Stories of being absolutely skint!

Faith177

At determined new ms I bet your kids will grow up really proud of you

jetplane

OP you should have bought your food in asda and chucked all the pennies into the coin tray at the self service checkout

alex21

Walked round the town one day checking all the phone boxes to try to get enough for a loaf of bread. (ex had cancelled CSA payments) and I never knew there was such a thing as a crisis loan until ironically I was just about to start work and was told to claim for a community care grant by Gingerbread. In shopping centres DS just sat in the kiddy rides as I could not spare the 50p. He was quite happy tho' as he didn't know any different. I just got in from work (yeah!) and sent him off in one of the 5 new t shirts (only Primark mind!) I just bought him and with a tenner to spend in the local coffee shop. Ex never did pay csa except 6mths when DS was 2 and he is 17 now. I am so proud that he doesn't believe he was deprived in any way and I am so proud to be able to provide treats now. He'll be off to uni next year so I want to be able to give him little treats whilst I still have him at home. Mind you, he gets EMA but has had to save half of it to fund his summer, so he is learning to budget and I hope he is not spoilt. On the other hand I do agree with the poster who said about wasting money on coffee and a muffin. I won't do it myself....too mean. Ds will make that last all night with his mates and it sure as hell beats buying drugs!!:eek::D

Bluemeanie_2

Thanks guys. I will go back to the original point of the thread.

Reading this I am very fortunate, I have always managed to eat. (This maybe to do with my personal priorities, I was overweight for many years). I think the only thing that saved me a lot of debt at one point of my life, was the fact I could not get credit in the ROI. I moved there when I was 19 for an adventure as I was bored at home. I was on a low wage and rent in Dublin was very high. I managed to pay my rent and electricity bill, then didn't have a lot of money left over for much else. I remember near the end of one month eating Branston pickle out of a jar to see me through. (Though this was to do with me being greedy, rather than starving).

Growing up, I was very fortunate. My parents are very generous financially.

coinxoperated

Moved into my own flat back in April 2010. Had 4.00 in the bank after paying all the deposit for it and moved in with a tv with a little ariel thing that would only work if you actually put it on the cistern of the toilet, one camping chair and a old single mattress on the floor with a blanket.

At work, they called me 'noodle' as it was all I could afford to eat! They seemed to think I had some weird eating habit... lol

I look at my proper bed, tv, leather sofa and fridge freezer now and they have so much more value than they ever did before. I think having nothing makes you appriciate what you earn and what you have 100% over!

GobbledyGook

This thread has brought back so many old memories. So bizarre how one mention of something can bring back so much to you.

Another memory of being skint as a young child was hiding on the floor when various debt collectors (or drug dealers) came to the door looking for their money or, worse, answering the door and trying to persuade them that my Mum wasn't in and we were being babysat by my cousin and praying they believed me or Dad would go ape.

I remember my brother and playing an 'imagine' game when we had rolls for tea. The rolls had a tiny, tiny amount of marg on them, but they were rank rotten. We sat on the floor with our roll each and a glass of water and pretended we were at a royal banquet. Mark pretended his was pizza with ham, chicken and mushroom and that his water was pineappleade and I pretended mine was a pastry from the bakers window that had cheese and bacon in it and that my water was lemonade.

The one thing I can never forget though is that feeling of being hungry. I thought I'd forgotten it, but I hadn't. So glad the children are with the ex tonight because I've been a snivelling wreck remembering old stuff. Weird how it still affects you years later.

Bluemeanie_2

GobbledyGook wrote: »

This thread has brought back so many old memories. So bizarre how one mention of something can bring back so much to you.

Another memory of being skint as a young child was hiding on the floor when various debt collectors (or drug dealers) came to the door looking for their money or, worse, answering the door and trying to persuade them that my Mum wasn't in and we were being babysat by my cousin and praying they believed me or Dad would go ape.

I remember my brother and playing an 'imagine' game when we had rolls for tea. The rolls had a tiny, tiny amount of marg on them, but they were rank rotten. We sat on the floor with our roll each and a glass of water and pretended we were at a royal banquet. Mark pretended his was pizza with ham, chicken and mushroom and that his water was pineappleade and I pretended mine was a pastry from the bakers window that had cheese and bacon in it and that my water was lemonade.

The one thing I can never forget though is that feeling of being hungry. I thought I'd forgotten it, but I hadn't. So glad the children are with the ex tonight because I've been a snivelling wreck remembering old stuff. Weird how it still affects you years later.

I am very saddened to hear your stories (I hope that doesn't sound patronising, I don't mean it that way). I am glad you have found happiness now.

GobbledyGook

Bluemeanie wrote: »

I am very saddened to hear your stories (I hope that doesn't sound patronising, I don't mean it that way). I am glad you have found happiness now.

It doesn't sound patronising. It's a spooky co-incidence that this thread was around today as it would have been my "mother's" birthday. It's one of the few days a year that I think about her.

I just wish I could ask them (the so called parents) why they had us live like that. I used to think that when I was a parent I'd understand better, but it's worse. I remember times where we'd have nothing to eat except bread and butter, but my father would have a meal of some sort. Explained to us that adults need more food than children. We believed it - I remember us offering him some of our bread we believed them so much !!!!!!. As a mother there is no way I'd eat before my children, not ever. I'd just love to know why.

determined_new_ms

we also used to play the "hide behind the sofa" game when the provi man came - lots of ppl have to do it

I guess the answer to your question is for whatever reason they weren't able to show you the love you deserved, weren't able to meet any of your needs and that probably had an impact on how they treated you. Well that's what I've come to realise about my mother. Its a sad story. She also had drug and alcohol issues and probably had an undiagnosed personality disorder.

I've had counselling to come to terms with it and for the main I have, sometimes parents can't be in control of their own emotions and needs and children suffer. Sometimes things happen and I'm rubber banded back into being the frightened little girl who if I could only be good enough it'll be alright. Then I cry a bit and then take a deep breath and tell myself I'm safe now x

Bluemeanie_2

Is it a case of not actually being skint through genuine hardship (i.e. less income than going out even after doing everything you could to save money) as to selfish individuals? Not trying to judge, just you mention hiding from drug dealers and how your Father would feed himself first.