Well illness + SHTF = back on the (very strict) OS bus again

sammy_kaye18

Rummer wrote: »

((((Hugs Sammy)))) It is awful when life throws us a curve ball. We had a personal disaster a few years ago and life was tough for a while however as others have said here is the best place to find help and sensible advice.

Thanks Rummer - nice to see you again.

Boodle wrote: »

Hi Sammy :0 Am sorry to read you are overwhelmed at the moment. Some recent threads might be of help: the 7.00 thread and other low weekly budgets with menu plans for example. I hope you find some peace in getting through this tough time. x

PS If you have a word with the school, they might be able to let your son attend the trip without your donation towards the trip costs. They are usually understanding and flexible for things like this.

I will check out the £7 thread I think. Sounds like a good one. Oh how I missed these OS boards these last few months when I couldnt see straight

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Sorry to hear that you are in such a fix sammykaye. I would definitely advise you to go to the CAB about the job situation. I asked my DH who knows quite a bit about employment law and he says that the company is required to give you 90 days notice of change of contract in writing, they could have taken someone on a temporary contract, but to give someone your job is illegal. This can be classed as a step towards constructive dismissal as they are now offering hours that they know are not acceptable.
CAB can also refer you to a food bank if you have nothing in the cupboards.

Most schools have a discretionary fund to help families in hardship with school trips, ask your son's teacher or the school secretary or the school bursar if they have one.

I don't want to be too nosey but how much longer have you got your loans for?

Butterfly brain the coop loan that was for £850 I have until January 2015 I think.
The w***a loan will be paid of this month. Its a horrid cycle of having to lend to make ends meet but Im determined to get back on this bus ans s-t-r-e-t-c-h as much as I can the pennies I have


SONS TRIP = for those asking - I picked up 3 bottles of milk for my MIL (she is struggling like us also) but she has paid me back the £3 and so I have managed to pay for my sons trip. Fingers crossed he doesnt have any more any time soon but for now he is sorted.

His cubs have also said they are going to start taking payments as a termly thing so he has only a few more weeks left of paying for this and then he will be paying for the whole term in one go so I will only need to find a one off payment.

GAS/ELECTRIC - as I said yesterday I found out I was £136 in credit with the gas man and this morning had a letter from the electric company and I owe £27 so I am fairly happy with those....debating whether to phone swalec and ask for the money back for the time being or whether to leave it with Xmas coming....

sammy_kaye18

Jammygal wrote: »

Hi Sammy...long time no see xxx

You'll be back on track soon ...have you got an ebayable stuff or old stuff the kids have outgrown or stopped playing with??

I have had a look through the kids room - I really need to go through them again though - my daughter has a few bits and pieces I can Ebay off and she has a little rocking horse I'm planning to re-gift to my niece as her Christmas present, I also have DVDs and CD's to list and books to try and put on-line if I can find this site I'm looking for.....really cant remember its name.

Have also been through my cupboard upstairs which is a bit like narnia - found an older scanner upstairs which is still in the box so I may try and ebay that too as we wont use it.....and found a few bits and pieces I can regift for christmas as well

Also I found my old draught excluders, hot water bottles, fleece blankets and long curtains that I put away after last winter so I have dug those out to put them on the beds etc and heat proof us a bit. Thankfully we have no bath (walk in electric shower) so we use very little gas other than cooking or heating.....

Nargleblast

Is it musicmagpie you're thinking of, to sell your CDs?

As far as your credit with the gas company is concerned, you don't know yet how hard a winter it is likely to be, so if you can afford to, I would leave it there - at least then you will have a cushion for those winter bills.

boultdj

Sorry your going through the wars Sammy, and do you still do compertion's? I seem to remember you were lucky on a few.

Have you been and asked if you can get council tax rebate?

sammy_kaye18

Nargleblast wrote: »

Is it musicmagpie you're thinking of, to sell your CDs?

As far as your credit with the gas company is concerned, you don't know yet how hard a winter it is likely to be, so if you can afford to, I would leave it there - at least then you will have a cushion for those winter bills.

