Dire financial straits - can anyone help? :-(

[QE2]

Our finances are getting more and more bleak every month. I keep having to dip into my savings account to bail out the current account and making ends meet is a real struggle. I now have less than £400 in savings when once I had a very healthy £3,000 only a year ago.

I've already cut back on my tesco spend, dh has upped his allowance by £80 per month but it's still looking grim. Sky will have to go that's for sure.

Am currently sahm but with dh's odd working hours it is unlikely to get anyone to employ me to fit round his odd shift pattern. Receive child tax credits. dh's income is around £20,000. Can't afford a childminder. Have 5 kids, 2 of them under 4.

Any money saving ideas would be more than welcome. Any ideas for part time employment I could do also welcome.

Anyone?

You could try posting your statement of affairs on the Motley Fool website discussion boards - they are always very helpful. Are you servicing any debts? Credit card bills? There are a few ways of clearing these more frugally. The standard advice is much of what is already listed here. Do you have a car? Often there are some big savings to be made there. Is your house eating up heating? Can you make any savings there by draught proofing, insulating or reducing the thermostat? Definitely cut cable tv, magazines, window cleaner, broadband, car washes, takeaway meals, contract mobile phones.....and start really strict meal planning, (strictly speaking buying only from LIDL!!!). The people at fool.co.uk would probably come up with more ideas though.

Is there anything you could do from home, outside the kids' waking hours? Perhaps running Ann Summers parties or house to house catalogues or something like that?

Right, Sky has gone and I have applied for a part time job, so we'll see what happens now.

Oh, and my tax credits payment which went in today is more than £100 more than usual

Being an Avon rep if you havent one in your area can pay quite well if you get frequent orders. You can pick your hours, get commission, discounted products and basically work as little or as much as you need to

well done QE2 things looking up already!