I have £0 and I cannot be in this position again.

[PlainJane74]

Hey. I am a working lone parent to2 children. I am the walking definition of on the breadline right now.
I officially have no money to my name as I type and because nursery needs to be paid out of my next tax credits payment due on Saturday, I have no money until the following Saturday.
I’m going to be okay (just) as I went food shopping on Monday. I have dinnersand just enough for a lunchbox for oldest DC tomorrow. I can do tinned and frozen food for the kids over the weekend.
I’m writing this post because I need help and guidance to not be in this position again. I get what I think is a decent amount of money to live on but here I am for the 5th month scraping by, credit cards maxed out and scavenging for change.
Please help if you can, I am completely ready to overhaul my finances. Thank u

I'm assuming that the bulk of the tax credits is for childcare.

Alice, no it isn’t bad but don’t have any slight animosity towards me. If wages were realistic or it was easier/more affordable to train for a career the government wouldn’t have to top up my wage. But the government let it happen. I am trying to contribute but circumstances out of my control have lead me to have no choice but to rely on the state. I could stay at home and be no better or worse off but I’m a normal person like you and want to contribute and be a good role model to my children. Hopefully one day there will be an affordable way for me to train in my job and have a career, so I can earn a decent wage, that’s why I’m holding out on the work front.

Could you cancel your TV license? I stopped watching TV years ago. There's plenty to watch on Youtube and Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV catch up.

I would cut the sweets down. I know only pennies but then the pounds take care of themselves etc etc. Plus it would be better for your little ones' teeth. Maybe distract them with an exciting game at the park instead, on the days they would have had sweets?

Do you walk to school? If not can you? My mum couldn't drive and we had a half hour walk to school every day whatever the weather. It wasn't a problem at all - in fact I have really happy memories of those walks with my mum.

Did you say you're doing an apprenticeship? What in? How much longer do you have until you qualify?

Are there any mums near you who might be in a similar position? You could maybe do a childcare exchange so you have her child one day a week and she has yours another day, that would save you one day of nursery fees.

Some people earn pocket money renting out garage/loft space for storage. I should imagine there's demand for that in the south east so something to consider?

You say one of your main outgoings is kids clothes. Is that because they need new stuff or because you want to treat them? The youngest can mostly wear your eldest's old things right? And you can just get essentials from charity shops, no need to buy brand new except for underwear and socks. They only need 3 or 4 changes of clothes for winter and the same for summer anyway.

Do you have anything you could sell? Maybe Marie Kondo your house on Saturday and see if you have a local car boot on Sunday? You might not earn more than £20 or so but that's enough to buy food for the week, and when you've decluttered you'll feel more 'kick-ass' and ready to sort out your finances long term.

You could look at babysitting? I know that sounds really daft but if you know any trustworthy teenagers you could have them sit your little ones for £5ph and go out and babysit other children yourself for £10. Every little helps!

Do your budget properly.

A free one is mymoneysteps.co.uk which is really in-depth. Get a cuppa, and your bank statement and sit down.

If your credit rating is already shot speak to Step Change Debt Charity. They are completely non judgemental and can give you advice, it doesn't necessarily mean a Debt Management plan, but it's free and completely independent so no bias unlike the companies who charge and have a hidden agenda.

Good luck. The hardest part is realising you're in financial difficulty. Once you start to take control, it gets easier.

You don't need to do it alone there is support out there.

Np OP. I know it's hard. Agree with others about phone contract etc. You'll be loads better off once that's up and you own it outright. Sim only deals start at around £4/month. Also I'd consider ditching virgin although check if you're tied to a fixed term contract (this can happen even if all you've done is change your plan). You can get a plugin from either Amazon or Google for around £25 that will let you have catch up TV and you can get most of the basic virgin channels on Freeview.

Also nosquirrels is correct in saying to budget for all outgoings. Set up a separate account and transfer money in at the start of the month. Yes it's painful watching it go but it's not as painful as paying credit card interest forever.

