We need some advice!

agatha_crispie

hedgesparrow wrote: »

Don't cry anymore. You can do this. On most of the bills there will be a phone number to ring if you can't pay - call it up and see what they say. Explain the situation especially that it isn't permenant. Pay the rent and buy as little food as you can get by on. Get your partner to ask around at work. Would anyone give him a lift for a month or so? Give the TV to a family member and cancel the TV licence. Sell whatever you can sell and keep looking for work.

It is going to be tough. I think you can't avoid getting into debt some more but once the pay goes up in two months you will have some spare cash to pay off the debt. You are a team - and you will get through this together. Things like this do happen and in twenty years time you will look back on how you got through and how it made you stronger. Good luck.

good advice from Hedgesparrow. Where have you moved from? have you any friends or relatives nearby who could help?
Aggie

MirjamL

we came here from Estonia. And well i tried talking to my parents today about our situation. And no response at all. Sad but i guess i have to underestand. they can't help us either. they too have financial issues. not debts, but tough. but i was expecting at least moral support. which i didn't get. and everyone else we could ask, has been already asked and we owe them money. my partners co-workers don't live around here, most are in west or south-west area of London. But most of them use public transport anyway, so no help from there. We will start ringing and other such things on monday when people are working again. We did try to call about tax credit, which is suppose to work today, but after 10 minutes both times waiting, no one answered. so will try again on monday. also going to calculate and ask landlord if we could maybe pay him less. and council tax people will get a call on monday too. tv is already on gumtree for sale and tv licence direct debit is cancelled and we will call them also on monday. i am still crying, just can't see any hope to get out of here without getting into more debt... i am just wondering, when will be my turn to be happy and worry-free....

dizzybuff

Stick with it chick , you are doing great .

While you are at it register with the local council for allotments( may be quite a waiting list) . Small fee you get a plot and register and have a search on here http://www.landshare.net/ no you cant grow in winter but u could get the plot ready , put manure down , you can get this free from some stables or posters on here , just put a wanted out. You may even be able to get some old garden tools from freecycle . Then you will be ready . sort that out then get ready to reap the rewards with your land share owner ..

Good luck in your journey . xxxx

Nottoobadyet

Great advice from Hedgesparrow.

How are you looking for work? I think its clear that the only sustainable way out of your pickle is to up your income - even with your partner on full pay things will still be tight. Did you have any qualifications before you came? Have you tried all the local shops to see if they'd take you on for a few hours in the short term, and to all of the temp agencies in the longer term?

dancingfairy

You don't have enough coming in this month to pay all the bills.
Therefore you are going to have to try and come to arrangements with people I think.
The most important things are rent, council tax and food - are you able to see if you can pay less this month on the rent and pay a bit more next month (when hopefully your partner will be back on full pay?), same with council tax.
Food - head over to the MoneysavingOldstyle board and see if they can help - also there may be a food bank in your area, or perhaps the salvastion army, church or mosque would help you out with food while you are struggling - ask around.
Council tax - again speak to them and see if they can reduce it this month and let you pay more when wages to go back to the full amount.


Good Luck
df

dancingfairy

Oh - do you have access to an overdraft at all or credit card? I know it is more debt but it is only temporary until you get back on your feet - it sounds like it is just the first few months that will be difficult for you and then you will be o.k with a better income.
df

MirjamL

will look into salvation army and food bank. not sure if we are entitled to it, but can't hurt to ask. also about the overdraft, yes we have access to that, but not sure if that's a good idea. since we have this situation for two months (i think i mentioned that earlier). I figured i can eat some sainsbury's quick noodles and have some water days. And my OH who has to work will eat tin beans and spaghetties. Also will bake some simple pies and pastry, 'cause flour and other baking ingredients are relatively cheap. For breakfast we figured could do with fried egg on a toast (30 eggs 1.99 on corner shop and loaf of bread in sainsbury was under 50p). So for a week we bought 5pounds worth of food items. for now. hope to manage somehow. ofcourse it's not healthy. but at the moment it's not about being healthy, but more of survival. (wish i could go to the forest hunting... craving some meat...). And i am gonna miss veggies and fruit. but have to handle somehow for a while. (for two months), and hope that our bodys will cope with that.
As mentioned before we will talk to the landlord to maybe pay less for few months when we are in a tight spot. also will talk to council on monday.

chevalier

salvation army/church i think anyone who is in need. Can't hurt to ask . Is there an Estonian community association who you could ask for a loan for a food pack? Also would follow up the suggestion about askign to pay back the pay advance over extra time. If you were getting £1000 instead of £700 then your situation would be much more doable.

good luck
chev

Nottoobadyet

Good grief - all this and you have access to credit? Of course dip into your overdraft before you consider skipping the council tax! This is temporary and of overdrafts can be paid off once your partner is on full pay and you are in work.

dancingfairy

Mirjam - as you have access to an overdraft I would use that for now. You need to eat sensibly (personally I would think you would feel worse if you don't eat well - it can't be helping). Also it's probably not worth getting in touch with the landlord - you have only just moved in and you don't really want them thinking that you can't manage to pay the bills (when the problem is really just for 2 months while you get settled).
I would also perhaps see if you can pay the money back to your other half's work over a longer period of time.
Good Luck - things are tough now but you should be able to get it sorted by Christmas.
df