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.

* local one should read local selling page

Carboot sale would be a great start. Maybe a bit of FB selling tonight to raise entry fees? People will come promptly for the right prices. Any garden toys? Slides or sand pits are selling quickly. Or outgrown school uniform?

Does your DS know anyone he could get a lift with for a couple of days?

You can make nappies with hand towels and a flannel for a booster. Maybe your local HV has a cloth nappy library? Or ask on FB or free cycle. I'd have given mine away if someone asked for them.

Packed lunch drinks can be water, with a sandwich and a piece of fruit or yoghurt £2 would do a whole week.

Shout out if you need car boot tips :)

'Carboot sale would be a great start. Maybe a bit of FB selling tonight to raise entry fees?'

She has no money and has no money for petrol. It's not really a good idea to use one's last 10p to use as entry fee for a carboot sale and your last drop of petrol on that, especially because depending on what she has to sell she may not make any money. They don't always make you money.

Good idea after they get paid, but if you have only £20 left for a week it's best not to potentially squander it.

Pawn stuff! Cash converters might still be open.

If the direct debit has definitely been taken early (you suggested it wasn't due until the 19th) then you can ask your bank to make an immediate refund to your account under the direct debit guarantee ("immediate" being same working day, so would be Monday).

Any old holiday currency in a drawer you can exchange?

Any cheques (maybe made out to kids?) you've forgotten to bank?

Can you give the kids an IOU for their piggybacks?

Maybe advertise on FB for babysitting or lawn mowing services? Or tip runs seems to be popular round here.

Any old clothes or books for one of those cash for clothes places?

Fair enough EPIS - does depend on what you have, where you are in relation to a CBS and what the entry fee is.

I can always summon a car full of unwanted items, ours is a 5 min drive away and costs £5 so usually £100+ profit as I've got a big car and charge low prices to get stuff sold.

OP - if you're interested in doing one and want to list what you have we could give ideas of potential sale prices to see if it would be worthwhile.

Something else that would sell quickly is patio furniture if you have any?

Local FB selling pages any good instead of car boot? No fees and you can state collection only. One quick way to get cash if the items sell.

OP

If you're in the south west (Gloucester/Wiltshire area), I have an unopened pack of size three nappies, DS has outgrown that size.

Can you ask a good friend for some cash? I would happily lend a friend some cash (and not expect it back) even if they said they wouldn't be able to pay me back for a few months.

Ai have 3 pull-ups from DD's nappy days left over. If you PM me your address I'm happy to post.

They are size 5

Have you used your m&s voucher yet? If not, go in the hour or so before closing in case there are reductions.
Good things to buy:
8 pints of milk are £2 at the mo
Porridge oats 70p and they are really tasty
They also have their own cheaper range for lots of products, so have a good look aroun. Red shelf edge labels indicate offers so watch out for those too.

Have you got any lentils etc? Use them to bulk dishes out?

My kids woild happily eat boiled rice in a chicken stick cube. Cheap and normally staple cupboard food.

stock cube

Check with the bank for an overdraft, they may understand and give it to you.
Do your children have any godparents who you could ask for help, or gps, any other relatives on either side?

Your eldest sons school should give him free lunches, do you not qualify for pupil premium (FSMs)? They should do it even if it is temporary. If you speak to his head of year or head teacher they should loan him money for dinners for a week (we do this in my school and in many partner schools i know around the UK).

Best of luck OP.
Give us a list of what you have, I am sure we can get creative!

Have you any unwanted clothes,shoes,bags? cash4clothes pay around £6 per kilo and I'm sure they will come and collect too,

Some really great advice and lovely people on this thread. I remember when DH was out of work, being so skint I was buying milk by the pint in Boots using my advantage card points. It was frightening. Food banks weren't really a thing back then. Please look up your local one and ask them for help to get you through the next week.

Margaritte I'd be happy to get a supermarket shop of basics delivered to you, I'll PM you.

A few short weeks ago, this was me. I was selling a handbag, bit of jewellery, shoes etc on FB. I got a pound, £3, £4 here and there. £20 saw me through the week inc petrol but it's bloody hard. I'm fab at making cheap nutritious meals but you can't make them out of fresh air. PM if you want, best wishes x

Crisis loan from government, very small payday loan (£40 or something) , family and friends, I for one would not allow any of my family and friends in genuine need to go without even if I had to borrow to give it to them. Do you have any thing you don't want that you could put on a Facebook selling page in your area? In my area you can bag up clothes you don't want and get paid per kg of clothing. Increase an overdraft on bank account temporarily.

'Crisis loan from government,'

Those ended years ago, unfortunately.

Have PM you love, thinking you are near to me x

I don't think you can get nappies with Ad Card points, it's supposedly for 'treats'. But could maybe use them for something that could then sell on fb?

Look into the kids getting free school meals, when things are tight at least you know they get one meal a day.

Councils can do emergency loans - see the CAB as soon as it opens on Monday. They can help you access the foodbank too and also refer you to a credit union for a local basic bank account.

Do the kids have any piggy banks? Horrid, I know, but you have to feed the kids first.

OP

you said you are in Kent. Are you eligible for this?

www.kent.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/care-and-support/care-and-support-at-home/home-essentials-in-a-crisis

Tesco value nappies size 5 are £1.40 for 20. They are good as bee using them after trying them on a skint week.