title says it all, my husband lost his job 3 wks before chrimbo, just wondered if it has hit any one else, new he'd be the 1st to go as he's in construction, its a worrying time, warned the kids dont no how long dancing can continue, due to the expense of 3 children dancing, my daughter who is only 7 gets really upset, but doesnt undrestand, sorry if ive dampened your new year. gailx

Hey!
What a hard time you are having!
I know how you feel.
Dancing is an expensive business & unfortunately needs to be low on the list of priorities when money is tight
Hope things pick up for you & your family very soon

Karen x

hi gail
i am going to be in a simular situation
im going in hospital on 22nd jan for a major operation
an will be off work for upto 4 months.
money will be tight as i live on my own with 3 kids so dance will be the first to go.
Grace is abit older than maisy so understands more but the mortgage an bills come first.Dont think we will be the only ones having to cut back
happy newyear to you
love landa

I was going to have to cut my daughters classes down from January due to the petrol/class costs but luckily the teacher has closed one of the classes.

She is also finding the travel cost and her own childcare cost too much and didn't want to pass the cost on to dancers parents.

So I am only having to pay 1 lot of class fees when we go back on Sunday saving around £50 per month.

ive ALWAYS found it hard - x i have 2 and always stressed about dancing money every week - its so hard sometimes isnt it x x
we not long ago took on a big mortgage just befor the credit crunch and we have been strugglering since then - x x

i hope 2009 brings us all some luck i dont ask for a lot of luck - just a little - x x x

coll x x

Hi

Hubby was made redundant on 23 December... But didn't get any money, So now we have to fight for it. It's gonna be a tight budget but we will get through. Dance comps are the killer but hopefully we will still make a few.

Good Luck for 2009 .... We all need it

Anise xx

I lost my job 12 months ago due to long term health problems with my voice, and the fact i was on waiting list to have a operation on my leg and would be off even longer it was a mutual agreement with my employers, we have coped quite well and with one of my sons still living at home things was not too bad.
However he moved out in June and as prices petrol(even though its gone down now) fuel bills, food etc chelseas growth spurts lol money has got tighter and i can honestly say I have not been this bad off since early 90's when my older 3 was younger and I did not have chelsea, and in fact i have actually been a lot worse off at times been we have always got through it so I have an optimistic outlook on life in that way.
Though it has made me feel depressed this christmas, in part it has just been 12 months since losing my brother, knowing my father is being ripped of by some scrounger and no one will help,
and money is tighter than ever with bills going up but not our income.
My health has not been the best for 2008 but I ma determined to get fit be healthy and be able to go back to work by my birthday in march rather than look on the dark side!
I can only manage to pay for chelseas lessons becuase her big brother and sister give her pocket money each month which she uses for her dance lessons, as she knows other wise she wouldnt be able to do it, and thats her choice.
So heres to a more prosperous year for us all wishing you all the very best for 2009
LInda XX

Hi Gail

I know exactly how you feel. We had a small scaffold business which weve had to sell for next to nothing as it was based round new build housing...!!! It makes you feel like the worst parents ever to have to cut back on something the kids love so much, but what choice do you have when there are no jobs to find.

Lets hope 2009 isnt as bad as they say its gonna be.

Happy New Year to you all, hope things pick up soon, see you at dancing

Love Cheryl

It hasnt hit me yet although we went away for Christmas and the exchange rate was terrible. Cost us double what we have paid in the past

I haven't been hit by credit crunch...yet.I still buy what I want when I want,the kids had a very good Xmas and Olivia is getting a new solos cozzie soon.

I do feel for those that are struggling at the minute and hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Karen xx

Hi Gail

Same, we've been hit pretty hard by the credit crunch
I stopped working 2 years ago due to depression and not liking my job and my husband was made redundant about a month ago
We've gone from having an income of £3000 a month to about £500 a month
At the moment, Katie does 7 hours of dancing a week, but only pays for 4 as if you pay for 4 in a week you get any other lessons free, so we're paying £60 every 4 weeks for her dancing, and Callum's a keen golfer so need to pay his golf subs of £60 a year. Might not seem much but really cant handle this anymore. If it wasnt for the kids grandma Katie wouldnt even be doing the amount of lessons she does this month, if me and my husband dont find a job soon as of February Katie will only be dancing 2 hours a week which honestly, I dont want to happen. She loves her dancing and is doing so well. If only the Lottery machine was our best friend... LMAO
Really hope all this credit crunch rubbish gets sorted soon, I'm fed up of being skint

Janet xx

yes i feel for everyone its very hard my daugter is still dancing the biggest thing is the price ofthe costumes they are getting more expensive all the time and the fashion keeps changing you have to sell costumes to buy other costumes as well as lessons hopeit gets better for every one good luck

love sue

hi just like to say thankyou for all the lovely replies, but especially to the pm's i have received, especially from one lovely lady, who wants to keep private, this lady no's who she is because i was crying reading itand have replied to her, thankyou we are looking positive. gailx

Oh no, i know how you feel, my partner lost his job beginning of November he was also in the Construction industry, this was 4 weeks after i had my baby. I felt like we were in a black hole and were not going to get out of it. We were lucky though that he found work in an opencast 2 weeks later. My other wee girl is 7 and she loves dancing, and due to me going on mat leave her classes had already been cut back, when they are so young it is hard to explain to them, i hope things get better for you soon, best wishes for your family x

Hiya

I have just read your post and I feel really sorry for you its everywhere you turn at the minute it effects us all if not directly then in directly I just hope it does not last long.

