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

determined_new_ms

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

wow this really struck a cord with me - memories flooding back, 2 young children and not a pot to do a proverbial in....

things I did - inviting myself round to friends for dinner Thursday onwards - money aways ran out then. ex mil/friends discretely aways had food they "needed" to get rid of so I would leave with a bag of items (of course now I know they didn't need to get rid of it but at the time they saved my blushes!)

the worst thing, and it came with such an air of shame, was when I couldn't afford any sanitary products after about 3 days of using toilet roll from public toilets ashamed I went to my mil and cried & she gave me a pack. felt like the lowest I could have sunk to.

and like nat, things in my life have changed drastically but I'll never forget how it felt...

MaLarkin

This brings back some old feelings. I remember being so cold I sat and cried and having to go out with my lads to pinch some tatties from a field to go with the 6 cheap sausages I'd bought with my last pennies.

My oldest boy is 40 now but I can still remember the feeling of desperation and seriously considering if my boys would be better off if they were adopted.

Forward to now and I too always have way too much stockpile of food. you just can't forget.

charmedone

I will also confess I have also stolen toilet rolls ! and at one point pumped lots of handsoap from a dispenser in a disabled loo in a supermarket into an empty pop bottle so I had some soap at home for the bathroom , I was practically living at work at the time as I couldnt afford to have the heating on at home and it was winter, I was even cooking my breakfast, dinner & tea in their microwaves and getting lifts off someone who did 12 hour shifts to save on bus fare and just waiting around for him to finish to get a lift home (I worked 9-5 he did 7-7)
I eventually spoke to my parents , started a DMP moved hundreds of miles back home and now live with them and am only 4 months off being debt free

no_choice_now

determined_new_ms wrote: »

wow this really struck a cord with me - memories flooding back, 2 young children and not a pot to do a proverbial in....

things I did - inviting myself round to friends for dinner Thursday onwards - money aways ran out then. ex mil/friends discretely aways had food they "needed" to get rid of so I would leave with a bag of items (of course now I know they didn't need to get rid of it but at the time they saved my blushes!)

the worst thing, and it came with such an air of shame, was when I couldn't afford any sanitary products after about 3 days of using toilet roll from public toilets ashamed I went to my mil and cried & she gave me a pack. felt like the lowest I could have sunk to.

and like nat, things in my life have changed drastically but I'll never forget how it felt...

It seems like quite a few people are taking trips down memory lane with this one. I think we've all been in some really dire situations at some points and I'm glad so many people are happy to share/confess their lowest points. I think looking back on these events can be a source of strength. It's really touching to read some of these stories and I'm glad to hear that things have totally changed for you too, well done :kisses3:

no_choice_now

MaLarkin wrote: »

This brings back some old feelings. I remember being so cold I sat and cried and having to go out with my lads to pinch some tatties from a field to go with the 6 cheap sausages I'd bought with my last pennies.

My oldest boy is 40 now but I can still remember the feeling of desperation and seriously considering if my boys would be better off if they were adopted.

Forward to now and I too always have way too much stockpile of food. you just can't forget.

Ma Larkin that's another very touching story and it must have been awful to think about some of the things you had to. Well done for not giving up x

I think I'm definitely on to a theory here that people who really have known what it's like to have nothing are somehow compelled to hoard food so it never happens again. Like you say, you just can't forget. :grouphug:

mrsdwhite

Wow,
I'm thankful to say *touching wood* that I've never been at that point...though before myself and DH set up our DMPs last month I was really starting to wonder how long it'd be before we got there...it was close and we have a three year old.
I'm very humbled at reading some of the posts and it has really made me think about saving money and putting some aside.
I think my focus will now be to pay my debts off as quickly as possible and put a few pounds aside in a jar to buy essentials such as food just incase....

nattypants

What an amazing thread - I was thinking earlier on that there was too much month left to eek out money, however reading these posts have really kicked me into "gratitude" touch.

I lived in a flat that was so cold I dragged the matress through to the living room, and myself and the kids (toddlers at the time) would go to bed early to keep cosy. We had one calor gas heater and I will always remember the feeling of dread when I could hear the ptt ptt ptt sound which signalled the gas was almost finished :-( I guess the naughtiest thing I did whilst at (fairly) rock bottom was to spend a tenner which was meant for the children on a bottle of gas.

Of course it wasn't cold ALL the time - sometimes it just felt like it;)

no_choice_now

rogerblack wrote: »

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

:rotfl:

rogerblack wrote: »

There were some scabby ones, but they were lovely! .....
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.

Another hoarder

Buying large amounts of items when on discount is the smartest way to buy, if you stick at it for long enough it ultimately means everything you buy is cheaper. My cupboards and storage closets are loaded to the brim with large amount of things, and I didn't pay full price for any of it. Most of it was purchased for between 1/3 to 1/5 its normal price, and a great many of them even worked out free!

My mission this year is to grow my stockpile to the point where I have 6 months worth of supplies but I've got a years worth of income now saved up in the bank and a months worth of food/bill money hidden in the house just in case :cool: I'm grateful for everything I have now Well done on getting to the 6-month mark already! :T

churchrat

oh the memories!!!!!!

I once lied to my sons school and said that I had sent his dinner money in and that they must have lost it. When they couldn't find the money they said it was their fault and he had "free" school dinners that week. I couldn't have afforded packed lunch either, so at least he ate well that week. I still feel guilty about it tho.

Like loads of people I also hoard. I have loads of tins and dried food that I buy when its on offer. I really dont need to do it as much now, but i cant seem to stop.

toothfairybuttkicker

Just read through this thread and its really jogged my memory.

I never realised how skint my folks were growing up. My mom had bad deppression and wasted money (still does) dad tried desperatly to keep it under control but often failed. She would get takeaway every night instead of cooking and would sit in her chair smoking and drinking cups of tea.

Its only now as an adult i get it. My dad used to bring home the huge toilet rolls from work once a week. When they still had a free canteen i would have his dinner for my tea.