Don't know where to start

bigjon1968

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but everyone here has been so helpful in the past when I needed advice. I just need to un-burden tbh, but mods, please feel free to move or delete if you feel appropriate. OK, here goes. I was made redundant at the end of September and decided to start my own small business, which is going ok, but not yet really providing any income. I am single, and live alone in a rented house in the middle of nowhere and I am currently receiving a small amount of tax credits each week and most of my rent and council tax will be paid (well it will be if the council ever sort it out, I thought it was, but have had a letter this morning saying they're stopping payments... they haven't even started it yet!). So far my landlord has been pretty understanding about the rent, but that isn't going to last forever, I'm sure. I live fairly frugally and don't have any vices as such! I had a small pay-out when I was made redundant but this has now run out and I honestly don't know how I am going to get through the next few months. I have done most of my Christmas present shopping using amazon vouchers from daily clicks, cashback sites etc, so that really hasn't cost me anything. I live about 120 miles away from my few remaining family members and only have a couple of friends locally. One of them has invited me for Christmas Day so at least I have that to look forward to. I'm sat here in 4 layers of clothes, scared to put the heating on (storage heaters that don't really do much anyway!) cos I had a £500 electric bill last winter quarter and am currently paying £82 a month by dd to my electric company as a result of that. I have managed to pay all of my bills for December, but I can't sleep worrying about where the money for next month will come from. On top of that, I just feel so pathetic that I have managed to get to my age (40) and have ended up in this situation. If I have to look at another plate of beans on toast or pasta I think I will scream! Sorry if this all sounds a bit self-pitying, I know there are people in a lot worse situations than me, but it's all getting on top of me today and I'm feeling sorry for myself. Hope this all makes sense, it's a bit muddled I know.

Pink.

Hi bigjon,

I am really sorry to hear about your situation. Please don't think of yourself as pathetic.....You aren't! Everyone falls on hard times at some point and at least you are trying to do something about the situation.

I think the best people to help may be the experts on the Debt-Free Wannabe board who will help you to try to find a way out of this if you post a SOA (statement of affairs). This thread should help with working out your SOA.

In the meantime, for cheap meal ideas have a look here and for ways to keep warm have a lookhere

I'll leave your thread here on Old Style for the moment to see if you can get more ideas and then I'll move it over to the DFW board later.

Good luck,

Pink

Pitlanepiglet

Hi bigjon

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time, if it's any consolation you're not alone and it doesn't reflect on your own abilities it's the cruddy world that we live in at the moment.

Hopefully others will add more but I just wanted to say "chin up", keep up the clicking and cashback sites and keep trying to make the best of things, things will get better, they always do xxx

bigjon1968

Thanks Pink for your quick reply. I don't really have any debt as such (a small balance on a catalogue but that's it) so wasn't really sure where to post. I will have a look at the links you have suggested.

Olliebeak

Hello bigjon - were you able to contact the local Council after you received that letter this morning? If you've not been able to speak to somebody yet, it could just be that they've not got everything down correctly. Make sure that you contact them Monday, as early as possible and try to get to the bottom of whatever the problem is - perhaps they just need some more information about your savings/income. Do you have a Welfare Benefits Advice Centre that you can contact? - they can also help to fill in forms and usually know exactly how to word the answers.

When you first started your business, did you get any help/advice about whether or not any grants are available to help you get it underway? I'm sure there would be somebody on one of the other boards who would know more about those kind of things.

In the current financial situation, any one of us could find ourselves in a similar situation to yours - it's no reflection on your ability to earn a living or budget your housekeeping.

Thinking a little further forward into the new year, would you be in a position to grow any of your own vegetables to give yourself a source of cheap, good quality food? Initially it would be quite a lot of hard work to get a plot set up and the soil prepared, but after that things could pretty much look after themselves with a little attention 2 or 3 times a week - depending on what it was that you were growing. May need to double-check with your landlord first before digging up his carefully laid lawn though .

Hope you manage to get things sorted out for yourself - and make sure that you keep coming back to OS board for any menuplanning, cookery, housekeeping hints/tips that are knocking around on here.

best wishes Ollie

bigjon1968

Thanks for your message Ollie. Nobody available at the council this morning, so I have to wait til Monday. Pretty sure I know what the problem is and it will be resolved, just stressed about yet another delay. I did look into grants etc when i started the business but sadly there was nothing available though i did get to go on a couple of courses for free. As I said, i do already live pretty frugally, I do a lot of the things that are suggested on the boards here, so not sure where I can cut back any further! I do have a garden and alreay have permission from landlord to use a part of it for fruit and veg next year so that's in hand. In the medium to long term I am pretty confident about things, just right now, especially in the run-up to Christmas, watching everyone else rushing round getting ready for it while I'm just trying to survive, it's getting me down a bit.

whiteguineapig

i read your post before and didn't reply as i didn't know what to say that could help, i still can't but i am sending a hug and i hope that posting will help you. life can be hard to everyone sometimes
chin up jon!

Pitlanepiglet

bigjon1968 wrote: »

right now, especially in the run-up to Christmas, watching everyone else rushing round getting ready for it while I'm just trying to survive, it's getting me down a bit.

Just remember that the mugs are those out there spending money that they don't have on tat they don't need....You don't need to spend money to get ready for Christmas. Go out and get yourself some bits of wood and greenery and build yourself a modern art Christmas tree. That'll be a start.

Muppet81

Hello Bigjon

So sorry to read about the rough time you are having. It is no refelection on you as an individual ... please don't beat yourself up about that. The important thing is that you are trying to do something about it and not just sitting and wallowing. Good luck :A

The advice already given seems to cover what I would suggest i.e. using these forums for tips and support to help you get through this difficult time ... and you will get through it and come out all the stronger at the other side.

Thinking about you and hoping that you get things resolved with the Council on Monday.

xx

rosieben

Just wanted to echo what others have said, you're not a failure, far from it in fact as you're making progress with your business and being proactive in improving your situation with the veg garden etc. :T

I used to feel envious of people buying lovely things for christmas till I realised that many of them are buying on credit and will be paying for it the whole of next year and beyond - made that mistake myself once!

As you're a long way away from your family would they be able to send you a few things to help out? Could you ask them for money instead of a christmas present?

There are loads of money-saving ideas on OS - for instance, using vinegar, bicarb and stardrops instead of expensive cleaning stuff. Also lots of budget meals that might give you inspiration - and I promise they don't all involve pasta or baked beans

just ask if you have any specific questions, there's always someone on OS who's willing to help.

I hope you get the council sorted on monday, that will be one worry off your mind.

Good luck

Pitlanepiglet

Where abouts are you Jon? It might help people suggest local solutions...