What do you do when you have no money, I mean really NO money at all, what should I do if I can't buy food?

[Kendodd]

DH's business is in trouble, he is on half pay and even that is missed sometimes, we don't know how long this will continue. We are just about managing but have absolutely no money for anything, DD2 (age 2) wants me to take her swimming and we can't afford the £2.50. At the moment we are still meeting all our (very large) debt repayments.

I don't think we are entitled to any sort of benefits as we have quite large assets in property. We have a buy to let property that we are going to put on the market tomorrow but property often takes months and months to sell. I think we should also try sell the house because we won't make much selling the buy to let. I have been searching desperately for a job but I need a job that pays over a certain amount because I have three DC's the oldest is only in reception, we have no relatives close by so childcare would just use up everything if I got a minimum wage job.

I worry that the day will come very soon that we have no money to feed our children, what will we do then?

We have tried to rent out a room but we live in the countryside so the market is limited. We did have an exchange student to stay recently though. I don't mind at all having them as we sometimes have people to stay with us for free anyway through a website called couchsurfing. This exchange student paid us so that was great although we had to use a lot of that money to show her around and make sure she got to do nice things and had a good time. We still made about £110 for eight days. I'm not going to host any more couchsurfers for a while though, we just can't afford it.

I have talked to a friend and we have decided to set up a cleaning company and try to make some money that way. I am going to start a new thread asking for advice on doing that.

hello, we're in similar situation, struggling with dh on half-pay since 09/10. We're asset rich, cash poor, and have taken on a lodger, which is working out ok. We're not expecting to have a holiday this year. We may sell dh's motorbike to keep afloat, and will look to cash in one of the ISAs we started in the 90s. I think it'll get worse before it gets better - for whole country as well for us personally. I think all the advice above has been constructive. Would also add shop in charity shops, use the library and try freecycle. best of luck.

Thank you henwoman, you too

OP made me cry.

We are currently 4 days away from pay day. All credit cards are maxed out as it was a difficult month. I have enough meat to make a meal each day (previous month this caught me out), no rice, no potatoes just pasta, no butter, 1 weetabix and the bread is almost finished. No fruit. I fed the kids the last 4 fishfingers and some cheese puff things for lunch with the last tin of baked beans. I ate the last 2 eggs with some frozen veggies.

We have £2.60 in our bank acocunt and DH had £17 available on the credit cards which he needs to use to get to work for the next 4 days.

DS1 has packed lunch and I have been giving him jam sandwiches this week and managed to pick up a pack of apples from Iceland for a quid.

I am already in an IVA. Thsi month we owe two of his brothers £200 each which means that next month is going to be much of the same.

We were receiving some HB for the first time ever in our lives. DH works on a commission basis and has earnt more than the last lot of wage slips suggested so now we owe £380 and they have reduced it so that we will get about 1 weeks rent paid (every little helps and I am eternally grateful) but we has hoped to be off the HB by now but everytime we think we have cracked it and are about to move forward something messes it up and brings us back. Just got the council tax statement and we now have to pay full council tax - I just honestly dont knwo how we will actually do it all.

I dont work as we have a 3 DC 5,3 and 8 weeks. When we conceived DS3 the numbers added up but everything has just gone down hill from there.

I actually dont know what else to do. I have just hoped things will work out but the council tax bill has just sent me over the edge.

Sorry to turn it into a me me me post but just needed to vent.

I hope it all works out for you OP.

OP what's the tax credit situation? Don't they look at income, not assets?

Have you talked to your mortgage company?

When I was out of work a couple of years ago I took a 6 month payment holiday. It was quick to arrange and cost nothing. The missed payments are added on the the end of the mortgage.

The last thing they want is to repossess your home as they lose money on the deal.

Also, if money is really tight, gather up your cds and dvds and take them to cash converters or CEX. You might not get much for them but by the sounds of it £20 is better than nothing.

If you have children of school age, talk to the school. They might be able to advise you of some grants or even be able to subsidise your children having a school dinner. They don't have to do that but they do have the welfare of your children at heart.

It seems so unfair that people who are trying to work hard are getting nothing back when they are on their uppers.

I'm in the same boat, no money, no food, running out of gas, gas company have already given me emergency, i get paid in 4 days, lucky i don't have any children to care for. Getting more depressed each day, wondering if it's all worth it.. People shouldn't be starving in this day and age.

 @happyhillock

It's incredibly stressful, I know it is worth it though.

I won't be condescending and ask if you've cut back on things - most of us don't earn enough to cut back on anything! But have you looked into things you can do to try to up your income?

May be worth starting your own thread too, this ones a bit old.

ZOMBIE THREAD FROM 2011