to wonder what the fuck to do now? (Immediate financial problem)

[Margaritte]

We are on a very tight budget for the next couple of months. We know this, and have got advice from StepChange & I posted a thread on here for recipe /shopping advice.

However, today our card declined trying to pay for £22 or so worth of shopping. We were not expecting that, and now I am very worried and starting to panic

We have some food in for dinners. No packed lunch food though, for ds1 & 2 and dh. We have no milk (well, enough for a bottle tonight for dd) and are down to 3 nappies.

Payday isn't until end of next week, so have to do something until then.

Family? Parents or inlaws who could help out?

Food bank?

Can you check how much money you have available. Maybe you were just over the limit and still have £20 or so to spend.

Is there a food bank nearby?

That's a foodbank situation, surely?

And they may have nappies available. If not I suggest looking on local facebook selling pages for reuseable nappies, if you can afford to wash them for a week or two? No use if you've got to put money on an electric key.

Check exactly how much IS in your bank account and go from there I guess.

Do you have any family and friends locally you can go to for help?

My friend was very very tight a few months ago and I gave her half a pack of nappies and a pack of wipes, I know another friend gave her a few meals that she already had in the freezer but didn't really need.. Family might be more willing to give you money..

Really really try and avoid wonga and the like, it tends to cause more trouble.

Do you have a credit card for really basic need expenditure such as milk?

Can you ring the bank and check what went out. If its a direct debit that went out today you could get it cancelled and refunded so you would get your money back.

Update to say we have remembered an old M&S gift card we have, for £20. So am hoping that will do the lunches (no idea of prices / whats good to buy , as we don't food shop there)

So just nappies now. And petrol for dh work / bus fares for ds1.

Right, list of goods in cupboards/fridge/freezer

Do you have Tesco/Sainsburys vouchers, or any PayPal lurking?

Scout about and sell bits and bobs, I've just sold a half used foundation for £13-50 on eBay that will but next weeks fruit and veg at the market for family of 5

Sign up with market research companies, taking ds and a friend this week, they get £15 each me £25 as chaperone

Have been in dmp for 5 years now, 2 more left to go, so totally been there done that

Hope time passes quickly

Daft question maybe - is there even £20 or £10 in account you can take out?

I'd be looking into your local food bank for essentials. Not sure how that works.

Any family that could chuck you a few tins from cupboard?

If things are so tight do you qualify for free school lunches.

Pasta with cheese or pesto perfectly fine for packed lunch (and several dinners if needed).

Have you been hit by an unexpected bill that the £22 wasn't there?

Do you have a local Facebook site that you could sell a few bits and pieces on? Old toys/books/clothes? These items usually sell well and if you price reasonably you could raise another £10-£20 over weekend.

Have you opened a basic bank account in order to fulfil your direct debits etc? It could be that if you're about to enter debt management your bank has frozen your account.

For packed lunches can you do cold pasta or rice salads in tupperware? Just mix with a bit of whatever you have to hand eg chopped up ham/sweet corn/peas etc.

1st of month on Monday means banks take money out on the Friday. Have been caught short by this in past.

If there is any cash in an account anywhere take it out so can't be swallowed.

Look for any loose change in house, e.g. back of sofa, bottom of purses etc.

Either kid eligible for school dinners, free in the infants?

Ham, cheese spread, their tinned soups are nice, crisps sometimes on offer, just trying to think of some of the cheaper things I buy from there that could make up a packed lunch...bananas

Have you checked your bank accounts. Anyone you could borrow £20 off to get some basics?

Food shop at M&S at the end of the day for their marked down stuff

Join Milk&More to get things like bread, milk and cheese delivered to your door (by a milk man) and pay for it next month. It's slightly more than in the shops for most things (though they have regular offers which brings things back to Tesco type prices) but if you know you have money coming in soon it's a great way to manage a cash flow shortage

Sorry- I crossed posts with every reply.. Oswin- I will call them, as I have just seen it was an unexpected direct debit (due to come out on the 19th)

BeansInBoots No credit card we can use.

Family wont help, and I wont be in a position to pay friends back for a couple of months.

Busking?

Again, crossed posts with everyone that posted since my update re M&S voucher -sorry!
Will read all and reply

Pawn something for a loan, sell something on a FB page quick, use the M&S card for nappies, too, borrow from a mate or family, foodbank and sell the M&S voucher for petrol/bus money?

Time to sell something at a local pawn shop I think. We were in dire straights a year ago (redundancy) and I pawned my wedding ring. They keep it for a few months and you can buy whatever you pawn back with interest. The interest wasn't too bad, either.

Yes pawn something. You can buy it back if you have the money in a few weeks but you may have a couple of bits you won't miss if you can't buy them back.

Do you know why your card was declined? If you aren't sure you need to ring the bank and find out so you know if there are more charges coming.

Could you take your phone's /gadgets / tv to a cex shop or equivalent to get some instant cash?

Foodbank! Thank goodness they exist at moments like this. It will supplement the m&s shop. Hopefully a combination of the two will get you through. Good luck!

Have you a boots advantage card with points on? Might be able to get nappies with that?

Check Facebook selling pages we often have people giving away half packs of nappies.

sounds silly maybe but if u have stuff in cupboards can u bake bread or scones for lunches.... any money boxes in hse. . collections of pennies etc... sometimes u can be suprised how quickly they'll mount up...

m s is dear enough ut do have offers o think... buy maybe mince or chicken to last a few dinners... don't know of man s mark things down in evenings if their about to go over best buy date...

best of luck