To be so sick of being broke?

[PrincessC0nsuelaBananaHammock]

This is pretty much just a moan really. I'm already doing everything I can to try and improve our situation financially. Although nothing's working atm. 😑

Both DH and I work full-time, on minimum wage. Me 45 hours per week, him between 40-50 depending on the week. And we still can't make ends meet. I'm talking having about £50 left in the bank 2 days after payday because all the bills have come out.

Not entitled to any benefits as earn too much for UC (on MW? 😐). Kids are grown up (22 and 18) but still living at home. DD1 is in college and on UC and waiting to see if she's entitled to PIP for her autism. DD2 is starting uni next month and works part-time herself.

I'm just so fucking sick of the cost of everything. To the point I'm questioning whether I can afford to buy a £6 pack of Benadryl for my fucking hayfever! 😡

Applying for multiple better-paying jobs every week and getting bloody nowhere! Urgh.

I second the MSE, I made quite a bit a few years ago swapping bank accounts, I had a couple open already so was able to do it 3 times.

I also sold on vinted and I couldn’t believe how much some of the things I had went for. I had old tablets, trainers, sandals and even a camera I no longer used and over a few months I had made £800.

I also signed up to club card plus at Tesco - you get a month for free and it’s 7.99 a month after that, you get two 10% off vouchers a month so if you do your Tesco shop in store you can get up to £20 off two shops a month.

Finally I use an app called Tuck, I buy a £500 voucher - what I use in a month in Tesco through them and I get 5% cash back. It means I never run out of food money and I get £20 extra a month.

None of these are life changing but I really enjoy getting £60 off my Tesco shop per month.

Are you and/or your partner able to retrain in anything?

I retrained to be a midwife, we were actually better off on benefits while I was at uni than my previous job and I now earn £50,000 before my unsociable hours and overtime shifts, more like £70,000 (I do a lot of overtime as I like lots of holidays). No previous care experience. Don't know how old you are but I have recently had a student who qualified in her 50s. You can retrain when you are older in many fields.

My husband has been minimum wage his whole life and has just got a well paying civil service job with no experience apart from retail.

Is your husband on minimum wage when working permanent nights?

I know you weren't asking for advice, it is tough to get out of the rut especially when you are trying to pay off debts.

I can relate to the 'looking normal' with an autistic child. My son has met so many barriers because he looks fine and is clever 🙄We get next to no support from the government or the school, yet if he wasn't a 'rule follower' we would get loads.

Well done on the weight loss, we are both on it and no matter my financial situation I would find a way to make it work. 6 stone down and 3 to go! It is an absolute life changer. I actually save money on it because I eat far less and I don't buy nearly as much rubbish!

Have you got long left on the debt payments? Just think when.they are finished you will feel so much better off! But if you have a long time left on them are you able to try and get them lower if you are going to be doing it over years anyway?

You are entitled to rant. Yes, probably are some places you could save a bit but at the same time when you work hard you deserve some treats too. You end up feeling like there is no point in working if you get no benefits of enjoyment out of it!

People are absolutely brutal and way too damn high on their horses.

You are by no means frivolous! You SHOULD be able to treat yourself to something (like subscriptions) and prioritise your health.

The only area you could maybe shave back is groceries and household items which may put back £100 in your pocket so will hardly be life changing tbh.

Until either of you can get higher paying jobs it’s going to be real tight. But hopefully it’ll give you guys momentum to keep pushing for more!

Oh, I see - thanks.

This is not true. I’ve worked in clinical trials for 12 years. Just because a drug is licenced doesn’t mean researchers don’t run clinical trials on it! For example to test new indications, new dosing methods/regimes, new target participant populations etc.

How is she skint, though?! She's not. No one skint has her food budget and disposable income.

Well to be fair, the OP has come back but her situation is pretty much how I said.

But if she thinks she's had a rough ride on here, its nothing compared with what MSE would tell her.

No-one on there gets away with paying that much for phone and broadband, twice as much as necessary for groceries, branded medication and letting her adult DC live for free. Or 'just having a moan'. Do something constructive or accept that you'll keep struggling.

