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.

Hi Op
Where abouts are you and what size nappies are you using?

Are you in London OP?

Sorry about the delay in replying.

Thank you so much for all the advice. To answer the main questions, I live in the South East (Kent). DD wears a size 5 nappy.

Prepperpig& Titsalinabum Thank you for the offer of eggs - I'm not sure if I'm near by to you, though if so, then yes please. How lovely of you

Ilovesooty We got advice from StepChange, and they worked a budget out for us, though we haven't applied for a DMP with them, so it wouldn't affect our bank. It was an unexpected direct debit that caused the problem.

EmmaLL25 I have no money in the bank at all - Its overdrawn now. I don't have anyone that can give food either. I know my ds2 is entitled to free lunches (year 1), though I took him off them as they were just giving him cheese sandwiches (he has food issues) I am putting him back on for this week, as something for lunch is better than nothing.

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty I don't have either a Nector or Clubcard. I wish I did now. Or a Boots card seastargirl

LIZS Only ds2 is entitled to free lunches. I normally give him packed lunch, as he has food issues, however he's back to dinners this week. (They will feed him cheese sandwiches, which is ok for a few days)

PurpleCrazyHorse I don't think I'd be eligible for an overdraft, or dh.

TidyDancer DS1 cant walk in, his school is a 30min+ bus ride away, though I will look into the hardship grants for travel that lljkk mentioned. DS2 & I walk in to his school (10 minutes away) DH however works locally, and could even ride in on his bike, as Electrolux suggested.

Goandplay Yes, I did have PND (am on the very tip of having emerged from the hell that was) I am mostly ok now, and have quite a few good day(more so than bad) I'm very aware now though of stressful situation, and what I can & cant cope with.

SilentBob Yes, I did say on my other thread I had a stock of nappies. I thought I did. DH stocks 3 packs a time, for £12 at Asda (I don't go to the big 4 - they are large, noisy, packed & stressful. I end up panicking & get hot & flustered) So I thought DH had topped them up, and he thought he would wait until the weekend to do so.

WonderingWillow What a lovely thing to do I've never been in the position to possibly need to visit the food bank, and I'm ever so grateful they are there, in case I do need too.

LondonLady I'm in Kent.

I am going to search through the house for pennies & sort through anything that can be sold through gumtree / facebook / CEX / pawned.

I will post a list of foods up when I get the chance, and thank you to everyone who offered to help me see what I can make from it all.

I'm fairly sure you would be eligible for help from the food bank, I volunteer for one and we see people in your position frequently.

Near us (not sure if it's the same by you) a gp, hv, cab can refer you- as well as children's centres. Well worth a look

Definitely use a foodbank. See the school to see if your DS1 can have school lunches this week and you will pay for them when you get paid and flog the voucher on a FB local page - you will get the money in cash with no fees.

Definitely pawn anything you can.

Sorry OP I'm in the Midlands and so Kent is a very very long way away. I'm sure there are MNers in Kent who could help out though.

I'm in kent. I've messaged you to see if you are near me.

Op you can make nappies from old towels if your desperate. I'm sure you can fashion an over wrapper from plastic. It's not ideal but will get you through a week.

Obviously ask for help on local pages someone will have nappy wraps or nappies that can help.

Do you have seim nappies? They can be used as over wrap and washed and reused.

OP Ive sent you a PM

OP - I've also sent you another PM. If you can get to a collection point at tesco I'm happy to buy you some nappies on click and collect.

Some really wonderful people here. I'm nowhere near Kent but will pop extra bits in my local food bank and think of you, op. It could happen to any of us x

Afternoon all,

We really hate doing this, but when any threads of this nature are flagged up to us, we're obliged to post the following message:

Can we remind everyone that we do advise all our members that, although we're awed daily by the support our members give each other through life's trickier twists and turns, we'd always caution anyone never to give more of themselves to another poster, emotionally or financially, than they can afford to spare.

We can see the OP has been a MNer for years, btw, and have no reason to think this isn't genuine.

Margaritte, we really hope things start to get a bit easier for you soon.

My offer still stands OP. Happy to arrange nappies and some food via click and collect.

OP, I can offer no more advice than you are already getting, and although I am in the South East too, it is a big area and I am not near enough to help.

I just wanted to offer some moral support though, rather than read and run.

I was in a similar situation until just over a year ago. I remember the sleepless nights it caused me and the stomach churning dread I had of anything related to my bank account. I had been looking for work for a long time after a spell as an SAHM, which had been forced on me due to the cost of childcare.

I have found part time work now, and things have eased, but as I said, I have been where you are. It is shit, but I admire the honesty and determination with which you are tackling it. I wish you well, and hope that whatever plans you have to claw your way out of this will come to fruition soon.

Don't give up hope. Keep your chin up, day by day. You aren't alone. Many of us hit lean patches and it can be so hard to see the way through. I thought I would never get through it. It was a horrible, horrible time. I did get through it when I found my job though. It isn't the highest paying, but I love it and for me it has literally been a life-saver. I don't live in fear of not having money for food anymore for now, though I do live in fear of ever ending up back where I was. I don't think that fear will ever leave me, but at least my children will be more or less independent in a few short years now (DD1 is 20, DD2 is 16 and DD3 is almost 13). So I hang on in there in the hope that the next lean period will be less lean and less stressful.

to you. You are doing so much better than I did. You will get through this, though that is probably hard for you to see at the moment. Never, ever think you are alone, no matter how much it feels like it.

This has happened to us in the past. We took anything of value to cash converters. Not nice but had to be done.

I must investigate any local foodbanks near us. I am sure there are some. I feel I should make donations now and then and be more supportive now that I can just about afford it.

I am too far away to help you, but maybe not so for some local people.

Topseyt that is a really lovely post.
Ive been there too, actually counting slices of bread and eggs to make sure there was definitely a meal.
I sold soooo much, even below its worth to just get the cash quickly.
Really am willing you on OP.
You are not alone

How old is ds, can he cycle to school? When we ran out of money, dh cycled the children to school and nursery in a bike trailer, the bus journey was a similar length to your ds. Do you know anyone who has a bike trailer or tag along you might be able to borrow?

Definitely post what you have in the cupboards, every little thing. We can help you meal plan. Tell us exactly how many days til pay day too?

Have a look online at Christians against Poverty. You don't have to be one to access their help and they do offer really good practical support. Your local food bank will also help. Good luck!

Just this

I'm sorry you're in this position op, I can't imagine how worrying it is.

Honestly, the first thing I would do is sell anything I could on Facebook. Search your local one - people sell clothes, books, blenders... anything. Offer something at a realistic price and take the first decent offer from someone who can pick up and pay immediately.

A gurdwara will also give you a meal if you need it. I know its hard to ask for help but who cares when your children need to be fed.