'Survive' on £7 a week?

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misskatibear
misskatibear Posts: 158 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hey!

So I'm not going to go into a depressing/grim/sympathy story or anything, but I'm homeless technically and crashing at my brothers girlfriends house. They told me a few weeks ago they're going to put the rent up, which I'm going to struggle with as I'm also unemployed (hopefully not for long).

Do you think it's possible to survive on £7 a week on food/general groceries? Bearing in mind I usually spend about £35-40 every 2 weeks on food/grocery(shampoo & things too), and I'm usually almost running out of food by 1 and a half weeks.

I don't really know what else to do, but I am crapping myself a bit! I'm also a vegetarian so some veggie stuff can tend to be more expensive, bah!

Anyone else in or been in this situation?
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Replies

  • sweetsarahj
    sweetsarahj Posts: 701 Member
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    My best advice is to plan to eat pasta and rice. Beans are excellent sources of protein and fibre too, if you buy them dry and cook yourself they are cheaper. Also, if you aren't too embaressed about it, how about a food bank? It's there for people who have ended up in unfortunate circumstances, and I think you should use it if it's available! Good luck !
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
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    ALL the fruit and veg section of Aldi is your friend. I was very poor in my second year of uni and managed to spend less than £10 a week on food, they also do cheap staples like rice and pasta.
    Also, go to the job centre and sign on for job seeker's allowance. If you can't feed yourself, you need help. If you're paying rent to someone, you can get help with that too. You can apply online and they will call or email you or text you with an appointment.

    http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_200090.html
  • misskatibear
    misskatibear Posts: 158 Member
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    Thanks sweetsarahj I had not actually heard of a food bank so I will look that up! I do stock up on tinned assorted beans but i'll look into dry ones like you suggested.

    determinedbut, I am already on job seekers (it's horrible!), that's where I do get this money from already. I had a 2nd interview at waitrose last week and hearing to hear if I got the job, so I'm really really hoping. Fed up of Job seekers!

    I also put bids into council houses and have done since August last year but no luck yet :( I'm not sure I can get housing benefit though
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    ramen noodles....lots of ramen noodles.
  • EmmaM2211
    EmmaM2211 Posts: 536 Member
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    You can definitely get housing benefit. I have a friend lodging a room from me since she cant afford to rent a flat (she's also on job seekers but is starting a job next month) and I think she gets about half her rent paid by the council. Go in and have a chat with someone. x

    Edit - my lodger didnt think she could get housing benefit either until I practically bullied her into going to the council. The job centre are crap and you have to go direct to the council offices for housing benefits. Good luck!! xx
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    You should get more than just jsa if your paying rent. Go talk to someone at the job centre for advice£7 is virtually impossible. Aldi is great! But £7 cannot be right. Get dressed and straight down to the job centre for advice. Also have a little chat with your room mates. Explain the situation x
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
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    Asda supersavers stuff is really really cheap. Not the best quality of stuff but if it's just for a short while (fingers crossed for you getting the job) it should be ok. I used to live off the stuff and as long as you're not too picky you can manage it. And no, if you're just contributing rent to someone then you won't get housing benefit. You might if you do get a council house though and you're on a low income, especially if you've been out of work for a while. Good luck!
  • shaynak112
    shaynak112 Posts: 751 Member
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    Pasta, rice, and beans. Try getting some of these things in bulk. It's more expensive one week but then you won't have to buy it again for a while.
    Good luck!!
  • snoozypoo
    snoozypoo Posts: 32 Member
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    Can you not claim housing benefit?Or go down to housing and declare yourself homeless?Even a hostel would be better then £1 a day for food.
    You could buy pasta or rice and cereal and live on that if you have to - 2x big pasta £3, cereal £1, milk £1, tomato pasanta 72p for 3 small cartons and £2 for maybe bread and soft cheese (supermarket own brand).
    You can also look at a benefit loan and you used to be able to get a deposit through a charity but can't rememeber the name.

    Try contacting shelter for advice as although you could eat on £7 it would be barely

    Good luck
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    It's very possible to eat vegetarian or healthy or unhealthy or any diet (except the Caviar and Champagne Diet, I suppose) and not spend a lot.

    Tesco Value Rice: 40p per kilo dry weight. Most Tesco Value and Sainsbury's Basic stuff is really cheap and is fine to eat. Sure, you won't find it served at the Ritz but that's life. Value/Basics frozen veg is pretty cheap and lasts, too. Depends how much you eat, I guess. And their own version of instant noodles is about 20p a packet. That's 20p a meal and a scary load of calories. Throw in some veg for interest.

    Good luck with the job search. Keep applying, stay positive and be willing to think outside the box.
  • jesshall281
    jesshall281 Posts: 219
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    Are there any family members you can stay with? Or anything you can sell to get some cash for a while?

    Also I see you do graphic design, when i was low on money, I did freelance graphic design and got about 25 pounds a week. Get advertising your design services on Gumtree or something.

