It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

sammy_kaye18

Morning all.

Jamanda - sorry about your fall, hope your feeling better soon and that your back is ok.

Moniker - thank you for the play dough recipe!

Toomuchdebt - firstly welcome to the thread, everyone here is lovely and Im sure you'll enjoy it. There are lots of money saving ideas for everything flitting about. Secondly sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. Like you I'm also fighting a huge gas/electric debt and my OH insists that the rent money goes short if something 'pops' up so am slightly in debt with that too. :mad: plus my next bundle is due July 1st so not even much I can do about it like extra shifts etc but you can only do so much. x

With regards to your growing in pots - is there no way you could get some pots and plant some basics in them? even if it was simple things like salad leaves, tomatoes, spring onions? these have always been fairly easy for us to grow and are helpful come summer when the weather gets nicer. You could always try a few cheap alternatives to cat repellent though such as pepper flakes etc.

Toomuchdebt

Would you believe I had no idea that cats don't like pepper?? I'm so dumb!!

sammy_kaye18

Toomuchdebt wrote: »

Would you believe I had no idea that cats don't like pepper?? I'm so dumb!!

That's not dumb - things like that are trial and error although you might get one little s*d who likes it!

Toomuchdebt

It wouldn't surprise me actually-I have one half siamese cat who is very odd indeed

UnluckyT

hi can i join in.
it been a struggle but im bound to get thier.

charlies-aunt

UnluckyT wrote: »

hi can i join in.
it been a strugle but i manage somehow.
Trouble is for me my immediate family i have most dealings with are in debt but just havent yet learnt so to speak and i get mummy dearest who generally doesnt mean any harm going ive mucked up with rent again your good at saving can i in my own way 'borrow' £300 and pay it back. then is like well if you want it just but it and sod the consequences but id still at times need you to bail me out of my problems as im crap with money.

Its tough dealing with your nearest and dearest but if you weren't on hand to constantly bail them out - they'd have to learn quickly or face the consequences. Sometimes you have to be prepared to give tough love....our eldest dd works part-time but spends money like its going out of fashion on clothes, bags, hair extensions...always in debt and hinting for a 'loan'. I've learned to say 'No' as I am constantly using as many money saving strategies as humanly possible to get by as it is and to give any spare cash to her when the rest of us are eating Basics Baked Beans week in week out to pay th Vet or Car bill.

When she asks for a loan, she means 'can you give me' £xxxx - as once handed over, the money is on a one way trip!

Its not in my nature to refuse to help and I would be first in the queue to offer help if dd was genuinely in need but sometimes you have to take a stand and force your family into takng responsibility for their actions and decisions

kylebrad

Hi, I'm new on this thread also and would like to join as well if nobody minds.
I am a single parent to 2 boys and like most people I am struggling. Getting there verrrrry slowly. I have read alot of the tips on this and other threads and I think they are brilliant. Some of the ideas have helped me so much. So I would just like to say a big think you to the amazing family on MSE that I never knew existed.

slowandsteady_2

kylebrad wrote: »

Hi, I'm new on this thread also and would like to join as well if nobody minds.
I am a single parent to 2 boys and like most people I am struggling. Getting there verrrrry slowly. I have read alot of the tips on this and other threads and I think they are brilliant. Some of the ideas have helped me so much. So I would just like to say a big think you to the amazing family on MSE that I never knew existed.

Hi Kylebrad, welcome to MSE and particularly Oldstyle!

I think its the best forum on MSE, and you're right when you use the word 'family', it is a bit like that!

Well i got on the phone to the bank today after what feels like the longest bank holiday weekend ever, and they have sorted out the cloned card business and isolated the fraudulent transactions, and i will get my money refunded in the next few days and a new bank card within a week or so, phew! It appears the criminals had tried to make 22 transactions on my account:eek: but luckily the bank got in there quickly! Only good thing is i obviously havent been spending any money :T Long may that continue:rotfl:

Went to the GP today too, i have unfortunately been signed off sick for another 2 weeks, and that was only meeting her halfway! She wanted me off a bit longer so my medication has chance to work but im too scared to be off sick, i have only started this job in January and my condition is ongoing and i was off sick for a few months in my last job, and in addition i dont think i have any sick pay left ( thankfully NHS has a generous sick pay scheme but it doesnt last for ever) so im dreading what the end of April will bring. I havent had my payslip but i appear to have had full pay at the end of March, despite me having been off for 3 weeks now. I was hoping to be going back on Monday.

Oh well, there isnt anything i can do except get better i suppose and watch the pennies, yet again. Does anyone ever get fed up of watching the pennies month in and month out? I am so tired of worrying. I never used to worry like this but now im the only wage earner and there are three of us to support i feel quite literally like i have the weight of the world on me just keeping a roof over our head. Oh to be young and care free again!

Well i have whinged enough now im sure, so im off to my oven to take out my roast chicken, i meant to cook it earlier today but completely forgot, had to cook it though as it was frozen and defrosted and i like to get them cooked if they have beeen frozen rather than leave them im fridge. So looks like another few days of rubber chicken

Thanks for 'listening' xx

jamanda

Kylebrad, welcome - from what I can see nobody minds anything much on here. Everyone has problems, some major ones, but they still have time to help everyone else with advice. The more tips you read to save money, the more you think of. Bit like a snowball. We are all very different but all in the same boat trying to do the best we can with what we have.

The people on this thread seem to be the sort of people you wish you "really knew".

Lindy_-_Loo

Hi slowandsteady, I'm new on here today after months of reading everythimg!

I wish we didnt have to watch the pennies all the time too, but my OH works full time (althou it not a high paid job at all) and I stay at home to look after the boys they are nearly 5 and 3 so money is tight.
I hope you feel better soon xx