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

Paulgonnabedebtfree

I was so hungry once I had to lick road clean with tongue.

Seriously though, I did pinch a few items from a shop when I was sleeping rough in my mad teens. Hunger drove me to it. As for loo rolls, well I did once have a part time cleaning job and the place had at least a dozen cubicles. I had to do the cleaning out of hours so the odd one walked.
I worked in a bakery when I was 17. I also lived in a squat - the house was due for demolition. Many weeks I survived a few days on sliced bread, a large tube of cheese spread, water from garage taps, and my wits.
They were bad years. I did a few illegal things that were a bit unpleasant but I don't wish to recount them here.

Driver8

When i were 16/17 living in a poxy little bedsit, i had to resort to digging allotments up at 2am in the morning just to eat. I was genuinely starving at the time. I didn't class that as stealing but at the time needs must. I didn't resort to shoplifting and never would.

Deep_In_Debt

During days before pay day when I was completely skint, I used to "dodge" my train fare to get to work. This was in the days before manned stations and ticket barriers obviously.

My destination station used to have ticket guards and I regularly got stopped and fined...however, the fine was less than the actual ticket price so I would pay the fine and be on my way. Got a bit embarrassing with the same guards though but they did agree that the ticket prices were mad! This was 15 years ago.

I still take the train to work but have a season ticket so don't dodge the fares now and my local station is heavily manned any way. Wouldn't dream of it now.

binnie

I think I might have to borrow some more toilet roll soon as I'm skinter than skint now. Got paid today and already it's been swallowed up and haven't bought any food yet, oh dear....

binnie

Can I just say, that I have never borrowed or stole a FULL loo roll, just pieces.
So if I don't use any when I'm in the public toilets, then I can take a few pieces home for when I need them for the more urgent wipes if you know what I mean.....
I've never taken any from employers, but if I did do and only took a few pieces, I wouldn't class it as stealing.
I often worked those "Extra 10 mins" for employers and never got paid, so whats a bit of loo roll to them??

John_Pierpoint

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

:beer::beer::money:to everyone on this thread.
It is such a nice thread.
I don't think I have been such a deviant in my life. I have been brought up very strait-laced BUT should push come to shove then there are plenty of good ideas here for my more naughty-but-got-to-survive self.
It is also heartbreaking to see the incredible depths of poverty expressed here and the seemingly absolute need to hoard supplies against a rainy day; something I do. I cannot and will not live in an hand to mouth style and despite being on benefits try to live best life possible on a low fixed and despised!!!! income!!!!!
*wordless*
Needs Must/Must Needs. Once again*wordless* Love and best wishes to all and the stories of peoples kindnesses are again outstanding.
More please!
NB Will this thread be deleted? If I be honest this thread looks historical in MSE terms. There is such a lovely store of threads on MSE.
????:A:A:A:T:T:beer::beer:

As long as people keep using it by posting entries, it will get "bumped" up the list and stay current.

determined_new_ms

aw more stories & more tears in my eyes! Actually I rememeber something I feel ashamed of in those dark times. I used to shop in Nettos (still would but it closed down last year but now for frugaity rather than necessity) and I would walk there a 3 1/2mile trip each way. I managed to do a week's shopping for the 3 of us for just over £20. Well one week I had had my purse stolen by someone I *thought* was a "friend" so only had my child benefit to get through the week. So off I toddled to Nettos & did really well and managed to get enough food to make 7 meals, lunches & breakfast for for little ones. Well as I was going round I had to make the decsion to either get a taxi or use the £5 to get an extra couple of days food. Needless to say the food won so I walked back armed with 5 bags of food - it was really heavy & I felt very sorry for myself. About 1/2 way home a homeless person asked me if I had any spare change. Sadly it was too much for me & I lost it and shouted at him if it looked like I had any spare change & didn't he think I would have got a taxi if I did rather than struggle for miles with bags too heavy for me to carry? I walked on in tears.

Shameful behaviour...

natters_2

Back when the government were handing out free cheese & butter - I used to use the milk tokens to get milk, then send my hubby up to the local farmers field to steal some caulis - we used to have cauliflower cheese every day!

dib-dab

Wow some of these posts have brought tears to my eyes and I just have to say that I am so so ashamed of myself as have seen people going through bins before and all I have thought is 'urgh how disgusting' when really I should have been running to the nearest shop and buying them some food.

I have been in a huge amount of debt but have never (thank goodness) been in such a poor situation as I always used my credit cards when I had no money before pay day - hence me ending up in such massive debt. Not sure how I would have managed without them though. So I can't even begin to imagine what many of you have been through. Especially those of you who have had to resort to such things to feed your children - there is no need to feel ashamed, you deserve nothing but respect for doing what you had to do and I am sure that your children will be proud of you when they are older and know what you survived.

So I just felt that I had to reply to this thread to apologise to all of the people who I may have seen taking food from bins, picking up cigarette ends, wearing clothes or shoes with holes in - I apologise that I may have thought bad of you, I am seriously ashamed and humbled, you are better people than I am and you have made me so grateful for what I have.

bazranz

I don't post very often, as you can tell, but this thread has really moved me.

When we had our first daughter, money was really tight. The only work I could get was as a commission only sales rep, and I wasn't much good at that. Consequently we were always struggling.

One of the worst things I did was at Asda. My DW and I were seeing what we could buy on special offer, when I saw a £5 on the floor. I quickly put my foot over it, then picked it up.

We were able to get some great bargains, and knew we would all be able to eat for a few days. However, while we were at the checkout, there was an old man at the front of the queue looking for the money he had lost. He eventually paid for his shopping, but that made me feel no better.

The more exciting things when we were hard up, was buying canned goods very cheap because the label had come off. What looked like stewed steak could just as easily have been dog food.

For those who are criticising, try walking a mile in one of these posters shoes, you may find you are not a big enough person to fill them.