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Original poster

Broke for a month

437 replies

Temporarilyskint · 11/11/2015 21:05

i know the way these threads can go - I am not asking for money and while I think it is incredibly sweet when people offer I won't accept

Sorry for above disclaimer.

Have namechanged as I'm a bit embarrassed and my ex stalks me on here.

We've no money. Well, £40. That's to get through to the end of the month.

We have no oven, or microwave. We do have a toaster.

No access to credit.

Fuel costs are high due to having to take my son to school. Not sure if there's a way around this. (He will hopefully be starting at a new school which is local in 2016 but for now it's tough.)

Fussy cats need food.

Argh. I am partly posting for advice, and also partly for emotional sounding off as I'm fed up of thinking about money.

OP posts:

Luxyelectro · 11/11/2015 23:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Excitedforxmas · 11/11/2015 23:24

Any family that could help you? Free tr is good for microwave. Or a toastie machine- they are cheap

SurlyCue · 11/11/2015 23:25

I dont know if relevant where you are but here in NI we have St Vincent de Paul and they give out emergency funds to families in need. Also our local cricket club does the same, they are a registered charity. Might there be something similar in your area. It might be hard to find out about them as here they dont advertise but i'll bet if you speak to GP or benefits office they will be able to direct you.

Original poster

Temporarilyskint · 11/11/2015 23:27

No it's ok re the questions!

I only have one child who has 'proper' meals, the other is 18 months and she just grazes on stuff. She has toast and bread and butter, she loves rice pudding, bananas and custard and mandarin oranges and biscuits, so she's happy. There are a few bits in the cupboard - enough until the end of the week anyway - I will need to stock up Friday. I will have about £20 to play with I think.

SS sniffing around us won't help sadly, I know this already!

OP posts:

SurlyCue · 11/11/2015 23:28

Could you trade services for someone to fix your oven? It could be something as simple as needing a new fuse. Could you do someone's ironing? Babysitting? Dog walking? Cleaning? Bookkeeping? File sorting?

flossietoot · 11/11/2015 23:30

If not social services, then what about Homestart? they can give you general support, but can also help you access other services. Don't try and muddle through on your own, I appreciate it it is scary asking for help, but what happens next month? will you be in the same situation again?

Original poster

Temporarilyskint · 11/11/2015 23:30

I don't know anyone to ask at the moment surly - the electrics in general seem a bit temperamental and a few times now I have woken up to discover the sockets have all mysteriously turned themselves off! If I reset the fuses that works for them but the oven just won't have any of it. An electrician is needed I know but I really can't afford it just now.

OP posts:

Original poster

Temporarilyskint · 11/11/2015 23:31

No, things will be a lot better next month, just vvvv short this one.

OP posts:

NotTheSpiceOfLife · 11/11/2015 23:32

Have sent you a PM Temp.

BaronessEllaSaturday · 11/11/2015 23:32

Do you know anyone who goes camping? They may be able to let you borrow a camping stove I know I have 3 knocking around which I won't be using until next summer something like that could help with the cooking I also have an electric griddle sat in my kitchen that never gets used but would be useful in this kind of situation, if you can ask around friends I'd be surprised if someone doesn't have a piece of electric cooking equipment you could borrow. How easy access to supermarkets have you got, can you get there daily and check the reduced to clear items.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 11/11/2015 23:32

Do you know anyone who camps and can loan you a camping stove? We have them for power cuts. Anything you can cook on a hob obviously can be done on that. The gas cans last quite a while and you can pick them up quite cheaply.

Lots of veg soup type meals, scour the supermarkets to find out when they reduce produce (3:40pm Sunday ASDA saw us with 3 loaves of crusty bread at 10p each and 4 packs of scotch pancakes at 10-20p each). Also check whether you can get 25kg sacks of pots. Our local farmer sells them for £5 each if you collect from the village. He delivers to the nearest towns for an extra £1.

Re transport, I would contact the school and tell them you are having problems getting ds in. What would happen if your car breaks down? I assume you are far enough away that no one lives near enough to give ds a lift.

Relentlesslyintherealworld · 11/11/2015 23:36

It sounds as though you're having a rough time and the last thing you need is to be hard on yourself.