I hope your husband finds another job very soon and things get back to normal for you. perhaps you could have a word with your teacher and explain that you can't make as many classes or you could maybe share expenses with another parent. At our school what we do is if you pay double on the tuesday you can come for the rest of the week for free if not you pay as you go, our under 6's go for free if they have an older sister or brother and you only pay for two from one family anymore come for free

Everybody has to do there bit to help each other at the moment I'm sure your teachers if they knew your situation would work something out for you so you didn't have to stop dancing, that would be such a shame

love
Sharon X

my heart goes out to you!
i am very lucky at the moment , my husbands job seems to be safe , touch wood!
although i did loose mine i am very lucky to have a very good friend in bournemouth who makes the girls costumes as this can be a ridiculous expence i feel!
we have also decided to cut back on comps this year.
its very hard explaining to children why they have to cut back or even stop something they enjoy, but lets hope this passes quickly, for all of us !
ann x

hi hun

i think its affecting everyone in some way or another

lets hope it passes soon

tracyxxxx

this seems to have hit everyone times are hard at the moment lets hope it passes soon xx

I know the feeling, Iv been struggling since Oct for different reasons. Iv been off work sick and been living on 1 wage and no sick pay. It has been a nightmare. My daughters 10 and wants a new dance suit for her birthday and i just can't afford 1 just now. she doesn't understand either. what can you do. x

SharonC wrote:

Hiya
At our school what we do is if you pay double on the tuesday you can come for the rest of the week for free if not you pay as you go, our under 6's go for free if they have an older sister or brother and you only pay for two from one family anymore come for free

Everybody has to do there bit to help each other at the moment I'm sure your teachers if they knew your situation would work something out for you so you didn't have to stop dancing, that would be such a shame

wow sharon, thats amazing. Ive had 4 dancing and not one penny reduction for siblings. made it very difficult as almost everywhere else ie nursery, after school clubs etc there is always a little or sometimes even a sizeable reduction for a sibling being there too. I am also loving the u6 free bit as ive got 2 of those! Also makes it very affordable when schools do deals ie pay for so many lessons and get the rest free.
I do think in the current climate it is sensible for schools to be negotiable and offering things like this, after all, all high street retailers are rewarding loyal customers with comparative deals.

karen xx

Hi sorry to hear that...its a really difficult time. I've just qualified as a primary teacher after doing my probation year and there are no jobs where i live and supply work is very quiet as all the local authorities have had their budgets cut. As I'm only getting a few days per month things are going from bad to worse. I've cut my daughters comps to one per month as its usually two, but she's been very good and understands why. Its just so expensive and to be honest I can't really afford one but she would be devasted if I stopped them altogether. I'm lucky enough to have a mother-in-law who pays for all her dance classes during the week or it would be even worse. I'm kind of the same and thought it was just me that was experiencing this as no-one else i know has been put out of work or has experienced knock-on effects of the state of the economy. It is no comfort though to know that others are suffering too...I hope things pick up soon for everyone.xxx

On reading this post it's like god how lucky me and my family are. Then i got to thinking, money is not a problem and the kids and i can have what we want, however we do pay a huge price for that. My hubby is only allowed in this country 90 days of the year to be able to live like this, which has a big impact on the family as everything is left to me, I may as well be a single parent. My husband spent 22yrs serving this country and now he has to work abroad to keep a roof over his families head. In oneway or another yes we are all paying a price of todays economical mess
Lets all hope things can only get better sooner rather than later.
Mandy

hi it has hit us too ,my hubby lost his job too 15th december.
we had to put dance on hold over xmas
just go back next week ,to have one lesson and champ class..
just to keep her going so she doesnt get stiff lol
my hubby in demolition in a way,asbestos removal and demolition.
still out of work..worst luck,he never been unemployed he driving him mad been i the house all day...
im just glad i have only one girl at dance
we are struggling too
its a big worry what go to happen.
its nice to hear im not alone
good luck to find new job.xx

For us I think it has effected us. Im not sure if we will make the dancing competitons in holland and belgium hotels in scotland I think we will be cutting back.

I just live for the day .

Footloose my heart goes out to you. I know exactly how you feel . My husband was told not to go back to work just before xmas a few years back and nobody got payd the building site went bust.

explaining things to children does help they need to be told so as they understand . It is hard you will get through it .

all the best for 2009.

christine