Aibu to ask how anyone has money left?

[sprinklecupcakes]

How on earth does anyone have any money left at the end of the month. I have totalled up all the bills we need to pay and they total more than the income. I just don't understand?! How can you work full time and still be left with not enough 😭please give me tips on reducing costs and making money last. I have gone to bed crying I cannot live like this. I got paid today and once I pay everything tomorrow I will have £3..😭

Crikey, I thought £44 a month was expensive when I got my iPhone not long after it came out! Those contracts must be unlimited everything, which nobody really needs if they have access to wifi at home and work.

I realise you can't get out of them now you're locked in but seriously, keep the handsets after the contract is paid off and switch to sim-only. Then when your BT contract is coming to an end you can either switch to a cheaper provider or speak to their retention team to get a better deal.

I would call all your utilities & all the places you owe debt and try to negotiate to bring the payments down. This may be difficult because of the IVA but could you look at consolidating debts/balance transfer/making minimum payments on everything if you can’t consolidate?

I agree your phone & internet outgoings are extortionate (my partner and I pay £50 total for WiFi & both our phones ), but if you’re locked into a contract that’s difficult. As others have said you may be able to leave your BT contract for a fee & get something cheaper.

It’s fairly minor but could you look at surveys and/or selling things. It’s not going to make you loads but might get you a little bit extra to tide you through. I make about £25 a month doing surveys without really spending much time on it!

Did you get your maternity pay? You should be eligible for it since you were made redundant after the 25th week of your pregnancy.

www.maternityaction.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Redundancy-2018.pdf

Otherwise, I think you take a loan to cover the next few months of maternity and then go back to work. If you’re on a low wage you should get money towards your childcare through universal credit, or you can get 20% tax free childcare if you and your partner are both working but not claiming the childcare element of universal credit.

My understanding is that you can also claim universal credit whilst on maternity leave.

Sorry if already answered. But was the redundancy because the company had to get rid of loads of people, or did they single you out? Won't help short term but you might want to get some legal advice as to whether the redundancy was lawful. You certainly should have got some redundancy pay by law - hope you did?

Also check here re maternity pay. maternityaction.org.uk/advice/redundancy-during-pregnancy-and-maternity-leave/

You should be able to get Maternity Allowance:

www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance

You can check on the calculator here:
www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-pay-leave

Have you read this: maternityaction.org.uk/advice/redundancy-during-pregnancy-and-maternity-leave/
It seems in your situation you can claim SMP, I think.

Have a look into maternity allowance. You should be eligible for £151 per week for up to 39 weeks - I'm not sure if you'll have missed out on some weeks as your baby is already here. www.gov.uk/government/publications/maternity-allowance-claim-form

Your partner's earnings seem very low but I guess it's about 38 hours a week at minimum wage (£8.91, assuming they're over 22) which is about £17000 a year pre tax. If that is your partner's wage, even if you do qualify for MA, you may well be eligible for Universal Credit too. Child benefit is about £80 per month too which could make a significant difference when it comes through. It does tend to be backdated.

It does sounds very tight at the moment, but it's not that you're missing any magic budgeting tricks - your income is just very low and your outgoings quite high.

Meal planning - it really doesn't have to be hard. Have a good look at what you've already got in and Google jack Monroe for value recipes. Write a list of meals you're going to have over the next week - 3 meals a day. Then look at ways to make the flow better and cheaper- eg thurs night have meatballs and rice but cook twice the rice you need and put it in the fridge, fri night make a big wok or pan full of egg fried rice using the leftovers. Sat night have sausage and mash, then Sunday main meal make potato cakes with leftover mashed potato, maybe with bacon. You need a bit of flour to make potato cakes, so Monday night use more of the flour to make a pastry lid for a pie. Once you've written out all the meals with the veg, make a shopping list. Look for cheap treats like bananas- bake them or freeze them or chop them into porridge. And buy the amounts you need, not the amounts the supermarkets want to sell you.

Definitely investigate that car insurance, it's like nearly double mine.