I know it's easier said than done but if you have to live on jam on toast for a couple of weeks, so be it! As long as your kids are loved, warm, clean and fed, who cares what it is with! Just a case of battening down the hatches and weathering the storm. They will survive. Kids are very resilient.

Be kind to yourself x

Mrsmistletoe · 11/11/2015 23:36

After reading through this thread I don't understand. You seem unwilling to get any help or follow any advice given but you asked for help.

School will help with travel they have things in place for stuff like this.
Social services are not bad unless you have something to hide, my dsis had income trouble and she went to them and got lots of help.
Your local council should do a small loan to people in urgent need. (Around the £130 mark for £6 a fortnight repayments).

Sometimes you just have to forget about your pride and ask for help, it's hard to do but there is people who will help without judging you.

Original poster

Temporarilyskint · 11/11/2015 23:38

I've said loads of things are a good idea and said thank you, including the eggs, selling stuff, the flask and the pasta. Sorry if I couldn't use absolutely everything that was suggested but I am sure it helped someone. Camping stove is also a good idea although I'm not confident in using them, are they easy?

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GoboTheGoat · 12/11/2015 00:00

I agree with Mrsmistletoe.

You know how these threads go, so you knew that people would come up with suggestions and try to help. But you don't want help, you rubbish most of the suggestions, and you don't even seem to just want to chat, because you can't go into detail or explain your situation.

Most odd. I hope you are ok, it sounds like you are in a tricky place at the minute, and I don't mean financially. Please don't be a martyr about asking for help. You are just as worthy as the next struggling person whether it is long term or not.

Original poster

Temporarilyskint · 12/11/2015 00:02

I certainly haven't rubbished anyone's suggestion. That's really an unpleasant thing to say and it isn't true.

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GoboTheGoat · 12/11/2015 00:06

But you have! There is a reason why nothing will work. Which is fair enough because we don't know you or anything about your life....but that is kind of the point I am making.

I don't understand what you are hoping to gain from this thread when you knew it would go this way and you knew you wouldn't be able to expand on any detail.

NorksAreMessy · 12/11/2015 00:30

Couple of ideas, apologies if you have already thought of them....

Gumtree. I have just searched for 'free microwave' and quite a few popped up ( mostly London area, but worth a look)
Milk and more used to allow you to set up an account and then pay at the end of the month. Might be worth seeing if they still do that.

Will rack my brain for more ideas

NorksAreMessy · 12/11/2015 00:33

Also worth having a good rummage around MoneySavingExpert for ideas that fit your circumstances. There may well be something on there that you haven't considered.

Original poster

Temporarilyskint · 12/11/2015 00:34

I have said the following are good ideas and can be used:

Flask
Eggs
Pasta
Camping stove (possibly)
Selling some stuff

I haven't rubbished any ideas at all. At all. Please say where I have because I have not.

OP posts:

NorksAreMessy · 12/11/2015 00:37

Old Mobile phones, DVDs etc to sell?
Have you checked all your benefit entitlements on that clever benefit checking site?

NorksAreMessy · 12/11/2015 00:38

mrs and gobo if you can't be supportive on a thread asking for support, you don't have to join in, you know.

NorksAreMessy · 12/11/2015 00:43

Finally, before I fall asleep. jack Monroe has a brilliant budget weekly menu in the Mirror this week (also online). Some of the meals will be impossible for you, but some of them might well be useful. She is budgetting £9 per person for the week.

Good luck temp

GoboTheGoat · 12/11/2015 00:55

I came on the thread to be supportive, but the tone of the Ops posts made me ask myself what is the actual point? What is this thread actually achieving?

Original poster

Temporarilyskint · 12/11/2015 06:48

Like I say feel free to tell me exactly where I've rubbished advice.

Anyway things have got a bit worse as the dodgy electrics have gone completely. I keep turning on the fuse and it just persists in switching itself off again. So I can't use any sockets (am getting internet on my phone.)

Before anyone starts there's fuck all I can do about it and I'm not asking for advice. I'm just upset because obviously I'm really in a shit way now and can't even dry my hair and it's November.

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