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?

(Btw I knew exactly what you meant, but I think if you're going to be an asshole you should own it.)

So I'm asking you to spell it out.

4691IrradiatedHaggis Although OP may not be genuine, but what if she is? I could never imagine having minimum food and £30 to last me 10 days. I hate to see other people struggling, I admit that I am very naive and a sucker when it comes to these things. I just put myself in their position where I would hope someone would help me.

She hasn't been in touch so hopefully she has found help elsewhere.

Agreed Cag. When your budget is so tight you have no chance of paying that overdraft off, your budget does become 'the money you have left until you really have no more left.'

OP, I'm sorry you're having a difficult month but for those of us used to counting pennies every month, £30 would easily cover food for ten days if spent carefully.

Re the least money and sympathy, that's exactly why I have no sympathy. When dd was little I lived below the breadline, and have lots of experience of not having enough. Eating plain cheap pasta and potatoes for days on end so she could have a balanced diet, using value kitchen roll as sanitary towels, and once an old towel, sitting in the dark/cold when she was in bed and so on. And I'm hardly wealthy now. Hence why I have zero sympathy for those who expect people like me to fund their luxury spending by feeding their dc.

£30 would easily cover food for ten days if spent carefully

It's not £30 for food, it's £30 for everything.

I've explained Riding; you just seemingly didn't like the response. Or do you think vulnerable posters with little money themselves should be encouraged to offer bank transfers on here?

Read the post. The OP says 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. She will be fine next month.

What exactly is the problem here? Lamb joints are a bloody luxury! I'd love to live on lamb for a week, sorry 10 days! A few days of beans on toast and pasta dishes in between lamb roast or stew and it'll be pay day in no time.

Loyalty the Op is not strapped for cash usually but has overspent this month, if you want to help someone who is really in need, it is easy to donate to the Trussell Trust for example; online or via text. They provide food parcels for people in crisis following a referral from the CAB or other party working with vulnerable people who are in CRISIS. Their word.

Lobster "I could never imagine having minimum food and £30 to last me 10 days"

There are people in much worse situations, it's nice that you want to help but I'd think about helping those more in need. And she's hardly got "minimum food" she's got a fair bit!

@RidingWindhorses, But by this stage in the month all the household bills will have been paid so food is all that's essential, other things can wait until the OP is paid. The children have clearly had enough entertainment paid for them and they can play at home and go to the park.

Hopefully there won't be anything major to pay for before pay day. The fridge and freezer will be empty at the end of it but it's only a short period of time. Then the children will be back at school and there will be no more unpaid leave all being well.

No you never did explain your response to my post, just whaffled about chuggers.

But I don't actually care enough to continue.

I suppose they'll be sick of roast lamb but hey, there are worse things to cope with.

I have read the OP quercus thanks. OP doesn't mention bread or pasta so that's speculation.

Delicious and nutritious! Who needs food banks when there's dusty scabby fruit on the roadside?

Who the actual fk said "who needs food banks when there's dusty scabby fruit on the roadside?"
What a horrible, snobby attitude you have. What on earth's wrong with picking fresh blackberries?
We love doing that here. Don't be so bloody rude. No wonder everything's covered in plastic and sterilised to an inch of its life with attitudes like yours around.
You've more money than sense if you'd happily spend pounds on packaged up, shop bought blackberries because they're not "scabby fruit from outdoors."

riding not everything posted is aimed directly at you. I didn't reference you.

And couldn't the OP spend a few quid on pasta and bread? And rice?

mittens roast lamb, lamb stew, tagine style lamb stew with rice. Lamb sandwiches. Sick of lamb - yeah, how to cope with that! ;) I'd defintely keep that thought to myself!

they can play at home and go to the park

Assuming there's a park within walking distance.

Hopefully there won't be anything major to pay for before pay day

Hopefully, but I was recently caught short with £6 in my purse and I had to get up to A&E and didn't have enough to get there.

@quercuscircus, I wouldn't have 3 joints of lamb in the freezer to start with. So yes OP's children will be sick of lamb by the end of this time, they'll be saying 'I don't like it' if she serves it again lol.

Quercus your 16.31 post seemed to be direct response to my 16.08 post, if it wasn't, it's not clear who it was directed at.

Of course OP can buy bread and pasta, but that will come out of the £30.

Who the actual fk said "who needs food banks when there's dusty scabby fruit on the roadside?" hmm
What a horrible, snobby attitude you have. What on earth's wrong with picking fresh blackberries?
We love doing that here. Don't be so bloody rude. No wonder everything's covered in plastic and sterilised to an inch of its life with attitudes like yours around.
You've more money than sense if you'd happily spend pounds on packaged up, shop bought blackberries because they're not "scabby fruit from outdoors."

Blackberries as a meal substitute? Seriously? If people need food then hedgerow scavenging is not the answer! Children need protein, carbs, fats etc. Not snobby at all, just gently mocking the poster who offered her blackberry bush to needy families as a free food source, beyond ridiculous and very Marie Antoinette. Climb down off your high horse.

I have never spent money on packaged blackberries in my life, bit of a leap! Have we ever been shopping together? How do you know what I buy?

@RidingWindhorses, point. Hopefully the OP has some friends or family who she could ask. I can't imagine anyone who really cares for someone not helping them out if they have to get to A&E by offering a lift?

Blackberries as a meal substitute? Seriously? If people need food then hedgerow scavenging is not the answer!

Oh FFS, don't be so ridiculous. Did I SAY they were a meal substitute?
No, I didn't. No-one has. I don't see what's wrong with someone suggesting blackberry picking as a way to get some fresh fruit though. Nobody, anywhere has said they're expected to magic up three meals a day from it apart from in your own head.
"Dusty, scabby fruit from the roadside." Charming. Carry on with your prepacked plastic covered ones for pounds from Waitrose/Tesco/wherever, all the more for people like me who actually appreciate the "scabby" ones.
.

I have never spent money on packaged blackberries in my life, bit of a leap!

Well, you either don't buy fruit at all or are happy to buy it from the supermarket for pounds.
Seeing as the fruit growing in the wild is scabby and dusty after all. (your words, not mine.)

mittens me neither! I wish I did though :)

riding well, do you know my bread and pasta and rice comes out of my leftover money too - same as all my other food. Again, what exactly is the problem?

@quercuscircus, for me lamb isn't too bad, but it wouldn't please my DDs, and it would be too much of a good thing for me. My DH would be happy though.

3 whole chickens, now that would be great!!