToHaveMoreMoneyAsAStudentWithoutWorking - they also post some pretty good deals sometimes.

MoneySavingExpert has a huge wealth of advice regarding budgeting.

Your phone does seem to be on the expensive side. I pay £20 a month for mine, that's unlimited free phone calls, unlimited texts and 30gb of data. I'm with Three, it gets discounted because I pay Direct Debit and also because I'm a long term customer (who rings them every 12months asking for them to reduce my bill please)!!

Have a look in to Warm Home Discount. Most utility companies offer it and you're likely to be eligible, they will credit your account over winter with £140 (Can't remember if it's Gas or Electric).

When the kids are at school then layer up on clothes to reduce heating costs.

Your bills for the car seem very expensive. Do an online check to see if you'd be better off switching. Do this for your utilities too.

If you're better off with the utilities company you have then still phone them to check you are on the cheapest tarriff. Also check their website for any deals/offers - sometimes these are only available for new customers, but still phone and ask - I do! British Gas did one a few months back and I got a free £50 Amazon Gift Voucher with them.

Look at Youtube tutorials at how to cut your own hair (if you don't already). Haircuts are an unecessary cost. I haven't been to a hairdresser for 7 years and the time before that I hadn't been for another 7 years. I also cut my sons hair myself.

For days out with the kids ask in your local Facebook group if anyone knows of any free events for the kids. Take them to museums, the library, the woods etc because I imagine entrance fees for anywhere with 4 children is going to be too much.

Flog stuff you don't want! Even if you only get 50p for something pop it into a jar to save for a treat or for emergancies. Soon adds up.

Good luck OP. Show that arsehole of an ex what you're made of! Flowers

19lottie82 · 06/11/2016 17:53

Hi OP why is your gas / electric / water so high @£216 a month? That is astronomical!

I live in a 4 bed house, pay £90 a month for G&E and we are not stingy with our useage.

Sallystyle · 06/11/2016 17:53

I'm not vile I'm just not stupid enough to have children that I can't afford.

You are vile.

She could fucking afford them when she had them. Vile and unable to read.

Do you want her to give some back?

RollonBed · 06/11/2016 17:53

Okay ppl. Get down off your horse (maybe i should get rid od my car and get a horse too) hop into reality for a second. As iv said hundreds of time. I worked. Iv worked. I will again start working. Qhen i build up a client base and finish physiotherapy and social services ans health visitors and achool meetings and coucelling arent takin up all my spare time. Yes i own a car because i was a beauty therapist who worked from home and also down house calls. Believe it or not but its difficult dragging a few suitcases of equipment around on a bus qont help me start up business again will. Nor would.i have the time is i had to spend 5 hrs and twenty mins a day travelling to and from school not much room for business building is there?

OP posts:
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