Those of you who live on a (tight) budget..

[JustifedAndAncient]

I KNOW there are some on here.. not just me :)

So what do you do when you literally have days and days to go before you have any money again.. there is hardly any food in and you have just filled the car with petrol (necessity) knowing that doing so is going to incur lots of horrid bank charges..

There is literally no money with which to 'rob Peter to pay Paul' this week.. sent DS to school with a really crap packed lunch this morning.. hope nobody looks at it too closely, there were not many food groups represented and the lentil weavers on here would have had a field day with it!! Usually I can juggle things when we have weeks like this.. I also get a buzz out of being a tight wad when I have to and seeing how many days I can go without spending anything. But I'm going to need bread and milk and stuff.. and there are no yogurts and things like that for the kids.. I can usually juggle the money on weeks like this but this weekt there is nothing to juggle..! (Have 'online banked' DD's money from her account to mine already.. to try to keep us under overdraft limit.. and that was before I bought petrol. Will pay her straight back again when I get paid of course.. but that's how the vicious circle works, it's like having a much bigger and unaffordable over draft..)

So who else has weeks like this and how to do you manage them?

LOL, no good charging DH for blowjobs.. his money is my money!

when do u get paid? would the bank up your o/d to £400 till payday if u take the £50 off straight away once your money's cleared?

Can you not get an interest-free overdraft arrangement or have the banks stopped all that now? I have one but it was set up several years ago.

can you open a seperate bank account - one that gives you the buffer of £100 and just maintain it with £20 in it or something and leave it there for emergencies?

Early bird, sadly no, the bus would cost more; we have worked that one out before. Nobody to car share - nobody else living here goes to those schools for obvious (geographical) reasons. It's a mad sitation we are in.. if I described it you would think I was lying or at least say "how the hell have you time to post on Mumsnet?" (I haven't.. I'm stealing time.. :))

What about staying at your dad's place for a day or two - even if it's camping out? That way, you wouldn't use as much petrol, and you'd be there to look after him already.

How do you work out your money? weekly / monthly?
If you use a tank in 4 days....thats a fortune a month.

Munz, I can put my own o/draft up online.. (they clear it immediately.. Barclays are VERY good at allowing you to get yourself into difficulties) but I would just be prolonged the situation to 'borrow' even more - we are up to the limit an I have borrowed £200 off DD!!

Tracy a diff account elsewwhere might be an idea for the future.. trouble with out Barclays accounts is that I bank online daily and it brings them a;; up in from of me.. all being.. our current.. our "savings" (ha!.. always empty!) and the three kids accounts (as their accounts are managed by me.. which makes it easy for me to borrow their money.. .. although the boys have currently spent their!) An emergenvy account elsewhere might be worth doing. Although I am supposed to be saving for 'spending money' for the holiday.. ha.. what a laugh!! (You have to laugh don't you! )

We don't live extravagently.. have no social life. Swimming club fees cost a lost but I see those as necessity. (They are actually.. for other complex reasons.)

Our only real extravagance is two large mail order accounts which have large-ish monthyly bills. Always disliked credit.. but those started when I we needed large household items and if you can't pay for them outright then they have to be got somehow! And we buy clothing from those catalogues by scanning those tiny print sale lists they send and get real bargains (not often for DH and I.. mainly the kids.)

We ought to be able to stay afloat.. but things like kids' birthdays.. (how very dare they have a birthday! ).. and wanting a little holidauy (how very dare we want a break! ).. push us into experiencing weeks like this.

Can't stay with dad.. (logical suggestion but am lol-ing at the thought! :)).. he lives in a tiny warden controlled disabled person's bungalow.. is very cantankerous.. wants me there at a drop of the hat but only for short spells at a time if I have any of the kids with me!!

I'm often in a similar position. It would be worth phoning the bank to ask for a temporary extension on your overdraft, surely. Longer term definitely look for a more friendly bank.
I too keep all my copper change. It's a bit embarrasing handing over £2 in 1ps to pay for milk, but better than having none in an emergency.

