tough times

[clare]

We are just entering the 3rd week of Hubby's unemployment,he is a self employed builder but times are tough.It is the 4th bout of no work in the last 12 months some lasting 6 weeks some lasting 2 months and it is awful.....As I am sure anyone knows you apply for a job and you hear nothing and these are often temporary contracts as building is.being self employed he gets no state help and if I hear one more person say "ooh great I bet he's doing lots on the house I will strangle them"most of the people saying this have no clue what losing half a months wages is all about and it was a whole 2 months 3 months ago and we have only just recovered.I grow lots and we have the chickens but we still need to shop for some food and pay bills.Any one got any cash saving tips I may not have thought of??Any suggestions would be great and might help me feel better......
Clare

[RuthG]

ou may already know of it but there is a site dedicated to helping people save money and they have a very active forum with loads of moneysaving tips and threads. It's moneysavingexpert.com

[Thomzo]

I'm really sorry to hear that, Clare. Losing even a small portion of your income is tough but to lose a whole wage is really difficult. You are doing the right thing by cutting down and not getting yourself into debt.

Have you got any spare things that you could sell at a car boot sale?

Do you have space to take in a lodger? You can earn around £270 per month tax free using the rent-a-room scheme.

If you have one, could you take your car off the road to save on the tax and insurance?

But then you've probably already thought about these things.

Good luck
Zoe

[grahamhobbs]

I'm a builder, but fortunately in London we have lots of rich bankers here that keep us employed (it's about our only source of clients these days). It is a good season to go foraging, not only for yourselves but what about making wild fruit jams and the such like for sale.

[that_sarah_girl]

If you have one, could you take your car off the road to save on the tax and insurance?

didn't the law change recently so that you still need insurance even if your car is declared off road?

Sorry to hear what you're going through Clare...Do you work? is there any way you could find a part-time job cleaning or doing bar work or something top top up your income?

[RuthG]

The new vehicle insurance law

If you're the registered keeper of a vehicle, it must be insured at all times.

The exceptions are:

•if you have made a SORN for the vehicle
•if your vehicle has been kept off-road since before SORN came into force on 31 January 1998 – unless it was brought back into use
•if your vehicle is recorded as stolen, passed or sold to the motor trade or between registered keepers
•if your vehicle is recorded scrapped or permanently exported by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing (DVLA)

[battybird]

Do you work Clare? Cos if his was the only income you should be able to get some help..Ask at the citizens advice bureaux. My hubbie was self employed and I was on a years unpaid leave when he became ill...it was a nightmare getting through the benefits system but we obviously did not ask the right questions as after three years we found he could have had employment support allowance all that time! I wish I had gone to the CAB instead of trying to find out by myself! Luckily, I was able to do agency nursing to help the income at the time. Council tax rebate (25%) if you dont work?
In 1987 my OH was really desperate for work and had nothing for several weeks and the october 1987 hurricane came along! Another mans loss etc!! Saved our bacon that time! Hope something turns up soon for you!

[Potter's Farm]

Hi Clare, i'm so sorry that things are so hard. My husband was a self-emp builder and i was a self-emp gardener. At one point when his work was non-existant over winter i took an evening job in out local T***o to bring in a bit more money. Then the following year i became ill and had to give up work altogether, we became sick of Steve working long hours and me being virtually a prisoner in my own home. We sold up (after a year on the market and a price drop of £50,000) and bought a cottage and 2 acres in Ireland. My health has greatly improved and our life is so much better, albeit it simpler and much less materialistic.

I know our solution is an extreme one but it worked for us. It made us realise our big house, cars and social life weren't important after all and that killing ourselves to afford them was no life.

We grow and sell herbs now, along with cakes, flavoured oils, pickles, anything we can make really. Steve makes planters, log boxes, bird houses, bug boxes and the like from pallets we are given for free and they go to market too.

We have cut out anything that isn't necessary..sky tv, mobile phone bills (we share a pre-pay phone for 10 euro per month), we still have 1 car but bike everywhere we can and walk the children to school.

We have 3 of our children still living at home and they've adapted really well, having us here for then 24/7 more than makes up for other, more materialistic things they might be missing out on.

Sorry, this has turned into a bit of a sermon....I realy hope your situation picks up soon, and try not to worry, things have a way of turning out right in the end. Lisa.

[Potter's Farm]

Didn't realise i couldn't type T***o on here!!! It was a supermarket that claims every little helps.....

[clare]

Thanks for all the advice(most I am doing,good old ebay/free-ads),I am a stay at home Mum ,wages are low in our area and childcare costs high so we made the decision for me to be at home.We have a little saved but we have an acre of land and a small cottage(no flash cars here,sky or gadgets)(no room for a lodger),with chickens and a big veg patch so I am madly preserving to sell at "the gate" and at craft fayres where I also sell sewing crafts that I make but I am no way a "breadwinner"I am here for the children and the land etc.The children have loved having Daddy at home too so it has been lovely for them to have quality time with both of us walking the dog,foraging,enjoying the sun this last week but entering our 3 rd week we are praying for agency work now.We would love to give up a car but are in the middle of nowhere so need to get the children to school.I will go to the CAB to see if things have changed and if we can get some form of help but I am sure it is only after 6 weeks,by which time he will hopefully have work and we will just recover again before the christmas building slump.......the main thing is he's not owed any money. I made 2 presents this week for 2 parties my eldest has been invited to,I sold 3 jars of jam today,my hens laid 6 eggs and I just opened the 1st of 6 bottles of homemade wine that is ready so it's not all bad!

[Potter's Farm]

Things are so hard for good, honest people who want to work and support their family, we felt we would have been better off giving up work and claiming benefits. The lady next door to us in the UK (single mother of 3) decided to pop out another child, by an unknown father, stop working and claim benefits....she told me as much, she said it was easier than working.

I'm not knocking people who have to claim benefits, that's what they're there for, and also, I was a single mother of 3, who studied hard and set up a gardening business to fit in with my kids' school hours.

Childcare costs are ridiculously high, it makes working pointless. I really hope things pick up for you Clare xx

[clare]

Hubby's just got 2 weeks agency work,money not good but just what we need right now,with my £56 ebay earnings ,£12 jam and eggs sales and his £64 scrap metal cash today ,I feel alot better.
it was nice to get all the replies and thoughts from you ishers,even that helped my spirits.

[Potter's Farm]

Hooray!!! Have been thinking of you lots Clare, really pleased for you and your family xx

[spider8]

I know it's easy to say but don't let all this get to you both as it will make you ill, mentally and physically. I am so wishing you the best of luck and hope that things will take a turn for the better .

[Milims]

Have you looked into working/child tax credits? When my kids were young enough there was something about claiming about 70% of child care costs - so it's worth looking into. I work 16 hours, we have incapacity benefit, Child benefit, tax credits and still manage to pay the bills and live a good (but frugal) life. So if hubby is home why not let him take a turn at looking after the kids and the house and you have 16 hours "grown up" time! I'd definately seek some advice from CAB too.