Should I use a food bank in my situation?

[Lionking1981]

I am 200 pounds down on my normal wages this month due to taking unpaid parental leave when my Dd was ill. Overspent the first week of the month trying to occupy the kids. Then my oven broke and had to replace it. Been living out the freezer and store cupboard since. To cut the story short, I now have 30 pounds to survive 10 days til payday. I have 3 small joints of lamb in the freezer, a box
of waffles and some fish fingers. A few tins of baked beans, tomatoes and soup in cupboard.

My friend says to go to the foodbank but I am super uncomfortable about it. We earn over 40k between us and i don't think food banks are there for people like us but it is going to be really hard to feed a family of 4 on this. However, we will be fine next month. Would you just make do for the 10 days?

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If you can't feed your family why wouldn't you would you rather starve?

Unless there are other options of course borrowing money, overdraft ,credit cards?

How many kids do you have? £30 could be enough if you use it carefully

YABU. I'm a single parent earning significantly less than you and other than child benefit I'm not claiming a penny in benefits. I manage and wouldn't ever contemplate using a food bank

I'd do my best to stretch that money, shop at Aldi if you have one near you. It should be doable,if you cook from scratch and depending if that money is just for food, but if it isn't then you could try and see if you can use the food bank. You could always take food back and replace it after pay day.

I would manage on £30 for 10 days. It's not that difficult, especially when you already have food in. You need to plan a menu and shop very carefully. There are quite a few threads on here with very cheap meals that might help.
I have used a food bank before, we literally had nothing to eat and no money at all. I don't judge anyone else who needs to but I would feel guilty if I was in your position and didn't make an attempt to manage.

If the 30 quid you have can only be spent on food (you don't need it for other things), I'd say don't use the foodbank as £30 for 10 days is doable. You sound like you have a support network in place as well???

But if the money you have needs to support everything for your family until pay day, then foodbank is the way to go. But I don't think you can just rock up there and get a food parcel (you can't where I live, in any case). You have to be referred (usually through social services) and get a voucher. I'm not sure how quick the whole process is.

I'm sorry things are tough.

Listen I was on over 40,000 as a nurse and my husband worked I gave up work to be my disabled son's carer our disposable income isn't much different now even though we now get benefits so ignore all the do gooders who can manage on half a penny a week if you need it you need it

Have you got anything you could take to Cash Converters?

x2boys except £30 isn't 'half a penny' is it.

Honestly you should be able to survive for 10 days on that ... buy a big bag of pasta, big bag of potatoes, bread and cheap veg, maybe some eggs and you've got loads of meals that will get you through 10 days.

They won't be the most interesting meals you've ever eaten and possibly a lot of "boring" meals (lamb stew, pasta & sauce, scrambled eggs/beans on toast, crustless quiche, sandwiches, Jacket potatoes, fish fingers and mash etc) but it isn't going to kill you to eat simple & cheap meals for a week.

I wouldn't judge you, you should go. When you can afford make a donation back to the foodbank

£30 for 9 days (as you already have food that can make 1 meal) easily doable. Look up feed a family for a week on £20 loads of ideas.

With what you have in plus the £30 you do have enough to make do on the basics. If you're desperate enough that you can feed your kids ANYTHING you'd go. The fact you are asking and hesitating tells me you're not desperate enough.

You would have to get a referral from your GP, health visitor, social services etc. You can't just rock up there. To be honest, I don't think you'd qualify. Also, you would only get enough food for 3 days.

Can't you get an overdraft at the bank, or borrow from parents? Where is the children's dad? Can't he help?

Sounds like you need to budget a little each month to put money into emergency savings.

Pop over to the MoneySavingExpert.com forums and find the Old Style Moneysaving forum and ask on there for ideas of how to make the money you have left stretch. They'll help you compile a meal plan and shopping list.

Can't not can*

Plus 3 joints of lamb?! Don't tell the foodbank that!

£30 doesn't go fat if you have to get petrol etc though does it and I shop in Aldi I spent £59 today I,m not sure it will last me all week and we didn't get luxuries

Use it now, donate twice as much back next month. Everyone's a winner.

Do you have dried cupboard staples in (rice, pasta, lentils, herbs)?

How are you set for soap, shampoo, loo rolls, tampons etc?

Do you need petrol for 10 days? Are you lumbered with prepayment utilities?

It's not as simple as just the food. £30 doesn't go anywhere near as far as it did ten years ago. I forgot my debit card not long ago and my "picking up basics with the £20 note in my purse" attempt was painful.

If you need the food bank, use it and donate back later. I wouldn't judge you for it.

See...I've never had a lot of cash and in this situation, you should not have bought a new oven.

You've nothing to put in it...and I know that sounds mean but it's true.

I'd have cooked on the hob till' I had saved oven money.

Plus 3 joints of lamb?! Don't tell the foodbank that!

Don't be so silly. NICE people with common sense tend to run food bank projects. They're not going to say "Three frozen joints of lamb?! Go and gnaw on one each for ten days like giant teethers!"

The fact you are asking and hesitating tells me you're not desperate enough.

Do you realise how often people with bits hanging off them, or slipping in and out of consciousness or haemorrhaging or similar post to ask whether they should go to A&E?

That theory just doesn't hold.

People feel misplaced guilt. Or shy. Or they can't think clearly when stressed.

Like other posters have said I don't think you can just rock up at a food bank. You need a refferal and a voucher. I would go to Aldi/ Lidl and get pasta, rice, potatoes, a chicken , beans , cornflakes, loaves of bread and eggs, and some frozen veg. With what you have in that should feed you all. It won't be dead exciting but it will do. If you run out of money, take a piece of jewelry to a pawn shop, get £50/100 and stock up. Then, I would make sure I always had enough in in tinned/ dried foods to last a fortnight if I had to. Tins of potatoes are cheap, pasta, tinned toms, beans, mixed beans for a chilli, tinned veg, rice, and always try to keep a couple of chickens in the freezer. You can do a roast dinner, then a pie then a pan of soup with a good sized chicken if you pad out meals with extra veg. That's what I would do personally and I would start putting a few quid away in a money box every week just so I had a little cushion. Oh, and when you are flush buy loo rolls. They truly are a necessity in life IMHO.

Don't think you'd get a referral for a food bank tbh. Is there no one that can lend you twenty quid? Or have you got any nectar points saved up that you can spend on food? Or got anything you can sell on Facebook selling groups - outgrown clothes, toys etc?