Almost £10,000 of savings spent on living costs

This has had such a major impact on my confidence, mental health and financial security.

I have spent almost £10,000 of my savings on day-to-day living costs. I expect to have zero savings left by the end of this school year.

I applied for jobs outside of teaching but was unsuccessful due to being overqualified and expected to leave if a teaching job came up so I have started tutoring which thankfully I really enjoy. However, with overheads, fuel and travel time between clients, I make a tiny fraction of what I would earn as a teacher and it limits the days I am available for supply to just two days.

However, on those days, I then need to try and scramble around to arrange childcare and a dog walker, through family, as it is not feasible for me to have paid child/pet care in place without the guarantee of work. I have been unable to secure work on those days so far this year, through a mix of having no available childcare, no work being available or being rejected for jobs which I have applied for.

I feel completely trapped in this situation. I was in a well-paid profession in my 20s and was thankfully able to get a mortgage and build up savings. I did not expect to find myself with no savings and struggling to pay my mortgage in my 40s. It was always my passion to become a teacher. I didn’t expect that when I finally achieved that dream it would wreck my life.