Starting again but lost.

ISeeBeforeMe

hi,:)

On apr 11th after a long, long walk I arrived at a domestic violence refuge. I had a bag of clothing, my laptop, and a few toiletries. I have since made all my benefit claims, but they are yet to be processed. I have £7 and some tuppences.

In my cupboard I have:
2 sml onions
500g red lentils
big bag of porridge oats
pkt custard creams
2 1/2 pop tarts (i know):o
chilli powder
tea bags
6 sachets of cream of tomato soup (mix with hot water kind)
1 banana

Fridge:
1/2 carton soy milk (it lasts longer i think)
butter
grapes
strawberry jam

I don't know how long I need this to last for. I had about £50 when I came but most of that has been taken up on oyster fares. It is just me on my own.

I have access to fridge/freezer, cooker, microwave, kettle is broken!

Can any one help me by telling me what I should buy? Also I have a college class next week. Is a 7.5 mile each way walk across Ldn do-able? I have never gone that far before on foot!

Any advice much appreciated. Thanks.x

coolcats

Can you speak to the staff, my experience is they can help out when you have nothing, sometimes they have a store cupboard with a few tins in. A little cash you can borrow till yours comes in.

Nargleblast

Well, your new life starts here.....at least you have some stuff in foodwise, and you will find lots of ideas on here re shopping and cooking. Porridge oats will do you breakfasts, so that's a start. If you have an Ald1 or a Lid1 nearby they do low priced fruit and veg on special offer - check their websites for the latest deals. If you get cheap veg you can make home made soups which, with some bread (sometimes cutprice near shop closing time) and fruit can make a substantial meal. Get some cheap rice and pasta, and your lentils can be the basis of a curry or bolognese meal.
7.5 mile walk - that's about two hours! And I wouldn't want to be walking that far at night. Maybe if someone on your college course lives near you they might give you a lift and you can repay them in some way? Do you have other people living at the refuge who can help you - all in the same boat, so should stick together!
I am sure others will post some good ideas for you, hope things work out.

Nargleblast

Another idea - if you've signed on for benefits you might be able to get a referral to a food bank?

affordmylife

just wanted to say well done and really good luck with the rest of your life. xx

hex2

have a look at some of the recipes on a http://agirlcalledjack.com/category/below-the-line-budget-recipes/

some really inspiring stuff. Good luck with everything

ISeeBeforeMe

hi- thanks! Great ideas.

My support worker said I could apply for a kind of advance from the benefits people but she said it would take a long time and is a loan, so I don't want to be left short later! I haven't received an "award letter" for jsa entitlement so kind of stuck.

Yes I have a lidl not too far away, unfortunately nearest supermarket is Waitrose! The smaller kind that just has ready meals. There is also a Morissons about 30 mins walk.

I could try about the food bank, but I didn't want to take it off anyone else who might need it. I am young(ish!) and could stand to lose a few pounds!

college is 2 tubes and a bus away! maybe i could just walk one way and try and borrow the money off someone for the return leg at night?

Nargleblast

ISeeBeforeMe - don't worry about trying the food bank. You are in need at present, so it's worth a try. There will be plenty of opportunity for you to pay back the help you receive now, when you eventually get back into work and start paying taxes!

And Waitrose? I have heard they also reduce prices on stuff near closing time so it's worth a look. Morrisons too.

hex2

The walk depends on how fit you are. I have done it in a day countryside but it is shattering. I have no idea on fares in London - can you walk part of the way and reduce the costs?

Can you ring the welfare section of college and explain what is happening - they may have access funds and refund travel costs for those genuinely in need like yourself. Do you have to go this week?

I don't think it matters who you borrow it from, it is still a debt. I wouldn't want to set out not knowing if I have the means to get back.

ISeeBeforeMe

That's true- don't want to be left stranded, as the class finishes at 8:45pm. It is a small scale college that only teaches one subject, so it doesn't really have a welfare dept. Maybe, I should miss class, which is a shame as it's first day of new term.

i will ask my support worker tomorrow about the food bank. Actually I have noticed a load of tins in the office. I thought they belonged to the staff- for their lunch. Maybe they are emergency tins?

hex2

Thinking on if it was me I would be making some kind of chilli using onion, the lentils, oats and your chilli powder plus a trip to Lidl for a carton of 40p ish passata, and some 40p ish basic rice or pasta. It will get boring but you at least would not starve with all the slow release carbs.

if you want to buy some spice garam masala is cheap in lidl and is useful for soup/chilli/curry/bolognese type things.

A trip to any of the big supermarkets should yield 50p bread and 20 odd pence for value jam or lemon curd which would do lunch and/or breakfast. Oats and water for porridge?

Water the milk down then it feels you still have milk for tea. Challenge yourself - How many times can you recycle a teabag? Ration yourself with those biscuits and pop tarts - they are a treat when you feel lost. Last resort not first port of call. Eat the perishables first but try and ration the grapes and banana - fresh fruit on your budget is a luxury sadly. Look at tinned -

Soup makes sense. MrS does 10 basic stock cubes for 15p, and 1.5kg basic carrots for 69p. Saute your onion, grate your carrots, add a little curry powder or garam masala, stock cube if you have it and some water and it ill be palatable. MrS also used to do a mixed bag of veg for a bout £1 that includes carrot, potato, etc which could be v useful.

Google the below the line stuff that people are challenging themselves with atm, lots of good ideas.

Can you look on mysupermarket to get an idea of prices in Waitrose? Do they do 'basic' stuff or are you better googling the whereabouts of ada/sainsburys to get the real basic stuff.

A final thought, 'shy children get no sweets'. Ask. Ask college, ask the food bank, ask the hostel. The worst any of them can say is No. You have done the brave thing in leaving, everything from here on is a positive step forward, no matter how it feels at the time.