The worst/naughtiest thing you've done to survive whilst at rock bottom

I_Should_Be_So_Lucky

Gingernutty wrote: »

I haven't switched my heating on all of last winter. I really do have a house coat (and blanket for my knees when I'm sitting here). :snow_grin

Fantastic, wish I could do this. I'd have a good go at it if I was on my own but don't think the rest of the family would be too impressed if I turned the heating off over winter. I only ever wash my hands using the cold tap as it never gets hot enough anyway in the time it takes to swill your hands after the loo.


I, like most people I think, nick the toiletries/left over tea and coffee when I stay in a hotel and sauce/jam etc when I go for a meal. Apart from removing all the toilet rolls in our halls of residence at uni for a (not really very funny) prank at uni, I've never thought about stealing them.

Worst thing I ever did was when I was as a 16-year-old student and worked at Littlewoods. I swapped my tatty shoes for a nice new pair in the stock room :eek:. My heart was beating at double speed all day and I was waiting for that little tap on my shoulder. I got away with it but it really wasn't worth it. It feels much better when you have paid for what you have.

However, when people/stores are chucking out perfectly edible food that has just gone past the sell by date, I don't think there's anything wrong with raiding the bins. If you work in a store/restaurant there's nothing wrong with taking left overs home rather than chucking them in the bin. When I go out for a meal I collect all the uneaten bits of meat etc for the dog.

P.S. I don' t have a dog.

*Louise*

I consider ourselves quite lucky after reading some of the posts on here

We did reach a bad point where OH was seriously ill for 18months and we were living on next to nothing - my mum would cook dinner for us 2/3 times a week, buy nappies for DS and send us home with freezer food and loo rolls (they are a recurring theme on this thread lol) and thankfully baby milk was free!

Thankfully we have never been so poor since and are now in a position where we will be able to help out my parents financially now my Dad is ill.

I also HAVE to have savings now, I feel miserable if I don't have some money stashed away.

PinkKiwi

I can't think of anything myself (I'm sure theres something I've forgot it will come to me later) but I remember when we were kids there was a few things my dad did on the rock bottom days.

2. He once got up really early and followed the milk float with a carrier bag taking milk, eggs, bread and orange juice

1. One christmas he stole a fully decorated christmas tree from a reception :eek Not a necessity obviously.

flyingguy

no_choice_now wrote: »

Is there a pun in there somewhere?

I was going to say excuse the pun lol!

Tebheag

I_Should_Be_So_Lucky wrote: »

However, when people/stores are chucking out perfectly edible food that has just gone past the sell by date, I don't think there's anything wrong with raiding the bins. If you work in a store/restaurant there's nothing wrong with taking left overs home rather than chucking them in the bin. When I go out for a meal I collect all the uneaten bits of meat etc for the dog.

P.S. I don' t have a dog.

So that will be why when i ask for a doggy bag for my dog at home they wrap it up so nicely one chef even tried to make a foiled wrapped lamb shank into a swan the dog didnt take any notice though:rotfl:

Debbie_A_3

I went round the town methodically checking the change/unused coin return tray in vending machines and pay phones. I still check them now, but I don't go out of my way any more. Can be quite lucrative. I guess it depends on how many others are doing the same thing.

On the subject of pay phones, I once worked at a place with two payphones on a piece of decking (with holes that coins could fall through (!!)). One day I went foraging under the decking. It was dirty, wet, narrow ... but it seemed that nobody had done this for several years.

Tebheag

Tebheag wrote: »

Hi what a thread makes me cringe to think of my worst one !!
But here are a couple of others I was a student teenage mum living with the father of my baby and only money I got was child benefit he would only give me £20 for a weeks shopping for three of us. Never mind nappys milk etc
[/QUOTE
Decided as so many people are being so open and honest to tell you my worst I was 18 lived in the middle of nowwhere did not drive and had a very controlling boyfriend who worked hard and did not part with any money I had no job as was at college during the week and had no one to look after the wee one my mum already paid nursery for me to go to college so could not ask her for more help (she had kicked me out from home when i was 17 and pregnant so would not ask for anything and to move in with bf as nowhere else to go by that point relationship was nearly over) to give you an idea of how low i was i would sneak out of the house and hide in fields to get away and wonder how i could end it but still allow for my baby to born safe !:(
Every friday night my bf would go off to the pub and come back !!!!ed I would sneak some money from his pockets when he was a sleep at other times i would do favours for him for cash !:o
Was only way I kept my son in nappies&milk and kept him clothed (had breast feed but was so hard work as bf did not like it and i would have to hide away upstairs in a room to do it incase anyone saw me he was very jealous)
Thankfully I escaped and I am so happy now got a loving DH who never tells me off for what I spend on food shops or anything got about a months supply of nappies for my wee one and loads of food in cupboard enough to survive a few weeks very well. And got next years clothes already for the wee ones (normally buy in the end of season sales)

quantic

I've just thought of something that maybe qualifies, one xmas me and the OH asked for vouchers as presents from people, then ended up using them to buy presents for other people throughout the year so didn't actually end up getting anything for ourselves. Not as extreme as some of the other posters but felt pretty guilty at the time, but not a lot you can do when you got no money and have friend who make a massive big deal about birthdays etc.

vixx

quantic wrote: »

I've just thought of something that maybe qualifies, one xmas me and the OH asked for vouchers as presents from people, then ended up using them to buy presents for other people throughout the year so didn't actually end up getting anything for ourselves. Not as extreme as some of the other posters but felt pretty guilty at the time, but not a lot you can do when you got no money and have friend who make a massive big deal about birthdays etc.

In a similar vein...

When I lived in a shared student house, my nan gave me about £50 of M&S vouchers for Xmas so I could buy some new clothes. I spent it all on M&S food. I ate very, very well that month!
I had to make up an outfit and describe it to her when she asked what I'd bought!

carpedieme

when I was a single parent of three children I could have written a best seller entitled " How Many Ways With A jacket Potatoe ! "