Finances and me

You know I sit here and watch programs about people on benefits and it amazes me how people are getting so much.  when in reality the vast majority of us live day by day and are scraping by on very little money. I don’t have money for luxury items or to go to the cinema, I don’t have the money to go to the pub for a quick pint or soda. I don’t often have money for fish and chips this is something I need to cook from scratch.  But there's this misunderstanding that everyone on benefits is rolling in the money which is totally wrong.  

With this in mind I have suffered mental ill health for a number of years, suffer from bursitis in the hips. So yes I am on benefits but not that I want to be on benefits for the rest of my life, I study through Open learn and have products on tee-spring, all ready for promoting next year once I am able to. Its not a case of I don’t want to save because I do want to save its simply a case I cant afford to save no matter how I separate my money.  Right lets do another hypothetical breakdown of my finances.i've been refused PIP, which doesn't surprise me but my ex who in honesty does not need the money is given the money as he often walked without the crutches to the local shop.

ESA (benefit)              146.20 ((Paid two weekly)

Service Charge             46.58 ((paid out every two weeks)

 99.62   (the amount i actually get in my bank)

 Debt 1                           10.00

Debt 2                               2.00

Council tax                       7.00  (with council tax benefit)

   87.62  

Internet                           20.00

Bus Pass                          20.00

Two-weekly shop          47.00

Now just think the debts are from 2012 things he would never allow me to pay and yes. We have the options to do things but when someone has control over your finances, then it is hard to pay with the little you get. Or perhaps you don’t get anything and have to request that your partner hands you money, or you have to explain where every single penny goes.  Trust me that made me feel like I wasn’t trusted to have my own money, I'm thinking like me you might have asked for him  or her to hand you the money your entitled to, only to hear a very firm NO! or arguments when they decide to explode on you?  I talked to so many people about splitting our claims but he would never go ahead with it.   I recently saw an increase on my benefits so i have more expendable income which has to go on food etc but is still only 40.00.  Without council tax benefit I would have to pay £100 in council tax after the rent which is covered by housing benefit.

 As I work through much of the work I have to do I realise that it was another area he would have the control and the refusal was his way of keeping the control.  Just like when I asked him five times to write a letter for me so I could move out and he would refuse I wanted it to be a mutual thing so he could maintain contact with our daughter but he refused every-time I asked him. Again this was to maintain his control.  But that’s was before he turned nasty on my daughter not the purpose of this blog!

when i left i had no money i had to survive off help from others, but once money came in the first thing I needed to do is work out my finances and see how i could survive on it. Then to see where i could make needed cuts, you see I don’t have any photo identification so I can not open an account with a credit union. Or for that matter if I was to be lucky enough to get a flat I would need to have photo identification to prove who I am to the local council.  So my aim is to get my provisional licence and possibly a citizen card both of which have my photo on them but then I found out that a provisional licence is not classed as photo identification.  So now I am looking even more expense which a credit union would come in handy helping me to save up for but without the right identification I cant have a credit union account so its a vicious cycle.  I have an Isa account which has a little bit of money in and I mean its something like £2.00.

So given the figure's above where can I make cuts? so I can get myself the identification I need to get. Internet is so I can bid on properties and talk to a friend, I don’t drink any more I don’t eat junk and I don’t go out. The bus pass (smart card) is for when I need to go into the centre for appointments and planning on going to church in the centre through salvation army so I’m thinking the bus pass is needed so those cant be cut.    Which mean £7 from the food budget would have to be saved up which would mean my budget would be extremely tight if you have ever tried to buy food and cleaning products plus hygiene products on £40.00.  One reason I am glad I have the s.v.p around me who has been able to help me in many ways and yes I have used the food bank on occasions but then again. I need to think this is just a temporary stop.

My advice to anyone is to sit and work out where your money is going, work out your expenses even if you need to get a calculator to do it . Or if you need to talk to someone over it do so, if you have debts I would advise not hiding from them but picking up the phone before it is too late and discussing the issues you have.  I believe the lowest they can ask you to pay back is £1.00 but most firms will do an expenses sheet with you either in person or over the phone. Don’t be scared of them I know it can be scary I owe over £1000 with one firm, but I am aiming to pay it back in fact I have set up direct debits with both firms. So I know it is coming out and believe that after six months to one year there should be a positive effect on my credit rating, just like I am paying the council tax through direct debit for the same reason. If I was able to go for a loan from the credit union I know I would be able to get the correct identification but the fact I cant even access it without the photo identification is a knock back.     

I will use a ISA account to save up the little I can and help me get to a better footing but when I opened the ISA it was not my plan to have to dip into this account. The provisional is £34 and citizen card is £15 so in total that is £49.00 so at £7.00 per two weeks should take me 7 payments which works out as 14 weeks to get the money together.  But as have said many places do not consider a provisional licence as proper photo identification. Anything I need which could improve my situation I know for a fact I need to scrimp and save like so many others do. I am no different to you well perhaps you haven't made the financial blunders I have, perhaps you was raised in a better richer family.

 You know poverty is literally not being able to afford female hygiene products, not being able to put food on the table, not being able to go out with your friends I would not consider as poverty but in all honesty in a way it can be an effect of being in poverty. Poverty is not having the money to put presents under the tree this year I wont have a tree or decorations I simply can not afford it. I am lucky though as this year I wont be on the streets unlike many thousands in the country who do not have this option this is  another form of poverty.

The thing is if you work out the money you have what you have coming in and every penny you have going out then you can work out your financial benefits and what holds you back from the plans you have. I want to run my own business one day but even I know I cant do it with out working out the finances, I know I need financial stability before I can even attempt to do what I want to do. By working out the expenditure then you can get more control over the money and see where you can make the change just like I have.    I cant stress it enough if you owe money then contact the firms you owe and discuss it with them I know I can call the one and discuss my account to bring the payment down a little more but owing £1000 I’ve decided not to bring it down.

One day i will be able to open an account with the local community credit union and save with them, who knows perhaps by this time i will have sufficient credit rating and financial backing to help get a loan to get my dreams on track. 

BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU IF YOU OWE MONEY IS NOT TO HIDE FROM IT AND REACH OUT TO THE FIRM EITHER YOURSELF OR THROUGH A CITIZEN ADVICE ORGANISATION.   THEY WILL BE WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU AND RESPECT YOU MORE FOR MAKING CONTACT WITH THEM.   

I would like to say thank you to those people who proved they was friends when i needed them and helped me in my darkest hour.


Thank you to everyone for reading this.



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