To ask how you manage on a low wage?

[FuckHim]

My income is below the national average and also pro rata as I work 30 hours (compressed) to deal with childcare. I am just at the threshold for UC so don’t get any extra support for being a lone parent but qualify for the childcare element.

My mortgage is 41% of my wage. I’m due to review that in Jan but I’m terrified interest rates will go up.

Another 28% makes up essential bills and utilities.

I have a joint debt in my name at about 17%, though ex pays all of this as part of the debt and making contributions to the additional element of childcare. We have 50/50 care, so if he ever just decided to stop paying I can’t do anything about it.

I’ve had to pay for 3 car repairs, 1 vet bill and a house repair in the past two months which luckily I’ve had savings for, but they are dwindling fast. I’ve just remembered that it’s car season - so MOT, service, tax and insurance all is due next month - usually I pay in one lump sum but I think I’m going to have to break it down into monthly payments to deal with this year. And now my cat has wandered in with a broken tooth. 😬

I’ve already cancelled all my non essential subscriptions bar Netflix. I’ve drastically changed the way I spend. I did make a big spend on Beauty Pie last month to use my allowance before cancelling (and hopefully stock me for 6 months +), but that’s been the only luxury. My birthday is next week and I can’t afford the celebrate. I’m so fed up.

And that’s all obviously before food and household and every ongoing cost that never seems to end.

How do you manage? Do you have tricks? Does it get easier?

There must be a large section of people like me who earn too much to claim personal UC support but too little to live comfortably.

And actually, as I refreshed AIBU and saw the ‘£1500 is not enough DISPOSABLE income’ when that’s more than my fucking wage, AIBU be furious with the idiocy of others.

Obviously not related to this but a painful heading to read after you’ve just shared real ‘can I afford to eat’ problems.

It’s tough when you feel like you’re in a hole moneywise. But childcare costs will eventually reduce and then disappear. Is there a chance of progression at work that could lead to a pay rise? I’d be looking at extra training etc or is a career change viable?

Try not to compare yourself with others or get drawn into debates about how much money is “enough”. Ime it’s all relative.

I took on a p/t job that had flexible hours .. Changed utility & wifi supplier so shaved £300 a year off bills. Got single person council tax discount. Did without house insurance as lived in ultra safe area & landlord had cctv everywhere anyway. Pet insurance was £5 a month with Tesco re vet bills. The thing that drained my money was cars. In the end I found a skills swap website. So I got mechanic who looked after it ,while I tutored his kids in maths.

OP, until the lockdown benefit changes my wages were about £17 more a month than my rent, bills and bus fare. I was fortunate that I get free meals at work as I couldn’t have fed myself from that £17.

My first bit of advice would be to see if there is a PDSA near you. They do both free and reduced price treatment, depending on income. It will be cheaper than a private vet.

I would say always prioritise being able to have some kind of treat each month, even if it is just a nice lip balm or pen or something. You don’t want to slip into everything being totally grim. A pen for 80p from kenji would make a massive different to my mood.

@srioesgalore, totally agree. Small stuff can really lift your mood when it's all a bit if a slog: & needn't cost the earth. I like house stuff & beauty stuff, so Aliexpress.com is dirt cheap for anything & everything .

That sounds really tight. Is there any way your mortgage company would let you review early?

In terms of childcare do you cover more than your ex or is the compressed part just to cover the 50% of week days when they are with you? If the former, I think your ex should be paying something towards your time (if he works full time and lets you pick up the slack). If he won't do that can you request that he looks after them 50/50 in the week and get some extra hours work in? When we were up against it a few years ago, we got a lodger in. Not for the feint-hearted but it did help ease things. I hope you get some helpful advice here.

Do you have a food bank nearby you could go to? Or I also go to a kind of food bank at my local children's centre. You pay £3.50 and get a bag of food worth £15.

Ironing or cleaning jobs are usually easy to fit in for extra income at hours you choose. Facebook & task rabbit are place to advertise. Or village shop window if rural: as that's still a hub for p/t work even in these internet times.

Housing is your biggest outgoing. Any possible way you might reduce it? These are big complicated ideas but if you are desperate they could boost your disposable income:

1. consider moving out of your property, putting it out as buy to let, & renting somewhere smaller/cheaper
2. selling up and moving somewhere smaller/cheaper
3. get a lodger to bring in money (may not be ideal)

Interest rates are really unlikely to rise. Try not to panic.

I top up my full time wage by working two evenings a week. Single parent to two and no maintenance for them.
I also go to a local community fridge which is a god send.
I try to meal plan which helps.

