How to cut corners when you already cut all of the corners?

[Moneysavvymam]

Me and DH have been eating into our savings recently. We have just moved so that comes with costs. Bought a few extra takeaways after being knackered from unpacking amd moving, bought a few new things we needed including furniture (all second hand though) so we initially thought that was part and parcel of the move. It costs money.

However now its been a while and the savings are still going down when they should be going back up.

We need to cut costs but we already do the following-
batch cook one pot meals mostly and freeze.
cycle or walk to cut travel costs (no car)
called Internet and got a better deal but they keep putting the price back up despite setting up an 18 month fixed price contract. eye roll.
-buy almost everything second hand
-we already shop at aldi and lidl
-we don't buy stuff for the sake of it anyway its all second hand
-stay in mostly, or local walks no days out for £££
-keep heating off and use electric blankets in winter and jumpers and extra socks

I don't know where else we can save. We were given a couple of hundred from family as a moving in present, it was supposed to go toward a new kitchen or flooring which is bare and unsafe but it just went on bills and now I'm too embarrassed to have people round because we are still living in a fixer upper when I budgeted and planned to have saved enough to have redecorated 80% of the place by now, but in reality I've put off buying a tin of paint because the money is just running away it seems.

oh and we just had a letter saying the gas and electricity is expected to rise in price. And I've noticed I'm spending more and more on food.
Is there anything I have forgotten? We are a family of 6 and I didn't even replace all of the uniform this year because I just couldn't afford it.
We still have about 2 months worth of expenses in savings but its dwindling.

I feel like we should be raking it in because we cut expenses to the bone but I'm struggling to think of where else we can cut. Any advice? I'm sure lots are in the same boat. Thank you for getting this far if you did, I know I'm a rambler when I worry.

Zero-based budgeting would help. Each month allocate every penny to a job - bills, food, travel etc. Set up sinking funds for reoccurring expenses like Christmas, birthdays, insurances, uniform, clothes etc. Have a little fun money (eg £20 a month) which you can spend guilt free to keep you on track a d motivated. There are Facebook groups affiliated to Dave Ramsey which would be really helpful. They initially focus on getting out of debt but the tips are invaluable for good money management when things are tight. Wish you lots of luck.

Yes DH has sold various stuff on Ebay and never delivered, he can't be doing with the faff of packaging or the scams where people claim stuff never arrived. If people are keen they will collect.

@FuzzyPuffling

Small beer, but I do online market research surveys. It is certainly not lots of money, but I get vouchers that can help.

This is foable for me where do you start with this kind of thing? I will admit its lost me. I looked at coupons before but could only find products i wouldn't buy anyway.

Look for sleeping nights as a carer. My friend works 4 sleeping nights and only gets woken up once to twice a night. They don’t need any childcare as a result and when her funded hours kick in she is planning to pick up day shifts as well. She says the sleep deprivation is no worse than having ill child and manageable because it’s only 4 nights.

What does your DH do to be working such ridiculous hours? He must bring home a decent salary for that amount of work?

Could you do things like taking in ironing? You could do it in the evenings in front of the TV while the DC are in bed, for example. It might not earn loads but even if it pays for a weeks' groceries or a tank of fuel, it will help. Online surveys are another option, though they are painfully dull!

I would also raise the prices of what you're selling on Marketplace and do it via eBay or Vinted instead - you then get protection and you'll make more money too. You don't need to deliver - you can post via the Post Office or companies like Hermés will collect from your house or a local collection point (corner shop, petrol station etc).

Medium term the answer will be for you to get a job. Short term that's clearly not going to work.

I doubt there's much you can do to further reduce your outgoings but you may need to move to things like no takeaways (keep some really simple things in the freezer like oven chips for days when circumstances mean that cooking isnt happening- eggs, chips and beans was always my standby tea). Also, does your dh take a pack up? We saved a lot once mine started doing that.

But it might be eating through your savings is inevitable until you are free to find work.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees

Gosh 60-70 hours a week plus travelling time?! That is crazy. Surely he must be earning a decent amount for that?

You'd hope so, but not necessarily. OP, you're not the poster with the tree surgeon DH who spends most of his wages on trucks and chainsaws so he's left with about £20k pa of actual money despite working long hours are you?

Is DH guaranteed to be home on a Sunday? Might be the best time to pick a few hours work then. I don’t know if there are places that would take a Sunday cleaner or something.
I think because everything has gone up in price it’s hard to keep cutting back these days, you would need to look at earning money if possible instead. Babysitting is a good suggestion if DH is home on a Saturday night.

I’d also have a few meals a week that are minimal cost. Pasta and tomato sauce kind of things. Baked potato and beans, home made soup and a stodgy pudding.

There might be local schemes for buying food. There’s a few near me, cheap veg boxes, or there’s a community shop you can buy 20 items for a few pounds kinda thing.

I think it’s harder and harder to cut back now with rising costs. It’s really crap.

[quote MyDcAreMarvel]**@Fluffycloudland77* I used to work with a mother of 6 who worked nights while her dh worked days*
What a horrible way to live, both as a couple and as a family.[/quote]
It worked for us!
Parent always around, school pick ups and no CC costs.