Your debt situation is bad. Nearly 25% of your income is going on debt. What was the bank loan and credit cards spent on? Is there anything of value you can sell to recoup the money?

If you were made redundant at 35 weeks pregnant you should be receiving Statutory maternity pay. You should have also received redundancy pay (approx 6 weeks pay tax free).

I would contact your local CAB to discuss the situation and ensure you're receiving everything you're eligible for.

@whereisthekey

did u try all the insurance comparison sites? seems 3 x higher than usual unless your have a lot of points/new drivers?

The insurance is high due to my partner being under 25 and newish driver but he needs the car. £80 really is the cheapest i can get the car insurance

Redundant at 35 weeks pregnant? Were others in your team also made redundant?
I would contact pregnantthenscrewed for further advice about this alone

pregnantthenscrewed.com

In the short term I would try to get out of the BT contract if you can, you are paying a huge amount for phones and Internet. ( We pay total of about £120 for our Internet, landline, and 4 mobile phones!)

I am so very sorry for you OP. I was once in your situation and even had to walk to work in the snow in flip flops as I could not even afford to buy a pair of shoes! I literally had no money for days and days until I got paid again.
Have you no one near by who could help with child care for free so that you could get a part time job?

My car insurance is just over £200 for a year

Your car tax seems alot too at £13 per month

I just go my broadband reduce by £5 (from £35 to £30 for M100) even though I’m in contract so they can do it

I pay £15 per month for my phone too - I bought a refurbed handset outright and then just use giffgaff. Prefer not to be in a contract for it as I had trouble getting them to cancel my last one - kept asking me to ring back again endlessly

Claim your maternity pay. Your employer legally has to pay it to you and if they’re insolvent the government will.

www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-maternity-pay-business-changes-that-affect-payment

OP - food planning:

Have a notebook. You have 7 days a week and three meals so lay it out. Write down exaclty what each meal will be. Seeing it laid out like that is very useful. You need healthy filling meals. Run your list beside it. It is a good time of year for turnips, potaotes, cabbages etc. Very cheep and very good for you. From my broke years I had a trick - make something really delicious when paid and freeze it for when I had no money. Didn't feel so rotten then. It is tough but you will pull through.

I do think you should sell the iPhones tho' - good time of year to do so.

Get applying for universal credit
If you are a couple over 35 you will get
£509 for you both
1child = 237
Housing? If you rent you will get the local housing allowance for a 2 bed.
If you have a mortgage you won’t get that paid but think that it allows you to earn 511 before deductions.
So if you let’s say on universal credit are entitled to 1200 your husband brings home 1330 - due to the child you have a work allowance of £335 then there will be a deduction from the benefit of 0.55 for every £1 so let’s say just for ease 1335-335 =1000 this will equal a deduction if 550 from your total universal credit so you will get 450pm
(Example) as you have a newborn you won’t be expected to look for work until baby is 3
So with husbands wages and UC top up and child benefit you will be closer to 2kpm.

OP how many weeks pregnant were you when they made you redundant? If It was within 25 weeks of your due date your old employer is liable for the full 9 months of SMP.

Kona84 they are not over 35. Or at least partner isnt.

Echoing PPs on maternity allowance / pay, universal credit, checking your redundancy was lawful.

Could your DP car share with someone else who lives nearby? They could each drive alternate days and that would halve both their fuel costs.

You should have received redundancy payment and maternity pay if you've been there for 6 years and was made redundant at 35 weeks. The only way you wouldn't is if the company went bust.

What was the reason for redundancy?

£80 a month on a 2011 car is ridiculous.

Look tone if there is an old fashioned bricks and mortar broker where you live, mine is much cheaper than any comparison sites and I've suggested to friends they've also got cheaper deals

Your partner is young to have a baby, are you as well (sorry to be rude). Have you got parents who could help? Even let you move back in for a few months while you clear some debt?

Phones need sorting. I pay £20 a month for my phone. Get all the benefits you can. Go to citizens advice and see what benefits you can get. Can the council tax be reduced.

Tax credits