Really down and want to give up

Njay_2

Hi Deliciosa,
I'm quite new to this but I can completely sympathise with you. I have debt too and I'm too frightened to actually add it all up. I think I need to, just have to pluck up the courage.
I have been trying packed lunches (sandwiches) at work too but find they're not to appetising so I bought some salad bits and added tuna today and it was really nice! Hopefully the salad will last for the rest of the week - just hope I don't get too bored of it!
I would read your debt free diary, you have already inspired me to face up to my problems. Have been feeling really down about it all. I'm sure we can both get through this. Everybody on here seems so kind and helpful and full of friendly advice. We CAN do it! Good luck babe x

miggy

deliciosa wrote:

am going to check out this freecycle again. but I have a question: what is the old style board and where do I find it??

http://www.freecycle.org/
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=33
Happy hunting - sorry I didn't make much sense in my last post - I meant to say you need to eat in order to have energy (in order to attack the debt).
I am still concerned that you're not eating. I had a friend who found she got underweight because one of the few things she felt in control of was her eating. This is serious. You will get the debts down by steady work on them not by starving yourself. Stopping buying food is not teaching you wise shopping habits to get rid of debt and keep free of it. In fact, if your blood sugar drops, you will find it harder to make good choices, and by going to extremes you are also pushing yourself at an unsustainable pace - in other words, setting yourself up to fail.
My tip for the day is to buy yourself a big bag of cheap porridge oats and use some of your soya milk to make yourself a bowl of porridge every morning. The oats cost under 50p and last weeks, and it's great food value. Cook for 2 mins.

miggy

P.S. go for it with the debt free diary! You too, Njay!

LouBlue

deliciosa wrote:

thanks to all of you again! feeling much better and more confident this monday. Probably because I managed to not spend money on food over the weekend! sort of a miracle really, one of my friends owed me a lunch so we went to this lovely lebanese place and they gave us plenty of fruits to take away - that was sat dinner! sunday we cooked at home frfom the existing ingredients! and today, I got a free drink voucher at starbucks so I had a huge venti yummy latte for a big £0!!!

thank you guys for food ideas too, i have a big bread craving at the momemnt, all i want to eat is plain baguettes, don't know why, but at least they are cheap!!!!

should i start a debt free diary? would anyone read it? that might be helpful so thsat i can write down little successes...

thanks again to all of you. am going to check out this freecycle again. but I have a question: what is the old style board and where do I find it??

I've only just read this thread so apologies for the late reply.

I can't really add anything to the wonderful support you have had on here from these wonderful people but I send you lots of love and big hugs. PLEASE keep eating, your health is the most important thing, and that will give you the strength to cope with everything else. You are doing amazingly well, so keep up the good work and definitely start a debt free diary!

ms_london

Hi deliciosa!!

I dont think I can add anything else to the fab advice people on here have given (you guys, as always, are great!!) - but just letting you know that I am another person that is thinking of you and wishing you all the best & sending lots of hugs!!

You seem to have the right attitude when it comes to tackling your debt and have made great headway already in such a short space of time. But definately your health is more important & you need to put that first - if that means giving yourself a higher food budget, then do it - you need food to survive and as others have said, if you are not eating properly then you cant function properly and even the smallest of tasks will feel like a mountain!!

I had some very low periods when I was tackling my debt, not eating was never a problem for me, I ate for about 10 :rolleyes: , but, lets just say I am lucky to be alive, and I realised afterards that my health is more important than anything else I was trying to tackle..

Others have pointed you in the direction of the Old Style (OS) board, they have great ideas on there, lots of delicious recipes, but heaps more than that. I wish you would all stop talking about food, its lunchtime here and you are making me hungry!

Could you go to your parents at the weekend again, just try and have a weekend of properly looking after yourself, eating well, sleeping in, and just taking care of yourself - you obviously need it. I would really like to send you a pamper package in the post, so if you PM me, I'll get onto it! May send you some vegemite too if you're lucky!

