If things get tougher?

Icewytch

If things get tougher.......:(
well, since the recession hit, nobody is buying what I produce and I live on £47 per week WTC. I am two grand in overdraft with the bank and have the usual bills coming in left right and centre.
I live in a remote area with no access to supermarkets so food is horrendously priced and limited. As is coal, and electricity has also risen.
I got rid of Sky months ago, one of the better things I did as far as I`m concerned.
I don`t splurge on anything..as today stands, I can`t even afford a postage stamp if I need one.
I`m using up every scrap of food I have in the cupboards and freezer.
I make my own bread in the breadmaker (one of the best things I ever bought )
and don`t have central heating to worry about (though wish I did, it`s freezing here)
I just can`t tighten the belt any further.
Although...and this is a bit shameful to admit..yesterday I cancelled the tv license...:o
not to just `get away with it`, but because I`m having to get rid of the tv too, just can`t afford that nearly twelve quid going out every month.
It`s like going back to the Dark Ages, brought home this weekend by such severe and prolonged gales, this island was cut off from mainland as the boats couldn`t run, which meant even if I had the money to buy, I couldn`t have bought much, since the stocks didn`t get into the shops.:rolleyes:
I also put ads in the local shops asking for work as a cleaner, to supplement my (non existent) income.
Fingers crossed I get some work.

ceridwen

Hi Icewytch

Things do sound bad - er putting it mildly. Have you checked out the entitledto website (guess it would be www.entitledto.com ???) to see if you are getting all possible benefits. I'm a bit confused about you saying your income is £47 WTC - I guess this was what you got on top of your self-employed income - but now the self-employed income has gone - then its just the top-up. Income Support would be more than that - I'm not up on the position re benefit for those previously self-employed - but I believe its possible to get means-tested benefit ("Income Support" as it used to be called) even in that position.

Beyond that - then I guess there is more likely to be a barter economy of one description or another in somewhere remote - as in your location. Have you tried to see if there is a formal barter scheme (such as LETS) where you live? One can get goods (sometimes including food) - as well as services - from such a scheme. On an informal level - perhaps you could ask round to swop housework for food?

(hmmm....tried to put in the link for the bit of the LETS website to find a group near you and a commercial thingie came up - so just type "Letslink" into google and you will get LETS stuff come up).

Icewytch

Hi Ceridwen, thanks for that info, will definately check the LETS out and see if there is one near me.
Yes, the WTC was topup on top of my income, which averaged out at just under £3000 per year.
Now that has all but dried up in the last two months, but I`m clinging onto the business in the hope that at some point, things will pick up again.
Also will check the entitledto.com link, I wasn`t sure whether the Tax Credit folks were being overcautious in the face of seemingly having overpaid many people Tax Credit? So they may be going in the opposite direction with me and others, eek! :eek:

Icewytch

According to the entitledto.com site, I`m getting roughly the right amount of WTC.

Period:06/04/2008-05/04/2009annual £ weekly £ Initial Tax Credit award for period:£2,540.40£48.72Working Tax Credit:£2,540.40£48.72Child Tax Credit:£0.00£0.00 Final Tax Credit award for period:£2,540.40£48.72Working Tax Credit:£2,540.40£48.72Child Tax Credit award:£0.00£0.00

So it looks like I`ll just have to find ways to make some extra cash. I know I must appear pretty stubborn, holding onto a business that isn`t actually earning me a living...but I struggled so hard to get it going in the first place, it means so much to me.

ceridwen

Hi Icewytch

I do see where you are coming from re the business...but I'm wondering whether its the sort of thing that you can try and keep "ticking over" on a sparetime type basis whilst you try and get something sorted out income wise one way or t'other right now. I dont know what sort of business this is obviously - I'm presuming that its something involving making handcrafted type products maybe (though I may be way out on that of course) - as, if that were the case, then it would be possible presumably to keep making these products, but store them, not sell them on the one hand until times look up. On the other hand - barter them for immediate needs in any barter type scheme going (formal or informal).

If you cant find any evidence of any barter of any description going on in your area - perhaps you could put up a postcard in a local post office window/your own house window/church. Just thinking how you could word it "Open to offers - me offering: x/y/z. Would like: food/fuel/whatever". It must be possible to find a way to word a request for bartering goods/services without giving the wrong impression about what is on offer IYSWIM.

Icewytch

I tan animal skins to make into rugs. It wasn`t making me rich, previously, but was enough to provide a living, keep the roof over my head etc.
This past couple of months has been tough, but I`m not a quitter, no matter how down I get (and I can clearly see so many folks worse off than me:o )
but I do like the idea of barter, goods for skills or services or other goods maybe. Putting ads in the three local shops is free, it surely can`t hurt to give it go?:)
I know what you mean about careful wording....part of my ad in the past was "I can tan your hide for you" since I also offer that service, tanning animal hides for use as rugs or throws.
Ahem....folks got the wrong idea...:o :rotfl:

ceridwen

Icewytch

Well....that gave me a laugh to start the day with:D :rotfl:

Think I'd be a bit wary of offering French lessons as well...;)

Massage.....er....nope...definitely not....I've had massage therapists tell me before now about getting somewhat different customers to what they envisaged;)

Good luck.

parsonswife8

Icewytch, I don't know how you can still manage to muster up such a sense of humour when you are obviously in dire straits at present.
Tanning hides indeed!:rotfl:

I really hope that things improve for you in the near future.

BigMummaF

Got my musing head on again, so feel free to ignore my thinking out loud if you so wish

These animal hides Icewytch--is there any way they could be made into something other than rugs? As you will quickly see, I don't have a very good understanding of what your 'finished product' is but was just swilling around thoughts of bed throws, sofa throws, perhaps cut into strips to weave cushion covers or summat Would the pelts be suitable for fur lined mittens; car seat covers; waterproof doggie jackets; cat bed....

Okay........I'll leave quietly..........

mumoftwo

Icewytch, so sorry to hear about your situation, With Christmas coming up, is there no way you could advertise in the local shops etc and putting a: "Get your unusual beautiful Christmas gift made by me? Rugs etc, put a Christmassy spin on it. Christmas rug for by the fire, under the tree etc. or whatever else you can make. Must be good to have such a lovely talent, and you are right not to give it up. Just need to find a way to make more money.
It must be so worrying, at least you have all of us. We will get your through. You can't just do away with everything, you will get seriously depressed girl.
Wrap yourself up,

Hope things improve for you soon, and keep posting