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

InDeepDebt

We've had to borrow money off the kids to get us through the week until pay day - feel really bad asking a seven year old to borrow a tenner from their piggy bank. On the plus side, they are now getting better at putting their birthday/Christmas money into the bank so that we can't get our fingers on it!

I've had to pretend to put money into collections at work because I haven't had a single penny on me before.

I've also had to pretend that I'm working or on-call sometimes when friends have invited me out for a pint. Fortunately they don't go out very often but I hate spending money on beer when we're scrimping so much at home.

Jim

mummyplus3

When i've been really poor i've had to use the kids xmas and birthday money to get by however it meant she could eat and have clothes. I remember once things were so bad that I'd run out of nappies and I had to take my DD to the shops wrapped in a make-shift nappy from a tea towel, I managed to get my bank to let me go overdrawn to buy the nappies but it cost me £25 in charges!

Koicarp

When I was a kid in the early 70's families from the estate would line up along the local railway line with shovels. When the coal train stopped at the signals, dad chucked lads up onto the trucks and the lads shovelled coal off as quick as they could until the train started to move, then we'd all chuck the shovels back to dad and jump off. We'd also go the the local tip at the other side of the estate and chop stuff up for fire wood, though a mate of mine only got birthday presents from the tip for a couple of years.
As a skint student I used to go out with professional ladies twice my age, had a great time, and was rarely aloud to pay for anything.

no_choice_now

Barneysmom wrote: »

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.

Haha well hopefully you have many more years left to build up your fort before anybody has to find you. I think with that many beans you will need as many loo rolls as you have :D

no_choice_now

Memory_Girl wrote: »

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

Another hoarder, well done! :T

charmedone wrote: »

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

4 months to DF, fantastic stuff :cool:

You've both come up with some pretty ingenious ways to avoid living costs when times were tough. Very creative indeed, my hat goes off to you both!

ooglewoogle

Koicarp wrote: »

When I was a kid in the early 70's families from the estate would line up along the local railway line with shovels. When the coal train stopped at the signals, dad chucked lads up onto the trucks and the lads shovelled coal off as quick as they could until the train started to move, then we'd all chuck the shovels back to dad and jump off.

:rotfl:

This thread is both hilarious and very touching....but for comedy this tale is in the lead imo.:T

eco

We were kid in the 70's and poor, I still feel sorry for my mum she tried so hard to make ends meet, but my dad was an alcoholic. In some ways I'm grateful for those day's it makes me realise how easy it is to get in that situation and so hard to drag yourself out. I'm a food hoarder, and have money stashed for just incase.

But and I think this is my confession I used to live with my ex and I sorted the money out, I could probably have trusted him to do it right, but it's something I can't let go of, I don't like relying on others I have to do it myself.

Have enjoyed everyones confessions tho and made me realise I'm not badly off.

Miss_J

Back in the early 90's me and my hubby used to live in London. I worked in a hotel and wasn't very well paid and he worked in advertising on comission only basis. Once the comission dried up we struggled to pay the rent, buy food and pay travel costs getting from North London into the city centre for work. The only way we could do it towards the end of the month was to leave for work early and get on the tube without paying, then get off at a stop that didn't have any ticket barriers. We knew that early on in the morning there were no ticket inspectors. It meant we had to walk quite a distance to work and turn up early but at least we did get there to earn some money. A couple of times a month (when I still had travel money) I used to phone work and tell them there was delays on the train/underground and then wait to travel until after 9 when the price was cheaper.

Thankfully we saw sense in 1994 and moved back up North where we could actually afford a quality of life.

MrsB2100

I too, am a loo roll thief! (Hangs head in abject shame!) ... I've also been guilty of pinching the salt from BK and McDonalds when they've been busy ... then walking out again without buying anything. One of the places where I used to work had packets of instant coffee, sugar and tea bags for staff, so naturally, I'd have a couple of those. Same goes for ketchup packets, too - I always pick them up when I can! I've also done the 'off' chicken trick at Tesco's ... thankfully, the sweaty-sickly look also ties in with something being off, not just overwhelming guilt!

Oh, and many, many years ago I got friendly with the local Station officer at the local train station ... he used to save me a travelcard at the end of the day, so I could get home at night! Of course, he'd be out on his ear if that happened these days - I am going back about 30 years now! And, about the same time, I used to see bundles of sale or return magazines stacked outside the local newsagents on my way to work, very early in the morning before they'd been collected - so I'd half-inch one to read on the train!

no_choice_now

There are lots of funny confessions and lots of touching confessions. Thanks to everybody so for sharing :A

I still have my last and most shocking confession to make but I will wait until there's a nip of gin in me later this evening before I get up the courage to tell anyone

Edit: After what a certain somebody did to the thread last night it put me out of the mood but I will tell you all tonight