Money Saving Tips.

[wintersweet1977]

Hi,

I work part time and have a top up from Tax Credits and I receive Carer's Allowance. I'm struggling with money and I'm almost always in my overdraft for which I'm charge 75p per day. I don't have any other debts apart from my mortgage. We live frugally but I have four children with disabilities and find myself having to repair/replace a lot of household objects. Currently I'm saving up for a new door as one of them kicked it in when experiencing a melt down. I also really need a new boiler (mine is 20+ years old). I don't eat out, go out with friends, have my hair done/beauty treatments or buy myself new clothes unless my old clothes are irreparable. We don't buy many branded items only the ones that I can't get away with changing I cook most of our meals from scratch. I cannot work any additional hours as I care for my children from 6-9am and 3.30pm-2isham school days and 20 hours a day weekends and holidays. My current employer is great about me working term time only and taking time off for appointments etc during term time. My husband was paying between £50 and £100 per week maintenance when he remembered but now has declared that he can't cope and doesn't want the children anymore so I'm anticipating that these payments will stop. Can anyone suggest any other ways to save money?

Have you considered approaching www.familyfund.org.uk/ for a grant? I don't know whether they would replace a door but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

75p per day for your overdraft sounds higher than usual. Is it an approved overdraft? If not, have you requested approved? Nationwide are very reasonable on overdrafts I find.
Are you renting? Is that why you need to replace the door? If you own your home, I'd just leave it until you do have spare money, which I know could be a long time. You sound like you are doing remarkably well to hold down a job and care for 4 children alone.
Hopefully others will be along with helpful suggestions.

Hi thanks for your replies.

Family Fund won't approve household upkeep/maintenance. I would leave the door but as I can't afford a new boiler the house is cold and with a door that won't close the back room is very cold.

A for holding down a job the credit needs to go to my employers who are brilliant!

That sounds hard. Couple of suggestions:-

Freecycle and Freegle are good for finding household/unwanted items locally
Selling unwanted stuff on eBay? Can do this when the kids go to bed? I make a few quid this way. It does add up.

Thank for the reply. Two of the kids don't sleep til about 2am and they're all up at 6am but I will look for things that I could sell on ebay, while they're at school, thank you :)

You can't let the children's father abandon his responsibilities for them. If he is working you should go via the CSA to ensure that he is contributing.

How about doing surveys?
Not really a regular income, but a bit of a boost every now and then.
Sorry you're having such a rough time.

Do the DC who sleep only 4 hours per night get any help with that? Don't GPs prescribe melatonin? Sorry, haven't had any experience of this. But I imagine the whole family would benefit if they all got 8 hours.
What have you tried OP?

I just got a new boiler from a scheme through which they were subsidised if you satisfied certain conditions (tax credits, boiler over a number of years, etc). I saw the ad on facebook. It s a govt backed scheme (rural funding services or something) and a number of companies across the country do it. Some folk got theirs free - depends on your individual circumstances I think. I had to contribute about £350 for a brand new one. Well worth it. Google it. Am pretty sure it's saved me money as it s more energy efficient.

Yes, to be honest, if your husband paid £200 per week, it would make a huge difference. Does he work? Can he afford it? If he's tight and unreliable handing over cash, you could ask him to pay for a large weekly online shop plus pay some direct debits for utilities etc. What would you get if you went the official CM route? Can you shame him into doing more via his family?

Thank you for all your replies, I'll look into all of these :)

Wintersweet
Hope you dont mind me asking and I know its a long shot but if you pm me where you live i have a solid wood door i was planning on taking to skip, its fine (painted) just not needed. If you were near me i could deliver it.
Fingers crossed😀