Discovery Home & Health

I have realised that my finances are a huge mess, and need a way to make some extra money that I can do locally, as I do not have a car. I am trained in massage, and have a massage couch, so that is one option, any others? Please help me!

Hi Tigger, just wanted to ask do you track your finances month by month? Because actually I have a spreadsheet with all my outgoings on and which date of the month they go out and I check my balance against this every day! I know this may seem a bit obsessive (I work in finance btw!) but I like to know exactly whats going in and out and I find this way im happy as I know how much ive got left before next payday, hope this makes sense!

Sorry I cant help with what you could do, but your massage idea sounds good. Are you trained in beauty then? If so maybe you could be a mobile beautician in your area?

Hope this helps. I know it can be such a strain when the money situation is not going well and it seems to play on your mind. Im sure you will get sorted.

Hi there hope that you dont mind me replying, how about Avon? u can make the round as big or smalll as you like. I do it and its a nice little earner around the kids, school runs etc.

Also selling on ebay makes some money back too.

Good Luck hun. xx

thanks for your replies, i have started this month to track our finances. my problem has been that craig smokes, and that is costing us soooo much money. I have to buy the stuff for erin, and because i only have £50 after the monthly bills at the moment, i have gone over my overdraft and the bank will not extend this. I am hoping to sell erin's old clothes, just locally so i don't have to pay for postage. I have a couple of pieces of furniture too that i could sell. I am going back to work, but i would like to do something to add to my money. Avon is a great plan - is there any initial investment involved??

btw musswells, all replies are welcome! especially as urs have been so helpful in the past!

Tigger

If you put stuff on Ebay then you can charge for postage & Packing so it does not cost you. You do have to pay a fee for it going on ebay, but unless it is big expensive stuff then it is not to bad.

Also with Avon you do not really have an initial outlay, but you do have to buy the books which come in packs of five. However for your first time they normally give you some free.

My DH smokes like yours and I know it is really expensive, however I have managed to get DH to cut down dramatically just by telling him that yes he can smoke but then our children dont eat or have nappies. I know its blackmail in a way but it is the only way I could think of it having an effect on him and so far it has worked.

Regards

Emma

Thats true the first books are free and you soon make some money on orders, I have been doing avon since chloe was a baby and she is 4 now.

Ebay too is a good way you can sell furniture too that people can collect. There is a fee but its not mega bad and I have also been doing ebay for years lol. I love it, think I am addicted.
Selling is easy and fun.

And the massage stuff as well will boost the money up for you.

And hubby well cant he cut down? or give up smoking lol.

GOOD LUCK BABE. xx

Just a thought, but if you are trained in massage etc, maybe you could hold a couple of parties or something? My sisters friend goes to peoples houses and does massage, waxing, manicures, pedicures etc, she has a little leaflet that has all the prices on etc. Maybe you could get a group of mums together and see how it goes?! I think she gets most of her business through friends and word of mouth. Just an idea though as i said!

Hi girls

I like all your ideas.

Have you thought about candle parties, Ann Summers or Body Shop parties, if you don't drive you can make your money on raffles to pay for your taxi. When I did Ann Summers they sell most raffle items at a pound each and then you sell your tickets two for a pound and then they buy more if it is a big party. I made £30 on just a raffle one night and then £40 for all the other bits sold, so £70 for a couple hours of work isn't too bad but the downside is you have to pay for your kit, which can be expensive.

If you are qualified in beauty therapy why don't you put ads in the paper and shop windows for people to come to your home?

Or even ironing from home, there are people in our area that iron and can be quite a good little earner.

I hope that this helps.

Jen x

I am a bit calmer now, it wasn't as bad as i thought. but i am considering doing the massage parties, i think it is a good plan. I have got an mbna credit card, as i can do balance transfer to my current account for 0% for over a year. this means i am not paying a fortune in interest, and i don't have to pay a transfer fee either. I feel a lot happier, and not so stressed! thanks for your help guys, its been very helpful!

i know how u feel being skint ive had to go back to work as we just have no money at all im lucky in a way that me or OH dnt smoke or drink for that matter but i do spend too much money when i dnt have it, or we get takeout its really hard to cut down

hope u get sorted soon hun i use to do avon and it can be a good earner as u get ur loyal customers and regular orders n things its fun lol

i used to do body shop at home - it was a good little earner but I did have to lay out for the kit in the beginning - but it wasn't hideous money and I soon made it back - its a fun way to get out of the house too. Never done avon as its very popular round here with everyone doing it - but they all make money so must be good earner!

Vicky's advice is sensible as I have to admit to doing the same thing - we have a very tight budget now that I have given up work on DPs basic salary but as he gets whopping overtime payments we actually manage to live really well most of the time - but of course its tight if overtime is restricted some weeks - HOWEVER I do have to keep a daily check on the finances as all our bills are spread out across the month which is a nightmare and my maternity allowence is coming 4 weekly (even though I asked for it to be weekly like my old wages were!) so there are odd spots in the month where if I don't keep a tab I can end up spending the council tax money or something thinking I have spare money on paper but of course I don't for another 3 days or something! We had a nightmare time last autumn when i was very ill and earned nothing and DP was on his old job with no overtime so we got a bit behind with council tax and utilities - BUT by being really on the ball with budgeting each month and only using cash instead of switch (too easy to go over budget with switch!) for that period we managed to get back on track in the end - this is the first month we've gone back to having spare cash to splash thanks to some ovetime.

Do a monthly budget and STICK TO IT! Don't buy stuff in the supermarket just cos its buy 2 for £3 or something (my favourite financial cock up - it usually goes off before I've had chance to use the second one!) what does DH smoke? Rollies are so much cheaper - and to be fair I'd ban him to the garden so when its weather like this he'll be less likely to puff away in the rain! It seems a little unfair that you have to take on extra work to fund his fag habit...harsh I know for me to say that but from an outside looking in that is how it seems. As Emma says - bit of emotional blackmail would be fair to use in this case I feel!

Good luck hun - its so stressful I know but try to stay positive. Pay the bills first and debts last - if it gets that bad, phone the Consumer Credit Counselling Service - they'll arrange for reduced payments for you if you get really stuck paying back credit cards etc for as long as you need it...xx