Homeless young family!

[babyhayley]

Okie dokie, before I get started here I must stress I would talk to CAB/Dole Office whatever but as me and my husband work full time, despite our best efforts that's not working out for us as they are only ever open at stupid times and they never pick up the phone (maybe snail mail).

I'm in a bit of a fix with being able to afford a home. Me and my husband have private rented for years but the issue is we have to leave in September as l/l is selling and doesn't want to renew our tenancy. At this point I'll be 8 months pregnant!

I've spoke to the council but all they do is drag their heels and never give me an answer as to how our housing application may progress (they know i'm pg and I've been on the list for 7 years).

I'm starting to understand that I probably won't be able to rely on the council as we'll probably end up in a druggy bedsit at best. So, step in private renting! Only issue being I can't afford the deposit and months rent up front. It's not that I want to sponge, it's just that I need to seriously repair my car to keep on working until I drop to pay for baby stuff (thanks for removing my £500 bit of hope Mr Cameron), husbands salary just about covers all household bills and when you consider I will have to stop working a large deposit is simply too much. I've done a budget and allowing for all the expense I reckon we will be short of covering it all. Only by about £300 or so.

Looking at tax credit and maternity pay etc we could private rent no problem! The only issue then going forward is that I will probably have to go back to work after 6 months as my maternity allowance will stop. I'll be honest - I'd rather stay at home until the baby is at least 1!

It's a big mess - all happening to a young couple who earn £40,000 a year between them and have done for many years. How messed up is this Country when you can't get a decent start on those earnings!

As others have asked - what bills come to £1400 per month

The problem we have is private renting is so expensive in this area, plus I've been made redundant - twice in 6 months so we're backlogged from where I was out of work for 3 months. We tried to mortgage as this would have significantly dropped our outgoings but:

A, where can i get the large deposit now required for a home
B, we all know mortgages are bad deals at present - try being a first timer.
C, No credit allowed to us in general as we didn't take anything out prior to 2008! For some stupid reason we thought saving for things might be a better idea.

£1400 includes all bills including food and petrol (petrol alone is £100 a month)

I live in Essex. Thanks for the info I've not heard of freecycle - I will check this out.

Baby stuff should not need to come to £500. I've just had a baby, so I have experience of that from recent times, as I'm sure many others do. And excuse the language, but what the fuck is costing you £1400 a month on bills?! I'm sure you can cut something from that. Do you really need the car, or could you actually get public transport? Do you have things you can eBay?

Realistically, someone on £30k a year as a family unit should be able to save what you need before September. It will be a case of cutting back, and probably eating quite cheaply and not buying new clothes (etc) but it's doable.

You really don't need to spend £500 on baby things. like others have said Freecycle is great.

Could you not move into a small flat, so the deposit bills etc will be less and you can then save up for a deposit on a bigger house.

so the £1400.....on bills......where is it going?? that ssounds madness

Does that £1400 include the rent? And what world do yo inhabit where you need to spend £500 on a baby?
Second hand pram/sling, free milk in boobs and a second hand moses basket/cot with a new mattress. Chazzas for clothes.

I'm trying to think what we spend on bills....even with food added in, I don't think I can get it to add up to that! There's four of us here, me and DP, along with DS (5) and baby DD. So we have nappies etc as well. We do earn a bit more than the OP has coming in, but there was a time when we were on exactly the same. Unless the OP has mahoosive debts (and it doesn't sound like she does), I am not understanding where the huge payments come from.

whats chazzas for clothes??

£1400 for two people on bills for the month is a lot of money, even taking into account two cars and rent.

If you are struggling now then when the baby comes along how are you going to manage?

Somewhere along the line you need to get rid of the back logg of debt form the two job losses and also get the car fixed and find the money for a deposit for a new place to rent privately.

Where can you cut back?

Food - shifting down on food and using things like this to make your shopping cheaper shopping plans for two people

Using ebay and freecycle for baby products

Using money expert to find cheap deals www.moneysavingexpert.com/ for your utility bills and information on how to clear debts, suing snowballing etc.