This is my thinking - in Wales and living on top of a mountain we are prone to being hit by bad weather, gale force winds, snow and lots of rain etc so Im thinking it is the best option to leave it when it is but as a money saving option to reduce the monthly payments from £49 a month down to maybe £20......my thinking is that with £136 credit and us getting our bills half yearly - in 6 months time I will have put another £120 into the account so I will have £236 in it which should cover the winter bills and I will hopefully be in a better financial position that I may be able to increase it then.

boultdj wrote: »

Sorry your going through the wars Sammy, and do you still do compertion's? I seem to remember you were lucky on a few.

Have you been and asked if you can get council tax rebate?

I have been trying to do some competitions boultdj, but with labyrinthitis it meant sitting at the computer screen would send me dizzy and I felt like I was spinning so 20 minutes on the computer meant I had to go and lay down for half hour - 45 minutes to feel stable again. Thankfully now (touch wood) it seems to be better now or at least getting better so Im hoping I will be able to start again.

Also I phoned yesterday and asked for a form for council tax help as well as housing.

sammy_kaye18

Nargleblast wrote: »

Is it musicmagpie you're thinking of, to sell your CDs?

Sorry Nargle - yes it was music magpie but I know of one called we buy dvds which is pretty good too so I tend to have both open and see which one offers me the better price so if I have to divide it between two companies for the better prices then thats fine by me if its cost effective

we buy dvds also have a site called 'we buy books' and I have a bag of books upstairs that I may try putting on here as well

Jammygal

Sammy have just pmed you!

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi Sammy

Like you I suffered with a bad case of labyrinthitis a few years ago and it is really really horrible. I found that when the original virus cleared up I was still so anxious about going out that I started to suffer with severe anxiety symptoms which was just as debilitating. Watch out for this and push for further advice/tests if it doesnt seem to be clearing up. If I had got help sooner I would have got better quicker.

On the upside labyrinthitis is something that does go away eventually so hang in there. I was about 8 months before I was 100% better but have had no problems for years now.

Try phoning ACAS for employment law advice, it doesnt sound like your employers are being completely fair. Also, have you tried the entitledto website to check benefits entitlement?

Good luck with it and I hope things improve for you soon.

[Deleted User]

Hi there Honey long time no see,sorry to hear about your troubles.We are all here to help if we can,even if its only to say a quick hug and a there, there,.Life really does give you a jolt now and again but keep hanging in there and hopefully things will turn the corner again.

I too would keep the credit in the utilities if only for a 'just in case ' scenario of a hard winter.I live in the south east and so far its not been too bad but I am like a squirrel and like to try to build up a store or stock against the bad weather I too am in credit with EDF but it can stay there as if we get a cold snap after Christmas then I know I can be warm without thinking about the bills.As a few posters have said its back to basics if possible,luckily your children seem to be fairly easy to feed It must be a nightmare if you have 'picky' ones.So its pasta,rice,lentils and lots of veggie soups to warm you up through the winter.I made three litres with just four past their best parsnips and a couple of wrinkly apples yesterday I chucked some curry powder in as well and boiled it until the parsnips were soft then blitzed it in the blender.I had a big bowl at lunchtime and it was gorgeous nutty and sweet but with a bit of an afterkick :) I think it must have cost me around 70p all told to make and I have two and a half cartons left in the fridge This will be used to extend (streeetch) my dinners or as lunch with some cheese and crackers.
I also made some jelly and added a strained tin of broken mandarin oranges this morning jelly 30p,battered tin of fruit 30p made 6 yoghurt pots full for 60 p cheap and cheerful pudding. i use a lot of veggies if I can although I do also eat meat but veggie lasagne or curry is delicious and cheap as chips I make those as well and try not to buy frozen stuff if I can make it cheaper myself.The £7.00 forum is full of ideas and also www.agirlcalledjack has lots of ideas on how to make a pound do the job of three.Good luck homney I do hope you get to feel a bit better soon and life improves for you
Cheers JackieO in Kent xxx

Butterfly_Brain

I am glad you are nearly finished with wonga, they are nothing more than loan sharks feeding off of the most vulnerable :mad:
Do you have a credit union close to you? They are a much better option plus it means that you will have a savings account as well.