What can't you afford?

[Marleymerm]

Last week at work my colleague told me her recent eye test showed she needed glasses, but she couldn't afford them, she's known she's needed them for a couple of years but said she doesn't have the money. We both work full time in office jobs and neither of us have expensive hobbies or social lives, we're both pretty boring.
I realised this morning I haven't bought new shoes for months despite the ones I have coming apart, because I can't afford them. I've picked up pairs but put them back down when I've thought of what else I need instead.
When I asked this question to my friend about what she couldn't afford she told me her monthly prescription! She hasn't got it for 3 months.
It's a weird time we're living in so everyone's doing without something. But do you have any necessary things you need but can't afford?

Yes cheap bras are false economy for anything over an f cup 😀

Weird, the NHS referred me to Specsavers for my macular hole, so I don't get a choice with regard to that. I buy my glasses at Ada though, far cheaper (and fine, even with my string script, astigmatism and vari focals).

Incorrect information about what an employer has to pay though. Yes, they have to fund a regular eye test if you do VDU work. But they only have to pay for/towards specs if they are SOLELY for VDU work, avd that is pretty rare. Certainly doesn't apply to me,I've had glasses since I was nine, I didn't even see a VDU for around twenty years from then!

My employer does have a scheme that refunds up to £100 pa for specs though, so I do get a new pair each year thanks to this. And £100 towards dentist, two prescriptions....some other stuff too. I try to make good use of it.

I am very fortunate to be able to afford anything I need, with healthy savings. If it were just me I doubt I would be in this position, but my DH is allergic to spending money and I have slowly learned good habits from him (I'd have spent it all on guitars or something equally stupid).

We used to have a take home income of near 7k a month. I think many would have upped their style of living to match it. We bought the smallest place we could find, a cheap 2nd hand car, don't go on holiday, don't really have much in the way of a social life (and are happy with how we live). Before we had DD we were rolling in it. Then I took a job on half the salary due to stress, and we also pay 1300 nursery fee. I don't regret it, and am glad I was able to afford to do it. We still manage to save a bit but it is far less, I've noticed bills and food hoovering up a lot of it now.

I appreciate my partner being a scrooge in the good times. It will see us through these bad times hopefully.

My sympathies to everyone struggling, I have promised to do my bit donating to charity, cooking meals, food bank donations, and donating everything the government give me to help with energy costs and tax reductions. Our society is broken. Does anyone know how else the lucky ones can practically help? I live a fairly sheltered life and though I lived in poverty in the 80s, I don't see much of that end of the spectrum now. I have asd so find it difficult to physically volunteer or speak to people directly.

Glasses
Dentures
Food sometimes

Your uni will have hardship funds, it's worth applying.

NCFT0922
Drastic I know but she could move to Scotland. 56% of if pay less tax, Free tuition
Free prescriptions
Free bus travel for under-22s
Free personal care to all who need it
Expanded free early learning and childcare to 1,140 hours
Free sanitary products
Expanded free school meals
The Baby Box

You sound a decent & grounded sort, @CrackpotOldFool. Most people with money in this country are hoovering up 'properteh' to beggar others even more!

Most schools will gladly take donations to their school fund which helps them pay for treats and trips, breakfast clubs, sports clubs etc for children.

Ah yes definitely. I was always a big fruit buyer dc love it - berries, mangoes, melon, apricots, peaches etc on top of the over flowing bowl of apples, oranges and pears. Now it's a bunch of bananas a week and maybe a bag of apples of it's on a Clubcard deal. Sometimes get a bag of carrots to eat raw and some cherry tomatoes as these can often be very cheap on offer and offer good nutrition for the price. I try to take fruit from unclaimed packed lunches from work on a Friday but because of the time I have to leave I don't have the time. Frustrating to know it's then thrown out.

My children have braces. I don’t pay anything for them as we were referred to the local hospital for their treatment. One child required some dental surgery, but the other is a relatively straightforward blocks then braces case.

I buy my underwear in supermarkets which isn't too bad and is cheap.

@MibsXX
does your son eat that diet as well? Must be very bad for him . No wonder you can’t recover from your illness .

It does but because im on an NHS course they said they wouldn’t give me a thing and I should try the nhs hardship fund which wants to know more than you’d have to give to get a mortgage and also said no because I hadnt used all available credit to me (which I am very close to but refuse to do because how in the hell will I pay that back?!) my nhs bursary comes in in the middle of November and will be a godsend as I’ve made so little at work this month due ti having to redo training and such.

It does but because im on an NHS course they said they wouldn’t give me a thing and I should try the nhs hardship fund which wants to know more than you’d have to give to get a mortgage and also said no because I hadnt used all available credit to me (which I am very close to but refuse to do because how in the hell will I pay that back?!) my nhs bursary comes in in the middle of November and will be a godsend as I’ve made so little at work this month due ti having to redo training and such.

@Energypanic Your predicament frustrates the hell out of me when fit/able people I know on UC have comfortable lives and could do more paid work. The system is so unfair.

Glasses frames and fancy lenses are ridiculously expensive, I always used to shop around for frames for my children, sometimes an optician in an area with a lot of social housing has cheaper frames, but many only stock the more expensive ones. You can get frames online too, though you can't try them on.

No, he eats well, I don't so he can

Please do not put down people on UC. You do not know their circumstances, they could have been out of an abusive relationship and just in recovery, they could be disabled, they could be autistic, they could be trying their best to get a job. Not ever person on UC gets free heating like this person. This person has very little of anything, but is greatful living a simple live. Please always be kind to people, and not jealous. A lot of autistic people out there too, so always never judge like that please. thanks Best wishes to you. I hope that things get better for you and everyone. It is tough times for us all. x

Please do not put down people on UC. You do not know their circumstances, they could have been out of an abusive relationship and just in recovery, they could be disabled, they could be autistic, they could be trying their best to get a job. Not ever person on UC gets free heating like this person. This person has very little of anything, but is greatful living a simple live. Please always be kind to people, and not jealous. A lot of autistic people out there too, so always never judge like that please. thanks Best wishes to you. I hope that things get better for you and everyone. It is tough times for us all. x

I am so thoroughly depressed in reading won off these posts and deeply ashamed of our country when people cannot afford basic things like glasses and dental care. How can this be the case in one of the world's richest nations? I am lucky that we are fairly comfortable, but I do have family members who cannot afford dental treatment and are terrified their NHS dentist will go private.

She might be vulnerable, some vulnerable living accomodation offer heat but it is included in the price of the rent, or that the council have put their living costs payments into heat for their residents. Always be kind.

*some of

If the person is in vulnerable accomodation then sometimes heat is included in the price of the flat. It can also be that the council have received government money, instead of issuing lots of people vouchers they have given them heat instead. Always be kind, some people are autistic, or vulnerable. x

Yes I assumed temporary or b&b type accommodation

Dentist, new glasses, (also complex prescription) Currently wearing, "ready readers" as lost my good ones in the summer. But the prescription was out of date anyway. Work at a VDU all day and eyes always blurred vision by the end of the day and oh the headaches!
Shoes, I have large feet, size 8 and very wide plus a large bunion on left foot makes getting footwear that fits very difficult indeed on a budget. Heating, difficult as have RA, thankfully also have diabetes so get prescriptions free otherwise wouldn't be able to afford them either!