Finding somewhere cheap to live, search for a rental now and haggle on the rent and deposit - look at going through a private add or house sharing. I have a house opposite me and two families live in the house as it is cheaper than them both renting and they can't afford to both rent, the bills they shre, the heating the water and the council tax etc as well as the rent. Not ideal no but needs must.

Five hundred pounds for baby things??? . You're mad to think of spending anything like that amount. It's totally not necessary. New babies need almost nothing.

Rent £750, Council Tax £110, Electric £80, Water £15, Sewage £11
TV License £12, Car Insurance £56, Phone bill/sky £60, Shopping £200, Petrol £100.

Total: £1394

I think that covers it all.

I'm arguing with OH diligently about Sky- I think it's a waste of money. Still though, only marginal improvement to £1334 if we cut that.

We're in a 2 bed flat at present so would be perfect to stay here really but as mentioned we cannot. I would love to bus it to work but the nearest stop is about 20 mins walk away and then it would easily be 15 mins at the other end. Not mention I'd have to change buses/operators on three occasions so it would work out almost as dear as the car.

I like the idea of moving to a small flat, that should improve our outlay to about £1200 for rent/deposit etc.

If £500 for baby stuff is steep then please help me! I got that figure from basically researching over several internet sites for a list of things and then crossed off what I thought wasn't needed (after advice from friends/family who've been there).

From what I had left I researched the budget retailers of baby items and correlated a list of the cheapest prices from there. Came out £500.

I must admit I like a bootsale and don't turn my nose up to second hand stuff - but you hear all of these horror stories of sharing cots/prams etc and cot death and as a first time Mum, I freak out!

Think I'm going to come across as a bit unsympathetic but if you are earning £30k surely you can rent privately AND save up a deposit to do so. It is a bit miserable having to budget really hard, but to be honest most people could do OK on that amount (especially if as you say, you have been earning that for years) and find a way to have a bit left to save for something so important as a roof over your head.

Also just moving two or three miles can make a huge difference in rental prices, couldnt you look into moving to a slightly cheaper area?

And yes, Freecycle. If you do that, you could probably save over £400 of the £500 you say you need, and thats a huge chunk of the deposit sorted. Friends are usually happy to gift second hand stuff.

I have had a look and there are house shares in essex, plenty under £500 per month

One bed flat would be a good idea for you. Baby can share your room for longer than you'd think. Cut Sky out, you can also probably slice £50 off the shopping bill. Where in the country (roughly) do you live? £750 for a 2-bed flat sounds like you may be in the Home Counties area where I am? You can get a 1-bed place round here for about £500-600 per month. That's a potential saving of over £300 right there.

I would buy new mattresses for cot and pram, but apart from that everything else can be washed and scrubbed so it looks like new.

Ah Essex, so you are quite near me then!

Tv and sky £72 - not much point in having these if you don't have a roof over your head - sorry..

Lap top and iplayer for free

The only thing you need new is a mattress, bottles if you yare going to use them, and a car seat.

Nothing else needs to be new, and you can probably kit out everything you will initially need for about £50. Use Freecycle. Everyone who has a 6 month old baby is desperate to rid themselves of all the baby crap.

Also if your banking has always been good, and you have a decent amount of money going in per year, you could probably get a low interest bank loan

Crays Hill, CM11 on right move there is a mobile static home two bedroom for rent in farm area for £450 per month available now. I would rather live here through the summer and find something in September having saved £300 each month on the rent and bills

Who would want to house share with a newborn?

I know a baby can share a room for up to 1 year I think so that does sound like a plan to get a smaller place for now and save from there.

I live in Essex and know the average one bed cost is about £550 per month. We've been trying to cut down on shopping already - no matter how hard we try £50 a week seems to cover.

In regards to budgeting we don't mind suffering it. That's the thing, we're so close just need a little lift. Having said that I did not know of freecycle.

I'm enjoying the money saving tips. I must admit I'm getting into coupons to cut back. It just feels like I'm trying to climb a mountain.

again £450 per month