Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Reader’s Story: From Homeless to Housed with Savvy Money Tips
Annie
17th Sep 2024
We love to hear from our MoneyMagpie readers about ways they have lived a richer life – even when they have fallen on tough times. We were touched by William’s story, and how he went from being without a home to helping others find theirs.
During Covid, William’s father was diagnosed with cancer – and the lockdown meant delays to his treatment. Unfortunately, that meant his health quickly deteriorated and he had to move into care. As a result, the family home was sold to pay for his care – and that left William homeless.
Not Giving Up
“I jumped around from hostel to hostel during that time – which meant I learned a bunch of ways to save and make money,” William says. “I was forced to use food banks and the local soup kitchen, all the while trying to get a job through sites like Gumtree or finding any side hustle that would help.”
Then: an idea struck.
“I started going round charity and thrift shops, looking for items that I knew had a good resale value. Things like designer t-shirts, even DVDs and CDs – I quickly stocked up over 200 of them! And about 34 items of small clothing in good condition – all with the little money I had.” William resold these items and with the first batch he made a £62 profit. As he was only receiving £75 a fortnight from state benefits, things were very tough. But being able to pick up cheap nearly-new or desirable vintage items from charity shops was a godsend for finding extra cash.
Making Savings
As well as finding ways to make extra cash, William also found he could make savings by going to supermarkets close to closing time. He was able to pick up food that was reduced or about to be thrown out – this is something we love at MoneyMagpie, as you can save a LOT of money each week! (One of our favourite apps is Too Good To Go, where you can pick up bargains from restaurants, too).
Moving On
After four months of having no home, William was able to move into a hotel for the homeless. With a roof over his head, he could focus on building his skills and finding more ways to make money and secure his future. He volunteered in the kitchen as a porter, helping to feed dozens of people a day on just a £50 weekly ingredient budget. One favourite was spaghetti bolognese – not only is it delicious and hearty, you can make LOADS for very little!
Always wanting to help others, William also volunteered to help move residents from the hostel into their new homes when they got them. This was, of course, soul crushing for him, as he was still without a permanent address. But he knew his time would come – and it did! He finally was able to move into his own flat, which came at a good time as his own health deteriorated and he had to give up volunteering – but he still donates to the food bank, to keep supporting those who are in similar situations that William has lived through.
We were inspired by this story – thank you for sharing it with us, William.
If you, like William, have a story you want to share with us then you could get £25 for sharing. Find out how here.
Inspiring to read, and insightful to see how when pushed to the brink, money difficulties can be beaten.
Isn’t it? His story is nothing short of incredible and made me rush straight down to the foodbank in his honour.