£21

[PurpleOne]

to last me until Sunday.

Have managed to fob off the creditors this week, but have no food, and elec is running out.

Just feeling a bit peeved, considering I only got my CTC yesterday

have you an Aldi or Lidl nearby?

how much elec will you get away with buying?

baked pots

pasta bake?

Nope no Aldi (6 miles) or Lidl (4 miles). I would say yes but can't afford the bus fare!

realised I have a tenner in Paypal but that takes 7 days to reach me. £1.50 in a savings acct.

Supposed to be paying £10 late subs for Guides right now, so will have to arrive late and hang around outside instead.

any friends or family lend you anything or invite you for a meal maybe?
Maybe just explain to the guide leader?

We've been here, you have my sympathys. We managed 5 days once on baked potatos and cheese and beans on toast alternated, but that was just dp and I. Dd eats frozen meals i have cooked at the beginning of the month when we have money!
Supernoodles are good as well, i know they're studenty and probably not very good for you, but they are cheap and filling.

I'll manage with about £4 of elec..and £4 gas. Have debt to pay one that one so will only see about a quid of that, if I'm lucky.

I have bought rice, pasta and potatoes so far...and a tin of beans. If I could afford bacon I'd quite easily live on bacon butties.
Badly need some squash for the kids, so will buy value 18p ones.

Still have £12.50 outstanding on tv licence, so could pay £2 of that Friday.

Just need some ideas. I could make a value sausage casserole (fantastic recipe I found on here) would just be leeks, courgette and chopped toms to buy.

this is nice, and cheap - fry an onion, add sausages, when nearly cooked add a tin of tomatoes and any other bits and pieces, herbs, veges etc. Eat with rice or potatoes or pasta or bread or on its own. If you chop the sausages into pieces, or take out the insides and make into meatballs it goes further.

Make sure you have toilet paper, I always run out when I have no money and I think I would rather go hungry!

I have £18 shopping money left to last me till the end of the month but my store cupboards are stocked with pasta and rice and i just need milk, bread and veggies. Try buying a couple of stock cupboard items whenever you can (BOGOFF offers etc) and putting them away for when you are really short. Not much help now but might help more going forward.

Speak to the guide leader, don't avoid her. She will understand and she might even be able to offer practicle help or be willing to accept a smaller payment in the mean time. Ask grandparents if they will help with the cost of guides too.

Is there a lone parent group near you? The chairlady at my local one keeps a stash of frozen meals in her freezer for situations like yours.

Also speak to the benefit people, you might be able to get a loan which can be paid back over a period of weeks.

Food wise try pasta and a tomoatoe sauce (tinned toms, a few veggies thrown in and then a little grated cheese or chopped up cooked sausage chunks for protein). Also stirfry veg with cubed potatoes chunks rather than rice, throw in some chickpeas for protein, or again chopped up sausages.
A little can go a long way. Beans on toast won't take much electric to cook either.

It's only a few days this time, but it sounds like you need to sort out a budget and forward plan a little more to help your cash flow. Do you have a computer with a spreadsheet? I have every penny that comes in allocated against bills, expenses like scouts, food, car running costs etc and I have to stick to my budget or i end up with no food money. Might help you see where you can maybe cut a few costs if you list everything out for the month and see exactly where your money is going and if you are overspending on what you have coming in or if it's just a cash flow issue at this point. Might help you with keeping things straight for next week and the week after if you know tht you will have the money for guides in three weeks time etc

best wishes
Gilly

I bake my own bread and pizza bases saves a fortune as flour prices have only gone up a couple of pence not like the doubling of bread prices. Basic dough is really quite quick especially for pizza and you can bake it quickly. 1.5kilo of bread flour is about 44p and that does three bigish loafs or a couple of loafs and a couple of pizzas. You also need some dried yeast (about 50p for enough for 12 loafs) and sugar (butter and milk add to it but aren't essential if you're out)

Re the guiding thing I went on their website and they suggest (link below) that if financial hardship is making you reconsider your childs participation funding may be available. Got to be worth a try.

www.girlguiding.org.uk/xq/asp/sID.719/qx/whoweare/article.asp

Hope the weather stays really mild its good for making the world seam a better place as well as keeping the heating off!

Pasta with grated cheese on top (and a baked tomato if you like them). Cheap and yummy.

I'm always broke. You have my sympathy, Purple one.

antagony, thanks so much for the guide link. I didn't realise they had financial funding.
I spoke to guide leader and she will let dd1 go on camping weekend trip for free and she will loan the tent too.

Am all maxed out with social loans and credit cards etc, so no good there. Am down to £14 today. Bought £2 gas and £1.60 got taken in debt already. Got elec. Rummaged through 3 supermarkets today and delved deep in their reduced aisles. Found a sausage plait that will go good with spuds and a can of value carrots tomorrow.

Exh said he will take girls for the day Saturday, so the pressure of food and elec has been lifted for now. Just need to get through Saturday evening really.

Oh, the wealth of knowledge on mumsnet...I'm so glad to be here, and part of it.

Thanks so much x x

Where do you live roughly?

Have you thought about using something like MoneyWay (used to be called Secure Homes)? There is also a free version called Christians Against Poverty. I would be (was) in a mess before I got a MoneyWay account and the weeks when I can't afford to pay I can pay them when I next get paid and they're OK with it.

Speak to the people you owe money to and tell them the situation, it's in their interest to help you out. If you don't talk to them that's when they will start to get difficult. Food needs to be your top priority, especially when you have kids and you have to just be blunt (in the nicest possible way) and honest with people. They will understand.

I'd definitely look into a Budgeting Loan if you are on benefits.

Can't your xh help out?

You could ask for a crisis loan from Social or even a grant tell them you are in dire need for it.

Crisis Loans are only until the next payment and there's a lot of conditions to them. Budgeting Loans are a better idea, but it does depend on how soon they come. I think you should call or visit the office and ask for help.

tesco and asda do noodles for 8p each... pasta with tuna s-corn and tinned tomatoes is quite a nice budget meal.
beans with a little bit of chilli powder with rice isnt too bad can add an onion if u have one.
pasta with tomatoe sauce is nice and some grated cheese.
i have times when all i can afford is nappies and milk for ds and then scraps of food for myself... i end up asking favours off of my sister. she will have me over for tea a few times in the week and i beg borrow and steal a few tins from my mums and then pay her back when i have the money.
u also learn to be very economical as far as electricity goes.
do u have any family members who could lend u £5 untill the end of the month? perhaps you could have a look on the internet for local car boot sales and sell a few unwanted items of even advertise old records in trade it or sell some stuff on ebay, its sad how desperate you become at times. hope things get better for you. char x