The harsh realities of self employment and modern family life
“The other day, I asked my little girl to pick a pack of biscuits in the shop, and she said ‘we’ve got biscuits at home Mummy’. I worry that she’s absorbing our concerns about money and has come very aware.”
Manchester mum and communications consultant, Niamh
Meet Niamh. Niamh juggles being a toddler mum and running her own specialist communications business in Manchester. Being self-employed comes with its challenges but for the past few years, she’s been able to make it work for her and her young family.
However, everything changed unexpectedly at the start of the year, when her regular income dropped with no other jobs or prospects in the pipeline.
Freelance life
“Being self employed comes with fluctuations and you learn to roll with it but never to the point where I had absolutely zero. I was going to have to work really hard for new leads and even if I was successful, that meant no money until March. My partner and I had to look at all our outgoings to see where we could cut back.”
“Our nursery fees are incredibly expensive and our mortgage rate which had just increased. I knew we wouldn’t be eligible for anything that’s means-tested. No one can afford to put money away for a rainy day anymore or have any savings.”
Poverty in 2024
This begs the question - What does poverty look like now? Niamh said, “Poverty is so hard to define these days. The typical image you think of is a homeless person struggling to feed themselves but now so many people are facing difficulty financially and living in their overdrafts with nowhere to turn.”
Niamh found out about Bread and Butter from a friend and thought it sounded like the perfect solution to ease some of the budgeting pressure, as well as getting fresh fruit and veg for her little girl. Sadly, this is usually the first thing that gets cut on her shopping list when extra money is needed, as it’s so expensive and doesn’t last very long.
Bills, bills, bills
“I remember when I didn’t have to think about what I put in my basket but now every decision is so much more considered. I purposely go into the shop rather than order online so I feel more in control and reduces all that unnecessary packaging. We no longer do one big weekly shop and tend to do two smaller shops on Saturday and Wednesday so we can work out what we have and haven’t eaten by mid-week.
“The other day, I asked my little girl to pick a pack of biscuits in the shop, and she said ‘we’ve got biscuits at home Mummy’. I worry that she’s absorbing our concerns about money and has come very aware.”
Niamh owns a two-up two-down mid terrace and has been staggered by the rise in energy bills, with £300 a month going on gas and electric. Because she works from home, she will layer on three jumpers and pile on the blankets rather than heat the house just for her. She is very concerned about this coming Winter and is already looking at where they can cut back.
It’s not like it used to be…
When asked about generational wealth, Niamh doesn’t hesitate, “We’re definitely worse off and my parents agree which is reassuring. They don’t buy into that whole ‘if you stop buying avocados you’ll be able to save for a house’. By the time my mum was my age, 33, she had three children. My dad was a doctor, so we were comfortable. I’m now 33 and we can’t afford to have another child at the moment.”
Whilst the work situation has improved, Niamh is now working six days a week. “I went freelance to help work/ life balance. Not sure I’ve quite managed that but it does allow flexibility.”
PM for the day
When asked what she’d do if she was PM for the day, Niamh was quick to comment, “Better childcare support for working parents. Our daughter’s in a private nursery as there were no council places available and the fees are extortionate. Those 30 free hours don’t really mean 30 free hours. They’ve not really made a dent. I also think there should be more support for those on maternity leave. My daughter had to go into childcare at 8 months and I wasn’t ready to leave her.”
Listen to Niamh’s podcast right here.
