I'm due to submit my thesis over the winter and finding writing incredibly difficult but while the the deadlines imposed on my research week is extremely stressful - my institution is very strict on timely submission and to even get a couple of months writing up on top of my initial three years was difficult - one of my main concerns at the moment is money.

I was fully funded to do my PhD, with a condition that I couldn't take extra work outside my research, and now I'm into an extension period things are getting tight. My last funding payment was during the summer - in the expectation of submitting in September. As per my previous funding conditions I've not done any teaching during my PhD and now my supervisors have me turning down an opportunity to do a couple of guest lecture spots for other professors in my department to concentrate on completing my thesis.

Even if I completed to my original timetable I'd have had my money expire months before my viva. How have other people on here found the late-PhD/post-submission period when funding is drying up?

Would trying to take guest spots helping host seminars and lectures without any experience be more disruptive that beneficial while I'm prepping journal papers and thinking about my viva? Should I just try and get some data entry temp job to plug the gap once I can spare the time?

I wasn't funded during my 4th year, so I just did as much departmental work as I could during my write up (and there was nothing my supervisors could do about it because otherwise I would need to get a full time job and that would leave less time for the thesis), and then I had a job that started as soon as I submitted.

If you're funded during your write up, I think you can just get a job or do departmental work post submission; evenings and weekends will be sufficient for viva prep.

But if you want to do departmental work during your write up, try to explain this again to your supervisors.

My attitude is once people stop funding you they have no right to object to you seeking other sources of income. Obviously, submitting has to be a priority, but that shouldn't preclude you from being able to provide for yourself.

I got a full time job at an external organisation during the last four months of writing up my thesis. It made it very difficult, but I survived. I cannot imagine sitting around twiddling my thumbs between submission and viva, but nor can I imagine being very inclined to do paper writing up during that time. I appreciate others may have more enthusiasm for that though.

Obviously working will reduce the amount of time available for viva prep and writing articles. As far as the former goes there is only so much prep one can do. For the latter, bear in mind that feedback received during your viva might improve your work, so don't necessarily rush to submit papers pre-viva (though prepping drafts is another matter).