Have £245 until the 27th Feb, does this sound ok?

[Cantwaitforaholiday33]

This is what's left over, all bills etc. Are paid, This is for food, toiletries, transport and anything else, for me and an adult cat, I live alone.
Not intending to buy anything else like clothes, make up etc.
Supposed to be meeting up with a group of friends next week but worried I'll have to cancel. I don't drive and the place they want to meet at will cost me around £25 return on the train, and it's a high end restaurant. Wish we could just have a coffee or something but I know they're all high earners.

I've got the credit card as a last resort but really don't want to use it. I'm sure people would manage on less but grateful for any suggestions.

Why would my landlord have served me with a section 21 though? 🤔

You’re already struggling to pay off the credit card so I wouldn’t use that for transport/meal at a fancy restaurant. I’d cancel. Especially as these ‘friends’ won’t even put any effort into coming to visit you in your new home.

Even if you win at court, landlord might take his time or try avoid paying so I wouldn’t count on getting that in next couple weeks and even if you do, it doesn’t sound like you should be wasting it to meet these people. Save it.

Lots of budget meal ideas online, I think you’ll be fine.

So you have shelter and warmth and 245...what are transport costs pls?

That's what I'm worrying about with the landlord. It's just a joke how they get away with these things. There is proof of me always paying my rent on time, no damage to the property, giving adequate notice etc.

Public transport if I need to go to work or elsewhere e.g. I need to take the cat to the vets next week.

Toiletries which i buy cheaply anyway but adds up, shampoo, conditioner, loo roll, kitchen cleaners, bleach, etc. It adds up.

I wouldn’t cancel your meet up. Is either just go for a drink afterwards or is let them know not much money after an expensive month so just paying for myself (in case bill split makes it u affordable) and I’d go and just have a main.

id get the money back by walking to work and having some cheaper meals at home.

I'm going to suggest the housewarming..as I moved in 6 months ago and they've never seen it, tbh nor did they ever see the flat I lived in with my ex for 2 years. They've not met my new boyfriend either. I'm nervous to even write the msg!

Kindly and from my own persepective ( of course) this amount of money seems fine.
You must have the end of shampoo and so on available....squeeze it out!
I don't think there's any need to eat lentils....its more than enough to buy food.

Don't go to the meal.

I guess everybody lives in a different world, I can’t walk anywhere. Literally nowhere, as I live rurally. No bus either, so it’s up to me to drive. £5.80 to last me till Friday, unless my car was full to the brim and I had loads of food in that I did not have to buy a single thing, would sent me into spiralling panic. I get paid monthly like a lot of people so I just have to budget it that way.

I was panicking slight because I have 770 left in my bank, which needs to cover food and petrol and a few other smaller bills like Disney etc. Not including any savings. I have another 82 that will come in over the next few weeks as a benefit payment. I have 2DC that I have 50% of the time as I coparent. I have a DP who I need to spend Valentines with. Thank God, I already have a little gift for him. But I am hyper aware of money and that that’s why I’m suggesting to @Cantwaitforaholiday33 the she ditches off the meet up, is frugal with her money that she has anyway and the money that comes in from the court case is used as the beginnings of her savings. I did the same a few weeks ago with tax back. I just pretended it didn’t exist and put it into my savings. It has given me a breath of relief. Every time I panic about money, I remember it’s there. I was so thankful I did that because I could’ve just spent it on a summer holiday or on Christmas.

Start with your £245

Take off your £2 per day [is it every day or every working day]?

If every working day, that's 14 working days so £28

Take off your cat food which you say you have 5 days worth of already, so 14 days of cat food. Which is what? Max £20?

That leaves you just under £200 for 17 days food for yourself. I don't know what sort of food you have in, so make a plan and work out what it will cost to buy the extra things you need for the remaining days.

Maybe it'll be absolutely fine and I'm just panicking.

Sounds plenty - I would spend that amount on a family of 4 - it’s only 2 weeks

Use cash?

it is not the right time for you
there will be other times surely

I feel like I live in a different world too. This amount is ample for three weeks for you and a cat. I did my weekly shop yesterday- loads of fresh fruit and veg, a roast ( which will last several days) and it cost me £43. This isa standard amount for me.
I always have something nice in the week ( like steak ) and the rest of the time I make healthy, budget friendly food.

• A small pack of mince bulked with a can of green lentils makes chili or bolognaise which stretches to 4 meals
• Lunch- Salad of sorts with beetroot/ variety of veg, a scoop of cottage cheese and two falafel
• I often cook a roast which then becomes the basis for several meals. A roast chicken will eventually become chicken veg soup and feeds me5 times.

I think you’ll be fine but I’m not sure if these friends are actually your friends if they won’t bother to see your new home and don’t want to meet your new partner. Real friends would absolutely love to be involved in these aspects of your life. Are you being asked to fancy meals to make up the numbers so someone looks very popular on socials?

I have a friend who has way less money than the rest of us

She says when she is short and we arrange meets ups close to her ( and accidentally ensure she is last to pay and discovers we have all overpaid)

Don't friends work like that ? Can't you suggest a change of venue because you are short this month?

It sounds like plenty to me. It's about £100 a week. If your bills are paid then all you need to spend it on is food and fun money, less £10 a week transport. Should be plenty! If you want to go out with your friends then calculate what it's likely to cost and only spend what is left on food etc. It would be a bit tight, but not impossible, I think. It depends on how good you are at just spending what you have rather than overspending.

I assume you mean a housewarming once you have more money in? As that sounds a way more expensive thing to do than a meal.

I would agree with all those saying don’t go to the meet up; and then if the landlord pays up you should pay down the remaining balance on your credit card, as the interest you pay on that is more than their interest you would earn through savings. Then moving forward, start to build up some savings every month. Perhaps stick to slightly more frugal habits for 6 months or so, so you can build up a decent savings ‘buffer’, to avoid feeling so financially vulnerable in future. Good luck.

A Section 21 is for a no fault eviction , a landlord doesn't need a reason to issue one. I think I heard they are trying to change the law for that .

Why do you need to go to court?. You landlord must have paid your deposit into a Tenants Deposit Protection Scheme if you're in the UK. He couldn't have legally put it into his own bank account , and it's paid back by the scheme who has it . They can only reduce your payment if you have left the place in a bad condition .

He didn't pay it into a scheme, me and the solicitors checked every scheme online and it wasn't in there.
I didn't receive a penny of it back either, so that's why I need to go to court otherwise I'm just letting them get away with it ..

I think you'll win then , as keeping your deposit is illegal .

I don't think those with plenty really understand how someone can be so low on funds. It's not on their radar. Also, it's not very nice for a person to have to admit that they can't afford this and that to a group that can afford it and more.

If they were the understanding type, knowing you have just bought a property and are single and your income is not in their league, there is no way that decent friends would expect you to go to a high end restaurant. Anyone with a bit of cop on and empathy who really wanted to see you would suggest something and somewhere less expensive and more convenient for you.

Have you thought about how real these "friends" are? They don't seem to put themselves in your shoes, and so far have declined to travel to your area. I'm not convinced, but maybe they are just in their own little bubble.

For those reasons I wouldn't go to this meal. Frame it as a postponement not a cancellation due to extraordinary expenses recently due to your move. If they don't understand that, or more importantly if they don't suggest a solution for you, they don't really care whether you are there or not. Sorry to be blunt, but look after your own finances, and don't spend anything that won't benefit you.

I'm older now, and have learnt many of these life lessons. True friends stand by you and will not make you feel under pressure or embarrassed or anything like that. Take note.