I’ve never been rich but I have never been struggling as much financially as I am now. I am not looking for anything from anyone so please don’t think that is why I’m posting. I just need to get this out of my system without being told everyone is struggling. I’m well aware of that.
For background I am a 50yo disabled mother to two ND kids. I’m still with their DF (48) and he works FT in healthcare but is awful with money and is always getting into debt but not with frivolous stuff just like shopping top ups or household emergencies. We live in a 2 bed house in central Scotland so my DS (16)has to share with DD (10). Both kids were born before I got sick - just getting in there before the reproductive gatekeepers turn up. We expected to be able to move to a bigger house but didn’t expect both kids to have disabilities or prices to get so high so quickly.
I was in receipt of disability benefits for me but my DH retrained and earns too much and so they were stopped (He’s band 4 so 30k before tax pension etc. ) The government cured me of my MS during my PIP renewal so I lost that too. I returned to university this autumn to do a masters to try and find a way to earn and contribute in a way that works with my failing mind and body (MS). I get a pittance of a student loan, some of which I have to use to pay my fees top up, so I end up with £50 a week student loan to put towards bills, food, fuel, insurance, study costs etc. I spend more time looking for appropriate wfh jobs than studying because things are so tight.
Where are these so called work from home jobs the papers are moaning about? I’m not finding anything I can do alongside caring for my disabled kids, my studies and looking after my own stupid broken fatigued body. Everyone wants people back in the office or on the phone and I can’t do that as my kids can’t be quiet in the background. As my partner earns an ok wage (30k) I’m not eligible for any financial support from the University. I’m now in danger of having to cut back on the things my kids love doing (social club things for disabled kids sadly not free here) that their CDP payments are supposed to be for, to pay for basics.
We were previously very fortunate in securing a good fixed rate utilities deal before it all got very expensive a few years ago and that ended in July so now our utilities bills have more than trebled and that’s without the heating on and the summer light nights.
Our car broke down this week and then we got a puncture after leaving the repair garage and now our dog got sick last night but the PDSA don’t consider a UTI a life threatening emergency so I have to pay for her to go to the very expensive weekend emergency vet and they won’t set up a payment plan - it’s all upfront. She is peeing in the house. That too is costing in extra cleaning products. Our microwave died 🪦 last week.
I’ve gone through our monthly spending and have cut out everything we don’t need. No tv or music subscriptions, very basic internet, cheapest phone sim. No nights out, no take aways. No treats. I wear clothes from 20 years ago. I don’t wear make up or cut my hair. My DD wear charity shop/vinted clothes and my son has to wear a specific kind of joggers and T-shirt that thankfully we stocked up on last winter due to his sensory/familiarity issues. I’ve sold what I can of older clothes on vinted. I don’t know where else I can cut back.
I’m not looking for help I just want to rant about how people like us are expected to survive right now and that’s with me recognising we’re actually not that bad off. It scares me how people who aren’t as privileged as we are survive. We have a home and an earning family member, we get some disability money for the kids. I’m dreading Christmas. It shouldn’t be this hard.