I'm sort of homeless. Need money NOW.

A question about : I'm sort of homeless. Need money NOW.

I'm aware that this may be an unusual thread for this forum, but it seemed more appropriate here.

I'm 24 and i'm at the end of finishing university. I had to move back home with my parents in the meantime. I'm no longer a full-time student, because I only have one module left to complete, so I do qualify for JSA as I am able to work full-time. I will admit that i've been spending more time trying to complete this last major piece of work than finding a job. That will be frowned upon here, but I only have a few weeks to complete the work, then the degree is over forever. If I work full-time then I won't complete the degree and i'll incur many charges.

I'm currently at the end of my -Ј2,000 overdraft and I owe Ј350 on my student credit card, which has now been frozen and i've been forced to make a minimum repayment of Ј12 per month, which will come out of JSA. I couldn't afford to pay off the credit card sooner because I had no income as a student, I qualified for no grants because of my parents earnings, despite never receiving any money from them. When I hit some financial trouble the university had to give me some emergency funding because my entire student loan had been taken up by rent. I haven't been living for a year now, just sort of existing, hoping to get through this final stretch of the degree, which has gone on for longer than it should because of mental problems and family issues.

I'm now in a position where, i'm not literally homeless, but i'm bordering on it. My mother has made it abundantly clear that she dislikes me and wants me gone from the house. Every day is challenging and it's driving me further into depression. Lately I have been considering suicide because of my situation.

Getting out of the house is of paramount importance. I have no money to move, but in my parents house I have a bed and internet, which is crucial. Most people would just advise me to stay here, finish this last piece of work, then get a job and move out, but this will take months. We're arguing every few days, and the rules for which I have to abide by are increasing. This morning I was told I have to stop eating garlic because I smell too much and it's ruining my parents home. Unfortunately the only meals I can afford right now involve tuna and pasta, which consequently requires chopped tomatoes, and garlic, or it tastes horrible. There are more rules like this and It's making me really despise them. She's told me that she wants me out. I'm not creating problems; I don't look for arguments and I mostly avoid my parents. I'm not the sort of person that bows down to unreasonable orders like this; i'd kind of rather kill myself and let them deal with guilt than to start giving into unreasonable demands. Logic however tells me that this is stupid, so i'm still here.

Anyways, this brings me back on to my main topic; I cannot live here, I cannot acquire money quick enough, I have nobody to borrow money from or to live with. I cannot get anything from my bank as I already owe them money. I no longer qualify for student loans and even if I did it would take at least a month.

The only option, as I see it, is to get a loan. All i'd need is something like Ј2,000, which could set me up with a deposit somewhere cheap in a new city (where I am currently has few jobs) and it would allow me to complete my work just for the next few weeks without a job. Then I can work full-time and pay everything off. The problem is that I need money NOW. I don't care if I have to pay Ј2,500 back, losing Ј500 would mean nothing to me if It got me out of this house ASAP.

The thing is, I know nothing about loans, and I feel that my previous actions with my student credit card will mean that I have a bad credit rating and thus won't get a loan.

Can anybody offer any advice? I feel hopeless.

Best answers:

• Without a paying job you've no hope if a loan.
• Have you applied for social housing? As you are on JSA you may be able to get an emergency loan from the welfare fund. Go to the Job Center, tell them your parents have kicked you out and ask if you can apply for an emergency loan for a deposit for some accomodation.
  That is your most likely route to get what you need.
• The worry for me here is that you have mentioned taking your own life twice!! Please seek some professional advice .
• Ok, things aren't going your way at the moment so you need to work with what you've got ....for now.
  1. Try thanking your parents for letting you stay in their home
  2. Help out with domestic jobs and/or offer to do something
  like picking up a prescription or carrying a bit of shopping home
  3. Be open, honest and frank with them (without causing rows!) and
  tell them of your plans, ask for some advice, just try and be
  pleasant without fault finding or nit picking
  4. If you're in receipt of benefits, are you making a contribution
  to the household expenses? Very often, adult kids who return
  home can morph into dependent and recalcitrant
  teenagers.
  Parents, quite rightly, can get a bit ticked off with this
  5. Finish your degree and spend some time before you complete it
  in sending out as many job applications as possible
  6. Give yourself a timescale - six months perhaps and set targets, degree done (tick) 20 job applications this week (tick)
  7. Sell off any stuff you don't need on ebay and put it into an escape fund. You will need money for when that job lands in your lap. Try and add to it each week. A tenner here, a fiver there, in six months, it all adds up you know
  8. Be realistic and stop dramatising everything. You won't get a loan so you're going to have to scrimp and save short term
  9. If you're obsessive compulsive..well, it can be hard on those who live with you (my hubby's one!) and the need to control everything can be an invalidating experience for the rest of the family.
  Does this have anything to do with mum not liking you? It would help matters if you talk to her about this.
  OCD's don't like opening up but when they do, it can give them a huge sense of relief to be able to explain their feelings and receive a measure of understanding or just acknowledgement in return
  10. Look on this time as a period of growth and determine to emerge from it stronger, wiser, more compassionate, more understanding of others.
  Its not just about you.
• Try calling Shelter as they have loads of ideas that might help.
  Also get on the housing list for your council and housing association (might take a long time but you can't get one if you are no on the list)
  Ask at collage / Uni etc for flat/ house shares
  Put a notice on gumtree, your local paper's web site, pre loved, etc etc
  Ask your collage / Uni's councillor for advice and maybe a chat
  Speak to your Dr about not sleeping and see if they can suggest something to help
  Most of all..try to relax and remember that there are people around who will listen and will try and help and that it might look grim right now but you have your whole life ahead of you and once over this little rough patch you can do what you like.
  Trust me...........what you feel and see today is not what you will feel and see in a month, year, 10 years etc.
• I haven't posted for so long but felt I needed to on this.
  Going home after university is incredibly hard. You go from being able to do what you please, to living under someone else's roof with someone else's rules. I remember that when I left home and went to uni, I suddenly started getting on really well with my mum. And when I went back after uni, we suddenly started arguing like cat and dog. And the main reason for that was that I felt that I was being controlled and it put me right back in the parent-child relationship, that I'd had three years away from.
  But there is one really good thing about it I PROMISE you. It will make you leave. It will make you do ANYTHING you can, to get out. Do everything desert rose said, you might not like it, but it'll make life easier for you. It will be hard being pleasant when you feel under scrutiny, but it will make it much easier for you to get on with the things you need to do for the next few months in order to make your goals achievable. Those things are realistic, borrowing 2k without a stable income isn't.
  It's also good character building, as much of a cop out as it sounds. But there may always be people who control you or criticise you particularly in the workplace but even at home. You may have housemates in the future who think you make too much mess or make too much noise late at night. You can either let them wind you up, wash over you, or make you more determined to succeed.
• as a parent i'd expect the washing up done the same day also
  i would also not allow food in certain rooms, there is a table in our kitchen and all food is eaten there
  leaving lioghts on was another bugbear of mine
  my sons recently got a place of there own, and realise that leaving lights on cost money, and are much more careful nowadays
  why cant you get a place of your own, social housing dosent require u to have a deposit, at least not in my area
• Ever done bar work? Some pubs have live-in bar/manager jobs, would definitely be worth looking into, especially if you're not particularly tied down to that area. Check out Gumtree job listings for that kind of thing.
• Can i ask that you had a job in university for quite a lot of money but no savings? were there no plans put in place before the end of uni to where you were going to go and how you were going to afford it, im sure that you had an idea of how it would be. Hope you get sorted, but its a case of talk to them frankly, abide by their rules for a few months, go to the library to do your work, take your lunch with you. dont have garlic for the next few months etc. If you want a roof over your head you will have to put up with it until you can find an alternative. Maybe they will give you some money for rent a flat for a few months? good luck
• Sorry OP but i honestly cant believe a parent who dislikes they're son/daughter so bad they want them out. What have you done for her to feel about you this way ?
• By the sounds of things you shouldnt actually be entitled to JSA tbh ! You are still completing a module in a course which is 'full time' even if you work load has significantly reduced due to the fact youve got one module left its still one module IN a full time course