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?

Thanks @creamwitheverything .. we didn't think about secondhand that is a fab idea 😀

To all the posters saying get them from Poundland. I'm assuming you don't have a complicated prescription!

Complicated prescriptions can cost £400!! And that's reusing old frames for new lenses. It's really not good.

It's not possible to substitute them with cheap reading glasses.

Two members of my family need these. You can increase the costs by another few hundred if you opt for new frames or try to protect and reuse the old ones.

The killer is having to use the spare pair (not 100% suitable) for a few weeks whilst the lenses are fitted.

I'm dreading needing new glasses. Mine are already glued at the hinges.

I think some comments arguing the toss over glasses are starting to come across as ableist.

Imagine the uproar if wheelchair uses were questioned on their choice of disability aids....but partially sighted people are having to justify why their vision means some glasses won't cut it.

Same.

Like many others, my NHS dentist booted me off as I hadn’t been for over 12 months (when they were all closed to Covid…)

I have severe periodontitis. I’m 36. My mouth looks awful. I have no confidence. I went to a private periodontist for an assessment (£150) and was quoted between £3000-5000 for treatment.

I don’t qualify for finance as I’m a student (STEM, demanding, 40 hours a week).

I need 3 fillings, and an extraction (see below for why).

I also need braces as my wonky, overcrowded teeth are the main reason why my gums are in such bad shape, my mother is an alcoholic who couldn’t be arsed to take me into the city to get it sorted when I was a teenager. The tooth that needs extracting is one that grew in behind my other teeth, it’s crumbling away and painful.

www.gov.uk/get-a-ppc

Pre payment certificate for prescriptions, about £10/month. Could save a lot of money.

That's exactly it. It does however seem to make it a permanent move as can't see us be able to justify moving back. Which is sad as I always expected to grow old in UK.

Totally with you on this. I didn't go for 10 years due to a phobia and I have genetically awful teeth.
I had 4 teeth taken out for braces as a child and all wisdom teeth which were infected. More recently I have had 2 teeth pulled out as they were not fixable. So I have very very few left. Most of mine need crowning - I have some of the largest fillings the large teaching hospital has ever seen. And there are no NHS dentists.
If anyone has ever had a serious dental infection - they will know the indescribable pain =- far far worse than childbirth. You can't eat, work, sleep etc etc. I would do anything to avoid this happening again - so I have spent every penny I can find on fixing my awful teeth. As a result no holidays for me for years. I spend thousands at the dentist each year and would give up most things just not be in permanent pain.
I do have spare good shoes and clothes and childrens shoes and clothes which have barely been worn. I couldn't even give them away locally.

just google part worn tyres in the area your friend lives in, They usually fo r them for you too for a really small charge.

@RocketPanda

Do you have money to get her a slow cooer and a stick blender.

You can make soup with pretty much any veg and water. And it can be ready in 2 hours.

Dentist for me. No NHS dentists where I've moved to I have a broken tooth in my smile line. The emergency dentist will only remove it they won't crown or fill it in as an NHS patient so I'm unable to eat on that side of my mouth and have been for months until I can afford a crown privately. I feel so self conscious and constantly alter how I smile so it doesn't show. I was quoted £695 to fix it (cheapest quote I got). I work full time and yet despite this, it is still outside my affordability until at least after Christmas as I'm a single parent so it feels like getting it fixed is a 'luxury' I can't afford at the moment with Christmas approaching.

It is sad that we are living in a time that children and I cannot access dental care as I cannot afford to pay for it. I know this situation isn't applicable only to me.

I'm starting to get really irritated by the people who keep posting about how you can get a pair of glasses for 25 quid.
There are umpteen posts explaining why this is simply not possible for people with stronger and/or complex prescriptions. I have also posted about my own situation upthread.

Can we stop with this glasses for 25 quid stuff? Perhaps read some of the other posts.

For the last time, if you have mild shortsightedness and no other associated conditions, then yes, I imagine you can pick up a pair of glasses for the price quoted. If you require stronger lenses and/or have other eye issues which need to be corrected then you will need to pay hundreds for the glasses.
See upthread.

Haircut for myself. Dentist. Meals out. Big days out. Christmas.
I just don't see these as essentials compared to my sons hair cuts, clothes, shoes, uniforms etc. I've bought him some Christmas presents but not as much as I had hoped and so far nothing for family.

fit them for you at a small charge sorry for typos!

PLEASE stop banging on about getting glasses from bloody Asda or Poundland or wherever.

There are many of us who cannot just pick up a pair of glasses from a supermarket. My glasses cost hundreds - not because I choose 'designer' frames or want 'luxury add-ons' but because I have a very complex prescription that requires prisms, thinning etc in the lenses. And my eyesight is getting worse.

I would LOVE to be able to bag a pair of glasses for £20 but I'd not be able to see my hands in front of my face if I did. I had 5 operations on my eyes before the age of 2 and have worn glasses pretty much my entire life; please stop telling me I could spend less if I wanted to.

I agree this is bordering on ableism. Just give it a rest, please.

I live in Scotland so eye tests and prescriptions are free, as are my glasses as I receive tax credits so am fortunate in that way. Heating is currently a luxury though. We've been using it as a weekend treat. I bulk out meals with things like bread and butter etc have lots of cheap pasta and potatoes but economy range to make sure we all eat though. It would be a false economy to only feed the dc then end up too unwell to work. We've completely stopped having holidays and days out that aren't free and on our door steps

I’m not vain and couldn’t usually care less about my looks but I started to go grey at 16 so have always dyed my hair at home. I have 4 months worth of regrowth and can’t justify spending the £8 it costs. I’m interviewing for new jobs and feel super self conscious that I look old and unkempt.

Exactly.

£2.59 could buy a weeks worth of beans on toast I don't think overpriced sandwiches and cake is really what they need. Even reduced they're a rip off.

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned but if she is at a screen all day then some glasses can be covered by occupational health.

I have odd eyes and buy mine from glassesdirect, they are okay for reading etc.

For those struggling for clothes, try looking for a clothing bank/ free clothes store near you. It’s basically like a food bank but for free secondhand clothes. They seem to be run out of churches or community groups, so try searching on FB.

I know of a few in Yorkshire that support local families as well as homeless charities, DV refuges, etc.

I have a complex prescription and needed new glasses last week. 7.5 diopter for short sight, add in age related long sight and astigmatism. With thinning, varifocals and anti glare the charge for the prescription alone was £750. Independent optician because the chains have buggered it up in the past. I drew breath and my heart sank at the thought of people who can't afford to have a new prescription made up. I don't know how they do it.

You’re choosing to be offended.

Yep.we used to go to local car scrapyard.we had an old fiesta so parts weren’t available anymore haha.got all of our needs from the yard.

Have you looked up Smartworks? They are a charity specialising in getting women back to work, supporting with interviews, smart clothing and presentation, etc.
There are several outlets around the country, definitely worth looking in case one is local to you.