aww i know the feeling we are finding it vey hard at the min aswell I work part time and we share childcare between us cos like yourself would have cost more for childcare than what I earn. but becasue of this we never see each other and are still not much better off to be honest
I am looking into becoming a childminder after wedding by just doing the max children (think 4) lokking after for coiple hour before school and dropping off... then also picking up and having for a hour or so after school I would earn around same amount as now then I have all day free with my little boy and ben if hes off
Only leaving it til after wedding as we rent and tenancy is up soon so do't want to get ofsted out just to have another trip to new place in a few months baby.
since you are already a nursery nurse could this be something for you to look into???

It is very hard, and a lot of it comes down to budgetting. I am also not entitalled to any help and this month will be relying on h2bs wage only as i havent started my new job yet but left my previous job in august. H2b i think needs to look into consolodating his debts, my h2b had loans etc.... he took out another loan with another company paid all his debts and now has just 1 monthly repayment at a lower rate so it eased the pressure.

You could also look into a simple part time job, just a couple of hours in the morning? Or you could look into options like avon etc... i did that for a while as could plan it round my children. I didnt make loads of money but every little helped back then. Does the school have a lunch club you could send your little ones too? As that could potentially open doors for you to look for a lunchtime supervisory role?

I think you both need to sit down and work out all your incoming and outgoings, you should still be getting child benefit and some level of child tax credit even if its minimum.... check that you are getting all that you are entitalled to, i think there is a website "Sorry link is removed could you pop it on your wall please" that might be worth a look.

Hunni my h2b isnt working at the moment and all he says is well be fine well be fine every time i try speak to him about it!
and well sometimes i dont think we will be,
In april his loan and my ring will be paid off freeing up some money for us but its how we are going to cope until april that is worrying me.

He just seems to think its all gonna be fine. Last few months i have had to transfer money to him that i would normally have for food or wedding bits.

I dont want to be doing this as he will get used to it and expect it every time. Iv told him i cant afford it this month. as well i dont know what i will be paid and if i can!

He seems to think we have the money there we can spend it,

xxx

Have you tried looking in the local ads? It's not very glamorous but sometimes you see people who just need a wee help with the cleaning and general things like that? I've seen ads where it's maybe only 8hrs per week but a few hours here and there every morning would soon add up!

Ohh just thought of another thing, like avon, Ann summers!! If you are shy lol!

i did this for a while until i just didnt have the time as my previous work was expecting me to work 24/7.
Im considering taking it up again but im knackered as it is with everthing just now i dont want to take to much on!

its good money if you get the parties.
only thing that got me was that you have to restock your kit constantly when new things came out and i wanted to buy everything!!

xxx

Do the housing think you are at risk of losing your house?

I think if things got too bad for me and h2b id tell the housing i was gonna lose my flat (i rent off my bro im sure he wouldnt mind writing a letter telling them hes chucking me out lol especially if it means he can sell his flat to buy the one hes in with his wife)

xxx

yeh i know, We would be fine and not stressing if h2b had a job, he actually lied about his tablets and got one but they did a medical check and called docs and he lost it before he started which i think hit him worse than just being told no in the first place!

you usually get more points for being made homeless!

I actually wrote to them to say i couldnt live at home anymore as i didnt get on with my mum and the said they needed a letter from her stating this!!!
My mum would never have done it so i just left it and eventually moved into my bros flat as i couldnt handle it at home anymore!
xxx

they are daft arent they! they said we'd be top priority at first coz my h2b was leaving the army but then as soon as he left we got put straight down to the bottom again :-/
thanx hails xx

I might have a gander at this as well hails. looking for something to get little extra cash but dont want anything over the top,

When i did ann summers unit organiser said you could do it full time part time or just for extra pennies,
i did it just for extra pennies but she still expected us to do heaps more than i could!

xxx

hiya, im a debt advisor at a housing association, i would definately not recommend another loan, i would consider going the CAB for debt advice - there are many options available to you, like token offers of £1.00 per month (or more if your available income allows), equitable offers if you have a lot more available income (this is where you pay more to the person you owe the most to, and less to the person you owe the least too), with this option you would pay each one yourself seperately. There are also debt management companies like what FutureMrsPite is in - but i would stay clear of the fee paying ones, as usually they keep the money for themselves the first few months as their fee, and then they keep so much percent for their charges each month. There are 2 free debt management companies that do this without charging you, all of the money you pay gets put towards your debts. They actually get paid by the creditors as the creditors, and so the creditors are also more likely to accept the offers made by them. They do all the leg work for you.

