dont want to leave my job but am skint

[sparklyfairypie]

hiya I will try to make this brief! I work for musicians, they work different hours every week. I get paid to work 25 hours whether I work less than that or exactly 25 hours. Then if I work over that I get paid extra obviously, but I get at the very least 25hours pay a week.

For a long time this has been fine as its not often thats its been 25hours only for weeks on end...but recnelty they have been working very little so am only getting paid the 25hours, and am only working about 17 hours.

I have been trying to hard to get some extra work I am joining another agency - I am already with 2. I look on gumtree and have replied to someone, but she wants just an occasional babysitter for £4.50 an hour which I will do as I am skint even though I am worth so much more.

My mind is blank - what else can I do? I love my job but I am scraping by just now and its quite weeks for the next wee while too. Where can I advertise on here? I am a member of most "find a babysitter" style sites but to be honest theres never any in my area wanting work.

Ideas most welcome.

quiet not quite

The childcare classifieds link goes to the NannyShares board - so posting there is possible, though don't go posting lots of ads all over the place of mumsnet admin may get upset and want you to take a paid ad.

4.50 for babysitting sounds low to me, but I'm in the South and I notice that your profile says you are in Glasgow so I don't know typical rates there.

Are you job hunting for another nanny job? While you like your current job, if it does not pay your day-to-day bills, then there is not much choice but to find another job that pays better/more hours.

We could give you better advice if youtold us where you are, what your location is, if you want live-in, etc.

4.50 is a crazy rate, its by no way the norm here. - Glasgow.

I want live out temp work, dont want to leave my current job - its my first sole charge nannying job and i have only been there 13months - so would be hard to get another job without at least 2 years experience. My bosses treat me wonderfully, leaving is just not an option, just need some ideas to top up my money x

Isn't 4.50 below the national minimum wage? I do know people in London who are paying what I thought was the minimum wage - £5.60 or so. But they are also paying booking fees to Sitters.com (which obvsioulsy doesn't end up in sitters pocket). We pay between £7-8 per hour. I would have thought you could get at least £6 where you are.

I worked for an agency covering for sick staff in nurseries and schools for a while. I didn't have qualifications, but that isn't a problem if you have experience and your not left alone with the kids anyway. I found I got at least a couple of days per wk doing this. The only negative thing about it is they call you early in the morning and you have to get to god knows where as quickly as possible! Search for education agencies in your area if you think this might appeal.

I think you could get another nanny job with a years experience. You might not get a new born only child, but surely you could find a job you can live on, especially if you were willing to relocate and live-in.

What good is a job that doesn't pay you enough to live on?

Have you talked to your boss? Do they understand how hard it is? Maybe they can give you more hours, or find another family to share you with? Worth a try.

What about just putting a card in a newsagents window/supermarket board, it still works and it will definitely be local folk.