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MNHQ

What small things make a big difference when life changes? Tell Money Advice Service for a chance to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

273 replies

AngelieMumsnet · 11/09/2015 13:42

Money Advice Service would like to find out what small things make a big difference to Mumsnetters when they go through big changes in life.

Money Advice Service Say "Life is full of unexpected changes, but sometimes we're not prepared for how they might impact our money. More than one in six working families would receive little or no help from the state and see their income drop by a third, if the main earner became unable to work."
"Here at Money Advice Service, we help people manage their money by providing free and impartial advice. We're really interested to know what Mumsnetters find helpful when going through changes in their lives."

So, what have you found helpful when going through significant changes in your life? Maybe you've found having savings particularly helpful when going through career changes? Or perhaps you find it reassuring to know that you have protection insurance? Maybe it's as simple as knowing you have someone in your life who can support you if you're going through a difficult time?

Whatever small things that make a difference to you when life changes, Money Advice Service would love to hear about it.

For more information on securing your financial future, check out this Money Advice Service guide.

Everyone who adds a comment will be entered in to a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher*.

Thanks,
MNHQ

*Provided by MNHQ

OP posts:
lilmiztam22 · 17/09/2015 13:13

Savings can be literally a life saver, it is always so important to save for a rainy day even though I struggle to save myself I my try very best to put as much as I possibly can so that when life changes come I can have a little support.

serendipity1980 · 17/09/2015 14:56

talking to a friend and knowing that we can take a break in our mortgage payments if we need to.

ahbollocks · 17/09/2015 17:25

Knowing my pets and home and insured means an awful lot.
But having someone special (my dad) who is sensible and kind makes it easier

lorka · 17/09/2015 17:40

We have emergency home cover with our insurance. Therefore, when our heating stopped working, they came out to fix it and we weren't faced with a huge bill.

hbakfam · 17/09/2015 18:05

Having friends close can be a huge help!

sweir1 · 17/09/2015 20:20

Having a rainy day fund but also a supportive family

slwest8804 · 17/09/2015 20:33

Having a wonderful, strong family. I know many people aren't as fortunate to have a loving, supportive family but it's important to have people around you who you can share these changes with. My parents divorced when i was young but I know in times of good and bad, we all will and still do come together.

sarah861421 · 17/09/2015 20:51

dh and I are self employed. when money is tight we cannot budget as we have no way of knowing when we will next get paid. we can only plan in the very short term. talking to each other helps and we share responsibilty

HelenPlant · 17/09/2015 23:54

I have always relied upon the safety net of putting away 5% of our salaries every month. During down times, it really helps to know that essentials like the mortgage will be covered without having to ask for help from family.

strawberrisc · 18/09/2015 07:00

I have insurance on nearly everything from my house to myself! I am a single parent and I actually find it comforting that I'd be worth more to my lovely daughter dead than alive. It sounds like a sick joke but it's not. If anything were to happen to me my house would be paid off and left to her. I've also written a will outlining what I would like to happen to me - from the song I would like at my funeral to the fact that I would like to be an organ donor. I've said that I would like my parents to look after all my finances on her behalf until she is 18. I have done all this because I cannot stand the thought that if I were to pass away she wouldn't know what I wanted. Instead, it's all there in black and white.

maureen3733 · 18/09/2015 07:46

when life changes i think drawing stength from family is so important and taking timeout to reprioritise things.

mumtowoo1 · 18/09/2015 10:17

I've never had to ask family for help but I know they would help if I asked. When my husband lost his job about five years ago we were very lucky to have saved a fair amount. It only took him a few months to get another job but the wages were a lot less than before so our savings helped us keep everthing going for that time.

verystressedmum · 18/09/2015 10:23

When dh lost his job he was the only earner, I was a SAHM. Unfortunately little things wouldn't have made a difference so I got a full time job and dh went away to work.