You may also be eligible for a DRO, you have to have debts less than £15k (in the debtors name or a joint debt as you are both liable for the full amount), assets of less than £300, a car valued less than £1000, and available income of less than £50 per month. Its similar to bankruptcy, but not as much stigma, it clears the debts for you, but stays on your credit rating for 7 years in total.

If you have a lot of debt, but also a lot of available income - an IVA might be a good option. This lasts 6 years when you dont own property, but at least you know how much ur paying and when it will end. (your available income is what is left after essential household expenditure, travel, and normal bills such as rent, council tax, gas elec, water, etc, it does not take into account expenditure for loans, credit cards, catalogues, etc)

In regards to the social housing - they will assess you on your vulnerability and priority need - so if you have kids, threatened with homelessness and its not intentional, have an illness, or somebody elderly living with you, your priority need will be higher. Unfortunately you will not be classed as homeless or threatened with homeless yet as you have a few months to go until your tenancy ends. Has the landlord said they wont be renewing it - if its just that you have decided not to continue with the tenancy then its a different matter.
They should go through an income and expenditure with you to check for affordability at your current place - if its not affordable they should put you in a slightly higher band. If they think that you are prioritising payments to non-priority things like sky, or the loans, they advice you to lower these, or put you as intentionally making yourself homeless. Its crazy how they work it sometimes, and they can be harsh with the amounts they allow you on the financial statement.

sorry my post is long :/ hope it helps lol xx

I have just registered as a childminder. I worked out that i could take about £450 a week - the reality is that there are so many childminders in my area that I'm taking £119 and after expenses it's worked out at about £80 take home, so I am currently applying for a job in school (my children are all school age) and will do after school and holiday childminding only.
It also won't be an instant solution. It takes up to 5 months to get OFTED registered and you have to pay out for things upfront, like First Aid course, registration etc which can come to between £200 and £300 - which is cheap for setting up a business, but not if you don't have it!!
I am not trying to put you off - you can certainly make more than you are on now, but it's a long haul and might not be as good as you hope it will be. On the other hand, you can do it with your boys at home and you can work as many hours as you choose. Alot of childminders find they work 50 hours a week to allow full time parents the collection and delivery time too.

If things are that bad, go down to citizens advice and look at VA or even bankruptcy. You can't live on nothing. If you do go down this route, you need to revise everything and use your fresh start to manage on your budget and never use credit again. The biggest issue is the mortgage - I know because my ex went bankrupt. If you have a mortgage, they will make you sell your home. If you have a mortgage and have to go into rented accomodation you may find that you qualify for housing benefit though. Citizens Advise will help you with all of this.

I really feel for you. I have been there and it makes you ill from the stress, but the only way to deal with it is face on. Accept it, work out a budget that fits your income, seek help, sort it out and learn to be poor but happy. And dump the credit and debts asap. They are a millstone. Even a catalogue will drain you of money. My new philosophy is that it's better to wait until I can afford a cheap top from primark or Peacocks than it is to buy from a catalogue and have to pay for it and the interest over a year.

I hope you get it sorted hun. Take a deep breath and get brave. It will be unpleasant at times, but you can do it and come out of the other side in one piece xx

Hi WeeMintyMonkie, its not necessarily the same, as she will be giving it up due to affordability, and this is something they take into consideration, they should not say that she is intentionally giving up her property, but she needs to go to the social housing place/council and tell them - they should go through a financial statement. If they think she is overspending on area's that she shouldnt be, they would expect her to reduce the expenditure. I was dealing with a case today, my housing association has 7 bands, 1 being the best, the lady i saw today was on band 5 because of her health conditions, but we went through her income and expenditure, and it showed she couldnt afford where she was living - she overspent on somethings, but had good reasons too which we put accross to the housing officer, and she has been moved up a band now do to the affordability issue.
Hope you get sorted soon xx