Just some more examples OP, hopefully you can changw a few bits over,

I pay monthly -

Tesco Mobile £12

Bulb - Gas & Electric £55 (I give a reading every 4 weeks online)

Car Insurance £15 (I am 40 something though!)

B.T - Internet & Landline & calls £26

Water meter - £36

Petrol £40

Food £160

Rent £500

BT - Internet & Landline & calls £26

I meant Internet, Line Rental & calls.

You've missed loads out of your budget. Budget properly. Include everything.

Your income is huge if the op is to be believed so it's doable

Well done for looking at this and now you need to start tackling it head on. Get on the phone to the credit card companies, try and drive that interest rate down. Whichever card has the highest APR left then pay that off as quickly as possible and then the second then the third the same.If you manage to trim your food bills, treats etc you should build a slush fund to look at your gas/electric and move to monthly, even try now checking on a price comparison site to see how much you could reduce these costs. Look at everything going through your bank and cull whatever you can. You have a good income and good on you for working. Long term it's better to be in employment, keep looking to the future and deal with what you can now. Another tip, I shop online with Asda and went into another supermarket yesterday for a few bits, as I know the rough costs with Asda I only bought what was necessary without the kids in tow. It might be different in different parts of the country but I'm in the south east. Someone suggested buying a few treat bags of sweets and splitting them, I think that's a great idea.

You need to tackle this head on and do a proper budget. Xmas, birthdays, everything.

Your rent seems really high?

Do you need your car for work. If no then get rid it’s a luxury you don’t need.

Gather up your food receipts and look at where the bulk of your money goes. You can reduce cost by reducing meat intake, using cheaper cuts, buying in bulk. But you need to figure out where your money is going.

Practical things to double-check:

Council tax - are you claiming the Single Person Discount (it's 25% if there's only one adult in the household)

Credit cards and store card - you're paying off the same amount on each card each month, but which one has the highest interest rate?

Car insurance - £600/year, when is it due for renewal? Make a big note on the calendar to start looking for better quotes 6 weeks before it's due. Use a broker, do not use online comparisons or direct insurers.

You need an accurate list of outgoings. Use bank statements, collect receipts. I don't see gas or electric on the list?

Do you have a budgeting service nearby or one that you can be recommended to? Ours has a food bank attached to it and has an excellent management reputation with both clients and local businesses and families who donate to the food bank.

A good budgeting service will keep in touch, and keep out in so many ways with links to other services and even an advocate on your behalf if you need one to deal with the credit industry.

Don't be scared, make the call.

Check out this money earning thread

I hope it helps

I feel you OP, I'm an apprentice and it really makes you feel sub-human sometimes that you can be paid less than the NMW for working really hard 40 hours a week. I know we agreed to it but it can be a struggle.

I don't have kids so I don't know how you're coping.

I think meal planning including afternoon snacks is the best way forward for you.

So, instead of sweets after school, something like French toast and apple slices or homemade flapjack or something like that. It's more effort but healthier and cheaper too. The kids can help too.

What sort of things do you cook for dinner? Cooking with a lot of fresh seasonal veg is healthy and relatively cheap.

Not sure whether anyone has already mentioned this charity, but Christians Against Poverty offer free debt help.

I've heard amazing things about them and I'm sure they could help you:

capuk.org/i-want-help

Actually, I disagree: don't get rid of your car. If you're outside London/Birmingham/Manchester, public transport is shit, miserable and expensive. You've got two kids and you're on your own. You need to be able to get to places quickly and with limited stress.

how much is your ex earning if he pays £700 a month for 2 kids?! I didnt realise child maintenance was so high

£2,900 a month is a long way from poverty in my book.

I don't think 70 a week is over the top for three people if that includes Boots type items shampoo tampons etc

Is it 2900?

I thought 1900?

2900 is a big income.

Stop paying your TV license thats a start