Need some good ideas urgently!

halloweenqueen_2

My DD was dry at all times except nights - in the end I bought a plastic sheet and got some spare sheets and let her wet the bed, after 3 nights of this, getting her up and changing the sheets and resheeting the bed she stopped! (luckily!!).
Join your local recycle there may be things on there now or in the future that might help.
Good luck!

Judi101

If you think it would help getting some reuseable nappies for nighttime look into what your local council offers. Most offer £30 if you buy 'real' nappies and this might cover the cost of the three or so you would need to buy.

I'd also reiterate what others have said and make sure you join your local freecycle group. We got our real nappies from someone on freecycle so they cost us nothing!

Good luck with everything, I wish you all the best.

sophistica

Hi - sorry to hear your news. Do you have a freezer. this is how I make my savings.

1) I keep very little in the fridge. When I get food I blanch the veg and freeze it and put the meat into single use bags. Saves food going bad.
2) I buy food which is reduced or cheap and try not to pay over £2.70 per kilo for protein and no more than 8p per piece of fruit. Keeping these prices in mind helps me shop.
3) When I cook I make two protions and freeze one.
4) I use library books/cookery books to plan my meals based on what is already in the fridge, freezer and cupboard. I make a list. Cost the list and only buy what is on the list.
5) I have started shopping in Lidl and on a Monday they have loads of bargains.

I have got my costs down as follows (me and my expensive cat) Month 1 £160 Month 2 £90 Month 3 £36...so I am getting better at this and eating much better too. If you haven't got all your basic kitchen equiplment you could go to car boots and buy it.

However my main savings have come from rigorously getting my DDs and Standing Orders down. You could write out absolutely all your monthly expenses and go on to the Debt Free Wannabe chat forum and ask for suggestions.

Pooky

Don't forget that if you up your hours and can claim tax credits that you should be able to get help with your nursery fees.

Might also be worth looking into a childminder, might work out cheaper, make sure they're OFSTED registered though and you'll still be able to claim through your taxcredits.

Spendless

Hi
My SIL was left in a similar position with a 2year old in the early 90s before tax credits were introduced. She did a HND and survived on student loans, maintainance for child from XH and by having a female lodger who was also a student.
I know you've mentioned elsewhere about childcare getting paid cos of uni, but will this only pay for the time you are at uni, what about childcare whilst you work your 16 hours? I've no idea if you are able to have both together, or if one over-rides the other but I would suggest going to somewhere like CAB.
Good Luck

outrageous_monkey

Miss K, I really do emphasie with you. I know exactly what your going through. About 7 years ago, same thing happened to me, had an 18month old, split with his father, plus I was at uni, and me and the 'fa$*er' (sorry digressing, but some people call on here call work there 4 letter word, well DS1 fa$%er is my 6 letter word :rotfl: ) had bought a house in the town where he was from, so I knew absolutely no one too.
This is the first time I have seen the thread and all the advice that everyone has given is fantastic. I struggled with food shopping, until I found asda smartprice. I would also pop into the supermarket after uni, just to see what had been reduced. Even tho this meant that I had to get off the bus several stops earlier and walk quite a bit home. But needs must. I also started to use charity shops too. I also got invovled with a community garden scheme and that was if you gave a certain amount of time, then you could take the fruit and veg, I got involved with that thru a local community centre. I must admit that my mortgage company was excellent. There was no way I could make the full payments but they were happy for me to make whatever I could, knowing that once my degree was over and done with I was going to be earning enough to pay it off. It sounds like your doing extremely well so far. I'm really pleased with you. Its hard to stay positive when you feel like shouting 'stop the world i wanna get off'. You can do this, and I know its a cliche, but you will come out of this stronger. Good luck, keeps smiling and dont let the mancunians get you down, as an original 'manc' we are a nice bunch of people really.....:D

missk_ensington

The childcare is paid 51 weeks of the year, basically all the holidays too (This is why I didnt use the campus nursery, cos it closes out of term time). I use a local nursery who expect paying when you're not there and wont hold your place over summer without 100% payment, thus childcare grant pays it. If its paid for I might as well use it to my advantage, cant bare the thought of paying £110 a week for childcare not being used even if I'm not paying for it!

