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£0 for 28 days!!! Any advice???

Ok I wasn't sure whether to put this in the Shopping pages or on debt, but I'm guessing people with experience with very little money can help me out here!!

I've had a ton of unexpected payments this month. and I got paid on the 15/09 BUT I have £0.00 like absolute £0.00. I get paid again on the 15/10

In a way I'm very lucky I have £0.00 I have no overdraft facility (and no access to one) so the fact my bills have been paid is one less thing to worry about.

Next month I will be fine, so It's really some reassurance... has anyone ever lasted a month and made no purchases? nothing!

I have food in the house, cheap rubbish in the freezer like fish fingers, chicken fingers, plain brown rice...etc. I'm 5 months pregnant so eating is my main issue, especially coming up with things to take to work that are safe to reheat...

I have no one to borrow off, and don't really want to go for a pay day loan.


So really... is it possible to live of £0 for a month? come on... reassure me! :)
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Comments

  • If you have no more outgoings to pay for the next 28 days, and you have access to food and water, then yes. Good luck.
  • Water - yes I still live in a house :)

    Food - I THINK I have enough for the month... but I'll have to start making some weird concoctions of things....

    I already melted some chocolate bars and mixed with cereal to make cereal bars... (ok that's cake!, but it's as close as damnit when you have no milk)

    The thing that's going to bother me is fresh fruit.... I have some frozen sweetcorn and carrots for veg... but no fruit for a month :(
  • Hi,

    I would pop over to the old style board there are lots of lovely people there who can help come up with a food plan for the month, do a stock take of what is in the freezer and cupboards.

    Is there anything you can sell?? old clothes, furniture which is taking up space. If you are on fb there are lots of local sites where you can sell things and people will come to you and pick them up. It might not be a lot but it maybe enough to buy some extras

    xx
    Thanks to money saving tips and debt repayments/becoming debt free I have been able to work and travel for the last 4 years visiting 12 countries and working within 3 of them. Currently living and working in Canada :beer: :dance:
  • Saza - thanks for the info :) Old Style board... I'm not sure what you mean? Do you have a link? :)

    I've put some things on the buy and sell on facebook for the odd £5 yesterday but so far no interest.

    I had a massive overhaul of clothes a couple of months ago on ebay so I could get some maternity clothes - so I don't really have anything else to sell :/
  • Tixy
    Tixy Posts: 31,455 Forumite
    edited 18 September 2014 pm30 12:01PM
    No fresh fruit/veg for a month is going to be tough, especially when pregnant.

    First thoughts -

    Anything you could sell to raise a small amount of money? I think selling things on facebook is popular as it is free?

    Any rewards points on supermarket loyalty cards/boots etc?

    Do you live anywhere rural enough to go foraging (e.g. lots of blackberries in the hedgerows currently)?

    Do you have any benefit income that would make you eligible for a sure start maternity grant? or the healty start scheme?

    Is a small advance from work a possibility?
    A smile enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give
    or "It costs nowt to be nice"
  • Look at what you own, work out what you need the least, and of those things, which will fetch the most ... sell that thing.

    Good luck (genuinely) :)
  • I agree with above, the Old Style board will be able to give great advise.

    However have you rang your bank to see if they can increase your overdraft, even if it's just £50, I dont think not eating properly for a month is a good idea. By your own admission you have no fruit and only junk in the freezer...
  • Thanks for the advice people. I'll try and reply to everyone in one go:

    Selling things - I honestly have nothing of any worth (except the things I have put on facebook, nearly new shoes, ornaments, a computer desk, so far no takers)

    Basically to highlight the situation a bit better. I don't earn any benefits and earn a decent enough wage £1,000 a month.
    I got myself into a lot of debt (18k) and when I decided to try and sort it all out the first thing I did was sell everything I owned (so smartphone (so now I'm paying a £30 contract for a £10 phone I use that can't even connect to the internet), TV, Furniture, clothing, anything that looked like someone else could use or want I sold.. after figuring out that wasn't clever I contacted Stepchange and I now have a DMP.

    So fast forward to now. I have a brand new bank account, no overdraft (and due to above you can see why I can't have one!) and my bank was frozen before my august direct debits had been taken, so this month, everything that I still have to pay for (phone, water, dentist, utilities, council tax...etc) all came out twice when I gave them my new details due to the month I missed. Nightmare! :)

    Sooooo Next month... I will have plenty of dosh spare for food, bus pass, etc. But this month I'm in a bit of a pickle!

    Like I said everything is already paid - bloody miracle I got to exactly £0.00!

    But wondered if anyone else had every managed a month with nothing...

    Oh and no... I don't live anywhere where I can find "free" food.

    It's at times like these I wish I knew them people who bin dip in tesco, asda...etc and live off all the out of date stuff ;)
  • Tixy
    Tixy Posts: 31,455 Forumite
    What date did your stepchange payment go out?
    If recently then I would be tempted to talk to them to see if there is any chance of them reversing most of it to you, and then informing your creditors that due to unexpected costs you can only afford token payments this month.

    I don't know if they can do this after the payment has gone to them, they certainly can it contacted before hand, but I'd say it was worth a try.
    A smile enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give
    or "It costs nowt to be nice"
  • Thanks to whoever mentioned vouchers/cards. Had a look through my purse and found and old tesco card (I never go to tesco) Logged in online and turns out I have £5.50 in vouchers that I haven't spent from last year still in date.

    I know it isn't a lot but I can get a good lot of smart price things for £5.50 :)
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