I have literally no money!

brokeinwales · 12 August 2009 at 1:09PM

I need some suggestions fast on how I can survive the next two weeks with no cash.

When I say literally - well, I have three pounds and a little shrapnel in my purse right now, but that's it. I've already borrowed off everyone I can think of.

My rent and bills for the month are paid, and I don't have to make any debt repayments until after next pay day. I've worked out if I get up early enough I can walk to and from work every day, so no travel costs. But I DO need to buy food - I have a few tins of tomatoes and beans in the cupboard, three quorn sausages in the freezer, one onion, some teabags, and a little pasta and rice - but I doubt it's going to last me the two weeks 'til payday.

Does anyone have any imaginative suggestions on how I can survive for the next two weeks without going really hungry?! Places to get free food maybe?

janninew · 12 August 2009 at 1:16PM

brokeinwales wrote: »

I need some suggestions fast on how I can survive the next two weeks with no cash.

When I say literally - well, I have three pounds and a little shrapnel in my purse right now, but that's it. I've already borrowed off everyone I can think of.

My rent and bills for the month are paid, and I don't have to make any debt repayments until after next pay day. I've worked out if I get up early enough I can walk to and from work every day, so no travel costs. But I DO need to buy food - I have a few tins of tomatoes and beans in the cupboard, three quorn sausages in the freezer, one onion, some teabags, and a little pasta and rice - but I doubt it's going to last me the two weeks 'til payday.

Does anyone have any imaginative suggestions on how I can survive for the next two weeks without going really hungry?! Places to get free food maybe?

Oh dear, poor you.

Have you got family close by where you can go for tea, i eat at my Mum's twice a week and it saves me alittle.
If not then you maybe need to buy some cheap bread and beans, spaghetti etc. Also pasta and the cheap pasta sauces are a good idea and seem to go quite far. Do you have any cheap food stores near where you live, Netto maybe?

joolsybools · 12 August 2009 at 1:27PM

Have a look at the Old Style money saving board, there's loads of advice about cheap cheap recipes on there.

You may nead to eat 'value' food. Couscous is cheap too. Avoid meat as v expensive. Go to your local market and see if there's any fruit and veg that they are chucking at the end of the day.

Good luck, you can do it if you really put your mind to it and think laterally. Let us know howe you get on.

I would say if you were in London that I'd get you a lunch one day x

delain · 12 August 2009 at 1:30PM

tell your friends... i'm always feeding people

apart from that i think it'll be a toast week for you. value bread is ok for toasting, and value beans are about 8p a tin x

angelicmary85 · 12 August 2009 at 1:40PM

Could you maybe make a basic pasta sauce with the tins of toms and the onion then freeze it in little portions to pour over your pasta? Do you have any herbs or anything that you could add to it to make taste o.k?

Sounds so daft I know and I couldn't help laughing as I was typing that but it's the only thing I could come up with using your ingredients!

focus888 · 12 August 2009 at 1:44PM

I would do the beans and toast too, last time i brought the value bread it was about 30p and a tub of marg or something cheap. I know its not exactly appealing but its better than nothing. good luck. Some people who are lucky get to stock up on all the whoospies at the end of the day. x

joolsybools · 12 August 2009 at 1:49PM

Get some oats too for a filling breakfast porridge (less than £1 for a couple of weeks worth if you get shop own brand). Ok I know its not really a summer breakfast but are we really having a summer ?!

Miss-Moneypenny_7 · 12 August 2009 at 1:50PM

I know how you feel, when my partner was made redundant at the start of the year we had a couple of months where this happened to us. (luckily he is back at work now so we are ok).

most supermarkets esp asda do a massive bag of pasta for around £1 they also do their version of supa noodles really cheap. I know its not particularly nice but it will stop you starving and fill you up a little.

now we are getting back on track we always put a couple of extra tins and some pasta etc in the cupboard for emergencies so if anything like it happens again we won't have to worry.

I know it sucks but be honest with your family and friends, they don't need to know the ins and outs just say you have had a bad month and would they mind if you came to dinner one night. I doubt anyone would object and you shouldn't feel embarrassed - we have all been there at some point.

brokeinwales · 12 August 2009 at 2:13PM

gosh that was quick!
Thanks for the ideas. I have some dried chillis in the back of the cupboard, a bit of coriander - and a bag of ginger someone gave me too.
I reckon I can make a pasta sauce to last a few meals, I also thought about using baked beans ina sort of improvised vegetarian chilli.

The worst of this is I don't have any family nearby at all (the nearest is over 200 miles away, so can't really pop over for tea!), not many close friends either. I did manage to get some cheese swirls from the 24 hour Tesco last night for 10p each - which made for an OK dinner with the last of the tomato ketchup.

This really sucks. I hate having no money. It sucks even more because when I tell people they say "Oh I've got no money either" then swan off for a pub lunch saying "I know I really shouldn't". They don't realise what I mean by "literally no money"! I couldn't waste cash like that if I wanted to at the moment...

Thanks for the support here though - makes me feel a bit better.

anh1904 · 12 August 2009 at 2:19PM

Get to the supermarket about 30 mins before closing - loaves of bread for 5p/10p and ham/chicken and similar for pence in the pound of the normal price.

You could seeit as a challenge, which if you come through it (and let's face it, you pretty much have to) then think how much less you can live off next month. Your story could be inspirational, so please keep a diary and let us all know how you're doing, I'm sure we'll all help where we can.

CashRequired · 12 August 2009 at 2:22PM

2 weeks is a tall order for 3 quid.

If it were me. I'd firstly buy a box of porridge, probably for 75p which will probably last 2 weeks. Then i'd go to a supermarket and find every value product i can find like 7 pence noodles, and 7 pence beans. I'd also buy a couple of loaves of bread, say 30p each.

Can you sell something on ebay maybe for a tenner or something.

Sometimes if i dont have any pasta sauce, i just pour tomato soup on my pasta as an alternative, and tomato soup you can get for pennies.

I have literally no money!

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free