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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

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Original poster

What do you ACTUALLY do

58 replies

ThatHonestRaven · 19/02/2025 13:42

I’m at my wits end, I’m a failure of a mother, a person, I can’t cope with this anymore.
I have no money, no food I don’t get paid until 28th. I have applied for household support fund - 2 weeks ago - and been told it’s being assessed and to wait, I have applied to my local crisis fund, being assessed have to wait, I have no UC advances available to me, I have contacted CaB for a food bank referral, and I’m waiting for a response. What else can I actually do? I’m just at my wits end - to e darkness is too much to cope with!

OP posts:

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 20/02/2025 01:15

TheFlis · 19/02/2025 14:14

Do you have the Olio app? Lots of food given away there daily, it’s mainly surplus from supermarkets. Our local one has so much food, especially bread, that they can’t even give it all away.

I second the use of the OLIO app. Free food in your area that would otherwise go to landfill

ilovemoney · 20/02/2025 08:21

Op call your gp and ask for a food bank referral. If you are near Lewes then there is a community fridge that you can help yourself to no need for a referral. Join Facebook under a new name and you can find lots of food distribution and non referral food banks. My local church helps people all the time with money for bills and food through self referral. Can you ask a neighbour or a friend for help to do a shop?

Ladybrows · 20/02/2025 08:38

Olio is brilliant. Definitely sign-up, even if nothing useful available now, as it will help you stretch the pennies going forward.

Original poster

ThatHonestRaven · 20/02/2025 08:42

Mumof1andacat · 19/02/2025 13:54

Do any local churches do a food bank? Some will give a bag without a referral. How old are your children? Can you speak with your health visitor if they are babies/toddlers

I’m going to have a look into this today thank you x

OP posts:

Original poster

ThatHonestRaven · 20/02/2025 08:44

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 20/02/2025 01:15

I second the use of the OLIO app. Free food in your area that would otherwise go to landfill

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I have downloaded!

OP posts:

LawrenceSMarlowforPresident · 20/02/2025 12:18

Could you speak to your manager at work? Perhaps you could receive an advance on your salary. Or your employer may have a fund to help employees who are struggling?

Miley1967 · 21/02/2025 00:29

Lots of people are struggling. The city I work in opened their household support fund a couple of weeks ago then closed it again within a few hours presumably because they were so overwhelmed with applications. It's crazy !

0ohLarLar · 21/02/2025 06:06

Can you sell anything you own? Are you in work? Is there a friend or anyone who could have DD for the evening and do some friday night babysitting tonight? If you offer on a local whatsapp group with a low rate you could get £20 in 3 hours and eat well over the weekend on that

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