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.

Just logging in after my visitor has gone. I'll read back now and update your list of to-do jobs.

I think sfed's ideas are good. There is only so much economising people can do. Sometimes you both just need that second job on top of the full time job even if it means no weekend.

Revised List of jobs

1. Call Payplan (open until 3pm Saturday, closed Sunday) DONE
2. Call priority arrears companies and pay DONE
3. Take DCs out for a walk/play DONE
4. Plan meals (with MN help) DONE
5. Cook evening meal for 5 of you DONE
6. Whilst in kitchen, cook and freeze 2 meals with the mince (see cottage pie ^^ for one) DONE
7. Finish listing on Facebook (catch the weekend browsers)
8. Finish listing DVDs on musicmagpie
9. Blitz the housework

10. Complete the PPI claim using FREE site: www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/ppi-loan-insurance (ask GoringBit for help/advice - s/he was PPI adjudicator) 11. Google your local foodbank: www.trusselltrust.org/map and check your referral system (SureStart, GP etc) 12. Make arrangements to get a Food Bank referral (phone or email) 13. Go in loft and shed to seek more items to sell on FB, Gumtree, eBay. 14. Phoptograph and list the additional items 15. Browse DebtFreeWanabbee for more ideas and support forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76

2fedup thank you for posting on this thread. All ideas are welcome.

The idea of additional jobs to increase income has been accepted by the OP as the only realistic way out of this. However, she is working on a list of immediate things to do for short-term additional income. After that, we'll be pooling ideas for her/DH to manage 2nd jobs. At that point, I'll go back through the entire thread and pick up the ideas that people have suggested.

At the moment, the OP couldn't take in ironing for example as she needs to fill in a PPI claim, research how to be referred to a foodback etc.

But, once again, thank you for your suggestion.

LotusLight - thank you also.

I agree that a 2nd job is the way forward. My DH and I had professional jobs, had just got married and bought a house - 18 months later our budget was blown out of the water when his 14 year old daughter came to live with us permanently (no maintenance from Ex-wife) and we both had to do private tuition 4 evenings a week just to buy school uniform, feed an extra mouth (and her friends visiting), pay for school travel and trips, give her pocket money etc etc etc.

So I have been in the situation of 'too much month left at the end of the salary' and it was hard! But I would never have rejected DSD just because we couldn't afford her ......

Margaritte - have you been getting excessive bank charges for your overdraft? You might be able to reclaim these, especially if you have been receiving benefits. Money saving expert has a template letter you could use

Something to look into later in the week maybe?

And money saving expert website also has a brilliant budget planner. It allows you to change the figures so you can see how much you need to get in/ pay out to balance the books.

Hi Margaritte,
if you like doing surveys this site may help you gain a voucher or two to spend
www.i-say.com/Home/tabid/36/language/en-GB/Default.aspx?returnurl=%2fnosurveysSurveys%2ftabid%2f167%2flanguage%2fen-GB%2fDefault.aspx
and i dont know if you have heard of Qmee it puts a linky thing on your computer and if you click on the Qmee link to the web page your searching for it gives you a few pence a time (around 5/6p) which can be sent to your paypal account

Get a referral to the food bank tomorrow. I help out occasionally at one and they stock toiletries as well as food. Don't go pawning or arranging overdrafts unless you know your luck is going to change in the near future. What about Boots card points or Tesco vouchers, etc?

I have pm'd you although seen someone mention if you do it from a phone it might not work. If you don't get it msg me please I can help out getting some groceries etc delivered to you

So today I have completely blitzed (well needed) and added more things on to FB. Pulled a few bags out of storage, and am going to go through them in a while to list. I have tweaked & changed my finances on the StepChange website, quite a few times. I'm still not managing to level it out, although its not as bad as it was! I will go over to Money Saving Expert to try and really get it all sorted.

2fedup & LotusLight I will look at getting some extra income, as soon as I have finished everything I need to do. It's a very good idea, at the moment though this is taking the majority of my time up & am having to fit it around the dc.

somewheresomehow I will bookmark that link,& add it to my list of 'to do'. Thank you

ditherydora I will check that out as well, and if I'm applicable, I will do this at the same time as PPI.

Pumpeedo I have found out about the nearest food bank, its at a Sure Start centre. I think the Health Visitor there can help me to use this. However, I have had some lovely MNetters organise food & nappies, so I am ok for now. Also a few have secured food & nappies for the next week or so too.

If I've been pmed today, I will get back to you now

Just to add, thank you to everyone who has posted, or pmed me today. I'm sorry I haven't been on here much, I've been working through the list & trying to sort some other problems.

I've only read until page 9 of this thread and normally I'm a grumpy sod who doesn't cry but there are some tears in my eyes at the lovely generosity shown on here. Bloody love MN.

H Margaritte,

If/when you need another grocery shop let me know please.

