Money, benifits, jobs and generally being broke advice.

[-Savage-]

Hey all. My wife was recently let go from her job, which has left us struggling for money. I work full time in a temporary job, getting paid well.

I have a car, which I am paying off £189 a month, and the insurance is £140 a month (just got car license after being a biker for years) so this is our main expense and I will not be renewing the insurance or MOT and will be SORNing it this coming week as everything is up for renewal at the same time basically. Lucky I have the bike, which is fart all insurance now, as I have a 90 mile daily commute to and from work.

My wife has been told by the dole that she isn't entitled to JSA as she didn't contribute enough in tax in the tax year April 2011 to April 2012 as she was unemployed then, and I can't claim tax credits as our joint income in the tax year April 2012 to April 2013 is too high as we were both employed for the majority of it.

What other benefits can we try for? She is looking for work, but it's hard where we live. There is very little locally, and she can't drive. We are even considering relocating to bring down my fuel costs and give her more options for jobs. The problem is we are only paying £50 a week rent currently, and anywhere in Belfast is going to be much more expensive (we have 2 dogs so need a certain size of house).

Now the kicker, I have gotten through to an exam as part of a job application process, in the area in which I did my degree. It's a scientist job with the civil service, and would be a foot on the careerer ladder, and it's a permanent job which means a mortgage would be attainable instead of renting. However the wage is half what I earn currently (currently on £11.88 ph, new job is minimum wage). If I accept this job we will be even worse off financially, although if I do accept it I will have a permanent job with careerer prospects. If I didn't accept it, we would have more money for the time being, but if my wife then got a job and I had missed out on this one I might regret it.

tl;dr - We cant barely afford our current lifestyle and I have to decide whether to stay in a well paid temporary job, or to go for a lesser paid permanent job in my professional field.
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My Bikes - - - Royal Enfield 500 with sidecar, VFR800, CBR600FX,
Peugeot Speedfight 100, Kymco Hipster 125, GSXR750K5, Jawa TS 350

[J4mes]

I'd sell my bike or losing the car to pay for her to learn to drive. It's going to open up her job search area massively I presume as she is currently restricted to bus routes or walking distance?

[nowhere.elysium]

Personally, I'd go for the permanent job that had prospects, and adapt the lifestyle to suit. You're paying a lot of money for a car, which is, in truth, a luxury. I have a Mrs and kid, and we get by fine with just bikes; for all the bikes that we're running, what you're paying for your car in two months would cover our annual insurance costs, and most of our tax costs.

Is having a car really worth that much to you? Sure, it's warmer, more waterproof and has a higher carrying capacity, but is that really worth ~£350 a month? Especially when you're already struggling? I got rid of my car some time ago for that exact reason, and I can't say that I've suffered as a result of that decision.

My other suggestion would be to not relocate for now; you have a roof over your head that's inordinately cheap, and if you use the bike/lose the car you can probably afford the travel much more readily. The dogs aren't exactly going to be a financial help, but it's not like you can just get shot of them. Have you looked at switching foodstuffs for them? Dog food's not exactly cheap, and their health can be maintained with normal human food if you buy selectively*.

Pay off and close any credit cards, downsize any phone contracts. Kill off things like Sky or Virgin media, rein in nights out at the pub. Standard belt-tightening advice, I know, but it's sound, and does work. I've lived a deeply boring life these past two years, largely because I've been skint; it's not fun, but it's survivable, and it does mean that when you're out from under, you won't be in that position thanks to the charity of others, or a dependence on the state. I no longer trust the state to be able to organise its way out of a wet paper bag, so there's no chance that I'd assign my financial stability to it. If they've turned your Mrs away, then take that as a given, and work with it.


Apologies if this all seems a bit incoherent, I've not slept all that much, and financial advice is best offered after a decent rest.

*I am not a dog owner, so can't make suggestions here. Someone like Stinkwheel's your best bet.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[fatpies]

[Bubbs]

The best thing you can do is quit work too so that you both qualify for the dole!! Then get housing benefit... maybe pop out some kids and get child benefits too....

Obviously I joke, but this government of ours really does love to stick the knife in when your genuinely trying to work and get by.

Could you get your wife on a CBT? Not expensive and a scooter would broaden her search area for work until she got a driving test. Plus not too expensive.

