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im always skint, time ive paid food and gas and electric i dont av enuf left, i av tenner til tuesday seriously, only got couple presents, is there any type loan i cud get, to tide me over, i really want a job as well, hard
I was going to say "the trouble with loans is...you have pay them back"
The best plan is to spread Christmas through the year but the year you have had, it would not have been possible! However, although I appreciate you want a good celebration, you don't have to spend a lot. Have a look at our articles about Christmas on a budget and How to avoid a debt hangover
If you are skint all the time then the thing to look at is REGULAR outgoings. Some things you don't have a choice about, like any rent payments and water rates but there are things where you can save money such as gas and electric and food bills.In particular contact your energy provider and explain that you are a low income family and ask if there any grants or schemes that would help you.
As for Christmas, are your mum and dad able to help you out with a little cash or maybe you could say to them instead of a prezzie this year could I have the money now as I haven't got anything for the kids' prezzies?
I would also have a word with Women's Aid. Local organisations often donate prezzies to the refuge, and there may be some also available for families getting back on their feet after escaping abuse. The local Salvation Army will also often help out...you are in a special situation this year, but any donations will be prezzies and food, not money. Contact the Salvation Army in plenty of time if you want to ask for this service. I KNOW you would rather do it on your own but as I say, it is a special situation this year.
hi louise wot cheap meals wud u recomend today for tea, i av tenner til tue, iv egot tin beans in, big bag birds eye little waffles, but nothin else,wish i ad job but waitin til court case over with cos of legal aid, im not gettin a loan don twori,just a desperate thoughtx
Loads of hugs Kiera.
Have you looked in this bit?
http://www.onespace.org.uk/your-talk/discussions/food-glorious-food
Hi kiera yes look at the thread that sprkling has linked to.
My general suggestions for really cheap meals are
Pasta with sauce made of tinned tomatoes, you could add 250g of mince (plenty for your family), dry fry it and drain off all the fat (into an empty tin, not down the sink), garlic bread if you can get one of those loaves for 30p, go to the supermarket as it is about to close and you can get some really cheap stuff, might get a mixed salad there for a few pence. The big supermarkets are doing decent pizzas for £1 each at the moment, fish fingers can be good value, if your boys willl eat them, otherwise sausages with the beans and waffles you have. For fresh stuff, carrots are cheap at the moment and mash a few potatoes. If you have bought a bigger pack of mince you could use the other 250g to make a shpherds pie with the peas and carrots.
thanks louise my son is so fussy i av to do seperate all tym, he doesnt like tomatoes or potstoes or chips, or pasta sauce, i av wholegrain rice as well,was thinkin of doin pancakes, get pancake mix from shop,got an egg,il get potatoes,normlly i wud do nice sunday dinner but not tomoz, x
Hi kiera. Hope you manage to sort something. What about your Mum and Dad? Could they perhaps help out? Friends? Maybe they have some tinned things to spare? As for tomorrow's dinner, don't worry about missing a roast. The most important thing is just getting something to eat. Beans on toast, egg on toast, etc, just to keep you going until Tuesday.
hiya well ad pasta and jar pasta bake and grated cheese on top in oven for 20 mins,my othere son and other type pasta, he so fussy, and ice cream for after, i like avin sunday dinner so gutted im not doin it, dont no wot to av tomoz i wud get potaotes and do mash but my other son dont like mash, i av do seperate al tym for him so cost morex
Yes it is hard when they are fussy. I use to buy a cheap load of bread and let the boys fill up on that sometimes. You could cook potatoes, keep some out for your boy and mash the rest. Don't worry about doing "proper Sunday dinner", all they need is full tummies! Sausages?
hi doing pasta bolegnese for tea , my parents cum to visit and got me steak mince and pasta and spag bol sauce,so ok todayx
That sounds good kiera
Glad you're sorted for today kiera. Like Louise said, as long as you all have something in your tummys, then it's okay.
I find it harder in this month, as there are other things to buy for, and the pressure is on isn't it?
Yes I think it IS harder in December. Glad your mum and dad have come to the rescue.
Do you draw up a budget, kiera? The best budgeting I ever saw was from a lady I worked with who was on Income Support and had two children. She knew to the penny how much her electricity and gas would cost, what her weekly food budget was, she physically put the cash in different parts of her purse and whenever there was the opportunity for something free or a bargain, she was there, and got some wonderful things from charity shops. Her children always looked lovely, too! So in some senses I do think it is a real test of ingenuity.
Hiya:)
Sorry to hear about your troubles. Been in the same situation myself a few times. Are you on income support? You could always get a crisis loan from them, you only need to pay back £5 a week with no interest added on. Not ideal but could help in the short term. I live 2 mins away from my local asda so i pop in first thing in the morning every day (ive got it timed to a tee) to get the stuff there cutting in price. Most of it you can freeze so it does a few days. This really helps me. Occasionally when im really stuck, me and the kids 'pop in' to see my mum round about dinner time and she always says yous want to stay for dinner? So its a free meal without having to tell people your completly brassik if you dont want to.
Hope you get back on your feet soon:)
J x
Thanks Yummymummy, there are some good tips there 
Hi, I think it's all about budgeting to be honest. As a single mum you should be getting income support, child tax credits, child benefit, housing benefit, council tax benefit. Check your electricity provider to see if you're entitled to the £130 electric warm home discount as well.
If you pay gas and electric on meter check what you use and try to reduce it, if it's by direct debit ring and ask if you're in credit, if so reduce your monthly payments.
I think the biggest outgoing is food so think about meal plans for the week. Maybe let the boys help you cook dinner so they'll be more inclined to eat it.
Write every penny that comes in and goes out and see where the money is actually going.
I'm a single mum of one and at the end of each month I have about £160 left over (although I currently use it to pay debt) I see you have two children but that means you should be getting another £80 a week for the second child as well so it can be done. :-)
Thanks Colie, that is an inspired piece of thinking about getting the children involved in the cooking. You're right:it is all about budgeting. I agree that writing down where every penny goes is the first step
Don't get a loan Kiera.
One of my eldest's best present last year made him cry. He doesn't like Cadbury's Dairy Milk. My Aunty wrapped up a bar of chocolate for each of them and as the others had opened theirs and it had been CDM, eldest didn't open his straight away... When he did, it was a Milky Bar - which he loves.
Not extravagant, but a gift that had been well thought out.
Have you thought perhaps of making fudge (I tried and it did not work out well...) and wrapping it up in pretty cellophane?
Come to an agreement with your family and friends for a 'no gift' pact. You older children will understand, and youngest is too young to realise...
It is hard, but Christmas is magical without all the expense. I know it sounds corny, but it is. Last year my lot had a tyre each (so handy having four children) as the tyres cleared out my savings. They already know that I've no money to spare this year. So long as they have the tree and Christmas dinner (Aldi or Lidl or Iceland - or perhaps all three) they're happy.
Sorry if I sound like I'm preaching, I don't mean to be, but it really is better if you can avoid a loan.