Hello lovely Imperfect Mumma’s,
I have a question please? My husband and I are trying to work opposite days and night to each other.
We are in a lot of debt financially. We are finding it very hard to keep our heads above water and we have no family support. We are on our own. Just wondering if any one else has or is experiencing this?
He is struggling significantly. And I believe I am too. We just want to try and get ahead so we can build our future together.
I am just lost. We can’t afford babysitters daycare before or after school care. I’m just wondering how others survive without the emotional physical support from family.
Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.
7 Replies
I feel like we mostly tread water.
The rebates on child care and before and after school care help though.
We live a very simple life. We don’t have big savings, our goal is to keep our debt low (an after pay here and there) and usually have a small amount of emergency funds ($1000).
I consider us privileged because we have stable long term rental housing, that’s cheap. If we didn’t have that we’d be in debt and needing to rely on other charity sources to top us up.
If you are in debt, then get some help. I would approach National Debt Helpline, St Vincent's etc to get some independent advice. They might be able to assist. Go to the library and borrow Barefoot Investor. Read it. It's great. We were in so much debt and managing to pay stuff off. Look at your bills. Phone, internet, groceries. Really look at them. I went prepaid on my phone for $25pm for 30Gb data. I'm shopping at our local market and prices for fruit and veg are literally a tiny fraction of supermarkets. Look at your insurances etc. Every dollar helps.
With CCS, check that your rebate percentage is correct. It all helps. My husband picked up a second job on weekends. Mad yes, he pays extra tax but that extra bit of work is an incredible help for us.
How old are your children? Any debt we had we consolidated, see the smaller local banks about consolidating debt loans. Compare the interest rates etc. get rid of Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, Foxtel, etc. Look at your cars. Are they financially sustainable for your family or costing you a lot to run? Pack lunch instead of buying. Buy in bulk instead of small packets, it’s cheaper to divide up yoghurt tubs than it is to buy the pouches. It’s little things like that.
Im going to say I think the debt is your problem, not your childcare. Unless you have a football team of children, it should work out as better off to work than not to.
I have no support and I rely on daycare and after school care. Its a cost I'd rather not be paying every week, but it's just what I have to do.
Remember as they get older they can get themselves home or older can pick up youngers, it might be a few years away, but this isnt forever.
Have you checked the subsidies you’ll get with after school care/childcare?
You don’t pay the full rate.
You do what 99 percent of people do, you both get days jobs and put kids in care.
As the younger ones transition to after school care, it will get cheaper.
Then the high school kids start getting the bus, even cheaper.
Not many people have relatives that care for their kids regularly.
I’m a single mum, doing it alone, I cope.
Remember, you aren’t alone, you have each other.
if you are low income earners o think you would be surprised how cheap the school and day care services are, my sister is on her own and doesn't earn a lot and a service that costs me $60, only costs her $6, so well worth working. If you are not low income earners but have too much debt, you will have to be brutal with how you manage your cash, rent smaller or further away from where you would like, meal prep, and batch make food to save cash, down grade phone plans, ditch foxtel, and really live lean. I am not alone but have never had financial of physical help from family. it's just us and the choices we made. if you need emotional help, seek a mental health plan from the gp. if your debt is all over the place, consolidated it with one lender and pay it off, this must be your priority. cut up credit cards, no after pay. it works but you have to do thr work.