HELP

dekavo

Has anyone got some tips on how to get from month to month on the money social give now its been cut again...I have 4 children all under the age of 10 youngest is 8 months and with Christmas around the corner I am finding it hard to toss everything...I have had to make the hardest choice in my life:( between heating (which can only be bought at a min of €200) and presents for Christmas but the heating won hands down as my babies are more important. This is just one dilemma. The other is the oil heating runs off the esb so every time I need to heat the house it goes up. Then because I cant dry clothes outside I have to use a dryer again I have to choose dryer or heating. I choose the heating because of the baby. I just can't seem to win, every corner I try turn I'm hit with huge bills. Please has anyone any advice on how to deal with this while on social

Dorcha

St Vincent de Paul would help with the toys and the food. You should contact them to find out. I assume you have already contacted your local Soocial Welfare office about income supplements, but if not you should do so.


While mentioning St Vincent de Paul, they are organizing a church gate collection country-wide this weekend. I hope eyeryone on those boards, regardless of their opinions on various matters, will contribute. Many people who contributed in the past are now having to ask for assistance this year.

dekavo

Dorcha wrote: »

St Vincent de Paul would help with the toys and the food. You should contact them to find out. I assume you have already contacted your local Soocial Welfare office about income supplements, but if not you should do so.


While mentioning St Vincent de Paul, they are organizing a church gate collection country-wide this weekend. I hope eyeryone on those boards, regardless of their opinions on various matters, will contribute. Many people who contributed in the past are now having to ask for assistance this year.

Thank you for your help I will look into it. What do you mean by supplements? What can they help out with?

RichardAnd

There are always ways to save money. Food can be saved on by buying in bulk and then by buying only what foods are needed. Consider that it is possible to live off potatoes and milk and still be quite healthy. Buying spuds in bulk along with milk and cans of tuna (for protein) would provide a cheap means of feeding your family and feeding them well (though perhaps cheap tesco supplements for Vitamin C wouldn't go amiss).

A diet like this comes with the added bonus that a fridge would not be required to keep things cool. Even in summers, milk can be chilled by leaving the bottle submerged in water. A fridge is a huge consumer of electricity so this would probably save you a bit on electricity.

As to heating, have you considered a real fire? Gas heating is fine but a good log fire can heat a single room far, far better than a heater ever could and the furl could be sourced for less money.

dekavo

I have an open fire which is on constantly because of the cold weather but it doesn't heat the rest of the house up. We have tiles and floorboard throughout the house so they don't hold any heat in. I even considered us all sleeping in the living room were it is warm as the bedrooms are like ice boxes. I never knew the fridge used a lot of energy.

RichardAnd

dekavo wrote: »

I have an open fire which is on constantly because of the cold weather but it doesn't heat the rest of the house up. We have tiles and floorboard throughout the house so they don't hold any heat in. I even considered us all sleeping in the living room were it is warm as the bedrooms are like ice boxes. I never knew the fridge used a lot of energy.

The big users of electricity in any home are always appliances. Contrary to belief, turning of lights and such saves very little energy (though you should still do it). By finding a way around a fridge and perhaps by washing cloths and dishes by hand, you would save a noticeable amount of electricity each year.

Fires can only ever heat one room and that is their big disadvantage. However, they do heat a room extremely well and they can used to depose of a considerable amount of household waste such as nappies, discarded packaging and potato peelings. Further, if you have a fire heated stove (something once ubiquitous in Ireland) you can also cook on them.

Dorcha

This is the Welfare page. By clicking on the headings, you will get more detail, as to whether you qualify, etc.

Good luck.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/default.aspx

johnnyskeleton

Here's close to 700 posts on tips to save money, courtsey of the property pin:

http://www.thepropertypin.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=10815&hilit=scrimp+save

thebman

Em why not use the heating to dry the clothes since its on instead of also running the dryer?

I do this as there is no dryer in the house I'm renting. Clothes dry just as quick that way anyway.

Anonymous1987

You may qualify for fuel allowance also, check it out here:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/extra_social_welfare_benefits/fuel_allowance.html

Scofflaw

thebman wrote: »

Em why not use the heating to dry the clothes since its on instead of also running the dryer?

I do this as there is no dryer in the house I'm renting. Clothes dry just as quick that way anyway.

I have to admit it's never really occurred to me to do it any other way.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Scofflaw

thebman wrote: »

Em why not use the heating to dry the clothes since its on instead of also running the dryer?

I do this as there is no dryer in the house I'm renting. Clothes dry just as quick that way anyway.

I have to admit it's always seemed silly to me to do it any other way.

cordially,
Scofflaw