Juzza12 · 18/09/2015 13:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

robbo86otm · 18/09/2015 13:59

When life changes the one thing that gets me through is friends and family, whatever the circumstances i know that they will always be there

Elizasmum02 · 18/09/2015 14:22

me and my husband have always been sensible and had some saving, which came in handy when he had an accident and was unable to work for 6 months, family also helped massively during this time

badgermum · 18/09/2015 16:57

Shopping with cash and only buying the things on your list is a good way of getting through when things are hard, also shop at Lidl and Aldi for as much as possible their own branded goods are really up to scratch

Bellebella · 18/09/2015 17:05

I think having my oh with me helps when things can get really tough, support and someone going through it with you can really help.

I also love the local children's centres. I live with my toddler and oh is one of the smallest 1 bed flats around. The things you really miss when you are skint are things to do sometimes so the free groups at the children's centres make a big difference to me and ds.

Also love having family around us, always know we have somewhere warm, welcoming and a dinner there if we need it. Last year our heating broke in December and it was freezing. Just took me and ds off to my nan's house til it was fixed.

OldBloodCallsToOldBlood · 18/09/2015 21:30

I lost my job after I had cancer and wasn't well enough to return full-time. I was the main wage earner and I'd been on full pay during most of my treatment, so it was a big shock.

The main thing that helped us was getting proper, professional advice. We got Debt Relief Orders which meant all our debts were dealt with and we started to claim everything we were entitled to, including DLA for my DS who has autism.

Once the debts were sorted, we focused on living within our means. I'm now firmly a fan of saving. I see it as paying myself first, and I save a small amount before anything else is paid because there is never anything left over to save if I do it the other way around!

ozbird1 · 18/09/2015 22:04

I hit that time when I was signed off sick for 3 years - it's hard but you change your life style to fit what you can afford. Where before we were lucky to go away each, we now look at cheaper days out, gone are the add on's on Sky and computer etc but we really don't miss them - think back to what you did before they were around :o)

museumworker · 18/09/2015 22:24

I split from DD1s dad quite catastrophically at the beginning of my third year of uni. I wasn't in a great place mentally, emotionally or physically, let alone financially. I became homeless with a 2 yr old and nothing to my name. One of the things I did which made a big difference was speak to my uni, there was a hardship fund which paid me a lump sum, it meant I could concentrate on my studies without worrying about finances. I got a first :)

seeingdouble2 · 18/09/2015 22:47

it would have been my insurance that covered my loan from the bank while I was off sick from work. It was a real saver!

Dragzena · 18/09/2015 23:12

There was a thread on here a while ago where lots of us shared our experiences of being on or below the breadline. It was invaluable, it helped me to know we weren't the only family struggling to make ends meet and it also gave me some great ideas for other ways to save a few pence here and there.

I was contacted by a local mumsnetter (who wishes to remain anonymous) who recognised me from what I posted here and helped me contact charities to help with both fares to and from my son's many hospital appointments and also another charity who have provided us with a more suitable wheelchair for him so he's much more protected and comfortable. She is an absolute angel and I can never thank her enough.

So I guess she and mumsnet are the small things that made a big difference to us Smile

Hopezibah · 18/09/2015 23:54

Meeting up with good friends through thick and thin is so important - When things are tough it is often easy to want to hide away and not talk about it but actually it can help reduce the stress so much by having a shoulder to cry on.

Things that have helped when life has been stressful for us is when people have offered to help with little things like bringing a meal round or taking care of the kids for a while. its meant a lot to us.

Financially, I think it always gives a little peace of mind to have something in savings (although that is harder said than done!)

We also have life and critical illness cover to cover the mortgage should the worst happen.

We finally sorted out our wills a couple of years ago and that helps with peace of mind.

and getting proper travel insurance is important including covering pre-existing conditions - so that helps us worry less when on holiday.

throwingpebbles · 19/09/2015 08:39

Well done museum Smile