    I wish you the best of luck and remember, nothing is forever!
  • lottycat
    lottycat Posts: 333 Member
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    you can do it. It won't be easy or much fun, but it is possible. Bulk buy lentils, they are massively cheap, filling and full of protein. Pasta, Rice, Cheap versions of supernoodles, tins of beans and like someone else suggested the fruit/veg section at Aldi is amazing. Don't buy any Quorn or anything like that. Also go to Markets and carboot sales and get chatting to the fruit and veg people. I have a good relationship with a few and they will give you fruit and veg that is about to go off if you wait til the end of the day. You need to use it quick, but sometimes that can encourage creativity in the kitchen. Good luck x
  • Lazytoad2001
    Lazytoad2001 Posts: 45 Member
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    Not easy but possible, as said by others rice and pasta are your friends boring as they are. Also the reduced items in the supermarket should help too, I usually pop down about 8pm and most of the veg is reduced if its near its date. This week I got bags of carrott and swede reduced to 10p each, I boiled it and mashed it and got about 6 portions out of 60p worth :) Might be worth a mooch around poundland too especially for shampoo etc the have alberto balsam shampoo and conditioner in for £1 at the moment big bottle lasts ages.

    Good luck, I hope things improve.
  • babyshambles11
    babyshambles11 Posts: 12
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    Apply for Jobseekers Allowance and Housing Benefit until you find a job?
  • SurfinBird1981
    SurfinBird1981 Posts: 517 Member
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    Tesco value, Asda smart price and Netto/Aldi style cheap shops until you get a job, good luck and I hope your situation gets better soon!

    Keep smiling
  • carysj
    carysj Posts: 22
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    I'm vegetarian and lived on approx £7 per week during my first year of university but am an example for how not to do it. At the time the supermarket price wars were going on so my main diet consisted of toast (20p for a Tesco Value loaf) and beans (9p per tin, remember those days?). I was my lowest ever weight but looked really unhealthy and developed crusty sores on either side of my mouth due to vitamin deficiencies. Please be more sensible than I was and make sure you get a good balance of vitamins/minerals. Good luck, and I hope your situation improves soon.
  • misskatibear
    misskatibear Posts: 158 Member
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    Thank you all for your replies! Wow, wasn't expecting so many :) Thanks really appreciate that!

    I love the suggestion of noodles, and rice and pasta. Although I'm a bit worried about all those white carbs! But I may just have to put up with it!

    I think I'm eligable for housing benefit, but there are other reasons why I can't go on it (not because of me, but who I'm currently staying with) - So that's a bit frustrating, I don't want to go into it because I don't wanna get anyone into trouble! But it does make it harder for me because of that.

    I'll definitely try looking in Aldi there is one really near to me, so thank you to those who suggested that!

    Unfortunately xxxzaraxxx my roommates are my brother and his girlfriend and they know exactly what my situation is :(

    @justgemmy @snoozypoo
    I've been down to the council and declared myself homeless since august last year. I even tried getting into a hostel, I told them I LITERALLY had no where to go, they just told me they couldn't do anything about it - Honestly, I'm not even joking - I was in bits! I was put in a hotel for ONE night (for free) but that was it. And I'm signed up to my local council housing list, but have been trying to get a council house since august as well. There's not a lot of help for people who are 'alone' out there, but there's a lot of help for couples or families (understandbly)


    @darrensurrey I already buy frozen value veg and its really useful! I do have a limit on how much frozen I can buy though I only have one small top draw to myself in the freezer, grr.

    @jesshall281 I'm already staying with family :(
    I was staying at my boyfriends parents for about 7 months but we were sharing a single bed and I didn't move from his room (im shy) so didn't cook, thats how i put all this weight on! And I ended up moving where I am now with my brother and his girlfriend. My dad fled to thailand and my mum runs a guest house so those two are a no go, hah!

    @lottycat I'll try not buy quorn for a while -_- its so tempting but I think yeah its just way too expensive!

    @lazytoad2001 Going at 8pm for veg sounds excellent. I do usually look in reduced section but always tends to be middle of the day. Thanks!

    @babyshambles1 I'm already on jobseekers, and housing benefit is a no go really

    @carysj Haha okay i'll try not! I know how much sugar is in those beans! >< And yeah I can get easily ill too if not getting good nutrients. So okay :P Thanks!
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    find a food charity in a church.
    sometimes they can even help you find housing. churches are usually pretty sympathetic!
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    getting a job in restaurant would help a ton, even if its fast food (no fries, no bread tho!)

    you'd make money and have food to bring home.. or at least eat while working =] or even waitressing.
  • misskatibear
    misskatibear Posts: 158 Member
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    getting a job in restaurant would help a ton, even if its fast food (no fries, no bread tho!)

    you'd make money and have food to bring home.. or at least eat while working =] or even waitressing.

    Hmmm never thought about a church, not sure if that would happen here, i've never heard of that!

    And yeah! The job I applied for was a cafe assistant and I'm hoping to hear from them this week *fingers crossed*
    So that would be ace, may end up just eating all that food ¬_¬

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