Share your stories of desparation!

amosworks

I can think of plenty ex-war jokes.
But respect to the use of the potato lol. Had you been an MSE'er early you maybe could have done a trade of potatoes for faggots, that way you both could have a more balanced diet lol.

freebird65

amosworks wrote:

Had you been an MSE'er early you maybe could have done a trade of potatoes for faggots, that way you both could have a more balanced diet lol.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


Am hugely impressed at the 1001 ways to serve up various items of food that are being mentioned here!

mum2many

LookingAhead wrote:

My brother (who is three years older than me) remembers a Christmas Day with my Mum crying as she couldn't eat a Christmas Dinner as there wouldn't be enough for us kids if she'd had some. That still breaks my heart now whenever I think about it.

Big big hugs for your Mum,

I can remember using milk tokens very creatively too. UHT milk was cheaper than fresh so could buy food too.
think the worst I have done is living on coffee and ciggies(20 would last a week) to make sure I could feed my daughter when she was small. Oh to be thin again :rotfl:
DH has been known to bring home toilet rolls, tea, coffee and sugar when we have run out.

Pretty pathetic compared to some of your hard time tales, you should all right a book to work alongs side Martins.

1001 Uses of Bread, Potatoes and Faggots

Quite like the sound of a fried bread sandwich though

kate1976

MoaningMyrtle wrote:

And withdrawing my eldest DD's savings from her birth/christening to pay bills.

I did this with my DS's savings, I felt so guilty but I am repaying him back slowly and I've decided no matter what I won't do that again!:o

Norbert_Colon

As a student, waking up to find there was literally no food in the house and I had no money, but that a free sample of coffee had come through the letterbox.

I still didn't have any food or money afterwards but that was the best coffee I've ever drunk.

KittyKate

Thankyou so much everyone for your stories and may them keep coming! It's nice to have a chuckle at the lengths we all go to to survive.

And to anyone who might think otherwise, I of course didn't mean this thread to belittle those going through similar situations right now. I think it makes us able to empathise with them even more. I regularly donate tins of food to my local homeless shelter and donate to soup kitchens which set up in winter here in Leeds (and I encourage anyone who can spare a few pounds to do the same )

Anyway back to my uni days - I had become quite accustomed to living off quiche, beans and noodles, but men seem to be able to live off vile things for weeks and months - like my friend who ate nothing but 1 value loaf and a pot noodle every day, or my friend who ate (free sachets of) tomato sauce sarnies! - oh, and my (now ex) who couldn't cook, was very poor, and lived off plain pasta and gravy. Yuk! When he came round to mine and I made pasta, mayo and tuna he must have thought he was in the Ritz, lol!

(I'm now totally off any food I ate as a student because I'm so sick of seeing it!)

Broken_hearted

To all those feeling guilty about taking the kids money to buy food or essentials. You did the right thing the money was provided for the child. They would rather be warm and fed than have a bit money sat in the bank.

lynzpower

KittyKate wrote:

Thankyou so much everyone for your stories and may them keep coming! It's nice to have a chuckle at the lengths we all go to to survive.

And to anyone who might think otherwise, I of course didn't mean this thread to belittle those going through similar situations right now. I think it makes us able to empathise with them even more. I regularly donate tins of food to my local homeless shelter and donate to soup kitchens which set up in winter here in Leeds (and I encourage anyone who can spare a few pounds to do the same )

Anyway back to my uni days - I had become quite accustomed to living off quiche, beans and noodles, but men seem to be able to live off vile things for weeks and months - like my friend who ate nothing but 1 value loaf and a pot noodle every day, or my friend who ate (free sachets of) tomato sauce sarnies! - oh, and my (now ex) who couldn't cook, was very poor, and lived off plain pasta and gravy. Yuk! When he came round to mine and I made pasta, mayo and tuna he must have thought he was in the Ritz, lol!

(I'm now totally off any food I ate as a student because I'm so sick of seeing it!)

I do remember buying nothing but nettos cheapest bread ( and it was some years ago now, I know the quality has improved dramatically) and thier chicken cup a soups. Id have this daily. For a substantial meal Id do that grubonagrant classic of tinned toms, onions, mushrooms pasta sauce. Its perfectly nice, but I ate so much of it I cannot face it ever again ( out of choice)

Snaggles

Triker wrote:

Lived on chappities and the cheapest margarine for days, chappaties recipe, flour, salt, water, mix, roll out dough in a circle, fry and eat.I think this is also the recipe for glue!

My OH says he used to eat this a lot as a kid too - his Mum called it 'Emergency Bread'. As a treat they would add a bit of sugar too! (I tried making it recently - it's actually quite nice lol!)

My favourite cheapy pasta sauce is a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of tuna with a bit of salt and pepper - could stretch this to four days as a student :rolleyes: .

never_again_2

I remember oncw when I still lived with my Mom and (prob '98 something like that) we had no money at all. I came home from work after working a normal day and four hours overtime. I was tired & hungry and just wanted to eat dinner and go to bed. I opended the microwage to find two white potatoes; not baking potatoes - white potatoes! My meal for that day two small white potatoes with mayonaise for filling.

I also remember on my birthday praying for money from relatives so we could buy food and my aunt sent me a cheque for £20. We were a bit disapointed because we couldn't buy anything to eat that day, but when I got to the bank I found out that a LLoyds/TSB cheque to L/TSB account clears the same day. I will never forget my stepdad's face when I put the £20 note on the table.

I also wonder when I lost this ability to get by and started to rely on CCs?