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

no_choice_now

nat21luv wrote: »

The worst thing I've done/the lowest I've had to stoop is when I was living on my own with my 5yr old son and I had absolutely nothing for him to eat. I was at work and I knew he was going to come home from school to no dinner(that morning he had one dry slice of toast that I picked mould off) so I waited outside until everyone had left and the store was closed and raided the bin for sandwiches. They had been thrown out after the day's trading so they would of been perfect for dinner, they were in a bag that was thrown into a cardboard bin so not too many germs:o

I managed to get a pot of pasta too so heated it up in the microwave for a few seconds! My boy was chuffed he wasnt going to bed cold and hungry!

nat21luv, I'm truly touched by your confession.

A lot of people who haven't been in the situation of serious debt think it's just a slight headache from people chasing late credit card payments.

Food poverty is just as big a problem in the UK as anywhere else in the world. But in a strange way I feel somewhat enriched from my former experience, and I hope I'm not alone with this. It's taught me the true value of money and I'll never, ever, ever be as wasteful as I used to be.

Thanks for sharing :grouphug:

no_choice_now

kerri_gt wrote: »

nat21luv - I feel so humbled and lucky reading your confession. After the past week's goings on, it further highlights how screwed up the systems are in this country, that we can live in the 21st century yet decent families are still in a position where they (not just the kids) go hungry.

I think there's a slight difference. When you're really in poverty you're doing anything you can just to eat.

If what happened in London was real poverty they would have been raiding food shops. Instead they were raiding sports and clothes shops and using their expensive Blackberry phones to do it.

Not quite the sort of "poverty" I and others have had to experience in life so I don't really believe the governments spiel that's it's down to economic problems when it's clearly not.

nat21luv

Thank you, it wasnt that I was in debt, I just couldnt afford to live as a single parent and working full time. I had to handwash clothes with shower gel as I couldnt afford detergent. When times were really tough, I asked my boy's dad to have him for a week; told him I was working overtime stock taking. At least I knew that he was warm, fed and bathed until payday arrived.

How quickly life can change; 2 yrs later and im doing just fine now, lovely car, house, belongings and plenty of food in the cupboards. I still buy everything Value or Basics and have a £20 note hidden-just in case

no_choice_now

nat21luv wrote: »

Thank you, it wasnt that I was in debt, I just couldnt afford to live as a single parent and working full time. I had to handwash clothes with shower gel as I couldnt afford detergent. When times were really tough, I asked my boy's dad to have him for a week; told him I was working overtime stock taking. At least I knew that he was warm, fed and bathed until payday arrived.

How quickly life can change; 2 yrs later and im doing just fine now, lovely car, house, belongings and plenty of food in the cupboards. I still buy everything Value or Basics and have a £20 note hidden-just in case

That's fantastic! Like I said in the OP the second reason I wanted to share my confessions was to show people that no matter how bad things get things can be turned around and it sure sounds like you've come up trumps :T

I'm also a hoarder now, I have a large stockpiles of food and non-food items, as well as months worth of living money tucked away in every safe place I could think of lol I also buy nearly exclusively value range and I'm a total coupon junkie too, I love saving every penny even though my debts are nearly all gone now. I will be like this for life!

I wonder if everybody who's been at the worst of times has turned in to a hoarder? :cool:

I'm really touched by yuor story and so delighted to hear things worked out, well done :beer:

nat21luv

no_choice_now wrote: »

That's fantastic! Like I said in the OP the second reason I wanted to share my confessions was to show people that no matter how bad things get things can be turned around and it sure sounds like you've come up trumps :T

I'm also a hoarder now, I have a large stockpiles of food and non-food items, as well as months worth of living money tucked away in every safe place I could think of lol I also buy nearly exclusively value range and I'm a total coupon junkie too, I love saving every penny even though my debts are nearly all gone now. I will be like this for life!

I wonder if everybody who's been at the worst of times has turned in to a hoarder? :cool:

I'm really touched by yuor story and so delighted to hear things worked out, well done :beer:

No problem, if it helps someone else out then Im happy to share. Like you, I too am coupon obsessive and I make money in everywhich way I can. Im a saver and now I can save I feel lovely and secure! Well done on becoming debt free :j

weedrea

Great thread!

As young and poor newly-weds at uni, we took our dust-gathering, surplus but still boxed wedding presents and sold them at a car boot sale! The biggest hit was the numerous new bales of towels we had been given - now after 15 years of marriage, we still barely have a towel to our name! Made about £80.

Also, I do remember once or twice having a large packet of chicken breasts "smelling off"....coincidentally *hemhem* Safeways had their "refund and replace" policy back then. Very helpful for poor students!

rogerblack

Well - I say some potatos, it was actually three wheelbarrows of potatos.

There were some scabby ones, but they were lovely!

I was having real problems making ends meet at the time, and they saved me from hitting the overdraft and getting fees barely.

In retrospect, I don't feel bad about it, as the whole field did not get harvested, but ploughed back in.
No idea why.

I've decided to avoid the possibility of a recurrence happening by keeping around 6 months of food in the house. After 3 months the diet would get rather repetitive.

As an upside, this has slashed my shopping bill, and meant that I can treat myself more often. Paying 4* the price for good coffee is something I can't really consider.
Paying 2*, when the 4* stuff is on offer, and getting a supply in for the year is much more acceptable.

Rain_is_Insane

I work in a hotel (started monday) i'm supposed to bin all the leftover toiletries (shampoo, shower gel etc)

I don't !!! Nuff said

Barneysmom

I've turned into one of those looney hoarders who won't throw anything away.
I reckon when I die when I'm old, they won't be able to find my body as I'll be buuilt into my own little Branston Beans fort :rotfl:

Sadly letting myself down right now as I am down to my last 4 tins. I'm feeling a little bit nervous about that in case the zombies come, or war breaks out or something equaly unlikely.
The 50-odd loo rolls cheer me up though.

Memory_Girl

rogerblack wrote: »

Well - I say some potatos, it was actually three wheelbarrows of potatos.

There were some scabby ones, but they were lovely!

I was having real problems making ends meet at the time, and they saved me from hitting the overdraft and getting fees barely.

In retrospect, I don't feel bad about it, as the whole field did not get harvested, but ploughed back in.
No idea why.

I did this as well on the week the bank froze all my accounts and left me and two kids with71p

I've decided to avoid the possibility of a recurrence happening by keeping around 6 months of food in the house. After 3 months the diet would get rather repetitive.

As an upside, this has slashed my shopping bill, and meant that I can treat myself more often. Paying 4* the price for good coffee is something I can't really consider.
Paying 2*, when the 4* stuff is on offer, and getting a supply in for the year is much more acceptable.

I love my stock cupboard - today is stocktaking day and I bet I have more than 6 months staples carefully collected.

My confession - in first job I actually slept/ lived in the theatre for the 6 weeks of rehearsals. I was responsible for opening and closing the rehearsal space and it saved a fortune in travel costs / rent in London.

I ate from the local market - lost about 10 lbs on my "raw food" diet ( fruit, veg, bread and cheese) and then found a fabulous flat share and I had the deposit.

MG