Can I save any more money?!

Spendless

As an ex-teacher are there any charities/organisation/benevolent funds that you could apply to for help?

Was your ex in the Forces? My SIL who was a soldier and married a soldier has had help on more than one occassion from some organisation connected to the Army (cant remember name), when she became a single mum.

Is there anything like this you could apply to either from your own ex-employers or your ex-husbands?

crana999

Spendless wrote:

This is only a little thing but i'm thinking about all the tips you give us on here and i've got a womens mag in front of me that pays for tips.

What about sending a handful off (2nd class stamp of course!) . See if that generates any extra cash.

Don't know if i'm allowed to put addressess and details on here, so will sort thru the mags and PM you with the info.

ooh, that's made me think.. it might not be something you're comfortable with, but many of the similar women's mags pay you quite a lot for the "Real Life Stories"... is it worth contacting a couple, either maybe as a "raising awareness that strokes can happen in younger people" thing or as an "extreme frugality" story? I could see them being interested in either of these!

My friend has made quite a bit of money from being in magazines/newspapers as a "real life story".

smokeysmate

Sarah,

You mention selling foodstuffs on ebay/ I don't know if this is allowed under their T & C'S but if you use your own recipes or even family recipes, have you considered selling those on ebay? Maybe even making them into a booklet to sell?


Also do your children have CD's, DVD's, toys, books, games etc they no longer use? If they are in good condition, maybe you could sell those or maybe trade them. This way your children will get new ones at no cost to you.

And for what it's worth, I think you should also check your benefits, at the very least you should claim Disability Living Allowance. Don't be put off, if, like me, your first claim is disallowed. Ring/write to appeal.

Good luck

P.S. Whatever you do, don't sell your computer. Firstly, it won't bring in much money no matter how up to date it is. Secondly, you'll lose a vital link to the world and eventually your sanity. I know from personal experience. I suffer health problems and have (am currently) been unemployed for long periods of time. The computer was my lifeline to the world and my mobile phone a lifeline to the employment agencies!

smokeysmate

Sarah,

Are there any people who go out to work who have dogs you could walk? Also you could house-sit, pet-sit, water plants for people going on holiday.

Sarahsaver

I will contact the NUT benevolent fund of whatever its called. I dont really want to do anything 'cash in hand' which is what dogsitting etc would be i spose. Some b*gger somewhere bound to report that to the tax office. I cant get inc sup or jsa cos of the pension:(
Thanks for the hint about the hints - i had thought of that and today I will try sending a few as 2 kids are off sick and they never let me do what i NEED to do (study...)
As well, the true life story, maybe a possibility, I will have to work on standing in the arms folded, looking like a bulldog chewing a wasp pose...
I get dla for my son at the lowest rate, which is about 15 quid a week, bcos he needs so much extra care than an average 4 year old. I used to get dla and incap. I complained about the doctor who examined me at a medical because he didnt take into account ANYTHING he told me. I may consider reapplying for that but he was so prejudiced against me because of my being a young female and a single parent, he put all my problems down to that! Thanks again to all of you who have been helpful and supportive - i am thinking positively in spite of everything because i believe there must be an answer somewhere.
And its things like not throwing away leftovers that do make a little difference, but a difference nonetheless. As dad used to say - every little helps said the old lady as she peed in the sea!

Spendless

Sarah - Have Pm'd you with the details and addressess for Chat,That's life and Take a Break.

Let us know if you want any more mag details for tips as i'm sure between us we can find the info.

(For anyone interested what i do with mags is buy certain ones each week, my neighbour buys different ones and then we swop.)

Re;The doctors. Is it a practise? Could you see another more sympathetic doctor? My friend has recently got DLA for the 1st time for a medical condition she has had since she was 19 (she's now 37). DIAL (Disability Information Advice Line) filled out the forms for her; Not sure if DIAL is nationwide but sure Fran,Ted or someone of Benefits board would be able to answer you.

mossstar

Hey sarah,

I just wanted to jump in because you sound like an amazing mum who is working sooooo hard to bring up her family on such a silly budget - I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this, and so impressed to hear how you've coped so far - well done!!

