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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel depressed at how skint I am?

210 replies

Smolgoose · 16/06/2021 15:00

I was furloughed for 8 months over the past year and a bit on 80 percent pay and it has tipped my precarious finances into total shit. Money is tight anyway on full pay (I only earn 16000 a year) so I've had to make up the shortfall with overdraft and credit card.

Endless expensive things keep happening, like the car needing repairs and it's starting to really get me down. I have £50 to last till the end of the month which is doable just about, as long as I stick to cheap food.

I've taken on an extra part time job cleaning that starts later this month, but I have no idea how I'm going to physically do it on top of full time work, as I've had health issues recently.

I just feel so depressed with it all.

OP posts:
AbsolutelyPatsy · 17/06/2021 11:15

@Rubyrecka i dont believe you have to watch it in the library, you borrow, like stream

BarbaraofSeville · 17/06/2021 11:15

You don't have go to the library, its all online. Your membership gives you free access to all sorts of services, magazines, audible, ebooks anywhere in the world over the internet.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 17/06/2021 11:18

dont be depressed by it op, plenty are in the same boat. look on the bright side - avoid comparing yourself to others, find enjoyment in other things, a funny film, a happy book? cooking a great meal

Rubyrecka · 17/06/2021 11:18

@PolkadotHedgehog

Exactly. I did precisely that: living off pasta for years. I'm sure it dicmy health no favours.

Much of the thread seems like some kind of competitive poverty rather than trying to offer the OP advice on what would be the best long-term route out of her current situation. If it was me, I'd be taking the long-term view and looking at night classes and potential career paths to something I'd like to do that would earn more money. That's the best sustainable solution to take this financial stress off her.

Agree. The only way out of this is to increase your base salary. Can your employer offer any assistance to fund training? They usually will have a budget for this.
AbsolutelyPatsy · 17/06/2021 11:19

the op has a degree,

Rubyrecka · 17/06/2021 11:23

If op has a degree and its relevant to the specialist skills needed for your career then perhaps it's time to ask for a promotion or get a better employer!

Myusernameisnotmyusernameno · 17/06/2021 11:23

Do you have kids OP? I have a friend who earns £22k a year and is a single parent and she gets topped up with tax credits and ends up with more money than me.

Rubyrecka · 17/06/2021 11:24

[quote AbsolutelyPatsy]@Rubyrecka i dont believe you have to watch it in the library, you borrow, like stream[/quote]
Ah ok I didn't know that!

mrsm43s · 17/06/2021 11:58

@Smolgoose

I can't believe people are suggesting I move back with my parents, I'm in my 30s!!!

Thanks for everyone who has made useful suggestions, I've taken note of lots of the ideas here and feel better about improving things.

@mrsm43s your really not being helpful. I know the reality is that I don't earn much and life us expensive, but it isn't right that an adult working full time should have to live in poverty. I ALREADY have low expectations. I'm hardly living extravagantly, and the main issue is that I was expected to be able to live on £900 à month whilst furloughed. I never spend money socialising, I never go on holiday, I don't drink, I don't smoke, it's hardly extravagant having Netflix and an audible subscription!

Also my job is not unskilled - it is retail, but specialist and I have a degree in a field that relates to it. Wages in this country are shit and a lot don't tally with the level of skill involved, surely everyone knows that?

I'm really sorry you don't think I'm being helpful.

I'm really not trying to make you feel bad, and I absolutely sympathise with the situation you were in with regard to furlough.

I do not, at all, think you aren't budgeting or struggling, or that what you want to be able to afford is particulary excessive.

The reality is, that a income of £16K pa simply is not enough to live a lifestyle that is anything other than basic. You may not like that, but I'm afraid it is a fact. If you continue to earn £16k pa, you will continue to struggle.

If you play around with the Joseph Rowntree calculator that someone else linked to www.minimumincome.org.uk/adjusted_results/, you will see that with your rent and council tax, the salary that you need to earn in order to have what they consider "a decent standard of living" is £21,510. You are £5,510 per year short. It is this gap that is the problem.

If you wish to keep earning £16k per annum, you have to accept a less than decent standard of living.

If you wish to have a decent standard of living, you need to find a way to earn more.

You seem bright and articulate, and I'm sure you could find a way to up your income if you want to. Even setting the goal and starting on some steps to work towards that might make you feel more positive and like you are moving in the right direction.