[quote MyDcAreMarvel]**@ssd* Life isnt meant to be all ideal and super and doing what we want* completely agree with that , however having no time as a couple or family time destroys relationships.
Working one day at weekends or a couple of evenings a week is very different to completely opposite shifts.[/quote]
We had plenty of couple and family time.
DH took and picked up DC from school, slept during the day, got up and cooked dinner which we all ate together , put DC to bed and then he went to work.
It worked because he was very family orientated and hands on.
It worked for me because we shared the load.
He did either 3 or 4 nights so plenty of family/ couple time.
Paid extra and I got the bed to myself
Also

If you say you have no skills, consider doing some of the online Microsoft training courses in your spare time eg how to use Excel, other essential skills courses. This should set you up fairly quickly to apply for at least some p/t admin jobs that you can do from home eg data entry.

I love how the solution to money worries is always to get a better paid job or a promotion 🙄. Presumably this comes from people with a six figure income. If only it were that simple.

Loads of people have given good advice. I'd recommend looking at any schemes your utility companies have for capping bills. Watersure, for example. I found they're not well advertised and you have to do a bit of digging.

I love how the solution to money worries is always to get a better paid job or a promotion

I think in this case it's because there are 4 children who are only going to become more expensive over the years and switching to a pasta based meal twice a week is going to do bugger all. The OP is already shopping at ALDI, doing batch cooking etc and it isn't enough.

Anyway this is the most frustrating thread I've been on in a while. Very little info to begin with so we don't actually understand the situation and no way of bringing in more money because of circumstances. Honestly OP, I'm afraid I agree with the posters who have said that you'll have to just accept that this is how it's going to be until your youngest is at school. Good luck.

I wouldn't think a water meter would be a good call. They will be using more and more water as time goes on. For 6 people I would think the set costs will be cheaper.

@Peanutsandchilli

I love how the solution to money worries is always to get a better paid job or a promotion 🙄. Presumably this comes from people with a six figure income. If only it were that simple.

Loads of people have given good advice. I'd recommend looking at any schemes your utility companies have for capping bills. Watersure, for example. I found they're not well advertised and you have to do a bit of digging.

Don’t be silly. But there is six of them living off one poor sods wage and it’s clearly not enough.

I think it's at least helpful if nobody can think of anything the op isn't already doing to cut costs? Not that there aren't a few ideas on here.

@Peanutsandchilli

I love how the solution to money worries is always to get a better paid job or a promotion 🙄. Presumably this comes from people with a six figure income. If only it were that simple.

Loads of people have given good advice. I'd recommend looking at any schemes your utility companies have for capping bills. Watersure, for example. I found they're not well advertised and you have to do a bit of digging.

Actually people have suggested OP gets a few hours work around her children. If you have exhausted all other avenues of cutting back Im not sure why you are eye rolling

Don’t be silly. But there is six of them living off one poor sods wage and it’s clearly not enough.

He's as much author of their situation as she is, so don't know why he's the "poor sod".

Op
Is there more to this?
Debts, financial abuse?
Have you checked benefit entitlements ?

love how the solution to money worries is always to get a better paid job or a promotion 🙄

I'm pretty sure that you don't love it at all. The op already does all of these cost cutting measures.

^We need to cut costs but we already do the following-
batch cook one pot meals mostly and freeze.
cycle or walk to cut travel costs (no car)
called Internet and got a better deal but they keep putting the price back up despite setting up an 18 month fixed price contract. eye roll.
-buy almost everything second hand
-we already shop at aldi and lidl
-we don't buy stuff for the sake of it anyway its all second hand
-stay in mostly, or local walks no days out for £££
-keep heating off and use electric blankets in winter and jumpers and extra socks ^

Cutting her water bill isn't going to make very much difference to her problems. They need to bring more money in to the household as there are six of them.

Get on your local social network, Facebook, Next Door or whatever, and ask if anyone has leftover tins of paint in generally acceptable colours that they don't need. That might be a way to start on painting!

Same goes for school uniform. Lots of people have items still in good condition they will pass on as they have no more use for them.

Can you take in ironing? It's something you could do from home.

Buy the big packs of cheap bacon and add some chopped fried bits to an otherwise vegetarian dish - provides the taste of meat for DH / anyone else who doesn't like a non meat regime.

OP, how about leaflet delivery? You can do this kind of thing with kids in a buggy.

Templeofzoom That sounds like DH had a hell of a lot to do,actually.If he took the children to school and picked them up,then made dinner and went off to work he probably wasn’t getting much sleep at all,say 9:30 to 2:30? Most people would struggle on 5 hours sleep and then doing a full shift.
Fair play to you for it working in your household but I think that’s the exception rather than the rule.

Honestly, these threads are so frustrating. Why, why, why have four children in a situation like this? It's utterly mental. I know, I know you can't do anything about it now, what's done is done but honestly. It just baffles me. Totally baffles me. Cos, imo, four is loads. I just honestly don't get it.

@loveliesbleeding1

Templeofzoom That sounds like DH had a hell of a lot to do,actually.If he took the children to school and picked them up,then made dinner and went off to work he probably wasn’t getting much sleep at all,say 9:30 to 2:30? Most people would struggle on 5 hours sleep and then doing a full shift. Fair play to you for it working in your household but I think that’s the exception rather than the rule.

6 hours -he never sleeps longer on a night anyway. School is 2 mins from our house. He then had 4 days off so plenty of time to relax. Everyone in our particular profession works like this. It works if both parents are fully involved.