Totally skint - any advice?

Hetfields_Beard

Hey

New here - found this site by chance.

I am coming to the end of my second year in mech eng in Scotland. I still live at home and and my parents kindly do not charge me rent. They also do not give me any cash at all apart from the occasional bung from my mother when she has had too much wine. I did not get much of a loan, as they earn too much - I got the minimum for first year (800 yearly ) which buys my books. I used to work at Asda, but stupidly (can you see me hitting my head - doh) gave it up half way through uni as I was finding the course quite hard and wanted to concentrate on studies. (I actually saved quite a bit of money during fifth and sixth year at school, working there three days a week, but it is now all gone. I sort of gave up the job knee jerk cos I did not get on with my boss - but now realise I should have stayed on as seasonal . Anyway..cant turn the clock back.

I have been round the local supermarkets and pubs with my CV but no joy at all, and am now getting seriously fed up with no cash than what I can syphon off the tiny monthly loan of about 60 quid after books etc. I regularly go to the job centre, but seriously every job I go for they dont want me. Maybe asda are giving me a bad reference? Hey just thought of that :T
any help appreciatred, even if you just tell me to get off my backside and try harder to et a job


cheers

Lokolo

Thought of temp agency?
Working for the uni?

blue_ashleigh

You could sell stuff for a bit of cash.
Also don't buy your books brand new, loan them out from the library. Or if they're vital for your course and you'll use them regularly then get them cheap from previous students or off the internet. My books cost about £100 a year (for two courses).

whitfreak

Are you sure you've got the maximum loan? I know living at home changes the situation but that still sounds a little low.

And please tell me you didnt spend £800 on books this year. Although if you truely used them all then it was probably worth it. Its just that most books on a reading list are only useful for small bits of the course, so they are worth getting out the library but not worth spending £40 buying them.

If you are completely skint then Hardship funds maybe availible. Do you have a student account? If not, get one for the interest free overdraft.

Amy.Read

I had the exact same problem, lived at home, didn't get much loan because of my parents income but didn't get financial help from them either.

My degree was pretty full on, and I tried having jobs but it wasn't for me. Maybe get seasonal jobs in the holidays and just work like mad. I remember being bored over the 3 month summer break, and looking back it was silly not to work really. Stuff like fruit picking should be around at the minute.

good luck with everything, amy

Oldernotwiser

Amy.Read wrote: »

I had the exact same problem, lived at home, didn't get much loan because of my parents income but didn't get financial help from them either.

I can't comment on your situation but the OP has said quite clearly that he DOES get financial help from his/her parents as s/he pays them no rent (and I assume no board either). This is quite substantial financial help and shouldn't be discounted.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

Could you do invigilating at local schools or colleges?

Fire_Fox

Hetfields_Beard wrote: »

Hey

I have been round the local supermarkets and pubs with my CV but no joy at all, and am now getting seriously fed up with no cash than what I can syphon off the tiny monthly loan of about 60 quid after books etc. I regularly go to the job centre, but seriously every job I go for they dont want me. Maybe asda are giving me a bad reference? Hey just thought of that :T
any help appreciatred, even if you just tell me to get off my backside and try harder to et a job


cheers

Don't wait for jobs to be advertised - trawl CVs round every pub/ shop/ agency in striking distance; card in shop windows advertising cleaning/ odd jobs/ gardening ...

You say "£60 after books etc" How much loan are you actually getting? What do you need it for and what are you spending it on?

Amy.Read

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I can't comment on your situation but the OP has said quite clearly that he DOES get financial help from his/her parents as s/he pays them no rent (and I assume no board either). This is quite substantial financial help and shouldn't be discounted.

Is there really any need to pick over that? We're here to help the original poster. I was simply saying I was in the same situation.

Amy.Read

Maybe send out some speculative CV's to relevant companies. Loads of jobs aren't ever advertised, so you might get something steady and relevant to your course.

alwaysonthego_2

Amy.Read wrote: »

Is there really any need to pick over that? We're here to help the original poster. I was simply saying I was in the same situation.

ONW is correct and was being helpful pointing out that financial support does not need to be given in cold hard cash, but there a other various ways it can be given.