£100 a Week

[WorryCentral]

My DH £1,600 a month after tax. Our bills are covered by approx £1,150 and we have about £100 a week left. I am having to give up work as we have a 9 month old and I am pregnant again. My salary will not cover full time childcare for two little ones and we have no family to assist with any care.

Out of the £100 a week we will have to cover food and petrol for the car but we don't need to use much as live close to place of work. Will be rare to fill up I should imagine. How can we survive? Panicking now!

We take £100 cash out a week and this is all we use for food and diesel, when it's gone it's gone. We always manage and sometimes have a little left over. This is to feed a family of 4 the kids are 7 and 10 and the 10 year old eats like a horse!

I agree, it is durable. I don't know what kind of meals you cook but when we were "strapped for cash" (£70/w) I started cooking vegetarian meals. That is using dry beans and pulses (chick peas, lentils, all kinds of beans). They are fantastic! Not only do they save money but they are also very nutritious and the best answer to all kinds of food related ailments. (Think feeling sluggish, bad skin, slightly overweight, ...) Only thing is, they can take a but of time to get used to!

Ask your boss if you can work flexible p/t where you can work mornings/ afternoon around your child care (husband) with 2-3 hours childcare.

The other suggestion i have is to find a child minder (one that is just starting out) and see if you can get a deal where you can get child care around your husbands shift and you go back to work p/t.

Thanks for all the help and practical advice. Going to sit down with DH and hash out some of the ideas, see what we can sort out

Have a look at to see if you are in a universal credit full service area and then what you may be able to claim in benefits (if anything). (This presumes you aren't already on universal credit.)

universalcreditinfo.net

www.entitledto.co.uk/?e2dwp=y