Seriously though, stay on here & please take care - you are doing a great job in tackling your debt, but dont go OTT and risk putting your health in jeopardy, its not worth it!!

Lots of hugs xx

deliciosa

Thank you guys for the wonderful support!!!!

I have started my diary, please check it out!!!

x x x x x x x x

to ms_london: pamper package? aw that sounds amazing, whats in it? I willl ppm you once I figure out how... thanks for your encouraging words, i cant believe how nice you people are ehre...

pleasee check out my diary!!

dancingfairy

Just wanted to say hi and I will certainly be reading the diary. How about taking stuff in that just needs a kettle - ie super noodles (Tesco versions though) or cup a soup and a crusty roll? that sort of thing? Or as suggested eating in the subsidised canteen for your main meal and having something else cheap at home for tea? You really, really need to eat though to tackle this- not eating is not going to help you to have energy to fight the debt- and don't forget to treat yourself sometimes. Take care and check out the Money saving Old Style Board on how to eat cheaply (but healthily). Good Luck.

LookingAhead

Jeeze I have only just caught up on this thread.

Deliciosa, I am, like everyone else, very concerned for you.

Above everything else, your health comes first. Above *everything*. And paramount to good health is food.

Sweetheart I know you don't want to spend a lot and probably you can't spend a lot, I understand that.

But I feel (like many others do...) like I want to help with ideas on what you can spend your money on to keep you healthy.

By the way, I'm no doctor but I would imagine that if your body is craving baguettes then it's probably because your so low on carbohydrates, your muscles probably have no glycogen in them! Can you get to Tesco just before they close and see what reduced bread they have? Buy reduced bread and have it with Marmite or Vegemite. You will be getting carbohydrate and some protein and also essential vitamin B12 in the Marmite or Vegemite.

Someone mentioned having oats & soya milk in the morning. I absolutely agree with this - it is what I eat every day. You can get a big bag of oats for less than 50p. Have a bowlful every morning - with some dried sultanas mixed in as well if you can get some. If you get some sultanas from near the cake ingredients in supermarkets they are much cheaper than the boxed "posh" snack ones. Have the mixture with warm or cold soya milk, it doesn't matter just have it!

Do you eat lentils? Buy a big bag of red lentils - very good for protein & iron and you can make various soups with them too. I am more than happy to give you some recipes if you need them - very easy (I don't *do* difficult cooking!).

Chickpeas make a great cheap & nutritious curry especially if served with brown rice but white rice would probably help too especially if your hardly eating anything now. You can get these ingredients cheaper from ALDI or LIDL I am sure.

Oh honey, how much do you actually have to spend on food a week? Even if you tell us you have £10, I am sure we can work something out for you menu wise.

Is there anyone here with a spare Thermos they can post for taking soup into work??? I wish I had one but I don't.

Actually, Deliciosa if you had a Thermos would you make soup and take it into work?

Njay_2

Thanks Miggy! Will start my diary v. soon.
Well done Deliciosa for starting your diary, I will check it out shortly x::A

miggy

LookingAhead wrote:

Someone mentioned having oats & soya milk in the morning. I absolutely agree with this - it is what I eat every day. You can get a big bag of oats for less than 50p. Have a bowlful every morning - with some dried sultanas mixed in as well if you can get some. If you get some sultanas from near the cake ingredients in supermarkets they are much cheaper than the boxed "posh" snack ones. Have the mixture with warm or cold soya milk, it doesn't matter just have it!

Oh I luuurve sultanas in my porridge! Who needs muesli?! This is real comfort food!
You can get Tesco 'value' sultanas for about 45p - enough for several weeks' worth of porridge!
Can I be cheeky and ask for some lentil or chickpea recipes please! I don't eat meat but I haven't got much in the way of recipes for either of these and as I'm starting a new job soon that will take rather too much of my time, I would like to be able to freeze some veggie food in readiness.
(Sorry to muscle in on your thread, Deliciosa I am going to look for your new thread now.)