If you've got some kidney beans and a bit of onion & carrot left - try these

10p bean burger

They're really lovely. I add a bit of extra seasoning and a splodge of tomato puree as well, but they're a brilliant, tasty recipe if you fancy a burger.

Jack Monroe's site is a godsend for cooking on an extreme budget. She's also very cleverly cross-referenced her recipes by ingredient - so if you've got something you don't know what to do with, you can look up ideas.

Still thinking of you and following the thread. :)

Amazing support, advice and encouragement for OP what a great community MN is. I hope your situation improves OP x

OP I can see you are having a torrid time of it and I can see how much the support here means to you. What I would say is that if this isn't a short term problems and the debt is big (don't think you've said how much) I would seriously consider bankruptcy or an IvA but make sure you take advice from one of they free agencies. You may find out you are much better off with something like bankruptcy.

Margaritte, I'll update your job list later tonight.

Would you give me permission to send your address to anyone who wants to send a home-delivery via Tesco/Ocado/Asda etc?

Eviltendency1 & Onedayinthesun Yes, MNetters have been amazing. I really couldn't have managed so far without all their support, help, ideas & support.

TheClacksAreDown It is something I am starting to consider (drastic action) as a few posts have mentioned experience of this, and the difference it made. I have spoken to both Stepchange & Pay Plan, so am going through my options.

SteelyPip They look fab I will give them a try, seem simple too, so maybe DS's can help me.

sadwidow Thank you, for the lists. They have helped get me into some order! It's good to have it written down, and know what to do and when. I was just running around everywhere, and was exhausted! Just went around in circles . I'm ok with PMs, thank you though for offering to help.

Its lovely to see so many people offering you help! I have a massive amount of admiration in how you and your family are handling this:)

I agree with other posters suggesting an IVA or bankruptcy it sounds like a debt plan in your circumstances is not applicable due to lack of income.

If you cannot pay your debts as due stop paying them and go down the routes available. The relief you will feel once this is done is enormous.

Thank you Whatsforsupper I'm looking into it, and may be the way to go.

Today I am starting with some more listings on FB. I am doing a rough plan of what else to cook this week, and then finish through my list. I will start to look at the extra income ideas too. Obviously, the most instant way for now is to offer services like ironing etc. Does anyone do anything like this? Maybe you do something I haven't thought of!

I apologise for not reading the whole thread, and I'm sorry you're in a pickle financially. We've been there - it's shit. I'm sure many other posters have been helpful regarding food budgets, etc. On making extra money, work out what time you have and if you can get out of the house at all. Leaflet delivery doesn't pay much but can be done with children in tow and is paid exercise! Cleaning, early mornings, might fit in with before getting kids ready for school. Do you have a crafty skill? Baking, card making, pictures, hairdressing, photography, upcycling furniture? Facebook is perfect for starting a little home business to supplement income :)

Perhaps other posters can advise you on tax and cash in hand/freelance. You might need to register as self-employed, and if you do any extra work get yourself an invoice book or make a template invoice in Word. It's not difficult but better done from the beginning. Each invoice needs a unique number, the rest is straightforward - writing the amount and what it was for, and your tax reference.

Don't be afraid of doing freelance though, it may be a great way to add to income. You just need to keep records and also keep receipts if you have to buy anything (materials to make cards, buying a steam iron, bus fare) as this will be tax deductible.

Odds are you won't earn enough to pay much if any tax, but I think it's worth knowing about (you may even get some PAYE tax back if you had to spend on the freelance stuff - remember you can claim part of your electric/phone as 'home as office' expenses too)

Perhaps for another thread, but suffice to say, keep records of any extra income - even eBay sales and so on.

Revised List of jobs (Monday)

1. Call Payplan (open until 3pm Saturday, closed Sunday) DONE
2. Call priority arrears companies and pay DONE
3. Take DCs out for a walk/play DONE
4. Plan meals (with MN help) DONE
5. Cook evening meal for 5 of you DONE
6. Whilst in kitchen, cook and freeze 2 meals with the mince (see cottage pie ^^ for one) DONE
7. Finish listing on Facebook (catch the weekend browsers) DONE
8. Blitz the housework DONE
9. Go in loft and shed to seek more items to sell on FB, Gumtree, eBay.DONE

10. Google your local foodbank: www.trusselltrust.org/map and check your referral system (SureStart, GP etc) DONE --------------- 11. Send PMs to SteelyPip and CatherineOfAbdomen re: ordering on-line food/household deliveries (e.g. DCs lunch boxes) 12. Finish listing DVDs on musicmagpie 13. Complete the PPI claim using FREE site: www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/ppi-loan-insurance (ask GoringBit for help/advice - s/he was PPI adjudicator) 14. Look into possibility of refund on bank charges using template letter here: www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/bank-charges 15. Make arrangements to get a referral for local Surestart Food Bank (phone or email the HV) 16. Photograph and list the additional items for sale 17. Browse DebtFreeWanabbee for more ideas and support forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76