I too earn so little I looked into benefits but there were none.
I basically don’t buy myself anything until the end of the month when everything’s been paid off and I’m about to get paid again.
I don’t have a car, pets or children just for transparency but it’s still tight.
I shop at Aldi, makes a big difference.
I buy toiletries I like from ebay much cheaper.
I buy clothes in charity shops and ebay, but only what I absolutely need, no shopping for fun.
I did a big clear out recently and sold everything I don’t need on ebay, got a few hundred quid.
If you have a spare room could you Airbnb?

Sadly the only way I was able to manage when on less than £12.5k was my partner.

I paid less rent, less bills. Didn’t contribute to telly bill and he paid my share of the council tax. He paid half my phone bill.

It has been even worse when I was on student finance. £7k for the whole time. I’m still in it, really, I have absolutely no money until I get my first pay check from my new job. I was paid for some pre-summer work and taxed in total nearly £500 due to being on emergency tax for some UNKNOWN REASON how ironic to never make enough to pay income tax and then immediately get taxed WAY too much. It seems never ending even though I know that it’s only a few more weeks.

It’s really shit. I don’t even have kids. It’s so demoralising.

That was full time work as a TA as well, I cannot believe I did it for three years without packing it in.

I was made redundant a few weeks into lockdown. Found a new job 6 weeks ago but lower paid and less hours. My rent is now 75% of my salary 😢

I remember how difficult it was when my children were preschoolers. Both me and OH worked, but didn't have much to spare, once the bills had been paid. It did get easier as the children got their nursery hours and eventually started school. It may feel like things will never change, but they did.

There were two things that kept me sane;

1. treat money - as others have said, I gave myself a small budget for my guilt free treats eg a lipstick, a book, a hair clip.

2. I turned money saving into a hobby. I read up on ways to save money and taught myself new skills like baking and making jam from foraged blackberries. I would search for cheap days out and activities for us all to do.

I don't really have tips but I wanted to sympathise and say I completely agree, all these posts about "can I live on £60k?" "I only have £5k a month to live on" etc drive me mad and I wish posters would realise what a lot of people make do with. Being broke is really tough

I had to start side hustling. You can’t cut back on what you don’t have. It was a long hard slog but I have done it all

Have you looked into nearby charities? I used to volunteer for a Protestant Church charity and they loved working mums. Honestly, a lot of charities are handing out the same vouchers to the same people (heroin addicts) who just sell them on. They'll be delighted to help you. You are working. You are struggling. You are not mugging people for cash, you are going out to work and still not making ends meet. They are dying to help you. Just Google and don't let pride get in the way.

I booked my last mortgage rate 6 months before my old one ran out figuring it couldn’t go much lower. Actually it has, but not loads more and not within those six months. Maybe talk to a broker. Apparently banks are really struggling as nobody is after products with fees so I guess they will keep them competitive. Childcare does complicate a mortgage application though and as my outgoings were unsustainable I could only have one at six months out (which was thankfully a great rate). Also childcare costs plummet (presuming you’re still dealing with nursery costs). Hopefully salary will go up too over time.

Look for a local food zero waste scheme.

Food banks will mostly only take dried/tinned food.

Zero waste schemes take everything left. Its random but far more varied with fresh fruit, veg & bread etc for a small donation.

I survived for years by doing 2/3 jobs
I also sell a lot on eBay
You have to have an eye for a bargain though
I buy in sales, clearance or charity shops and sell for profit - sometimes I even wear things first
Eg I bought a massimo dutti cashmere jumper in tkmaxx for £8 - wore it 2/3 times then sold it for £30

Today I bought a fab phase eight dress new from an outlet store for £9
I will wear it a few times for work and then sell for at least £20
It takes a bit of work but I aim to make around £5000 a year and usually beat my targets

Have a search for Dave Ramsey on YouTube. He’s based in the US but his videos have always got me motivated and inspired when I’ve been struggling financially. And his talk show offers some great advice to build up an extra income.

All these posts about shopping at Lidl and growing your own vegetables are daft. Of course the OP has considered all this.

The reality is that you're just going to have to work your way through it. Every month you pay a little off your mortgage and debts, so you're just that little bit better off than you were last month. And keep plodding on. Just avoid debt (that includes car finance, sofas bought on 0% interest, everything) like the plague.

Debt is expensive. I say again: avoid it like the plague.

Forgot, if you can get childcare, apply now to do temp Xmas Post job. They start looking now for the 10days up to Xmas. V early 6.30am start but you're done in 2hours. ( Don't go back to base til your official finish time or they send u back out). Great £.