What's the naughtiest thing you've done at your most skint?

rich11

Vince_Venison wrote: »

This thread has really moved me, and also reminded me of things I had almost forgotten. The worst thing I ever did when I had absolutely no money (and I mean none - nothing in the house that could be considered a foodstuff and no money coming in for over a week) was to go out with male friends just because they would buy me a meal. I know - not something to be proud of, but it was that or go hungry. My life is very different now, but I still stick to three rules - 1. help other people when you can - a lot of people helped me when I was poor and I will never forget that. 2. don't pick up money in the street if you don't need it - leave it for someone who needs it more than you do and 3. don't pretend to be poor if you aren't. I have been poor and I know the difference between having to go into overdraft for 2 days before payday, and having to eat old sandwiches fished out of a colleagues bin at work at the end of the day beacuse that was the only thing I would eat all day. I am not a better person these days, just a richer one, but it seems to me a lot of people think that rich people are better than poor ones because they aren't driven by poverty to do things that aren't quite "respectable"

Exactly the same here! I have done some disgusting things to get by some of which I darent even put on here.I now own a business with a million pound turnover so things are different now.A lot different.I will not see anyone without food or a roof over their head.So many people helped me when I was in a dark place so now I try to give something back

CountingPennies

This post was pointed out to me in the "make £10 a day in August thread". Spent 4 hours reading this (on and off) and brought back some memories. Some from a while ago, and some as recent as last month. Will post my confessions later...a bit too emotional to deal with it now!

Well done to the OP for this thread. I'm pleased it has made some people realise the difference from being skint, to actually not even been able to feed your kids!

xxx

samuela66

Just spent quite some time reading this thread, and I feel very humble, grateful and lucky that fingers crossed I have never been that broke, but never say never hey!!!

Its so sad to realise that people really dont have enough money to feed themselves or god forbid children....

I must say though even though we have enough money to get by, I do stock pile on offers, whoops and use tons of vouchers


xxx

*Louise*

This thread has been on my mind for the last couple of days....

I remember when hubby was seriously ill years ago (6 operations in 18 months) I had to give up work to look after him. DS1's birthday was coming up and we had no money for a present and nothing to offer visitors. A friend's work was looking for people to hand out flyers for them to advertise a sale - £20 for the day so I went and done that (in the rain lol)

Nothing wrong or illegal about that at all, but it was the way some people treated me that day - some telling me to eff off and one even said to me 'you should have stuck in at school , love' (I did!):mad: It made me feel awful.

It has taught me to never look down on those who are less fortunate than myself through nothing of their own doing.

worbikeman

dotx wrote: »

....I could eat for two weeks without spending a penny.

Some achievement!:whistle:

(apologies:D)

binnie

Started reading this thread late last night and just finished it now.
I remember my parents being skint and mum knitting all our clothes or making them on her sewing machine. My brother even wore one of my swimsuits when he went swimming.

Only a few weeks ago I also took some sheets of toilet roll from the bus station toilets to keep us going until my husband got paid. It was either that or use flash wipes, but thought that was a bit dangerous on the nether regions :rotfl::rotfl:.

In the late 80's I lived in a block of flats which were awful, but was too stubborn to go back home to my parents as I wanted the "Party life" living in the "Big City".
My friend had a job working in an office and she worked above a cafe. Sometimes when we were both skint, she would sneak down the stairs to the cafe and pinch coffee and bacon so we could eat.
I was unemployed and she only earned commission. I remember her stealing a lipstick from a corner shop and she gave it to me, I felt guilty for ages about that.

The biggest guilt I will live with for the rest of my life is selling my mums silver charm bracelet to a boyfriends mum.
My mum asked regularly where it was and I kept saying I didn't know or that I had lost it or left it at someones house. I only got about £5 for it, but that £5 fed me for a week or so. I never liked telling my parents how skint I was.
Now my mum has passed away in 2009, I feel dreadful and even my dad has mentioned the charm bracelet. I can't bring myself to tell him. I hope when my time is up and we meet again, she will forgive me.

FOXGLOVE_2

Living off porridge for two weeks and then luckily finding £2 on the street then walking about 6 miles to the big asda to buy two smart price loaves to freeze and a bag of frozen smart price sausages (79p at the time).

Still feel sick when I see them at asda.

Also, during that time, having pasta and gravy cos there was nothing else left.

tabbyx

I've asked my boyfriend to buy me food when it got really rough, and it was so hard. I only bought Value stuff but it made me feel so guilty that I couldn't pay him back.

Other times include living off dry pasta for about 3 weeks when my rent went up.

Birdy12

FOXGLOVE wrote: »

Living off porridge for two weeks.

That reminds me of something my mum said. When she was little she lived with her mother and two sisters. One particular Christmas Day there was nothing to eat in the house except porridge oats. Her elder sister made the first batch in the morning but made it too thick, by the time it got to the evening it was gruel consistency.

My mum and dad always made sure we had a great time at Christmas. We weren't rich by any stretch, but I look back at my childhood with fondness.

I just think my mum promised herself she would never have a Christmas like that again.

Birdy12

Having written the above, I now wonder whether we were as comfortable as I make out, whether there were times of hardship that my mum and dad shielded from me.

I remember posting on a different thread that I'd mentioned to my mum that I looked back on the 1970's with great fondness and said to mum 'that was a great decade, wasn't it mum?', to which she replied 'no it wasn't, it was bl00dy horrible!'