Don't know how we'll eat this month

Queen.Bess

Thanks ampersand for the update - I was starting to worry about w/s, so it's great to hear she'll be back with us again soon!

pelirocco

jpwhittle wrote: »

i just wanted to say regarding your most recent post well done on what you have acheived already, you have already manages to cut £156 of your outgoings wich mean we only need to find another £100 to have you breaking even every month, sounds alot but look at how easily you have acheived the other £156. i think you can pull it back from the clothes and the shopping to be honest. it might seem hard but it will work. it is annoying at first thinking you have to buy next to the cheapest brand but after a while you dont think about it, ive noticed so many people with trollies filled with smart price stuff recently.
we hit the same point you are at 2 years ago we had no overdraft 3 maxed out cards and no money i had to send my OH to the shop with 1ps to buy a loaf a bread. i was so embaressed, but it can be sorted honestly its just hard work.

Its still going to be be far short , they have cards ending their 0% in February they need to factor in the payments there , also are they just paying the minimum on the other cards ? , if so they will never be free of the debt . Sticking to a bare minimum budget I would imagine is very hard , and very well near impossible for years on end .

Jacks_xxx

:wave: Hi all,

As always on DFW I am blown away by the massive amount of support and excellent advice on this thread.

So much so that I have almost nothing to add except to wish you well WS and hope that you have an update soon.

Take care chick,

Love Jacks xxx

MSE_Martin

Hiya

It must feel like a nightmare right now - I must admit I agree with Amper that it sounds like CAP would be perfect for your case.

Its important to remember this won't be quick, and it sometimes not easy, but it will be do-able. So many people have come out of the spot you're in - and yes it means you may not be able to buy things you want - but I always hear "my life is so much better now, without the guilt and the worry"

A lot of the info you're getting here is brilliant, but seeking help from the right agencies will get you through it too. The most important thing is not to panic and not to let it eat you up - the fact you're now trying to deal with it means things are much better than they were.

I wish you all the best

Martin

Tixy

As others just want to wish you well and say there are ways out of this - glad you are still reading (hope you are). Do get some (free) professional advice on how you can move forward.

Take care

And wow a post from Martin himself -:cool:

Butti

Hi,
I would suggest the following;

1. Start shopping in charity shops for clothing, particularly in upmarket areas. Ask for gift cards for Christmas aswell and spread these over the year so you are getting little treats.

2. Every now and again Sainsburys (there are other supermarkets too) provide a magazine with the focus on budget meals. The last one I bought is used regularly to produce a ricotta/spinach/pasta meal, mushroom stroganoff and a risotto. I cook plenty in the evening and put some in a plastic chinese takeaway pack for reheating the next day at work. My lunch then effectively costs me nothing apart from maybe a yogurt.

3. On a Sunday I often go to a budget supermarket and buy a £5 free range chicken (would cost about £9 in your mainstream supermarkets). This is used for Sunday lunch, chicken risotto, chicken and veg curry and finally soup.

B

hypno06

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Hiya

It must feel like a nightmare right now - I must admit I agree with Amper that it sounds like CAP would be perfect for your case.

Its important to remember this won't be quick, and it sometimes not easy, but it will be do-able. So many people have come out of the spot you're in - and yes it means you may not be able to buy things you want - but I always hear "my life is so much better now, without the guilt and the worry"

A lot of the info you're getting here is brilliant, but seeking help from the right agencies will get you through it too. The most important thing is not to panic and not to let it eat you up - the fact you're now trying to deal with it means things are much better than they were.

I wish you all the best

Martin

^^^^^^^What he said......I gather he knows a thing or two about this sort of thing :rotfl:

Reggie256

As have said in other threads, Some Salvation Army corps offer free food parcels to those in need.

The corps local to myself certainly helped me out in a big way - I'd just (involuntary) moved out of my former home, where I'd lived with my now ex-wife, and though managed to find a room to rent in short order, the deposit and first month's rent left me absolutely broke. The food parcel that they gave me was a godsend!

Running_man

Hi.You say you put £40 in an emergency fund?So how much have you got saved?
Use this money to pay off Next card first as this has highest interest rate.Then Barclaycard etc.
Other child related expenses £66 what is this for?

Have you cut up the credit cards ?

Jewelleryfan

Hi,

Well done for posting your SOA and i wish you all the best for the future!

Just a few things that i found helped me -

• I was paying a lot for my mobile but im now with o2 on their Simplicity plan and pay £20 a month for Unlimited texts (and i sent literally thousands!:o) and 10 hours (600) minutes talk time. All i needed to do was register with them and swap over my SIM card from the other company using a PAC code, i kept the same number and im now saving so much :j
• I was spending quite a lot on take-aways after work so instead i bought a slow cooker and left it to cook while i was at work so it was all ready when i got home. I know you have a child and probably dont have the time, but i try to cook up batches of food and freeze them for when im feeling lazy or need something quick to hand. I've also dropped down a brand to save on everyday items and ive found that i prefer some of the cheaper brands!
• I use Topcashback site and in the last 2 months ive got back about £50 just for buying things online that i would have anyway. Its free to register (the last time i looked some charge about £5 per year) and its worth doing if you are buying things anyway:D
• My car insurance renewal is due and i got a letter from my company Direct Line and their price was £483. I used a price comparrison site and found the cheapest from Co-op for £404! I then phoned direct line to cancel my renewal with them as to get me to stay with them he dropped the price down to £439. Just goes to show they can be haggled with!;)

I'm trying to think what else i have found useful but i cant think of anything else at the moment.

Good Luck!:D