Slowly sinking

[Lovemusic82]

I need to try and sort out my money, I seem to have more going out than going in. I’m in a pretty awful situation as I am a carer to dd2 who is almost 18, she needs 24 hour supervision when at home and is only on a part time timetable at college with extra long holidays (already broken up for Christmas) so I can’t hold down a full time job or even a decent part time job. I am trying to get her moved from college to a full time placement and she’s also looking for a residential placement for 18+ (but this could take some time). Most of her PIP money gets used up for things she breaks and for trips out once a week with her carer (she has 2 hours respite care a week), the mobility component is used for a car.

I get most the rent payed and £178 tax credits a week but this isn’t really covering bills. I get £76 carers allowance each week. Child benefit £100 per month.

Gas £30-£40 a week in winter
Electric £40 a week
Food £50-£65 a week
Broadband £15 a week
water £10
Fuel for the car £30 a week (we live rurally so can’t really get this down)
Phones £10 a week
Pet food £15 a week
insurances £10 a week (life insurance, contents insurance)
debt to HRMC due to overpayment £5 a week.
Dd’s travel to college £85 a month
£20 a week saved for Christmas or emergencies

This doesn’t include extras like hair cuts, tv licence, new glasses (last month), any extras for the house.

Im not sure there’s anything I can cut back on? We rarely eat out anymore, rarely buy clothes for myself (if I do it’s vinted), broadband is coming to an end so I can shop around for a better deal. We grow our own veg which saves a few £ and have cut back on meat intake. Christmas has really made things tough, I try and save but dd1 needed a bus pass for uni which set me back £500 and wiped out the Christmas fund.

DD1 back from uni next week so food shop will go up.

Ideally I need to find some work I can do from home it I’m struggling to find anything. Hopefully things will get easier when dd turns 18 and is in a full time placement (so I can work) but at the moment it’s just one big struggle. I wake up feeling anxious with the worry of how we are going to keep going. I know there are many others in a similar situation. Any tips on how to save some money?

And yes I have checked I am claiming all I am entitled too.

If DD is at Uni does she not get a full maintenance loan to cover her own travel expenses?
Is there noone else in the household or contribution from their Dad?
Do you have a spare room that could be rented out?
Gas and electric sounds on the high side, have you shopped around for those?

Sorry things are rough.

Monthly bills of £320 odd for energy and £60 for broadband sound expensive to me.

You say phones plural. How many are you paying for? We pay about £10 a month for ours.

How far is the bus journey?

Are you tied in on the phones? I have a sim only deal for £15 a month, plenty of data. Once you are off contract that might be a possibility.

how much are the trips out with respite carer costing, if expensive could they do cheaper activities or could they only do a trip out every other week?

I know it’s not easy or cheap to move but any chance of renting in a town/closer to DD uni to save on car and bus?

You’re doing well to keep food costs so low.

Don’t worry about Christmas, it’s not worth getting into financial stress for especially if you don’t have small kids.

We are in a metre and can’t get it changed.

Phones are 3 phones, I could cancel dd2’s, mine is £10 a month then I pay for dd1’s.

She doesn’t go on a bus, it’s a taxi, I got some of it paid because I’m low income but still have to pay £85 a month, she can’t travel on a bus due to needing 1:1. She travels quite far (a hour each way). If I get my way she will be moving to a closer placement next year and I can drive her (5 minute drive). LA placed her in a different county because it was so called the cheapest option.

I do wish people wojlc read the original pist properlh.

OP's DD is not at university (higher education), she's at college (further education) fof which there are no maintenance loans

The OP is renting, with assistance, and will get the rate for a 2 bedroom property - there won't be a spare room to let out.

OP, look at Uswitch to try to find cheaper providers for gas, electricity, broadband and phones

I am in a pay as you go plan (£10 a month), dd1 and dd2 are on a sim only, I can cancel dd2’s but social worker wants her to use a mobile (she refuses to use it).

We are in housing association house, it wouldn’t make any difference if I move.

