To just want some bloody money (not a begging thread)

[brokepoke]

Not a begging thread but I just want some money. I just want to feel I have something to my name 😩 Salary goes in and shoots back out again the following week no matter how much I faff around with budgets.

I know I’m not alone - it’s a solidarity thread more than anything. I just want to have some bloody MONEY!

Try being a low earner! You will quickly find that they don't have more money in their pockets! It's absolutely right that those who are given an unreasonably higher wage pay more.

It's actually quite refreshing to see that other people live like me! I was telling someone at work that I was skint and her reply was "oh yeah I had to dip into my savings this month" I have NO savings, and bad credit so no loans/credit card/overdraft as an option.
DD had to wear trainers last month until payday when I could get her new school shoes, but that £30 came out of the food shopping budget. We have 1 car between us (this actually works well as OH uses a work van Monday-Friday) no TV subscriptions as we have a very legal app on my fire stick which gives us everything we could possibly want to watch! Basic broadband package yet every month we are skint! I get paid a week today and have £66 which I appreciate sounds like plenty but it's half term, we need fuel in the car and food shopping so that £66 will have to be very carefully accounted for.

Unfortunately the price of everything is going up . Except wages . Feel for young people today . Both parents must work to cover mortgages and bills and yet childcare is often the biggest expense. No wonder there is some resentment of previous generations. There was reasonable housing costs , no council tax or water rates , energy costs compatible to wages . Many women could afford to be SAHM or work PT - the so called pin money jobs. It is so short sighted as how are couples nowadays supposed to have savings or good pensions if basic living takes all their income. Covering your bills is OK but work nowadays is so hard it can be soul destroying yo feel like you will never be better off.

They're surprisingly sturdy and so easy to rearrange.

OP I know what you mean. On paper, I earn a very good wage. But I'm a single mum with a relatively new mortgage (shitty little terraced in a dodgy area - all I could afford because I couldn't keep renting, but badly hit by the rates rise which was at peak when I had to remortgage) and I'm really struggling month to month.

Last month was the worst since my student years; I was barely able to keep us all fed after the boiler broke and needed replacing. I'm very open with colleagues about being unable to afford things when I get asked to take part in, say, dress-up days or work nights out, but it seems that I am the only one struggling. My tiny car is 18 years old and on its last legs.

I don't know how my ex does it; he earns the same as me, the house is bigger, more expensive, his car guzzles fuel and he's still able to take the kids on holiday abroad whereas I'm sitting here wondering if I can afford two nights in the North or have to stay on my fourth year with no holiday. And I have always been better with money, more skilled at DIY and cooking, and generally more thrifty.

I do save every month, but there is always something that eats the savings as soon as a small cushion is built. Right now I am applying for yet another promotion in the hope of earning an extra £100 or two a month just to be able to keep up with the rise in just about everything.

Rent one. I've done this for nearly 20 yrs. No fees if it needs mending, exchanged for a new one if not fixable or if I've had it 3 years or more.

Anyone trying to afford things for half term, it may be worth buying certain packs of quaker oats (keep receipt) as they're giving away National Trust (or national Trust Scotland) passes every 2 minutes between 7-9 am every day. Got one straight away. Good luck!

Solidarity!

it’s so hard to budget - the cost of everything keeps going up.

Good idea but id rather own my own as i dont like to be in debt or having to always owe something.

When did life become such a drudge?

I remember the days when I didn't have to worry about money but since lockdown/covid no matter the fact I'm on more than I was, I have less money. My electricity bill has almost tripled, my mortgage went up. The price of bread has gone up by nearly 50p, you used to be able to get 24 cans of Coke Zero for £7 (that was 2019/20 so not that long ago) now it's £11.

Oh for the days of 84.9p a litre petrol.

I used to this do this before covid: I'd draw out a lump sum to cover food, petrol, haircut and ciggies. It works really well as it reduces the temptation to spend more. I don't use cash anymore but I still keep to the 'budgets' by keeping a running tally on my phone.

There is a bank card/ app called hyperjar where you can create "pots" of money. A modern envelope method if you like. I have a Christmas pot and the children have individual pots where I put their pocket money. They have linked debit cards but ultimately I control it all.

or take out cover for it, I have all my appliances covered with D&G, I think it comes to about £60.00 a month for everything and it's so worth it, I've had a new washing machine and it looks like i'm getting a new boiler soon because that's about to go otherwise I could never have afforded one!

I so agree with this, with an increase in hours and a promotion my wages have doubled since 2020 but I'm worse off than I was. The only positive is that diesel seems to be very slightly down just now? I can put £10.00 in and scrape by for a week a year ago that would barely take me anywhere.

The pot/budgeting thing is great if you have money to budget but when you can't even cover your bills it doesn't do much haha.

OP. what do you do? How could you increase your income? Another qualification? Move jobs?

I have that, they're coming out to fix my washing machine for free later. I pay £6 a month for just the washing machine.

Rent one. I've done this for nearly 20 yrs. No fees if it needs mending, exchanged for a new one if not fixable or if I've had it 3 years or more.

How much have you spent doing that over 20 years? It's usually a really financially inefficient way of paying for appliances with unscrupulous companies praying on those with low incomes.

Have you checked you're getting every single benefit you're entitled to?

This sounds crazy but it helped me out of a terrible online shopping habit. I 'shop' for things I have zero use for. Yesterday it was size 6 wedding dresses. I'm not getting married, again, ever, and I'm very far from a size 6 😂

Double check with the local charity furniture shops, some of them have refurbished appliances and if they don't they will be able to point you to where has them. Also your councils local assistance scheme may be able to give you a grant for furniture. Your local fb page may have things being given away. Really drill down searching for local charities.

And speak to your fuel supplier they often have assistance funds, ditto water companies. And speak to your local community centre, there's often food waste projects.

Had this conversation with my DP whilst food shopping. We both work - him 6 days pw, me 7 (I'm self employed) We shouldn't (in theory) have to be scraping by and worrying about paying for a weekly shop.

Just speak to your GP. They’ll do a screening questionnaire, probably online and if you score above the threshold you’ll be referred to a specialist for a proper diagnosis. Unfortunately the NHS has a massive waiting list but you might as well get the ball rolling, and in the meantime assume you do have ADHD and do some research.
It’s a very common thing so don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

Hopefully these comments will make you feel a bit better OP. A lot of us are in the same boat.
We both work full- time but childcare costs are killing us. We just can't seem to get ahead. Holidays are completely out of the question , last time we went anywhere together was 6 years ago. It's so depressing. I always ensure to buy myself something nice in the shopping. I would love to get a better, safer car but the cost of them is through the roof. I have a Next store card, buy mostly from their clearance sale but I still owe almost £1000 on that. Also have PayPal credit which I owe about £3k on. This is mostly on Christmas and some new clothes I bought myself. I'm paying £300 off my debts every month but by the time they are paid the kids will need more clothes/shoes etc. I did use Vinted for a while but the quality of most of the clothes wasn't great. Jackets are good but that's about all.

Speak to the school if you are struggling, mine can help out towards uniform. Are your DC entitled to free school meals or anything like that?

I'm working just to pay the bills. No days out or treats/holidays etc.
Desperately hoping nursery fees ending as DC goes to school (got a while to go!) will make a difference, but looking at paying for wrap around care and holiday clubs so I can work it doesn't look like it will drop that much.

Being a single parent is so expensive
COL is insane and just squashes all the joy out of life.
I'm very grateful to be earning ok and be able to pay my bills, but I'm wanted life to be a bit more than just existing to pay bills.