Help - we feel like we've done everything we can, and we're still piling on the debt!

Zazen999

Hi.
We won't get bored - everyone wants you to succeed.

boredofbeingathome

Well done BR, i hope your time gets more productive and proactive.There has been some lovely positive advice on here which i am taking up myself. It's amazing the amount of collective knowledge there is out there and that when in dire need we can take advantage of the wealth of positive advice. Keep up the good fight and the suggestions to your OH!!!

Zazen999

Hi
Just had a thought whilst I was in the bath...

If your teenage one is in 6th form; two other options if the threat to pull him out of where he is unless you get a fee reduction fails...
a - although the local 6th forms have said that he can't start as midway between a year; what would happen if you had moved there - would they have accepted him then? I might be worth a sneaky phone call enquiring and if so, just book him in.
b - if that fails - presumably he is doing A levels??? that's what we did at 6th form back in my day anyway. Can't he transfer to a college and get these funded?

P.S.; everyone feels difficult about this sort of thing - that is normal! I had to make a decision about getting even more into debt to get through uni about 8-9 years ago; and it paid off for me - I only cleared my debts last year but it was so worth it for me...sometimes it has to get worse before it gets better. Right now - it is bad but if you make these changes now it will get better for you.

And you have us to keep nagging you right back onto program.

firesidemaid

hi there

just offering up some hints and tips that i have learnt off this site.

asda and tesco take money-off coupons - you don't have to buy the item as long as they sell it! asda take up to 10% of the value of your bill, tesco more. i get them from mags at work and public places:rolleyes: - ther are even threads on this site that let you know where the good coupons are eg. buy the sun for 35p and get a coupon for £1.35 ie. £1 profit, buy lots of copies of the sun! also look in shops and on cs desk.

eggs are cheap, we sometimes have eggs, chips and beans for a change! asda chicken thigh fillets are 6 for £2.48 (as good as breast - either cook as or chop for curries etc). cheap cuts of meat/beef that you have to cut up yourself - make stews and bulk out with carrots/potatoes and pearl barly and dumplings. cheap 'real' fish in the freezer section eg. bag of frozen pollock fillets - loads - for £1.69. jackets with tuna/sweetcorn, cheese and beans etc. homemade pitta pizzas with tom puree and whatever toppings you have available.....

porridge for breakfast - tesco value won the which taste awards. sarnies for luch with value crisps - try not to buy the treats like pringles, even if they are on bogof. look at everything in your basket - do you really need it?

have you signed on if you are not working? i very much admire your coming on here and asking for help. the more time you spend on this site, the more ideas you will find and the more money you will save. x

i have to say that i can save more money on food shopping if i leave oh at home!

mum2one

You want to go shopping with my father.... hes such a money saver......... hes been taught well, hes even been known to read shelf edge tickets to see how much per 100g the item works out.

He dreads going shopping with me, I spot the bogof expensive icecream bars!

Thou since he realised Tesco take money off vouchers im allowed to go in, but must sit in the cafe till hes ready to pay - then I have to hand the vouchers over - he wont !! so I have "borrowed" one of dd spare money boxes and now labelled it - supermarket savings!! £6.00 so far, thats just 1 shop x

mhe

Hi BR
you have made the first step which is always the hardest and things can only get better from now on.
HAve you tried going to ASDA at about 9pm at night? The one by me sells bread then for about 5p and I stock up and stick it all in the freezr. DH moans that he can hardly squash it all in. You can also get food going cheap as it nears its sell by date and some of this can be frozen so it doesnt matter.
TRy going somewhere else for your toiletries. I live in the NW and we have a shop called HomeBargains - it trades under other names in the MIdlands but you can buy branded stuff in there for a fraction of the cost eg arrid deod for DH for 69p on Sunday.
The storage box needs to be looked at I feel. My memories are in the loft and garage - I wont part with them and dont want you to either but £20 a month for storing them is too much when you cant afford it. You must have a spare room in your house - cd you not use that until you get sorted and then re rent the box when you are more solvent?

fc123

mum2one wrote: »

You want to go shopping with my father.... hes such a money saver......... hes been taught well, hes even been known to read shelf edge tickets to see how much per 100g the item works out.

I confess! I do that now too! Esp as I am V anti supermarket and will only give then the absolute minimum profit.

I read "Shopped" by Joanna Blythman...full of their little con tricks.
Since comparing prices per kilo etc (they also mix up weights like put price per 100g but you just move the decimal point to compare:D )

Stella lager was on offer in large bottles. I think it was 24 in box.
But the mini bottles in packs of 12 were 25% less per litre. In Lidl this week, the mature cheddar had a big, neon sign saying sooper value (or something like that) and was £7.48 per k but a smaller pack (which one would assume to be cheaper) was £4.89 per kilo. same quality cheese.

As i don't do intensively farmed meat (and can't afford the good stuff often), I have learnt how to make loads of really tasty veggie meals and my OH was a real steak man before.
Amazing what one can do with a tin of kidney beans!
www.epicurious.com is quite good for recipes.

At our lowest point 2 yrs back OH was getting breathless (he doesn't smoke and is pretty trrim +fit), pains in chest, tingling arm etc. We thought he was heading for a heart attack @age 40. We bust the budget and paid for a BUPA check. After the scans etc he was shown to be superfit and they didn't even bother with the treadmill test.
Dr put it down to panic attacks caused by worry.

More exercise (walking a lot...saves bus fares!) seemed to do the trick plus he wasn't very involved in all the budget planning and the day to day running of the cashflow in our business........he just left it to me....and then absorbed my stress and ranting if things were too tight.

I made him become more pro-active and I think it made him feel not so out of control.

You are doing fine!!!

boredofbeingathome

Thanks fc123 for the website, i have just had a look and some of the recipes look great and cost pennies. I am now also an official stardrops fan for cleaning - again costing pennies(59p)

BlushingRose

[quote=sazzacat;8115773have_you_signed_on_if_you_are_not_working?_[/quote]

I think the OH earns too much for me to get any money...however, I shall ring and enquire

boredofbeingathome

BlushingRose wrote: »

I think the OH earns too much for me to get any money...however, I shall ring and enquire

Good luck with that, there are some helpful advisers in there, you may find that if you cannot get benefits then you may be able to get on a free course which would enable you to get another job. although you may already be very well qualified, and its just a thought to look into.:D