OP, it looks like you’re paying off around £600/£700 of debt from various sources, so I’m guessing it must be a significant amount. How long until you’re out of it? That should ease financial pressures a lot. Is there any way to consolidate that debt so you can get better interest rate or shorter payback time?

I’d also recommend looking out a cheaper WiFi provider. We have had Toob for £25 a month since before the pandemic and it coped comfortably with 4 people doing Teams meetings, gaming, and delivering webinars almost constantly. That alone would be an extra £40 a month on your pocket.

It would be worth getting in touch with Citizens Advice Bureau to help explore your options. On a household income of over £3000 and a rent of £600 you should have plenty of space for wriggle room.

At the moment you’re using emotion focused coping strategies - anger, frustration, defensiveness, as well as problem focused strategies - applying for jobs, etc. Shifting the balance to more problem focused coping strategies - exploring options to manage the debt, ways of reducing costs, looking at evening/weekend jobs, etc. just in the short term could help.

I’d be managing this in a different way, but I am not you, and my needs are not your needs. The key is getting out of debt, or at least reducing the debt to a manageable level, and for that I think you need outside support from organisations like CAB.

Thanks for the link. But that's 12 tablets for a fiver (is delivery free?). I've just paid £6.26 for 24 tablets of Benadryl from Amazon, free delivery because I have Prime.

Living on London she wouldnt be paying £600 a month on rent.

I am in the Midlands and that is the cheaper end of social housing rent for a 3 bed, so I would say that it is more likely she is closer to my neck of the woods or further north rather than London.

I’ve always bought GF stuff from Asda.
To be honest with you I haven’t found anything GF that I’ve actually enjoyed eating so I just don’t buy it anymore!
Its certainly isn’t cheap

Honestly this thread! The fixation on those Bendryl! This must be the champagne lifestyle they were referring to!

To be fair OP you aren’t ‘broke’, I no you are paying off debt and that’s hard, but with the subscriptions, weight loss stuff, gym, massive food bill… you are just living to your means and spending all your cash. You are working hard and can afford some basic luxuries (more than ample food and several subscriptions etc), that’s not that bad. Once the debt is paid off you will be able to afford simple holidays. It’s not the life of luxury but it’s fine and it’s not on the breadline

I take it you've never once moaned about being skint then, obviously!

Follow it up with who??? 🤣🤣🤣

You're right, my grocery budget is only that much because I'm buying caviar and champagne every month.

Like I said phone and broadband are on contract. Should I break the contracts? The 2 on PAYG are £10 each per month, and they're actually the kids' phones!

Someone posted a link up thread for the generic hay fever medication. At £5 plus delivery for 12 tablets. Yet I get it from Amazon for £6.26 for twice as many tablets and free delivery. But yeah, keep coming at me, cos it's fun innit?

😂exactly! Can't have us paupers having access to medication now.

Well no because what would be the point?

It gets me down at times sure, but moaning doesnt change a thing. I am in the situation I am in and due to circumstances I cannot control, I will be for some time soon. So its simply a case of getting on with it.

And you know what? You have more than me. A lot more than me.

I dont even own a TV much less a netflix sub. I cancelled my gym membership when I had to start caring for my parents as I could no longer afford it. Mine and Dd's phones were both second hand and we are on £6.50 a month sim only deals.

I skid from week to week, disaster to disaster, just about scraping by.

So looking at your figures I am actually envious. Maybe go and think about that.

I'm in the NW.

Take your sarcasm somewhere else. You're not skint. It's absurd to think you are with your budget.

Ok, does that mean I can be envious of people with more than me? Can I berate them for moaning when they pop up on here? I don't believe you that you have never once moaned about your situation. If you haven't, stop being a bloody martyr! A good moan does you good once in a while.

Exactly.

Anyway, I'm out.

Er, I started the thread, so if I wanna be sarcastic I will be. Don't like it? No one is forcing you to read and reply!

Byeeeeeee