Urgent money raising ideas needed

[whattodo36]

Ok I know I'll get a lot of blame etc but we've ended up in a situation where I need to desperately raise £300 and I can't think of any ideas so I'm hoping someone may suggest something I haven't considered.

The money is needed for food for the week and to pay a very important bill. There's no wiggle room on the bill as we've already tried.

I've been on countless loan websites all afternoon but due to really bad credit ratings we are getting nowhere. I've thought of selling things but we honestly don't have anything of any value to sell!

I've tried asking family and friends but they aren't in a position to help.

Can anyone think of anything we haven't thought of or can recommend a website that would loan with very bad credit ratings??

You could go the resale route. Do you have any price limited charity shops nearby? Some scope ones are £1 an item. Look at the tags to find brands that keep their value. Next, M+S, Boden etc. Always sell well. But nice pieces advertised right will sell eventually, you need an eye for it. If you don't recognise a brand Google it. Niche brands can be worth a lot more. Or if something is genuinely vintage.

You're unlikely to find anything to make £300 quickly though. Coats and leather boots would be your best bet right now. I've found genuine sheepskin coats for £3 in charity shops and the resale on them can be great.

www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-prescription-prepayment-certificates-ppcs

£30.25 for 3 months
£108.10 for 12 months

You can get a prescription prepayment card. Its about £12 a month and covers all prescriptions. You need to stay healthy and it will cover you if you get ill and need antibiotics etc.

Try step change for the rest of the debts and gas bill issue. They can advise.

For your prescriptions

www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-prescription-prepayment-certificates-ppcs

gosh you need your meds, especially if you’ve got this extra stress too. really hope you can work things out.

Cross posted- sorry!

Just saw you mentioned metformin- is that for diabetes?

You get all your prescriptions on a card. Don't cancel medication.

What's the "other general" bills. You should be able to afford this, I would be revisiting the childcare costs too.

I make it your entitled to universal credit and that’s just on quick can of 2 children ( do you have 3).

Do you get tax credits though

Also try Toogoodtobetrue app which has details of local shops which sell Best before food very cheap. I've had some cracking deals from them and you could meal plan after that.
Try the meal plan threads - loads of great ideas for tinned veg etc

Owning your own home, working etc has nothing to do with foodbanks btw.

450 for “other bills” that doesn’t include mortgage, gas, mobiles, petrol or food is insane. I know this doesn’t help you in the immediate week but this really needs to be looked at.
Plus if you are only earning 13k because you “work around the kids” then £850 a month in child seems crazy. Perhaps long term you and your partner needs to work opposite shifts.
You have a low mortgage but the fact that you have consolidated debt in the past, are thousands in debt to your energy company and have a high debt to a family member says you cannot manage money well and this isn’t new. Having a misc £450 of other bills that you aren’t willing to reduce is further proof of this.
Insurance, tv licence and council tax should still be well below what amount.

I haven't looked at the prescription card but will look in to that in the morning. I just don't know if I will be able to afford my medications. For context I take 3 prescriptions for my asthma, metformin for pcos, 1 for anxiety. I can probably cope without my anxiety meds and metformin at a real push but could ideally do with taking my asthma meds as I normally end up in hospital 2/3 times a winter and put on steroids if I get a cough or cold. But if needs be I will have to cut them out fully as well.
I will re do the benefits calculator in the morning

You dont always need a tefl cert. Try something like italki in the meantime

Use this calculator. It’s easier and less room for error.

For the £450 bill breakdown, it actually is more like £440 but includes:
£15 a moth tv license, £36 training costs that hubby needs, £185 council tax, £55 broadband and house phone, £25 life insurance, £45 car tax for two cars, £48 car insurance, £20 DH prescriptions, £10 house insurance.

🤣🤣

Ok.. you could probably get cheaper broadband/house phone.
If you and dh get a prepayment cert each for prescriptions, it would be about £20 a month altogether for both of you.

@whattodo36 If you have a child with asthma, register straight away with the Priority Services register. They cannot cut you off if you're on the PSR.

Can you sell a car?
Reduce contracts for mobile/broadband?

You need your prescriptions.

Any loyalty points? Tesco, Nectar, Boots - can get food with those?

Did you say you're a TA? If you have any free time, register on sitters or childcare for some babysitting - I've really struggled to find good babysitters recently and if there's a similar shortage in your area you may find people grateful to pay over the odds.

Im not sure if it's not been suggested but what about tutoring (first tutors is a good site, or used to be anyway). Obviously it's a more regular commitment but also more regular money if that works for you.

A good survey site is people for research - it's more one to one interviews that pay well if you're picked - around £50-£80 an hour, in your bank in three days.

Presumably you have already done the basic things like checked your tax code to make sure you're not due a rebate (do you pay union subs? If so ring HMRC tomorrow and tell them and pay less tax) and looked up the boost your income list on moneysaving expert?

Good luck, you can get through this x

Are you in contracts on your phone's? I changed to a £6 a month plan recently. It works well.

The prepayment certificate is essential. I have two items regularly and one on PRN. Every month regardless I know it will cost £12 or thereabouts. You need to take care of you too.

Cancel the TV licence. You can watch YouTube, ITV hub, 4OD etc for free.

Do you genuinely need two cars? Would life be utterly impossible with just one? If your husband's a lorry driver he won't be using one for work.

Could you maybe take in ironing? In our area people advertise this on social media and appear to be well used. Would allow you to do this at home.

Have you looked at benefits like PIP for your health condition or your children’s.

You could contact Citizens Advice and see if they can help with your electric company/problems, as they can take over contacting the company and negotiations with them i believe.

@whattodo36

When I had my first daughter and I was on maternity my partner was made redundant and our health visitor helped us with some food bank vouchers and nappy's and baby milk and was really good.

It might be worth calling them as keeping kids warm and safe is part of their roles to make sure people are ok. They may be able to get you some help with the utility bills.

I'd literally get everything you don't want and sell it

CEX take cds, dvds, console games, all sorts of randome bits

Clothes sell on Facebook or vinted

Also contact stepchange who are a debt charity - they're amazing and can offer some good advice

I'm so sorry to read this hopefully things will improve soon.