Really struggling with money

[Laurenxoxo]

At the minute me and my partner are really struggling with money!!! To the point we are both actually getting so depressed and it's affecting our relationship. Is there anyways of making money fast? Like online or anything?! We are literally just about able to pay pills and that's it, like we can't really afford our groceries! We get maternity allowance and a bit of UC along with my partners income but it's literally just so going on our bills, we can never enjoy ourselves or even afford food ! Please someone help?!

If you can’t afford food you need to use a food bank. I’m not sure exactly who can refer you other than CAB.

There’s a thread here , £10 per day. That seems to be full of ideas.

Do you have anything you could sell?

How old is your baby, are you close to going back to work soon? I guess if the money problems are just short term , it's easier to cope knowing there is an end in sight.

Is there anything you can eBay? Or other selling site.

You can ask a health professional to refer you to a food bank.

If you can't afford food in the short term, yes to a food bank referral.

Longer term you have to look at your overall budget to see what the problem is and get ideas as to how to solve it.

If you have maternity allowance, UC and your partner's income, you should be able to afford the basics unless your rent is very high or you are in debt.

Although you might not be able to do things that cost money if you have seen a drop in income, so you'll have to see what you can do that's free or cheap to 'enjoy yourselves'.

Moneysavingexpert is a great resource. Look at the money makeover to comprehensively review your budget to make sure you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to and to cut costs where you can.

This, along with tips to make a little extra money here and there, eg switching your bank account to get a free £100, means that you can up your disposable income by a noticeable amount. Plus, if you're in debt, there's signposting to where to get the best help whether you just need to cut back, or might possibly need a more formal solution.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/money-help/

Of course, if you find that you really don't have enough money for the basics, you'll have to see what big changes you can make such as moving somewhere cheaper, going back to work sooner than you would like to, or can your partner earn more?

What sort of things would you like to do to "enjoy yourself" perhaps we can help find cheaper or free alternatives?

If you are spending money on entertainment that's a good place you can save (you are absolutely allowed to have it though read on...) use your library! I save thousands every year.

You can borrow box sets and DVDs. Stream movies. Borrow music, borrow mags and papers. Borrow ebooks and audio books. Learn a foreign language and much more. All for free.

If you pay for Amazon prime already there's loads of extras bundled up in that. So you could save on Netflix and Spotify (if you pay for those)

Look at the things you are already paying for and make sure you are getting the best value.

Go to your local citizens advice for help. Get a benefits check. Depending on age of baby pick up some part time work.

Jack Munroe has some wonderful ideas about cooking on a budget

Hello everyone

We've had a number of reports from people concerned about this thread so, as we usually do in these circs, we're putting our heads round the door with some important reminders.

Right now we can't see any evidence to indicate that the OP isn't above board – if we did, we'd remove the thread straight away. But the truth is that, sadly, we at MNHQ can't know with 100% certainty that any poster is genuine, no matter who they are or how long they have been here. As frustrating as it is, we're not able to vouch for anyone here.

So we always ask users to remember that not everyone on the internet is who they say they are – and remind folk not to give more to another poster, either financially (in cash or gifts) or emotionally (in time or care and support) than they'd be prepared to lose if things went wrong. We strongly advise against parting with any cash or giving away your personal details, and if you receive a PM which makes you uneasy - report it to us and we’ll take a look.

Sorry to hijack your thread briefly there, OP – we really hope you get it all sorted soon. In the meantime, you might find some useful information on our guide for dealing with financial difficulty

Have you checked you're getting all the help you're entitled to?

www.entitledto.co.uk/