I wish you luck in whatever you do.

qualitygirl · 17/06/2021 12:19

@Smolgoose how much is your debt? Is the 150 a min payment. How long will it take to pay it off?

Confused0904 · 17/06/2021 12:20

So what is your degree subject- you are in a specialist area in retail that only pays 16k. Maybe if you let MN know your degree subject, you might get suggestions for vocational retraining? There are lots of opportunities within the NHS which overall is a secure employer.

Spidermanssecretary · 17/06/2021 12:36

@Confused0904 I'm in the NHS, band 4, three years until next pay increase, currently take home pay is £1,445 per month for full time. But at least it's secure hey!

RaininSummer · 17/06/2021 13:07

Have a look at the earn ten pounds a day thread on the money board as people are making a fair bit extra there. I get between 1 and 2 hundred most months just faffing about after work on my phone. It won't happen overnight though but could be a help.

Juno231 · 17/06/2021 13:15

@Spidermanssecretary in all fairness that's still 20% more than OP currently is on!

OP is there any chance of you pivoting into another career? I imagine even starting at the bottom in a job like a trainee AAT accountant your starting salary would already be 5k more per year. Obviously this isn't a short term solution but unless you start thinking about how to earn more money you won't be getting out of the current situation.

bewilderedhedgehog · 17/06/2021 13:20

Lots of different ideas. A small thought: agree you should keep Netflix - but does your partner have netflix, or someone else you know. Depending on the tariff you could share netflix?

Confused0904 · 17/06/2021 13:26

@Spidermanssecretary
Doesn’t that depend on what you do?
Not to brag but I’m also in the NHS with take home of over 4k which fluctuates (WLI)… but I’m quite senior in my field. My starting salary as a junior was around 1.5k. I’m not suggesting op can suddenly earn that, but there are lots of opportunities depending on field with a salary scale.

jadfiewahnds · 17/06/2021 13:32

Band 4 NHS is £21890 at the bottom of the band, which just about fits with the Rowntree minimum posted upthread. It's a lot better than the 16k OP is earning.

bewilderedhedgehog · 17/06/2021 13:52

While there are lots of opportunities in the NHS, I don't think I have seen that the OP has expressed a wish to join the NHS!

Original poster
Smolgoose · 17/06/2021 14:01

My degree was in fine art, so not useful at all for most jobs.

OP posts:
Juno231 · 17/06/2021 14:03

@bewilderedhedgehog but if OP only feels like working with what she enjoys then she'll have to face the reality of being poorer than she'd like to be! Most people have to work to support themselves without pursuing a passion or only doing fulfilling work...

bigbaggyeyes · 17/06/2021 14:13

You can speak to creditors about freezing payments etc but it'll take at least 6 years until your credit rating starts to get better. I did this when I separated from my exdh, I had to do it at the time as he left me in the shit but it's taken years to be in a position where I can now move, get decent loan rates etc, it's been a hard slog.

I'd look at ways of consolidating the debt and lowering the interest. As you said, you're starting another job soon which will help. I don't know how old you are, but I got a pt job in a pub (I know Covid etc) evenings and weekends, I really enjoyed it as it became a bit of a social scene for me too, which meant I spent less on going out

You could also look at grad jobs, I work in IT (for a financial services company) and we have a really good grad scheme paying very good money, our latest project manager came from the scheme and he's got a degree in chemistry

theotheranna · 17/06/2021 14:19

I see you have an art degree. I don't and manage to make some money monthly from illustration (I do have a job as well). Have you considered selling on platforms/brick&mortar shops?
Christmas is coming, it would mean a good opportunity to sell some cards/prints/commissioned pieces etc

bewilderedhedgehog · 17/06/2021 14:54

OP, picking up on your art degree and the NHS points above - newly qualified art therapist in the NHS salary scale looks to be around £31k. Might be something to think about?

@Juno231 - your point is well made - not easy always to find a job which pays and is also enjoyable!

AbsolutelyPatsy · 17/06/2021 15:13

are there any museum/art gallery jobs?

or sell any of your own work on the side?

Spidermanssecretary · 17/06/2021 15:19

@bewilderedhedgehog you would have to do another degree to do that and there is no funding available.

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