Respite trips can cost anything for £5 up to £30 depending on where they go, dd has a cinema carer card so care goes free so todays trip has only cost £6. Because we are rural it’s hard to find things to do in the short time she has with the carer. We often save up some hours so she has 4 hours every 2 weeks instead of 2 a week so she can go to the cinema.

I will look at changing broadband today when dd is out.
I turn the heating off when dd isn’t here to save money, our house is drafty so gets cold downstairs.

DD1 is at uni, maintenance loan doesn’t cover her bus pass, her rent is high this year as she’s had to stay in halls.

DD2 is at Sen base at a MS college, only part of the transport is paid.

We do have a 3 bed, dd1’s room but we get the rent laid for it as dd2 is supposed to have a overnight carer once a month (this isn’t happening as there are no carers). The 3rd room doesn’t actually fit anymore than a bed in it 😬.

I do wish people wojlc read the original pist properlh.

OP's DD is not at university (higher education), she's at college (further education) fof which there are no maintenance loans

I am referring to OP's DD1 who OP TWICE refers to being at Uni. She refers to DD2 being at college. There is no need to be so rude.

Before you have a go at another poster, get your facts right. OP says DD1 back from uni next week so food shop will go up.

We are in a metre and can’t get it changed

Would using less gas and electric reduce the bill though?

If I get my way she will be moving to a closer placement next year and I can drive her (5 minute drive)

Or buy her a cheap bike.

Do her hall fees exceed her maintenance loan? I know you want to help her but I don't think your finances can stretch to providing her support on top on her maintenance loan. Usually halls are close to Uni too so a £500 bus pass seems an awful lot? If she needs more than the loan she will need a PT job (either term time or holidays) to top it up. £500 is a huge amount from your budget.

She’s disabled and needs 24 hour supervision, she can’t ride a bike, she can’t go out alone safely.

They don’t exceed her loan but they only leave her with a couple £100 for the year. Dd1 is also disabled, last year she was on campus but this year she isn’t so needs to catch the bus each day. £500 was for a term time pass, for the whole year is was £700 😬. I wanted to help dd out by paying for something, I feel bad that I can’t financially support her through uni and at the time I thought I could afford it. It’s only in the last couple months I have begun to struggle (price of living increasing). Dd1 has been looking for work but because she has a physical disability she is struggling to find a job where she’s not on her feet, most jobs seem to be waitressing and bar work. She has applied for jobs and heard nothing back,

I know she is 18 but is there anyway her father could help with the financial cost when it comes to her transportation etc.
I'm sorry you're going through a hard time OP

post deleted had misunderstood

Have you looked into matched betting? Once you've got your head around it, it's a pretty easy way to make money from home when you get a spare hour.

Just a tiny couple of ideas - if yo ur house is drafty make sure you seal them as best you can. We had drafts coming in around the windows (really tiny gap you wouldn’t have thought it would do anything) but when we sellotaped these minuscule gaps it did help to make the room feel less cold, so do not underestimate the impact of getting rid of every draft.

Secondly could you find the time in your day to enter competitions? Some people enter 100s a day. If you enter enough you will win stuff you can either use, or more importantly sell!

@Lovemusic82 has your Dd applied to the uni for extra help? As she has a physical disability is she claiming pip in her own right? Does she get the disabled element of student finance?

Thank you, it’s both doors that are drafty (front and back), I have had people out to fix them so many times and they have made them worse, I will try and seal them up.

I do online surveys and have started doing competitions too (always worth a try) ☺️

Yes, she gets DSA for uni, they have provided her with equipment and helped her get ground floor accommodation but they don’t help financially. She gets PIP but is at risk of losing it because she’s now independent (even though she’s not and I support her a lot).

Broadband at £15 per week? I know that BT offer a broadband package to those on a low income. I think you need to be in receipt of some benefits. It's £15 pcm. I'd have a google - I expect other broadband providers have a similar package.

My son had financial assistance from dsa this year rather than more equipment so it might be worth talking to the uni.
And persist with pip. If she needs it she needs it.

@welliesandcashmere sky have one too.