Ive just realised I never factored in Buildings Insurance to my budget (Dont ned it in rented, Landlord pays it) How much should I expect to pay a month on a 3 bed terrace?

I would downsize, but my mortgage is fixed for 2 years (and I haven't made the first payment yet!) Its something like 10k penalty for settling early, or making any overpayment. I'm hoping to make as much as possible on this house, but not use it on another. Save it, then the second that 2 years passes pay as much off mortgage as possible! I'm not going to make any more than £10k as Ive not as much to spend doing it up as I first intended, but as long as I dont make a loss I dont care!

The user who suggested selling it as it, I wouldn't get much more, if any at all more than I paid for it and Ive paid fee's plus fee's to sell, and Id still need somewhere to live anyway, At least this will only cost me £380 a month on interst only-if I moved back to Lytham where my family come from I wouldn't get anything whatsoever for under £450 a month (its become SO expensive in the last 3 years), and anywhere half decent dont allow kids or under 25's.

Sophistica- thanks I love the fruit/meat price guideline,Im going to use that! Are the offers on Monday in all Lidl's?? And I'm going to buy a few tupperware thingy's and when I do lasagne/sheperds pie or anything with leftovers freeze it and take it to work for lunch, or give it Oli for his dinner, or my dinner if there's enough! (Im in the process of convincing work to buy a microwave. At the mo I can only have one if I buy it myself)

missk_ensington

Outrageous moneky-We posted at the same time lol, thanks, its not manchester city Im in, Im in Greater Manchester/East Lancashire, not sure which it comes uder Ive seen both in local addresses!

All my friends keep asking if I want revenge on my ex and if Im angry but I just feel so sorry for him. He's 40 this year, he has £80,000 of debts (hes in the process of filing for bakruptcy) he has no family (his mum died when he was 17 of senile demesure, his brother died of alcoholism not much later and his dad vanished and never saw him since) He has no children, no property, no money, just a caravan he lives in and a van for work, and a fairly good income as a tiler. If I were him Id be truly depressed, but as it is I have a fantastic little boy, a house (if I ever get there!) and a degree to come in 2 years when Ive finished and that makes me happy however dire things become.

You guys have made me realise women go through this every day and cope and get to the end successfully!

JailhouseBabe

To reiterate callanish's advice, be sure to investigate the student hardship grants (also see this post in the student ms thread: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=179491).

I had completely forgotten, I applied for this in my second year at uni and was given an almost immediate payment of £1200 to cover my most serious debts (after the guy I'd been with for 2 years fleeced me).

With regard to home improvements, check your local papers. My dad's a builder and has often fitted second-hand kitchens in his properties. He usually picks them up for £200-£300.

When I fitted my kitchen, I bought all the base/wall units from wickes/b&q (just as good quality as if you buy them from kitchen suppliers) and then got slight seconds on the doors from a very good quality manufacturer.

It's always best to hire workmen by personal recommendation, but if you don't know many people locally at least make sure always to get at least 3 quotes before committing to 1 person/company.

Enquire with your local council as to what grants are available. My neighbour recently had a home improvement grant to cover the cost of complete rewiring and some necessary plasterwork. She was entitled to it as she's on benefits with a young child since her husband walked out. Not sure if you'll qualify if you have student status, but worth a try!

missk_ensington

Thanks, I have a meeting on monday afternoon with a Financial Advisor at uni and may be eligible for an Access To Learning fund, but Im not sure if they'll help me since its my own fault that I don't have the loans/grants given to me in April by spending them on a deposit for a house. This wouldn't have been a problem, obviously if my partner hadn't walked out a month later because we'd agreed that he would pay to do up the house and pay the mortgage so that I didn't need the money, and what I earnt/tax credits would be mine for car insurance, bills etc.

I know out local LEA had a fund for people Under 25 in HE/FE education with children, which offers £100-£3000 but not sure if they'll regard my income too high -£1300 a month inc CSA/tax credit etc. I would't be in this situation if I hadn't spent everything on the deposit, cos now I have to pay £900 a month in mortgage + childcare, but hindsight is 20/20! I never expected us to split up, we were only discussing marriage at Christmas!