my SOA June 2007

earwig

hi im sorry at your loss it must be hard losing someone so close so quickly go over to the bankrupcty board they will give you lot of adive on whats best to do but you must do somthing as you are spending more than you earn and on the figures you gave above show in five years you will have 1600 added to your debt with out intress or any other spending what you might need to do

newlywed

Can I just ask you said you sit in front of the "dryer" on cold days to get warm... but have stopped making hot drinks to save leccy?

Do you realise how much electricity a tumble dryer actually uses? Are you using it very often? Can you hang clothes out or use an indoor airer?

anniestar

What type of food do you like? I agree that a slow cooker would be a great idea for you you could make a batch of food and freeze half. Tell us what you LIKE to eat and I am sure that we can come up with something easy, quick and cheap for you to start on. I understand that you don't like cooking, but it WILL save you loads. What about farm shops, Lidil.,Netto, or Aldi? By the way we don't always eat value/smart price brands, far from it. Seasonal stuff is good and quite cheap.I notice you like fish do you have a decent market or fishmonger? Anywya, do post your likes and dislikes who knowes you may actully get into cooking. Good luck.

SeriouslyStressed

Hi Newly,
I dont use the dryer often, but when i do I get double the benefit of it by sitting nearby to leech the ejected heat as the clothes dry. I did'nt mean I just turn it on to get warm! Lol! Not sure where you live but it rains and rains here. I should see about getting an indoor rack but I cant see how anything will dry when the house is so cold anyways? Last time i tried that with tea towels, they just went all stinky ( after washing ) as they where damp for so long, and needed washing again!

angelavdavis
re contacts. I wear the ones I get from Tesco, tenner a month but then there's saline, and disinfectant on top of that, so actually works out to my figure per year.
Last year I was wearing Acuvue lenses ( 2 weekly disposables ) but was wearing each pair ( with occational cleaning ) for 3 months in total per pair.
I'd had those lenses from 2 years ago so where even out of date.
I've tried and tried spec's ( i have a pair ) but I get really upset and stressed ( angry ) as they grease up really quickly as I'm a greasy skinned git, I cant see propperly wearing them, nothing looks straight as it should, and it blocks my nose giving me a stuffy headache all the time i have them on. I dont get any of these problems with contacts.

re shopping;- i restrict myself to Aldi ( like a lidl ) and Morrisons offers or the basics ( milk and rolls or bread if on offer .. never bought a full priced loaf )
shampoo i use morrisons own brand, conditioner is Fructis, and I get only when on offer. Loo rolls etc.. just whatevers on offer. No treats as such ( unless you count rolls as treats over a loaf )
I know things will settle financially in about 6 months to me being just breaking even. It's the whole bit inbetween thats got me stressing.
I've already had a visit from mental health community assesment folk ( suicide risk at moment ) and I next see my doctor in 6 weeks.

I'm going to try filling in a DHP ( Discretionary Housing Payment ) form , to see what comes of it as I'm really struggling.

Lloyds TSB just phoned and I picked it up! ( not like me, i thought it might be AXA Insurance with a better house insurance quote )..
anyhoo... LLoyds lady says I've not paid my £75 minimum for MAy/June !!! shocked , turns out i've NOT had that statement delivered and the cheeky !!!!!!s are charging me £12 for a late payment! even though it's not my fault! aaargh... Citibank have said they're putting my intrest up to 21.9%apr from 17 i think it was. BOY are THEY in for a shock.

SeriouslyStressed

for Aniie re food likes..
Currently... I am eating a tin of tuna ( 35p Aldi ) and a tin of tomatoes ( 17p Morrisons ) a day.
well, actually, I had two tins tuna yesterday with a load of lettuce ripped up and covered it with vinegar and sugar ( and a little salad cream that was in the fridge )
No fishmongers here, I like fish in butter sauce and potatoes with peas, aldi carlos pepperoni frozen pizza ( 99p ) fish fingers are ok with maybe erm.. runner beans? or peas? i dunno... dont do lamb, pork, beef, but I do like chicken. we used to get frozen chicken breasts from netto ( 25 miles away )
Sorry, i should stop saying 'WE', but it's hard not to. sorry just having an emotional moment. be back later.

newlywed

Seriouslystressed. Hope you are ok. Know it must be such an emotional time for you.

Everyone here is so good at working ways to cut budgets, so many tips to be found. Over on the Moneysaving Old Style board there are recipes there and some "help I can't cook" kind of threads so if you want some easy recipe ideas, you can always pop over there.

RAS

Hi

The slow cooker works really well with chicken and it need not be the expensive bits like breast. Thighs work an absolute treat. Add a small onion, a carrot or two, if you like them and any other veg, turnip, celery, swede, whatever is season. You could add a stock cube, or mix a cheap cuppa soup with water, or add tomatoes. herbs of you want or not Lots of variety from a single basic recipe. make enough for two or three portions and freeze the others. if you do a few new potatoes then you have you carbs for the first meal included.

Slow cookers can be got for nothing on www.freecycle.com. just sign up for your local group. They tend to be collect only, but if you tell people when you can collect, most will wait a bit for you to be in the area.

beanielou

Hi seriously stressed(& no wonder)
Sorry to hear of the loss of your mum so quick.ly.
You have a lot to deal with at the mo.
Do you get DLA? Have you thought of claiming it?
I dont know what your previos employment was but is there a benevolent fund you could maybe apply to?
If you are seriously thinking of going bankrupt you need to change your bank account to a basic account not linked to any of your creditors & make no contact with your creditors.
Take lots of care.

juliapenguin

Hello SeriouslyStressed

As others have said, I'm really sorry for your loss - the last thing you need on top of that is money worries. I have to admit that I shed a tear at the thought of you being hassled by creditors on the phone at a time like this.

I agree with lots of what the others have said, especially about learning some new cookery tricks. In my opinion, eating cheap/value ready made food is the pits after a while, whereas eating home made food from dirt cheap/value ingredients is fantastic and half the price! You might have a few scary meals while you're experimenting, but you'll soon learn which things you like and adapt the things that don't work out just right. Three months ago I would have sworn that I hated all lentils and beans, but I've actually made some delicious meals with them and I'm a bit of a convert now.

Keep looking on the Old Style board - the recipe ideas on there are awesome and there's all sorts of threads where people make healthy tasty main meals for 50p a head - you'd need to make, say, four portions and freeze/fridge the extras.

Good luck!!!

anniestar

Have been thinking about your situation rather a lot. The first thing i need to say is that its very early days and combined with the huge loss is the shock at the speed of events. Please consider contacting Cruise. This is a breavement charity and they are wonderful. They listen, can advise and will I think help. Do take care, will post other(food related) stuff later on.