True statement!
Have you ever got to the checkout in a supermarket to pay for your shopping only to have your card payment declined? Then you have to leave your entire trolley whilst embarrassingly muttering "Only two days until pay day." Yep - me too! Sadly, most parents I speak to have had this happen to them before.
Have you ever taken a day trip to the beach and go to the cash machine to get money out for ice creams then the message comes up "You have insufficient funds" - yep - this has happened too!
We live in a time where wages aren't increasing but bills are rapidly. Gone are those days in our early 20's - we both worked full-time and brought home enough money to cover the rent and bills and still have enough for a holiday every year.
Then things change. Once you decide to have children, usually one salary will then drop dramtically or disappear completely.
We have been there - after I had my children I returned to work 16 hours per week - money was a struggle but we just about got by each month with nothing to spare. Then come the summer of 2016 I was made redundant and my husband also left his job for a lower paid job. It took almost 5 months for me to get a job that fitted in with the children but I was earning less than a third of what I did.
I have learned along the way that sometimes in life you have no choice but to borrow money - and it's OK! Quite frankly, not many of us have a disposable amount of income - the council tax alone in our county in extortionate!
We have taken out loans before, from both family and from companies. None have been for anything extravagant - we needed a new boiler, needed help with our car and also borrowed a little towards our wedding - a loan through Cashlady could solve a cash shortfall fast.
It isn't always the best option for everybody but in an emergency a short term loan can be a great option - of course you will be paying back more than you borrowed so always check that the monthly repayments will be affordable.
I have spoken with other parents in the school playground and some of the things they struggle to find money for are school trips. On average school trips can vary between £10-£300! Sometimes more once they are at high school.
Most also struggle to afford car maintenance, getting a car through an MOT etc. We went without a car for over a year as we just couldn't afford to get it running and insure it at the time.
We got by but it was tricky, especially the times where we had to be somewhere not in walking distance or near public transport.
I guess what I am trying to say, is don't feel ashamed, most of us are in the same boat. I've had loans, I have paid them back, if you are in a tight spot this is a good option to look into.
Pics sourced from Pixabay.
*This is a collaborative post but opinions and experiences are my own*