A little guidance helped mom Naomi secure essential white goods for her home — and increase her confidence
The cost of maintaining a home can leave many of us feeling defeated. Bills seem to be going up and up with essentials like bedding, food, and white goods stacking up to a fortune.
If we’re feeling the crunch, we’re not alone. 4.2 million households in the UK were going without essential white goods in 2023, according to Inside Housing.
Living without a washing machine or fridge-freezer can increase food shopping costs by an average of 43%! We can’t afford these losses (literally)—but how do we juggle them with all our other expenses?
Meet Naomi
As a refugee from Dominica, Naomi leaned on her sister and charities like Zarach for bed bundles to support herself and her two kids—but she still needed help with white goods and household bills.
She was introduced to Quids in! Money Guidance through Zarach and met her support worker Zora.
“I needed support in the area of white goods,” she says, “a washing machine and a refrigerator. But in addition to this, I also received a lot of financial advice as well, and vouchers for food, electricity and gas.”
“Zora called very regularly to check up on me,” Naomi continues, “ and basically we discussed over the period of time my income and my expenditure, how to budget, if I was missing out on any benefits and how to check to see if I was getting everything that I’m entitled to.”
Naomi was shocked at how much budgeting changed her finances. “The budgeting was so important… At the time I was not really working, so I felt I didn’t need to budget… but it really assisted me, it went a long way. At the end of the day I had a lot more disposable income and I also started saving as well for bills I was expecting.”
Every penny counts
Small changes made a big difference, and she still relies on budgeting today. “Doing my income and expenditure each month is really helping me… to know what exactly I have coming up to pay, when to put money aside so I don’t miss any payments,” she says.
It’s even improving her credit. “Because of the advice I received from Zora, I’m able to put my money aside and make payments on time. So it’s really helping me out.”
After just six weeks of money coaching, Naomi feels significantly more secure—both financially and mentally.
With Zora’s guidance, she successfully secured a grant that allowed her to purchase essential household items, including a washing machine, fridge, and laptop, as well as fuel and supermarket vouchers.
Now £759 better off and a budgeting whiz, Naomi can comfortably make all her payments on time.
“I feel more relaxed, more comfortable. I feel like I’m in a better place to plan financially. My mental health is much better now and I’m very happy with the assistance that I received.”
Taking charge
If we find ourselves in a situation similar to Naomi and aren’t sure where to start, we can take a quick step forward with the Quids in! Future Proof Finance Quiz. The simple yes or no questions give us a clear snapshot of our finances, making it easier to take those first steps towards financial planning.
We can also use the Quids in! Budget Planner to keep track of money coming in and out, and the Quids in! Benefits Calculator to ensure we’re getting everything we’re entitled to.
For extra support, check if there’s a Quids in! Drop-in centre nearby by clicking this link.
Image: Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock
