Starting again when life knocks you sideways

There’s a point where life forces you to stop pretending everything is fine. For us, that point came when our business was hit so hard that our whole financial world crumbled.

We’ve spent years pouring our hearts into Skint Dad. Helping families stretch what they have has always mattered to us.

But when the traffic drops, the income collapses, and the bills keep coming, it shakes you to your core.

And the truth is this: we’re still not out of it. We’re still struggling. We’re still rebuilding. And some days feel like we’re walking uphill with bricks in our pockets.

But we’re not giving up. Not even close.

When everything falls apart faster than you can fix it

Losing a chunk of your income overnight hits harder than you expect. You don’t just lose money. You lose sleep. You lose direction. You lose the feeling of being steady.

We watched our savings drain. We watched bills pile up. We watched the business we love take blow after blow. And we had to face the uncomfortable truth that things weren’t going to bounce back on their own.

We were hurt. We were scared. We were embarrassed. And we were exhausted from trying to hold everything together for our family.

Cutting right back because we had no choice

We didn’t decide to strip back our costs because we fancied a fresh start. We did it because we had to.

We closed the office. We cancelled tools we’d used for years. We cut back every single outgoing until only the bare essentials were left.

It was painful. Some days it felt like everything we’d built was disappearing piece by piece. But it also gave us a tiny bit of breathing room, enough to think, enough to plan, enough to keep going.

Living through the messy middle

This is the part nobody talks about. The awkward, worrying, draining middle bit. The part where you’ve made all the cuts and worked out a plan, but you’re still nowhere near back on your feet.

That’s where we are right now.

We’re working harder than ever. We’re juggling a lot.

We’re trying to keep the business alive while also keeping daily life steady for our daughter Chloe. We’re trying to stay motivated when things feel heavy.

Some days feel hopeful. Some days feel like wading through mud. But we keep showing up.

Holding tight to what Skint Dad stands for

Even while everything around us feels unsettled, we’ve never lost sight of why Skint Dad exists.

We’ve always wanted to help families who feel stretched, stuck or lost with money. And now we know exactly how that feels once again.

We’re rebuilding, but we’re doing it the right way. Slowly. Carefully. With honesty. With heart. With real focus on making life easier for the people who read our stuff every day.

We want Skint Dad to be better than it ever was. But it’s going to take time. And we’re ready for the long road.

The small steps keeping us going

We’re not pretending it’s easy. Far from it. But these things are helping us hold everything together:

• Taking each day as it comes
• Talking openly as a family, even when it’s tough
• Setting tiny goals instead of massive ones
• Celebrating the small wins
• Allowing ourselves to start again without shame
• Staying determined, even when the numbers look grim

Progress is slow, but it is happening. Some days it’s a centimetre. Some days it’s a full step.

Why we’re sharing this now

For years, we’ve helped people who feel like they’re sinking. And now we’re living it ourselves all over again. It didn’t feel right to pretend we weren’t struggling when so many of you are too.

This is where we are: in the middle of the fight, still figuring things out, still working through the stress, still trying to rebuild our life and our business.

But here’s the most important part:

We are determined to get back to where we once were. No matter how long it takes. No matter how slow the progress.

We believe in Skint Dad. We believe in the people we help. And we believe that this isn’t the end of the story, just a tough chapter in the middle.

If you’re rebuilding too, you’re not the only one. You’re not falling behind. You’re just on the long road, same as us.

And we’ll get there. Together, step by step.