Single mum on last £30 HELP PLEASE!!

Burlesque_Babe

Have to agree doom and gloom, charity shops get some really good stuff in sometimes. Unfortunately, the bigger charities sift through and remove some of the really good stuff to ebay (Oxfam for one) but I've found the trick is to go to charity shops in posh/well heeled areas because you get a much better quality 'castoff'.

David_Mee

Boomdocker wrote: »

Dizzy, have a look at some of the hamper/christmas threads once things have settled down a bit. You really dont need to spend a huge amount on friends and family to give a thoughtful gift. Obviously its your choice and we are all different but you could save loads here with a little effort and you'll have great fun doing it.

Equally, if I found out a friend of mine in your situation had spent good money on getting me a pressie I would be mortified.

Sure it takes balls to tell people things are bad and you can't afford much more than a card but most are probably aware you're not loaded and those that don't well sod em

Merlot

Hi,

I no expert on the DFW board, but you can go to the Post office for your telephone calls, they don't charge you a monthly fee just your line rental (£9.95 per month) and all calls after six and at weekends are free, and you know someone else who is with the Post office, the calls are free at anytime, I have this and so do my family who live many miles away, it saved me a fortune.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump1?catId=19300215&mediaId=19300217

I hope that linked worked, I am pretty useless at links.

For the internet:

http://www.pipex.co.uk/products/mini/

The package above is £8.99 per month and offers a free wireless router. It does go up after 3 months to £14.99 per month, I use Pipex and I have got to say they are fantastic, and a UK based call centre which is great!

HTH.

Merlot

MrKnowItAll

Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 . They cannot take your Benefit to pay off your overdraft.

angelavdavis

Hi and welcome,

Sorry to hear things are on a downer for you. You have received good advice though.

I can't emphasise enough the point to go onto the Old Style board. Go through the cupboards/freezer/fridge and list out on the board whats in there and ask for ideas for dinners - this is known as the storecupboard challenge and its amazing how it can help you stretch out the monies. Having used tips on the OS board, I have managed to lower my food bills to £170 for two adults per month - and that includes wine and beer! Whilst I was paying off my £18k credit card debt, OH and I reduced our going out to twice a month (as we like going out for meals).

Have a good sift through your stuff that you don't use/wear any more and sign up to ebay to get the emails about cheap listing days. Post up your stuff the next cheap listing day and then set this money aside to pay off the OD.

The tips on opening a basic bank account to move your benefits are good. It will also allow you to monitor every penny and put spare £ at the end of each month into your overdraft account to gradually reduce it down without leaving you destitute.

Good luck with getting things sorted.

johncolescarr

Hi,

My sister had exactly the same problem with her bank account, The most important thing to do is to start getting the benifits paid into another account. You must have had a lot of charges on this account. After you have got sorted in the short term with the advise of other on here, make sure you re-claim these, its disgusting that banks do this to people who need the money the most. You can use these for funds or to pay money off of the balance, sorry if you have already done this, just checking.

wok_boy

You can set up a post office account, that just accepts benefits payments.

krisskross

MrKnowItAll wrote: »

Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 . They cannot take your Benefit to pay off your overdraft.

I am sure this is not what the act says. I understood it to mean that things like benefit payment books cannot be taken as security by a third party to pay off debts. People on benefits have to pay their debts the same as anyone else.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

Come on dizzy..you know you want to join us on the Old style thread ... it isnt all about going without, sweating over a hot stove for hours a day.... just about stretching what you buy that little bit further..and making better choices in the supermarket..:T

The folks on there are brilliant.. you can get loads of recipes, hint n tips... plent of stuff that is quick to do..plenty of things to make so you and your little one don't feel like you are going without.... Twinks hobnobs for a start.. they beat the "real" ones hands down..

I am doing a challenge at the moment -that started out of curiosity more than need, so at the moment i am feeding me and hubby on £60 well 80 euros a month :rotfl: ....i did it once... but now can't see the point in spending the rest of my food budget if i don't have too . and trust me we aren't starving or eating garbage....
Hm sausages
chicken dinners
steak n mushroom pie
pizzas
chillies..just all home made

Im not suggesting that you have to go that low, as if i shop around here - i can get food cheaper than in th UK.. and i don't have a little one to feed.. but you will be amazed at the small changes you can make that have a big impact on your money....
so come and say hello on there..and see what help you can get

dizzyb_2

Thanks for your message. I have heard of this act before from a helpful poster on here. (everyone has been wonderful) How do i go about enforcing this act with them then?? The only money i have going in, is benefits and they are taking interest only at the moment and i can't freeze it- so the bank manager says. Even if i stop touching the account. I have opened a new account with Abby today to get benefits paid into but the interest will keep coming and coming i suppose. He said i can be referred to the debt management team but i don't know what to do as he says he wouldn't recommend it if i can help it- Why?

Also, a friend has said he will lend me £200 to get me below my agreed overdraft (£1500) which will take me down to £1492, but then come Oct 18th, £20.83 will be charged for interest, taking me back over my limit incurring.... what!? More charges or more interest!? I don't know!! My head is in peices!!! Should i use the £200 to bumpf up the Abby account or pay it in to hsbc for it to be swallowed up? I am totally lost. Any more help would be hugely appreciated.