Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To use a Food Bank if I also had a holiday last month?

392 replies

NoseAboveWater · 09/12/2016 17:20

Checked my account this week and it's not good. I've had a few job options not work out. I now have an offer for February for part time so I'm obviously very happy, however it is minimun wage and freelance so I feel cautious about taking on a payday loan just in case. Not eligible for proper loan from bank as no income right now.

I went on holiday with a new bf last month before things got so serious with my money situation. Part of me thinks I need to prioritize rent and bills I can just about pay until new job starts, if I don't really buy food for the second half of December - I have plenty of food for about a week. However, I should not have gone away so it's my own stupid fault and so really don't deserve any help from the Food Bank. I've been hanging around supermarkets late for a few days trying to get reduced items but not having much luck. Been looking online for information about getting thrown away food from restaurants at night, not found anything yet, but if anyone knows where I could get that that would be great?

I cannot ask family or friends and certainly not bf. Wwyd? No children btw it's only myself so no worry there.

OP posts:
Amelie10 · 09/12/2016 19:10

Yanbu op!!! Ignore the stupid judgement you revived on here. Don't you know people on here are so perfect. If you need to use a food bank, do it. Flowers

dataandspot · 09/12/2016 19:10

Hate mr tumble

Where do you you buy a bag of pasta that would last for two weeks for a pound?!

ilovesooty · 09/12/2016 19:12

The OP won't get paid immediately if she signs up for an agency. She'd be lucky to get any payment before Christmas.

ItShouldHaveBeenJingleJess · 09/12/2016 19:13

sheldon. She HAS NO FOOD. What on earth, other than that, constitutes a 'last resort' in your book? She acknowledges she has made a grave financial error; it's a little too late for your usual chastisement of the 'irresponsible poor'. She's hungry, she needs to eat.

GloriaGaynor · 09/12/2016 19:13

It still takes a while to register with and agency, get the job and get paid. She only has food for a week.

Justaboy · 09/12/2016 19:14

so I feel cautious about taking on a payday loan just in case.

Meant to add for Christ sakes do most anything but get involved with those sharks!, spawn of Satan they are!

TowerRavenSeven · 09/12/2016 19:14

Haven't read the whole thread but based on the original post yes YABU since children are not in the picture.

I'd make do on the food I had to be honest.

witsender · 09/12/2016 19:15

I suggest you do read the whole thread then Tower. Hmm

GloriaGaynor · 09/12/2016 19:16

Oh ffs.

ilovesooty · 09/12/2016 19:19

Yes I'd agree that reading the thread might be an idea.

creakyknees13 · 09/12/2016 19:22

Sheldon, I am sorry to say but you are an idiot. This is a vulnerable person with MH problems who does not have a great support network and is scared/worried about telling people about her financial problems. I can imagine she feels great shame doing so too. I doubt you donate to food banks yourself, but do you really think that everyone who goes there is some virtuous waif and stray? People end up there because of poor budgeting and I can imagine that a hell of a lot end up there due to having taken payday loans, which the OP has mentioned and which she should absolutely never do. Stop judging.

creakyknees13 · 09/12/2016 19:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

dataandspot · 09/12/2016 19:27

Any fucker

I am really surprised by your comment. I usually look for your comments and agree with every word! How can you tell people to leave DV situations but not understand that even if a single person can and does get a job they will still have to wait to be paid?!

Butterymuffin · 09/12/2016 19:29

I've signed on with agencies in one week and had payment at the end of the second week for work done (weekly payments) but we're quite close to Christmas now even for that to work. Best ideas here have been:

  • use food bank with the aim of donating some food back into it herself when working again
  • going to soup kitchens etc
  • offering to volunteer in return for food. I would have thought that volunteers at homeless shelters etc get given something to eat while on shift (happy to be corrected by folk who know). Also I've read that there are often an excess of people wanting to volunteer on Christmas Day, but I bet not so many on the days before / after. Would that be something you could do to 'pay back', OP?
ilovesooty · 09/12/2016 19:31

I am genuinely shocked that some posters here really believe that single people shouldn't access food banks.

ifigoup · 09/12/2016 19:32

No judgement on whether you "should" use a food bank, but depending on where you live there might be options for free food.

