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

TwelveStopsThenHome

Too true bazranz

Another one that came to me was about six years ago, my ex was awaiting some money to come through to his account on the Monday. The weekend we lived off porridge, instant mash, and a few biscuits. He had the smart idea of mixing porridge with instant mash! My it was horrible to eat! I tried putting a bit of ketchup we had on it, thankfully it made it a *bit* better. Luckily I re-call finding a chicken that had been frozen for about three months. I quickly defrosted it, then he decided to cook, then boil the chicken where we ate that with some of the instant mash. The electric meter was on low, so I was scraping £1 or £2 out of loose change in 1p, 5p etc and trying to top it up that way. We switched off the hot water heater, went as far as switching the TV off when not in use, even reading/chatting by candelight! Come the Monday morning, I was happy and we went on a mini spending spree!

Another occasion was a few days before pay day in March 2009 (where I got some back-pay due to a wages !!!!-up), I went into the town centre by scraping together the fees for a train ticket there and back and went round the markets just buying the odd bit here and there, taking advantage of the reduced to clear in supermarkets and offers. I think for £6 I picked up a fair bit, to make sure I had enough food to last me until the Friday.

John_Pierpoint

Googlewhacker wrote: »

You are presuming that all people that do this are in trouble, when in fact they are people that do this just because they can.

Food skip divers call themselves "Freegans" - probably save the supermarket a few quid in land fill charges.

wifefaefife

What a thread, I have always though I was lucky but now extra lucky after reading this. Like others there might have been hard times for my parents but I was shielded from them. My mum is a trained cook and alot of my favourite meals are ones she has made with bits of leftovers. I would like to think I do help out with others where I can as like a few people have said I might be yourself that needs the help one day.

BEAT_THE_DEBT

My turn , i am ashamed to say i have spent my ds's savings BUT he will have them all back plus any interest!
Debt may be crippiling but it certainly opens your eyes to whats important in life and makes you appreciate things!
Well done everyone who posted it took courage and educated people on what living on the bread line really means x

HonkyTonkWoman

My OH told me the story of when he was 5 years old,he heard his parents talking about their lack of money and their concern of how they could feed the family their evening meal. He took it upon himself to sort this out. He went down to the local store and stole a small tin of beans and ran as fast as he could back home again. When he got home he produced the tin to his parents telling them ''it's ok Mum, don't worry, I've sorted out dinner for tonight'' Although he got into trouble for stealing, he said he felt so proud that he could help his parents solve the dinner dilemma. He, both parents 2 sisters and 2 brothers ended up with about 5 beans each :-)

adouglasmhor

Googlewhacker wrote: »

I do understand under these circumstances why people steal from the employers but I am waiting for someone to post saying they replaced all the toilet rolls they stole....

After the stealing turnips from the cattle fodder incident I became vegetarian for 15 years.

MrsTUS

HonkyTonkWoman wrote: »

My OH told me the story of when he was 5 years old,he heard his parents talking about their lack of money and their concern of how they could feed the family their evening meal. He took it upon himself to sort this out. He went down to the local store and stole a small tin of beans and ran as fast as he could back home again. When he got home he produced the tin to his parents telling them ''it's ok Mum, don't worry, I've sorted out dinner for tonight'' Although he got into trouble for stealing, he said he felt so proud that he could help his parents solve the dinner dilemma. He, both parents 2 sisters and 2 brothers ended up with about 5 beans each :-)

They only used to put 35 beans in a tin back then?

Red_Doe

Many years ago, when I was expecting my second child, my ex husband, a lazy bar steward, wouldn't get out his bed on a January morning. My eldest, a toddler, was freezing and he had spent the week's coal money on beer and cigarettes.
I took a shopping trolley and walked five miles downhill to a friends and borrowed a trollyeful of coal. Hauling it back uphill was murder. But we got a fire going and the eldest warmed up. I had no electric (again because of the ex) and cooked tatties and tinned spaghetti over the fire.
Next day I went into labour, a direct result of hauling the coal. I was two weeks early. She was born with the cord round her neck twice and not breathing but they saved her life. I felt so guilty.....
I haemoraged(sp?) and almost died myself.
I've always had a pathological terror of absolute poverty since that incident and others I won't relate here. It's one reason I use this site.
Now I'm faced with poverty of the same level as back then and that was almost thirty years ago. To be reaching this time of life and find yourself back as you were then, only with the added disadvantage of ill health and age, is very disheartening.
No hauling coal this time though! I got a small paraffin heater that should see us through the winter.

Damita

It's amazing how people survive though such hard times worse I've ever done is stole toilet paper from uni and work..

Cookiee

This thread relates to me soo much x

When OH and I 1st got together we were living in a bedsit and we had no money. Our families had disowned us as they thought we were wrong for each other (they eventually came around and we have been together 15 years this year lol) so we were living on approx £20 and that was to also pay for electric and medical costs. One day the milkman parked outside our window whilst he went up to the 10th floor, OH snuck out and took some milk, eggs, bread, bacon and yougert. We had not eaten for 2 days and only surviving on water and juice so we were starving! We managed to eat for 3 days after that and I finally managed to get a job. On my 1st wages I put an envelope in the milkman's float and apologised and paid him £5.

I am grateful now that I have learned how to cook on a small budget.