Wow, great thread! I'm sorry to be so late to the party but here goes, since I'm in a very similar position to the OP. Single mother of an 8 year old, was renting in UK, now moving to France. Sadik has made some excellent suggestions on this thread, and I now wish I'd actually researched WWOOFing instead of just assuming nobody would want a single woman with small children!
My situation: 40 years old with DS 16 and DDs 12 and 8. Managed to cobble together enough to buy a cheap fixer-upper house in France, which I did just before the referendum was announced, so the exchange rate was still favourable. Not sure if buying a house is feasible for the OP as she has relatively little time to build up savings before Brexit becomes final in March 2019 - assuming that is indeed the cutoff date for free movement, which may or may not be the case. Regardless, I would agree that it's a great idea to 'work/ save as hard as humanly possible', since it's having that bit of cash that will give you options, whether it buys you driving lessons and a van, a super-cheap property or a few months' rent. As for having concrete plans, I certainly didn't, beyond wanting to buy my first place. I think it's natural that we cautious people want to look before we leap, but with big things like a move abroad, there are just too many unknowns, many of which can't be resolved until you find a location, meet people and get settled in. That uncertainty isn't a result of lack of planning, it's just the way it is, so some kind of leap of faith is in order! I didn't really speak much French when I went over for the first time: I think I was on Chapter 8 of French in Three Months, and it had taken me much longer than three months as well, because I'm a lazy bugger and kept slacking off. I just took a minidictionary everywhere with me and hoped people would speak slowly, which some of them did. I haven't moved full time yet because I'm fortunately able to go there for a few weeks, get stuff done, then come back: the kids are home educated and I work from home too, so we have that flexibility. I'm about to move in properly this autumn, and I haven't yet looked for a job, so that's one major area I'm not qualified to advise on. I have, however, noticed that the few unskilled jobs which have come up recently in my village (bakery assistant, Office de Tourisme receptionist, cleaner, factory worker) have not been advertised AFAIK, but filled by word of mouth. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means that you have to get to know people and tell them that you are looking. Most locals have been supportive, as the population is declining and young families are what the village needs. I can update MN on my job hunt if anyone is interested: so far the consensus seems to be that when the factory is hiring they will probably take anyone presentable, even with my crappy intermediate level French. Ditto cleaning work, although agencies apparently want you to have a driving licence. I'm thinking that with a home I own outright I won't need to earn much. Even if I were renting, flats can be had for well under 400 euros -probably closer to 300 if you only need a 1 bed - and the SMIC (minimum wage) is over 9 euros an hour with no zero hour contracts, so it should be possible to make ends meet. For example, a friend of a friend is a single parent, 2 DC the same age as my youngest two, manual job in the factory in the village. She manages to run a car (old rustbucket but still...!) goes clubbing in the nearest city every weekend, makes gourmet style meals (all posted on Facebook, that's how I know) and rents a fantastic huge flat with high vaulted ceilings, which is actually an HLM (social housing). I've noticed that low paid people seem to have vastly more security and a higher standard of living than their counterparts in the UK. No doubt the headline rate of unemployment in France is off-putting, but since all countries calculate it differently we can't compare it directly with the UK, our figures being artificially skewed by zero hours, workfare etc. Please don't be put off by not having a degree: immigrants like us nearly always start out at the bottom, degree or not. I have a very fancy-sounding degree, yet I never got a paid job in the UK above the level of waitress or shop assistant, so I'm not losing anything by going abroad. Brexit is the major worry for recent or prospective expats like us, and had it not been for that I would say 'Go for it!' as I certainly wish I had done at a younger age. As it is, it's anyone's guess what will happen. Given the current state of the negotiations we clearly cannot rely on the British government to secure our rights, though the French may decide to be magnanimous and let us stay. The fact that you and I both appear to have little to keep us in the UK (we have family, but they can visit!) is perhaps a good reason to be bold and seize the moment. Good luck OP, whatever you decide to do and wherever you decide to do it!