The unthinkable has happened...redundancy

gizmo111

RAS wrote: »

You need to be aware of the rules on deprivation of capital.

But paying off Council tax and overdue utilities is not DoC as they are immediately due.

At present there are no plans to go BR and isn't the benefits limit £16,000 in savings?

RAS

For some benefits, savings over £6000 count.

No mean-tested benefits are paid over £16K and they are reduced in the £6-16K range.

Barbeduk

Don't know if this will help but I've been made redundant in the past and did just what Firewrym suggests, did a bit of computer imput and then worked in a cafe, totally unrelated to my career! The first did lead to a long term contract which I sadly had to leave when I became pregnant.

You have a dog, 2 thoughts: firstly, can you get the food cheaper on line? I've just started to do this and save around £5 a month. Secondly, have you thought about becoming a dog walker? Someone around here does it, has posters up at the local hospital, large offices etc and has to turn away work. Also cleaning, I don't live in a posh city by any means, but you'd be amazed how many people have a cleaner. Both charge around £10 an hour in this area, not an amount to turn your nose up at!

You'll get though this by recognising opportunities, don't whatever you do just sit on your bum and let work come to you, sadly it won't.

And just think, once you've got through this, you'll never be tempted to pick up a credit card again!

Barbeduk

Sorry, just remembered you mentioned glasses/contacts.

Ditch the contacts for the time being if you're wearing dailies/monthlies. Once you're on JSA you are entitled to free sight tests under the NHS (at any opticians) and an NHS spectacle voucher. Most practices have a wide range of free frames available with a voucher and you don't have to use the voucher at the place you got your eyes tested.

asparagus1968

just wanted to say hi and welcome and like some have said before-you are not alone!

some fantastic advice has been offered,take your time to digest it all and see what you can come up with.

you have actually cut up the credit cards i'm hoping?

good luck with the interviews and meetings

jobdone1

glad you delt with council tax they are very hard on you for late payment/debt please look at paying arrears for gas and electric i see you have been in contact but go to energyhelp line to a comparison look at previous bills to compare should save a few quid on that, Ditch the mobile i went with giff gaff i get free calls with my wife so long as i top up every three months i only put a £5 on and when people call me i get a 1 min added every 1 min they are on the phone to me just got a pair of prescription sun glasses and normall glasses delivered 4 £45 quid from glasses direct went to spec savers for my free eye test used my prescrition with my online order saved a packet happy days

sistafromanothermista

:eek: some people were a little harsh :rotfl: but honestly this is what you need (even though you may not realise it yet )

It seems like you are making some positive steps though keep it up and keep us informed :beer: Well done so far.:T

FireWyrm

Re, glasses...what do you need them for? I don't know your prescription, but could you do without? It's not ideal, but most people who wear glasses can actually see reasonably well to get around. Of course, we would all wish to have crystal clear vision all of the time, but this is a special case and only for a short time.

I would also be banging out CVs to all potential employers. Tailor your CV to your Market, so if you're applying for B&Q, don't mention a degree for instance. Don't be afraid to be a cameleon at an interview. If you're in a factory, coarsen your accent, if you're in an office, make a conscious effort to sound better. Don't dismiss an employment opportunity because it's 'not your field' and don't mention age unless specifically asked. You are not required to give personal information such as age, orientation, dependents or marriage status...don't.

Check out the 'required' adds in the local paper. There are often a fair number of possibilities both buying and selling.

Like any survival situation, your first job is to inventory what you have and what you need for survival. If you must, it is perfectly feasible to go hungry for a few days in order to stretch the groceries. You don't actually need 3 meals a day. Breakfast and dinner are perfectly adequate...lunch is a nicety of our society. Breakfast should consist of slow yield grains, so fruit muesli is not only cheap, it'll keep you going longer. Dinner should consist of no more than 8oz meat per person and about 16oz vegetables. If you have a choice, bulk on pulses, potatoes, and pasta. You can survive on 8oz of meat per person per week..that was the standard wartime ration for an adult. You don't actually need 2000 calories every day, 1500 will do dropping to 1200 for a sendentary lifestyle. If you're hungry, in between meals, eat fruit or nuts or cereals.

Wherever possible buy spices and herbs. They are worth their weight when it comes to survival cooking. A handful of cumin and ground corriander seeds will improve almost every dish. Cook everything from scratch, it's invariably cheaper. If you want biscuits, make them, ditto cakes. A fair investment is a bread maker. Flour is amazingly cheap and modern bread makers do everything from dough to bread to jam etc.

Buy second hand cook books. The sainted Delia does one called frugal cooking and the other usual suspects like Ching He Heung and Jamie Oliver will cover most basic cooking recipes. If you want a good consistently nutritious and cheap diet, learn to cook Chinese. I'm not kidding. You can create tasty, quick and filling food for next to nothing. Seek out your local Chinese Supermarket. Most cities have one, it's where the local Chinese community shops and youll find staples for pennies and weird stuff for less money than you thought.

Check out your local shop for bargains. Meat is often marked down on Sunday morning, but you'll have to be quick because people like me will be there at 7am to snap them up before you've finished morning coffee. Take a walk over there at 7am and see what is available. Likewise, the cheapest fruit and veg can be found at a Market on a Saturday afternoon. Meat wagons will also be desperate to get rid of stock by Saturday afternoon, so that's when to nip in. If you're on a Market, bargain...i can usually get at least an additional 20% off knocked down meat just because I buy in bulk and I'm bold.

Those are just some of the secrets to frugal living. Personally, I see it as fun but I appreciate that it's deadly serious for you at the moment. Suffice it to say, I've been where you are and with considerably less resources to fall back on. Chin up

squidgychesspiece

Thank you for the lovely replies all, it means loads and is so nice to know that we are not alone. Sistafromanothermista - I don't mind the harsh ones, I need a good kick up the ar*e sometimes

Barbeduk - I am not meaning to sound snobby at all. My parents both did manual jobs and I will happily do whatever (within reason :rotfl:) I just thought that realistically with our level of debt we are never going to pay this back unless I can get a job with a decent salary and if I am at work during the day then it limits my availability for interviews/meetings etc. I understand what you are saying though, any money coming in right now would be preferable to none!

Asparagus I have a confession... I haven't actually cut up all the cards :embarasse We still have mbna, hsbc and mint although two are maxed. Only mbna has any available credit, about £1,100 i think. This certainly needs to happen.

Jobdone1, I have heard of glasses direct but always been too scared to use them in case they were dodgy (sounds ridiculous now I've written it down) That's a great bargain though on your specs!!! I need mine for seeing anything that is not right under my nose. Will definately ditch the contacts for now as I have some specs at the mo' that are fine.

Great tips for cooking Firewyrm, I am rubbish in the kitchen! DH and I were only saying last night it's amazing how little you actually need to eat in a day though. I am going to see how long I can make our groceries last as we usually waste quite a bit. We did buy a gigantic bag of oats at last shop as we both love porridge and I think it was about 75p if that.

God everyone has suggested so many great ideas its hard to take it all in at once. I think a list is in order and then focus on working through them one at a time.

Getting nervous for tomorrow now.

Hope you all had great Mondays despite the weather

flippin36

Don't forget Ebay for selling as much as you can. From my own experience I know if you are finding stuff with tags still on you will probably have loads, and loads to sell.. Obviously keep some appropriate interview/work clothes. Try renegotiating your rent too..my sister is a landlady and has agreed to a small reduction for good tenants, its worth asking. Good luck.