Getting 2nd job to ease financial strain

[Preciouspearls]

I'm married, 45 years old and we are struggling.

In lots of debt. All credit cards defaulted although hubby has cards again which we rely on. Most money eaten up by mortgage. Many issues with cars has cost us a lot of money. No money to buyer newer cars.just fixing old problems

Should I get a second weekend job? Been in two fixed term jobs over last 6 years can't get permanent work with higher pay despite trying can barely get to interview stage.

So thinking may as well get a second job again to make more money. I've had 2nd jobs before which has helped but was tiring. But either this or watch us sink. Hubby has two jobs works everyday. We argue every single day about money. Have adult a young adult child who has just started work can't ask for rent we already borrowed her savings so paying her back. Same with 2nd daughter we owe her money and she still in FE.

I'm worried though as a civil servant I will have to tell employer but it should not impact my weekday work.

I don't want people knowing we are struggling or the prospect of them saying i cant.

I feel I have no additional talent to even do my own side gig it's pathetic really.

This must be one of the lowest parts of my life ever.

You would be better off seeking a debt solution; speak to a debt charity such as Citizens Advice or Stepchange. It sounds like getting more cards after defaulted cards and the constant worry of debt is spiralling, and having to borrow from the children meaning they are now not contributing to household. I grew up in this environment and it was not great.

Talk to your employer. See if you can do a second job.

FWIW I used to work in a professional role, ostensibly a well-paying role, and at times had to have a second job at weekends in a pub in order to make ends meet with mortgage, child care etc.

It worked for a while. I was 48-50 - ish. It was also quite shit, but was necessary.

By all means, get a second job if you think it would help, but you need to figure out what is making you spend beyond your means? If you're unable to repay credit cards, it's worth contacting a debt charity, like StepChange to try and consolidate your debt and put a plan into place.

Selling items can be helpful if you have some high value goods that aren't essential, or cancelling unnecessary subscriptions. Have you created a spreadsheet with your income versus outcome?

I know the general cost of living has increased 😬 it's not easy right now.

It's flipping tough.
I am single parent and I work full time and do a few evenings a week in a second job.

Is it just cival servants that have to declare other jobs?

My dd gives me 100 a month too.

Can you look at sorting some of the debts maybe citizen advice could help.

You sound very(understandably)down.
Have you looked into debt advice? I was in your position at one point and Stepchange were great. It took a long time but we managed to turn it around and are now debt free

I would post on MSE debt free wannabe forum. Unsecured debt should come bottom of the pile. Taking out new cards will make things worse . You need a budget which prioritises mortgage, utilities and food first. If there is money left then a DMP might be a solution. A second job obviously won’t hurt as it will increase income but you have to weight that against your mental and physical health.

Can you find WFH jobs? Are spending a lot on travel and needs a car?

I’m a civil servant with a weekend job one of my colleagues also has a second job in a hotel at the weekend and another runs a side business for extra money. We are all SC and have permission wouldn’t survive without it!

Before you get a second job you need budgeting and debt advice.

Too many missing details to know whether this is the best solution, which would depend on what you mean by lots of debt and whether you can cover your basic living costs without the debt repayments or if this is a spending and budgeting issue..

Also whether you still have a good credit rating.

Credit rating is shattered.
Not a budgeting issue have been budgeting for years and cut loads of stuff since covid.

My husband has been in and out of jobs this year. My income dropped £300 month as i lost my job. His around same. The job he was doing was costing us more in him running the van and maintenance than what he was bringing in. Mortgage went up £400 month 2 years ago which really hit us. Daughter just finished uni costs for that too

Our outgoings exceed income.

I think you need expert advice from an organisation such as the charity for Civil Servants, Christians against poverty or Stepchange. You mention telling your employer, but in fact you have to request permission, as they would need to be confident it would not negatively impact your main employment. It also sounds like you are still within probation so be careful you aren’t sending the wrong message about your commitment to work.

I think that if you can manage a second job it makes sense as increasing your income has to help.
However, as previous posters have said you also need to do a complete audit of spending and outgoings.
Be ruthless and you and DH write down every single penny you spend. Hopefully you’ll identify ways to save - we did this and I was appalled at how much we were spending on M&S sandwiches.
It really is a case of every pound you don’t spend makes a difference.

Is your DH working and earning a proper salary now?

How much is the shortfall and are you still paying interest on your debts?

The risk is, without advice and a formal solution, the amount you pay can be swallowed up with interest and you can battle for years without really getting anywhere and it could be that a more drastic solution like an IVA or downsizing at the beginning would have got you out of debt faster.

I work FT for local government and despite earning a reasonable salary, I have a 2nd/weekend job. Notified HR and it’s all fine. It’s NMW and zero hours, they often ask if someone can cover an extra shift so if necessary I can earn a bit more.

it’s not fun doing a 2nd job and only having one weekend day but it’s manageable. However, I got my first Saturday job at the age of 13 and didn’t expect to still have a Saturday job at 53!

You got to take into consideration that you’ll be paying tax on your second job. I’d be looking for a role that comes with an increased salary and you won’t have to worry about having to juggle in two jobs plus everything at home!

I had a second job when I first started my career as a teacher back in the late 1980s - I’d be working 5 days a week and then I would work behind the bar in the local working men’s club. It wasn’t the best but had to do what we had to do at the time - we were saving to buy our first home and planning for wedding /DC. It wasn’t great but it did the job at the time.

The school I work in now, many teachers top up their income through exam marking - again, you’d have to mark a load of series to make it financially worthwhile!

I worked a second job cleaning holiday homes to earn extra cash (to retire earlier.)

I found it pretty much stress-free compared to main job. You can earn up to £1000 per year but over that declare to HMRC.

Good luck as your situation sounds tough.

Could you post a list of your outgoings so we can see if there is anywhere you can cut back?

Someone already suggested MoneySavingExpert - it’s great website and the debt free wannabe forum really helped me when I was in debt. Can you transfer some of the credit cards to 0%?

When I was in debt I had a second job - worked about 16 hours a week and it really helped. I was exhausted though but it meant I got out of debt quicker.

Does everyone have to declare a 2nd job or just civil servants?

I work full time and then do about 20 hours overtime a month. It’s not great but needs must. Have you considered consolidating your debts? That can make things seem a little easier once you have a single repayment plan. I owe my kids money too, I feel awful, but at the time I had no choice. However now my eldest is working at 18 he pays rent, 35% of his income. This is going straight to pay off the debt I owe him and his sibling, but he doesn’t know that.

It's not an obligation required by law but most employers put it in their contracts. As well as any concerns about conflicts of interest and ability to do both jobs well, employers have duty of care obligations and work time regulations to adhere to, which you secretly working a second job might make difficult.