How can I survive this please?

mysk_girl · 17 September 2011 at 4:22PM

Do you have ANY food in the house at all? Make a list and there are some truly amazing people in here who can do meal plans from nothing into something. Does your son have savings at all? Could you borrow from there? Sounds awful, but you will can pay it back and right now food is more important.

mysk_girl · 17 September 2011 at 4:25PM

And if you are anywhere near me, I have a whole load of courgettes that are threatening to become marrows in the garden that you are welcome to!

jackyann · 17 September 2011 at 4:27PM

Your OP seemed to suggest that your son's school & childcare are together. Most schools & nursery schools have someone with a pastoral / welfare role. Ask to see them, or the manager / head. Explain your situation. They often have access to a small local funds or vouchers that could just see you through.
Do use your next pay cheque to put aside some emergency cash.

I always used to advise mums - take your child benefit in cash from the post office for exactly this reason, but that is no longer possible. Now I advise, set up a Post Office card account solely to pay in your child benefit, so your usual bank (or in other cases, wastrel partners) can't get their paws on it, and you can just get out enough cash for the jacket potatoes & baked beans!

Good luck.

pink_princess · 17 September 2011 at 4:40PM

I to don't think you should get a payday advance. Also won't your overdraft just swallow it up?

I'm in Durham if your from the area & have a lot of potatoes, onion & garlic ready to pick in the garden.

Also read the old style boards as you can feed both of you healthily for £2 a day if you know the tricks.

27col · 17 September 2011 at 4:56PM

Have I missed something here? Surely, if the cheque has been post dated, how then could the nursery/childcare provider have deposited it.

pink_princess · 17 September 2011 at 4:58PM

27col wrote: »

Have I missed something here? Surely, if the cheque has been post dated, how then could the nursery/childcare provider have deposited it.

It is illegal to post date a cheque, it can be banked anytime after it has been signed.

skintandscared_2 · 17 September 2011 at 5:01PM

27col wrote: »

Have I missed something here? Surely, if the cheque has been post dated, how then could the nursery/childcare provider have deposited it.

Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, I don't think banks pay too much attention to the date on a cheque unless it's over 6 months old

Post-dating appears to be a complete waste of time.

Posts like this do restore my faith in human nature - so many people who wish they could help. I've just looked in my cupboard and my compulsion with BOGOFs means it's full of tins and cook-in sauces. Plus I ALWAYS have tinned veg, potatoes and a huge bag of value pasta

As a last resort I have been known to cook up pasta and stir through my home-made chutney

I just wish I could donate some of these spares to a little hamper for the OP

PenniesIntoPounds · 17 September 2011 at 5:23PM

Hello again all. Thank you so much for your posts, all very much appreciated. I just wanted to say thank you and that I'm going to go off now and have a think about how I can sort myself out. Your tips have been fab. I just need a bit of time to consider how I can get myself through the next few days. I have a mobile I can sell, so I'm going to start with that. I will keep you updated. If the worst comes to the worst, it's only a couple of weeks and a potential nightmare with the childcare, but in the grand scheme of things I'll be okay.

teapot2 · 17 September 2011 at 5:31PM

I hope you don't find yourself in this situation again but it can happen so quickly. Can I suggest maybe building up a bit of a store cupboard that you can make meals from to keep you and son? going? Theres lots of suggestions on the forum about what to put in it and what to cook from it. Also when you get time check out the OS board which has lots of such advice - they're v helpful there so any questions just ask. Also maybe a bit of a 'rainy day' fund in cash to keep you going should it happen again would be a good idea - saving up £2 coins or £1 coins in a piggy can be a good way to start and soon mounts up. If its not in the bank then you have instant access and it can help with fresh food, travel etc. Good luck

Emmzi · 17 September 2011 at 5:32PM

FYI I had mazuma money in my bank account 3 days after sending the phone, but it had to go into a bank. So depends how fab the phone is if it's worth it.