Ask your dad to contribute toward petrol costs?

Ditch the catologues except for 1, put it at the back of the cupboard for emegencys.
\link{http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-x-LARGE-CASH-CAN-MONEY-TIN-NEW-STOCK-YOU-CHOOSE_W0QQitemZ6289432560QQcategoryZ149QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem\ I am using one of these £500 tines to save for a holiday, is about a quarter full so far. Also have one for paying my mum back as ive borrowed £ssss from her in the past, also quarter full}
Dont buy from the tiny lists unless you NEED something.
School clothes for example. If needbe.

I know fuel is costing a fortune CC :( Our finances are 'mainly' fortnightly... but with some.. Ch ben, DLA etc.. going in monthly. And ok (was avoiding saying this.. don't know why).. it's mainly (vast majority) all benefits... and disability ones at that.

Its still got to last whatever it is :)
No buying magazines for you or the kids, or coffees of cokes or crap from the shop that you DONT NEED.
See if you can get back into the black with your bank.

P.S rant rant rant says she...I have overspent by 120 on my credit card this month, first time in AGES and am going to have to find £30 aweek from somewhere to clear it this month....

Yes CC I know I shouldn't order from the catalouges. We owe hundreds on one and nearly a grand on the other . We don't go mental ordering stuff ever.. but I do do horribly extravagant things occasionally.. like ordering a new pair of jeans and a £20 top for myself because I am going to see Take That with my sister at the weekend..

The catalgues need to go.. I have known that for ages. But it seems impossible to get them paid off. We won't order for ages.. and then we HAVE to.. and then we will order other stuff that, we don't strictly have to...

I agree with the bulk shopping when you get paid. Pasta, rice potatoes etc. so that near the end of the month you can use these up. Can you get a milkman to deliver milk so you only pay for it once at beginning of month IYSWIM. Its horrible having to scrimp and save and I often struggle at the end of a month.

I would nip into new look and get a t-shirt for £4 instead next time...and a bracelet for £3...less stress than the catologue prices!

This is how we live every month!!

First of all, stop borrowing from ur children !! ok so its easy done but the guilt i have felt afterwards isn't even worth it!! When u get paid don't put it all back at oince maybe £50 - £100? Have u tried meal planning so u know what i will eat and when? I do it but only vaguly so i know there will be food in for 1 week 2 weeks whatever. If not then when u shop, buy sensible things like shops pwn chopped tomatoes and staples so that u can add them to meats.

Instead of using ur landline to call ppl, use ur mobile (if its prepay) and set urself a limit of say £10 a month and when its gone its gone. Only heat the rooms that need heating (not an issue in this weather i know) switch lights off when u leave the room, stop snacking! u save money AND lose weight! We go to DPs parents for tea once a week. Saves us a meal anyway that we can then have a different day.

DO NOT GET A CREDIT CARD!!!!

Save all ur coppers (i know its already been suggested) biut also ANY loose change u or DH have.

Can't think of anything else at mo DSs moaning but will come back to the thread for you.

Sorry nothing that will help u this week other than try not to worry too much. When DP and I first moved in we had to take turns to eat things were that bad!!!

Don't buy mags.. altho DH has Camera monthy. Rarely buys drinks when out.. A recent extravagance is having an Abel and Cole organic veggie box delivered (£22 once a fortnight!) but all I ever read on here is people going on about feeding their kids 'good stuff' and I want to feed mine organic veg too. Doesn't seem fair that as well as having the disadvantage of being from a 'poor' (UK standards only!) family, the kids have to eat sub-standard veg with nasty chemicals in..

Oh oh oh...I use a tescos credit card for everything, paying the bills, shopping etc, as you can swop your points for clubcard deals to zoos, theme parks etc, which means for a day out with the kids we only need to pack a picnic.
You can also swop points for magazine subscriptions if you really have to!

u could sell ur ticket to take that oif u get really depserate

MoM, yes we are taking turns to eat at the moment. I can live with that as long as the kids are eating at EVERY meal.