Panicking about money - I don't think there is anything I can do...

[beansmum]

I'm a single parent/full time student. I'm careful with money, I don't have a social life at all, I don't drink or smoke or buy treats for myself. But this week I had to go begging to the uni foodbank because I had let the cupboards get completely empty and I'm overdrawn (only by $19).

I'm seriously pissed off with myself for letting this happen, but I can't figure out how to stop it happening again. And my rent is going up by $15pw in December. That doesn't sound like a lot but I don't usually have that much left at the end of the week.

ds has just started cubs so that'll be another expense I can't afford, but he loves it and it's probably good for him to have some contact with men. I have no family/male friends around.

ds is also doing a science class for "gifted" students (stupid word) and I'm ignoring the fact that I haven't paid for it yet. I'm waiting for them to remind me and feeling more and more guilty about it every day.

Then there is swimming (done through school, not optional), he has one pair of worn out shoes and no clothes for the summer(we're in NZ). I'm doing a summer paper at uni so I need childcare in the school holidays - no money for that. arrggghhh.

I don't think there is anything I can do, just getting it off my chest instead of stewing about it might help. Sorry! Long and boring.

here for cheap meals

sorry it's such a struggle for you, I remember the difficulty of juggling children, uni, and work, it's really hard.

Are you getting all the help you are entitled to?

can you team up with someone in a similar position and swap children to get study in?

So sorry you're in this position beansmum

I've been a lone parent of 2 DSs for 23 years, no maintenance payments from either DF, so i know what its like to struggle. (i currently have no heating in the house apart from 1 little woodburner, and no wood yet) BUT My DS2 does have shoes and clothes though!

How old is your DS? Do they not have charity shops in NZ?..
If not i can have a good search around here for clothes, and post my findings to you, although it may take a while to get there

Perhaps you could go to work. I would love to return to study but like you cant afford it.

I do need to go and rummage through the charity shops, that can be my job for the weekend. ds has school shoes, and lots of nice clothes, I'm not sending him to school in rags! But it's mostly winter stuff. He's 8, and he won't stop growing.

I've had a chat to another single mum/student and I'm getting exactly the same amount of money as she is. Looks like I'll just have to make do somehow. It is doable, mostly, it just got a bit on top of me last week.Thanks for letting me moan.

timetochange - I intend to go to work, but I have no useful qualifications and no experience so I'm very limited in my options. At least this way I can live off the taxpayer and be poor for a couple of years while I get trained for something.

Do you know anyone with DCs slightly older than yours that would give you outgrown clothes? I know a few such people, and hardly ever need to buy my DCs any clothes.
Could you ask for "useful" Christmas gifts such as shoes?
I'd second the suggestion that you team up with another parent, look after their DC some days so they look after yours another day, enabling you to get some study done.
Talk to student support, that's what they're for.
Talk to the scout leader, they can usually help with second-hand uniform, reduced fees and reduced camp fees.