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AIBU?

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Original poster

Outgoings more than incoming

27 replies

TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:18

My outgoings every month are either more than my outgoings or just under. My rent is 950, food, petrol, council tax, gas and electric, water etc all adds up. I get a little bit of universal credit and also have some debt as I had high childcare fees until my son recently started school.

I need to increase my income. Is there such thing as an evening job that can be done from home?

I've even resorted to raking surveys which make me about £3 a day. I'm budgeted up to my eyeballs. Looking for a cheaper house but every one I apply for I get turned down. Have sold lots of things.

Does anyone have any advice because I just can't keep going on like this.

OP posts:
MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 26/09/2023 19:20

What is your day job?

pigglypi · 26/09/2023 19:21

What's the debt situation ? Repayments and so on

Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:21

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 26/09/2023 19:20

What is your day job?

I work for a charity doing research

OP posts:
Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:22

pigglypi · 26/09/2023 19:21

What's the debt situation ? Repayments and so on

To overdrafts about £1000 each. Can't get a loan or money transfer card to consolidate and make cheaper as am not eligible.

OP posts:
Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:22

TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:22

To overdrafts about £1000 each. Can't get a loan or money transfer card to consolidate and make cheaper as am not eligible.

Show quote history

I'm currently reducing them both by about £50 each a month, sometimes less.

OP posts:
hoven · 26/09/2023 19:23

TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:18

My outgoings every month are either more than my outgoings or just under. My rent is 950, food, petrol, council tax, gas and electric, water etc all adds up. I get a little bit of universal credit and also have some debt as I had high childcare fees until my son recently started school.

I need to increase my income. Is there such thing as an evening job that can be done from home?

I've even resorted to raking surveys which make me about £3 a day. I'm budgeted up to my eyeballs. Looking for a cheaper house but every one I apply for I get turned down. Have sold lots of things.

Does anyone have any advice because I just can't keep going on like this.

What is your sons father contributing?

Katy123456 · 26/09/2023 19:25

If you work for a charity doing research can you transfer those skills to a better paying position in the public or private sector? If you don't work full time could you increase your hours but ask them to be flexible and do it in the evenings?

Could you think about babysitting or childminding after school, or doing dog boarding/walking- there always seems to be a market but you might have to work your current job around it.

CyberCritical · 26/09/2023 19:26

Your best long term option is to increase the earnings in your core job rather than taking on a second job. It won't be sustainable for you to work 2 jobs for long without making yourself exhausted.

Are you looking to see if there are other suitable roles in your current company or elsewhere?

Homebased evening roles do exist but they may be variable shifts or very limited. Your also likely to need to attend an office during core hours for initial training and possibly ongoing for regular team meetings/training interventions.

If you go to Indeed.com or guardian jobs you can search by home based/remote/work from home to filter and see what's available.

Dacadactyl · 26/09/2023 19:39

Have you applied for a Discretionary Housing Payment if you're eligible?

Have you had debt advice? If not, email your local citizens Advice Bureau and ask for an appointment with a debt advisor.

Have you applied for your councils Household Support Fund?

Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:46

Dacadactyl · 26/09/2023 19:39

Have you applied for a Discretionary Housing Payment if you're eligible?

Have you had debt advice? If not, email your local citizens Advice Bureau and ask for an appointment with a debt advisor.

Have you applied for your councils Household Support Fund?

My council are awful. They've made it so you can't apply for household support. You can only get it if they identify you as being in need.

OP posts:
Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:46

Dacadactyl · 26/09/2023 19:39

Have you applied for a Discretionary Housing Payment if you're eligible?

Have you had debt advice? If not, email your local citizens Advice Bureau and ask for an appointment with a debt advisor.

Have you applied for your councils Household Support Fund?

I made an application for DHP and chased them months ago and never got a response.

OP posts:
Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 19:48

I work full time and the only way I can is because my company are very flexible with hours. I am a lone parent and my son's dad gives me £7 a week.

OP posts:
Flipflopflopflip · 26/09/2023 19:49

What are your non essential costs? Streaming services etc, could you spend less on food shopping? Charity shops for clothes and toys. Things like mobile phones, I rang my provider and explained I was struggling to pay the bill, had been a loyal customer blah blah, and they were able to move me to a cheaper tariff mid contract.

NoSquirrels · 26/09/2023 19:54

If you complete a Statement of Affairs (SOA) and post it on the MSE forum you’ll get a ton of helpful advice on your situation. The answer is usually cutting expenses plus earning extra, so you’re right to think about how to get a bit more in. If you could climb out of your overdrafts then you’d be so much better off.

Do you have any skills you can use working from home evenings/weekends? Presumably your DS’s dad is not involved at all for childcare?

Hufflepods · 26/09/2023 19:54

What is your salary if you are only receiving a little bit of universal credit as a single parent?
Are you receiving help with your rent too?

There are only 2 options available to you, reduce your outgoings or increase your income.

No one can help you with the latter but it’s up to you if you want to post your finances and receive comments on that.

PumpkinSpiceSeason · 26/09/2023 19:58

User research might pay better. There are plenty of roles in public sector and the pension is good. Private sector pays more obviously.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 26/09/2023 19:59

I second looking for a new day job - have you looked?

boozeclues · 26/09/2023 20:04

as PP has suggested, UX (user experience) researcher / designer might be a good way to transfer your skill into the private sector.

it’s classed as an IT job, and the IT space is one of the most flexible jobs out there, epesically in service design / UX as you aren’t going to be called out in the middle of the night to fix a problem. It’s mainly WFH as your teams stakeholders are likely spread all over the country or abroad.

I work in the IT industry as a Product Owner /Business Analyst - entry level in either of those positions in a good consultancy is easy £35k, I earn more than double that now

RaisinsOfMildAnnoyance · 26/09/2023 20:10

Check out the work from home hub on Facebook, the owner aggregates all sorts of wfh opportunities, many of which are part time and flexible hours.

Wishing you the best of luck, op.

Comfortablechair · 26/09/2023 20:17

Hey - I really respect you thinking outside the box to improve your situation. Here are a few ideas:

  • Babysitting / childminding at home
  • social media videos on parenting / budgeting / cooking ?
  • ’flipping’ items from amazon or tk maxx …so buy things heavily discounted then sell on for profit. Focus on high demand items
  • chekc out local FB groups there are always little jobs that people are looking for
  • look on airtasker for evening jobs that work for you

good luck 😉

Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 26/09/2023 20:31

I've been looking at doing something like uber eats delivery in my car as I could take my son with me. Even if I just did one afternoon every weekend ams evenings when my mum can have him

OP posts:
MiIaMae · 26/09/2023 20:37

I dont think you'd be insured to take your child to work.

What about a bar job one night a week if you can get your child minded? That could give you an extra £60 or so pound a week minimum.

Dacadactyl · 26/09/2023 21:26

You could approach your MP with details of your situation. They may very well refer you onto the council for support.