Ideas:

  • look out for church carol services which will often include mince pies and mulled wine (you don't have to put anything in the collection plate). Even a normal Sunday church service will be followed by tea and biscuits.
  • big supermarkets often give out free samples (chocolate, biscuits, canapes etc) at this time of year.
  • Christmas market near you? Go and taste samples of as many of the cheeses and salamis as you can.
  • if you live near a university, lots of early evening parties and receptions will be happening in the public buildings at the moment as it's the end of term. Might be canapés, might be a full buffet. You're very unlikely to be challenged.
  • people have already mentioned bin diving. Small cafés are less likely to destroy the expired food before they chuck it out than big supermarkets are.
listsandbudgets · 09/12/2016 19:32

OP please try to get yourself referred. There is no reason that you should be punished with hunger just because you made a bad financial judgement and anyone who thinks that you should ought to be examining their conscious and hoping they never make a similar error.

The Sikhs will feed you without judgement ( take a headscarf though). the junk food project won't blink twice and do a lovely meal. the food banks are there to help you through a short term crisis. your local church will often have supplies of food they can offer to help short term.

Plenty of options... get out there and get fed and when you're back in your feet put some food back in the bank.

good luck. I hope things improve soon

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 09/12/2016 19:32

I don't understand the mentality on this thread that poor single people shouldn't be allowed to access food banks.

Very weird.

ConfusedHmmConfused

ilovesooty · 09/12/2016 19:33

Buttery I'm volunteering for Crisis and I've been told that I should bring my own food as there is no guarantee I'll be fed

Activities such as the Real Junk Food Project are different though.

shockthemonkey · 09/12/2016 19:33

I'm just sorry to read that you have a boyfriend yet you're lonely and you can't ask him to help you out.

I wish you all the best and hope you get both your finances and your relationships sorted soon

SheldonCRules · 09/12/2016 19:33

Creaky, you are right. It's not a charity I support but there are lots I don't support due to the wages of directors etc. Not giving to a certain charity doesn't mean you can't have a view on it.

The OPs opening post quite clearly says she has no money as made a silly decision to go on holiday with a new BF rather than ensure she had money in the bank knowing she had no guaranteed income. That's a poor decision whichever way you look at it and OP doesn't blame it on her MH. Despite posts saying ask others, pick up temp work (paid weekly) it appeared easier for the OP to just get a voucher.

OhTheRoses · 09/12/2016 19:34

Isn't there a way to delay essential bills for a week or two and survive on rice, pasta, cabbage, bread for a couple of weeks? Cash in handwork babysitting cleaning, ironing, etc..

KitKat1985 · 09/12/2016 19:35

Not sure if you have a community FB page OP, but on ours every so often someone will post that they are needing some petty cash and ask if anyone needs any odd jobs doing (car / house cleaning, shopping, dog walking etc) on a temporary basis to earn some money. They always get people replying. Worth a shot maybe?

But absolutely go to a Food Bank if you need to, and make a donation back when you get paid.

creakyknees13 · 09/12/2016 19:36

I am really surprised by your comment. I usually look for your comments and agree with every word! How can you tell people to leave DV situations but not understand that even if a single person can and does get a job they will still have to wait to be paid?!

Maybe AF thinks that only people with children deserve support Sad. AF, if you tell people to leave abusive relationships, you do realise that they could end up dependent on food banks, right? Whether or not they had children. Would you still say they are only for families then?

ilovesooty · 09/12/2016 19:36

Not all temp work us paid weekly by any means. If you don't have support networks cash in hand work isn't easy to pick up.
The OP's situation might have been impacted by her mental health - we don't know.