Hope it all works out for you dude!!
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Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

[instigator]

Nowhere elysium gives good advice. Cut out all the little luxuries and you'll be far better off. Budget yourselves (to the extent that you have £X amount per week for food, £Y for fuel etc etc etc) and stick to it. To me, as much as I've loved my previous ones, dogs are a luxury that it sounds like you can't afford at the moment. Consider rehoming them in the short term (or permanently) until you can sort yourselves out. People come first and to cut down your commuting costs and increase the chances of your other half getting a job, it sounds like relocation is strong possibility you have to consider.

I'd love to live out in the 'sticks' but common sense dictates I live as close to my work as possible. And if my job location changes, so will my accomodation. People need to be more willing to go where the jobs are.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

What Nowhere said. Budget, and have a good close look at the difference between "need" and "want".

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/Budget-planning
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[andym]

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm sure I was told that when I was working I had to support my wife and she wasn't entitled to anything... I don't know if it has all changed now though

[iooi]

[uberkron]

Don't keep dogs. Unless they cover costs. I love dogs, but won't be poor for them.
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i ride a zip 50 2smoke. It overtakes a hundred times a day.

[GreyFox]

[mentalboy]

OP. Your partner won't get anything from the state if you are working.
As regards the job prospects you may actually be better off going for the lower waged job in the long run as you'll get a fair whack of Working Tax Credits.
I'd get rid of the car as it's costing a heck of a lot.
Good luck
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Make mine a Corona.

[cimbian]

Lose the car straight-away. If it is SORNED and not insured and you get it nicked you'll still be paying for something you no longer have.

Anything else you can sell?
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22PlusY
Current: Moto Guzzi 1100 Breva. Previous: Honda XL650V TransAlp
Bearded, Balding, Born again Buddhist Biker

[hellkat]

Also, if she was only working part of a year (i.e.,when she was unemployed before) ask the tax department to calculate whether she is entitled to any tax rebate for only working part of the year?

She should be entitled to at least something back for last year, if not this year as well (tax year nearly at an end now!) ... and it might help a little way towards keeping you going till she gets back on her feet.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[_Iain_]

Ditch the cage, i've had to. Sell it if it's at all possible.

Basicly came to the conclusion that i could insure the bike for a year for what it'd cost me to insure the car for 2-3 months. Bikes better MPG & we're coming to summer anyhow.

Take the job with a potential career ahead of you - think long term. Thinking short term fucked me up big time, made us a lot of money very quickly & then the company fell on its face, leaving me running at a loss, with a serious amount of debt & living back with my parents & having fuck all to show for it all.

Get the mrs to have a word with the jobcentre about work trials - my other half worked two months for free at dunelm mill, 40hr weeks to get an 8hr contract. But a contract it was nonetheless & she's worked her way up to an average 30-35hrs a week.

I'd not waste time with the benifits, but get her looking for the odd cleaning jobs etc. Ask round the takeaways - my other half worked in the kitchen as a pizza maker two nights a week, whilst i worked full time as a driver. It wasnt a great earner (£60 per week) but it covered all our food bills. Somethings always better than nothing!

Regarding the other halfs transport to/from work - Mine borrowed her brothers old textiles & got herself a lid, and i'd drop her off on the YBR. We'd do all the weekly shopping two up on it - she'd have a huge backpack on & we looked pretty silly. But it worked! When i couldnt drop her off she'd get a bus halfway and walk the rest, or would blag a lift with mates, workmates, family etc.
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[GhostRider]

[CaNsA]

[_Will_]

Forget a mortgage, your better off without unless you have a savings pile to burn.
How many hours you working at the mo, as a 40 hr week and around £1500 a month even without your misses working should be easily doable especially considering the cheap digs.

If the car isn't a necessity (ie no kids) then flog it as its a large chunk of your outgoings.

As for job you'l have to stay where you are unless your other half gets on the job hunt like a freshly dropped pole.
(although halving your wage wouldn't half the take home, you'd still have around £900 take home so its not the biggest shortfall, lose the £300 p/m car and the other half needs to make just £300 to get to where you are now, which doesn't sound so hard does it?)

Then start budgeting, cutting back and tightening the belt until a proper full time wage is bought in by wifey.
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Past -Honda qr50 | 2004 Peugeot Tkr s 50| | 1996 Yamaha XJ600s Diversion|

[J4mes]

[andyscooter]

from the 189 pound a month im guessing the car is fairly new

and on a three year lease agreement so probebly cant sell it or give it back until the lease is up
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
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[fatpies]