Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Somebody please tell me what to do

66 replies

nutcracker · 29/10/2004 08:46

I cannot cope with this anymore.
I have been up since 4am trying to figure out how we are going to pay all our bills, buy birthday and xmas pressies and afford to eat this month and i just can't see a way out of it.

So far the only things i have though of is to

a) Sell the computer (would only raise about 100 though)

b) sell the car (would raise enough, but dp uses it to get to work)

c) Not pay the rent which would raise a bit but put the house at risk.

If anyone has any ideas at all i would love to hear them.
I have tried and failed to get a job and just feel so sick about the whole thing now that i wish i could just dissapear off the face of the earth.

OP posts:
gothicmama · 29/10/2004 09:11

have you applyed for all the benefits you are entitked to
try not to borrow anymore have you written down a deatailed budget - if you like CAT me and I can help you go though your outgoings etc and see if there is any way to heklp reduce

dot1 · 29/10/2004 09:12

that's what brothers are for..! If you get on with him and have a good relationhip, and he really can afford it, then I'd ask him. Me and my brother have helped each other out over the years - it's probably not ideal but you could always set up a dd (even £10 a month) to pay him back, so you know it's not going to be another amount hanging over you.

LIZS · 29/10/2004 09:13

Nutty, one more thought as posts crossing all over the place. When you agreed the monthly payments for utilities what were they based upon ? Once you have a reading done they may adjust it according to usage so if your account is then in credit the payments could come down.

Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:14

We aren't entitled to any benefits other than CTC and a bit of WFT. Dp got a better job with more pay and so my tax credits went down

OP posts:
Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:16

Our gas and electric are on card meters, our water (which i haven't paid for 3mths) is on a meter but actually less than at the flat which is werid.

Dp has some old records somewhere would they be worth much do you think ???

OP posts:
gothicmama · 29/10/2004 09:18

could be - can you change from card to dd as it is cheaper rate usually

Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:22

No they won't let us.

OP posts:
LIZS · 29/10/2004 09:27

Do either of you drink or smoke ?

gothicmama · 29/10/2004 09:28

do you have a written lsit of ingoing and outgoings atthe mo

Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:31

No we don't drink or smoke.

Yeah we have a list and usually we just about manage but last mth a couple of dd's didn't go out and so we have been charged for them, the car tax is due (which i didn't know until last week) and dp got a speeding ticket, plus we were short last month so i borrowed 100 quid off my mom but she needs it back now.

OP posts:
helsi · 29/10/2004 09:31

Iceland have really good value freezer food. You could stock up on that and I think last year they did a whole Xmas dinner for about a tenner - ok the veg was frozen, so were the roast tatties but once you cook them who knows - anyway Xmas is about families - not what you have on your table.

We were in a similar situation not long ago. DH had some old pictures in the loft that we sold for £40 (they were actually worth about 100).

Could you do a car boot sale to sell his records and any old kids clothes/toys etc?

I agree that 0% credit cards are a good idea and if you can keep swapping every month to get the best deals.

Dont you and DH buy each other Xmas pressies this year. Buy things that the kids need not want they want and tell them that Santa knew they needed whatever more than toys etc.

You MUST pay your rent.

Not sure how old your kids are but bath them together if you can - you and DH could also bath together!!! (romantic!) and saves water.

Get energy saving light bulbs in all lights around the house - they save quite a lot believe it or not.

Cut back on luxuries - going out, alcohol, branded food, sattelite,

cardigan · 29/10/2004 09:32

Could you babysit - even during the day - letting mums& dads get the xmas shopping done without kids in tow. Also in the evening - could offer to babysit & do cleaning/ironing if little ones asleep (something which teenage babysitters can't do). Pay all bills & rent first - just leads to stress if you don't. For christmas tell the kids that money is a prob - find treats that cost next to nothing. One birthday I made a craft box full of old scraps of paper, old mags/pictures for collage, bits of fabric - all cost very little but play value was enormous. I asked a dept store fabric department if they could save any small fabric scraps - they gave them for nothing to me. Join the local library as an xmas treat, tape some films from tv for kids to keep. I hope you're ok - go to cab as suggested to talk it through. Best wishes.

Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:32

Am going to get dressed now and go to the shop and get the local paper, see if there are any jobs in it.

Thanks all, keep the ideas coming they are great.

OP posts:
MummyToSteven · 29/10/2004 09:33

nutty - re: the records. my stepdad is a real anorak about that sort of thing. if you CAT me with details of titles etc of any of the records I can run it by my stepdad what your dp might expect to get for them

Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:34

Bathing with dp, i'm desperate but not that desperate

Me and dp never buy each other pressies anyway. He was getting me perfume this year but not now i spose.

OP posts:
Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:35

Thanks Mummytosteven, i will ask dp later when he is back from work.

OP posts:
LIZS · 29/10/2004 09:36

Are any of the large supermarkets in need of people to pick stuff from the shelves for internet deliveries ? Often done in evening or early in morning so you'd need to be able to get there and back.

dot1 · 29/10/2004 09:39

yes - table top or car boot sale is a good idea - dp and I are going to be doing this! Clears out the house and hopefully will make us a little bit of money...!

I'm organising a secret santa amongst our group of friends, so that we all put names in a hat and just buy for the 1 we pick out - with a budget limit of £10. If you've got a group of friends who all know each other, this saves on present buying.

Fortunately ds2 is only tiny, so is getting no Christmas presents this year! Ds1 will be 3, so we've been getting bits and bobs over the last few months. Can you have an agreement with family that you just buy one present each, with a max. £10 value?

Chuffed · 29/10/2004 09:41

Good luck - I can't think of any further advise everybody has covered it.

DillyDally · 29/10/2004 09:42

Royal mail also needs additional people at this time of year to do sorting of mail in the early hours (not very sociable but at least you can be finished early?)

Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:45

Evening or night work is a good idea but i would struggle to get back as dp would have the kids.

Royal Mail hmmmmmm my brother works for them, i think he'd rather lend me mnoey then have me work for them they are awful

OP posts:
soapbox · 29/10/2004 09:46

Nutcracker I think you are going to have to increase your income in some way, so agree with what many of the other's have said.

I would defo look at temp christmas work - this should take priority over any thing else you do, so that you can be as flexible as poss over days/times which is what the shops/bars want at this time of year. A couple of the shops near me were advertising for evening shift staff last week, from 6-11pm - would this be a possibility.

Otherwise you can look at raising money by selling what you have lying around the place - car boot sale/ebay - you need to be ruthless!

Then you need to look at raising money from things you make - my sister makes cards and sweets at this time of year and sells them at car boot sales at the weekend. She makes about £20 a week profit from this and she works long long hours at work so does not have much time to devote to it, but it does make a difference taken over the month as a whole.

I think that the answer to your problem lies within you - you are a bright and able person and you need to use that to your advantage

Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:49

I know i could do the majority of jobs advertised as i am a fast learner e.t.c but try convincing the employers of that.
If i hear "oh so you have no experiance at all then " one more time i'll scream.

OP posts:
Original poster
nutcracker · 29/10/2004 09:51

Just a quick question before id o actually go and get dressed.

If i manage to get a job, will i actually get any money before xmas ?? i mean don't you have to work a month in hand and stuff like that ??

OP posts:
LIZS · 29/10/2004 09:56

Think it depends Nutty. Casual staff might get paid weekly but if you started, say, next week you shouldn't have to wait any longer than 4 weeks to be paid, so beginning of December. Also you may get a discount on purchases during your period of employment.

Swipe left for the next trending thread