Coping with money worries
With the rising cost of food and bills, and changes to the benefits system, many families are worried about money.
You might be eligible for help with housing and other costs. There are also some things you might be able to do to help you cut your outgoings.
Direct support
Make sure you are claiming the government benefits you are entitled to. You can use the Entitled to benefits calculator to check this.
You can also search for independent grant schemes on Turn2Us. You do not have to pay these grants back.
If you have a mortgage, you might be able to pause or reduce your payments.
Managing debt
If you need support with debt, you can contact StepChange or the National Debtline for free support and advice.
Feeding your family
Foodbanks are there to give you food when you can’t afford it. They can often give you other things you need, too, like cleaning products.
Check the Trussell Trust foodbank finder or look online for locally-run foodbanks.
There are also free apps that help businesses and individuals share food that would otherwise go to waste:
Recipe ideas
Websites like Supercook can suggest recipes based on the food you have in your cupboard.
Food blogger Jack Monroe also specialises in low-cost recipes. These include suggestions of ingredients that you can swap out. Some foodbanks have free copies of Jack’s books, or you can find the recipes online.
Understanding where your money is going
When you’re worried about money, checking your bank account can make you anxious. But it’s important to understand what is going in and out, and when. This means you’re not taken by surprise when your bills go out, and you might be able to make changes.
Citizen’s Advice has a free budgeting tool that can help you understand your money.
All families are individual and what is a luxury for one family might be essential for another. Only you can look at your outgoings and understand if you can make changes.
Entertaining your children
We know that children come with a lot of costs and you might not want your children to know you have money worries.
Younger children don’t need expensive toys and outings to learn about the world and grow into confident, happy adults. They want to spend time with you and feel loved and secure.
As your children get older and want to explore the world with more independence, things can feel especially difficult. It’s hard when their friends are suggesting things that you can’t afford.
It can help to suggest free or cheap activities that your teen could arrange with friends, so that they don’t feel they are missing out. This might mean group meetups at a nearby park or skatepark, or checking out free events in your local area.
You could also help older teenagers find a weekend job so they can pay for things themselves.
Activity ideas
We have lots of ideas in our activities section on things you can do with your children for free or cheap.
This advice was written by our experienced Parent Talk coaches. Parent Talk is a free online service for parents and carers, provided by the charity Action for Children. For more advice, message our parenting coaches with our online chat.