My dp is a teacher, and we only have 2 kids and it's tough!! I manage to feed us all on £30 and thought that that was good going!! i am humbled!

What i'm going to suggest now is really dodgy, and i'm sure everybody else here would STRONGLY advise against it, but a few years ago when I was in your position and just couldn't make the incoming match the outgoing I stopped paying into my endowment polidy (i know, i know, but it meant we could eat). Now, as it happened i ended up selling the flat to move to an area that we could actually afford, and the property price well outstripped the mortgage, so the gamble paid off... but i don't know if that might be an option for you? if only as an emergency measure?

When dp was a studen (pgce) 2 years ago, again things were tight, so again i only paid the interest on my mortgage and set myself up in 'business' selling on ebay. I earnt £10 a week, and because of this was given £100 a week wftc (this was with one child). It sounds as though any work situation would be really difficult for you, and as you've said, you're retired. Actually, having said all that, I currently make about £200 a month selling stuff on ebay.

Twice a week I drag my youngest around the local charity shops (or car boots in season) and sell what I find (having cleaned it all up/repaired it). Do you have a digital camera? The one I use is usually on ebay for around £10 or so. amd I downloaded photoshop from winmx (again, don't shoot me) for free. Photoshop allows me to adjust the lighting etc to get really nice looking pics and I seem to get fantastic prices...

Would that be an option for you?

I'm afraid that i'm new here and haven't read your previous posts, but have you tried washable night nappies on your ds? I might have a spare one in a large i size if not - let me know. My eldest reacts badly in cloth at night, but my youngest doesn't.

oh, someone at the door!!

Big hug!

Steph

scattycat_3

Respect young lady.

Dont know if this will help, but if eligible you could get around £400 of insulation for FREE and so cut your energy bill substantially.



British Gas are offering free cavity wall AND loft insulation to those on"income related" benefits:-


Income support
Housing benefit
Council tax benefit
Income based job seekers allowances
War Disablement Pension
Attendance allowance
Child tax credit
Working tax credit
Diability living allowance
Pension credit
and Industrial injuries diasablement benefit

If you are on Incapacity Benefit, Tuff :mad: so beware the much maligned latter as it dont entitle you to any help in general.


For details phone and signup on 0845 605 2535, quote ref. TVR3
HTHs Scat

Added,
Mosstar, just read your post on nappies and it could be a n allergy to your washing powder,as I dont think cotton is suspect.

And Sarah maybe the endowment could be payments could be put on hold, as if you stopped it then the mortgage would surely be upped to a repayment oner at much greater outlay

Lillibet_2

Just wanted to add that when I split up with my first husband & he was being unreliable in paying his share of the mortgage (which in theory we were continuing to split equally it until the house was sold) I put the endowment on hold. In the end I bought him out of his share of the house & was able to re-negotiate a favourable (increased) re-payment mortgage with the same lender so putting it on hold didn't cause any long term problems but you do need to consider all eventulaties if you take this route. In fact, he forgot all about the endowment policy so I was able to cash it in in my own favour after the divorce was finalized but that wasn't very ethical or moral of me. (what the hell, he slept with someone else!)

Spendless

Re- the trainer nappies your boys are in at night. Are they wet every night or are they getting to stage where they might be dry at night.

I got sick of cost of trainer pants and also how much less wee they held compared to nappies, so went back to disposible nappies on bed-time,but my son was possibly at ayounger age than yours when i made this swop (so didn't protest). Purely by chance we forgot to put a nappy on one night and he was dry.

At first we had about one accident a month. We had the waterproof sheet under his sheets to protect mattress. This perhaps went on for about 6 months before he came dry all through night.

I was also thinking about your 'every little helps' i'm sure glad started a penny-pinching thread on old style once. I went to bump it just in case there's anything there of help top you but can't find it, don't know if it's got lost in site change over.