Fighting bed bugs on zero budget

Thanks for the mention of the Community Care Grant - that sounds like just the ticket! Unfortunately it requires phoning a premium rate number to get through to them but the local job centre says I can use the centre's phone tomorrow to make the call for free.

I need to act fast on getting the 2 bedrooms sorted out as my daughter has decided to drop out of university and is expecting to come home. That is another thing I'd rather not have on my plate as it means that the moment she gets a job, our income will be slashed even further. Been there, done that, still picking up the pieces. When she started uni a few months ago, there were at least 5 pages of job ads in the local paper. Yesterday's paper had just 1 and a half pages - mainly for late night warehouse staff and the odd clerical job in the next county. The prospect of having a mopey unfulfilled unemployed daughter around doesn't fill me with great delight.

My biggest achievement today is finding a loaf of bread for 30p. I am surprised how pleased it has made me, really! Wey hey, my son will have breakfast tomorrow! Would you believe I spent 2 damn hours cycling around yesterday but the only bread left anywhere was all over £1.10. Mostly the shelves were empty of fresh fruit, veg and bread. I'm finding that pretty scarey to be honest and am wondering whether the empty shelves are happening all over the country?

Thanks Louise. I do not lack furniture and, indeed, most of it is 2nd hand from charity shops, abandoned in hedgerows and from good old Freecycle! I recommend Freecycle for most things as it saves stuff ending up in landfill sites and is a way of redistributing stuff. I gave away a wardrobe last week and was surprised by the number of people who indicated they wanted it!

Things like mattresses and carpets are a different matter and I want to avoid 2nd hand on those. If they've come from a house where animals live, or people smoke or if airfresheners and carpet cleaners have been used, I'd get very ill going near them. I have to be careful going round carpet showrooms as I get overcome by the fumes and, unfortunately , that has made it difficult for me to fill in the form for the community care grant. I now have an appointment at the CAB next week where someone can help me fill it in.

As it happens we do have a credit union in my area but I have never really followed it up as I have a bank account and credit card and have always managed the cash flow well. It is only in the last few months that my expenditure on basic things has exceeded my income. I don't drink, smoke, gamble, have holidays, buy clothes or newspapers so there isn't anything left to cut down on apart from the food and fuel which we need.

Christmas has been cancelled in this household and it is a huge relief not to have to worry about it. Christmas-lovers think I'm mad but really it is no hardship! The whole season has become far too commercial and divorced from its religious origins. There is too much pressure to get into debt and do things to excess at Xmas and I'd far rather get things when we need them rather than being pressurised into the whole Xmas spending thing. My son doesn't enjoy the fancy food, and we are veggies anyway, but I know he loves roasted chestnuts and will be more delighted to tuck into them! What we WILL be doing is baking stuff to take round to peoples' holiday house parties - that is rather fun.

I hadn't considered foodparcels and would be a bit embarrassed to ask. I've not been embarrassed to take food out of skips so I suppose I'm daft ;o)

I've been busy cycling around getting quotes for things for the Community Care Grant application. I still can't believe how expensive things are, as I have never been in a position to buy things new so had no idea of the cost of such things! The CAB adviser warned me that my claim is likely to be unsuccessful and has kindly put me in touch with the local Lions Club. So hopefully I'll have some luck somewhere!