Things you've done when things got desperate!

annapantscats

Wonderful thread....thank you!!

I think most of the stuff I have done has been covered already, but here goes....

Stolen loo roll from various places, and yes, used it as sanitary protection.

Found a shop that took milk tokens for food....sometimes what I got had to last a week.

I remember only having enough food to make my son a meal...so I would hope he wouldnt eat it all, as then I would get to eat his leftovers.

I have stolen veggies from an allotment.

We lived off cauliflower cheese, made with reduced to clear caulis (with the brown bits cut off) and a tub of instant, just-add-water sauce, for about 4 days. I would often make a chicken stew that had to last 3 or 4 days. And the old instant-mash-with-beans (and corned beef if we were feeling flush) was a staple part of out diet for a long time.

I have borrowed my sons birthday/christmas money on many an occasion.

We didnt have a washing machine until my boy was about 8, so we made a game out of climbing into the bath with all washing and stomping about on it. I told him it was like being at the seaside.

I put an ad in a paper asking for work-from-home type stuff....and NEARLY took up the offer from a guy who wanted to buy my used underwear. I would of done it too...but he wanted to actually collect the undies to ensure they were still....ummmm...fragrant!!

We slept in the living room one winter as I couldnt afford to heat the bedroom and there was ice on the inside of the window.

No doubt I will remember loads more as the day goes on!!

But my personal favourite has to be........I convinced my son that if the music was playing on the ice-cream van, it meant the man had sold out!!!! :rotfl:

Just a quick note to TigerTiger.....please dont feel bad about buying stuff from charity shops and selling them on Ebay...its what I do for a living!!!

*Louise*

As the eldest of 4, I was the one sent by my siblings to find food when we were hungry - I was famous for being able to come up with some weird and wonderful concoctions from near empty cupboards...:D

Having to stay quiet and not answer the door to the provident man.

Having birthday money 'borrowed'....never did get it back. (Hmm, wonder what that would amount to including interest?):rotfl:

Washing up liquid to wash our hair.

Taking 2 kettles of boiling water upstairs to try and get a few inches of water for a bath, cos turning on the water heater was too expensive.

Checking the trolleys at supermarkets for leftover £1 coins. And yes - we did occasionally find some!:D

MoaningMyrtle

Tigertiger wrote: »

In my poverty-stricken youth, my Mum would eat the white of a boiled egg and give the yolk to my baby sister - she couldn't afford a whole egg each when Dad lost his job.


This is what my Mum did, on her 21st Birthday, she was living in Married Quarters, father was away with the Royal Marines, my sister was eight months old and she was five months pregnant with me, she had one egg and shared it with her baby for her 21st 'birthday dinner'


Having finally got a job ( hard at my age), I celebrated with a curry - bliss. But one of said dogs grabbed my chicken leg and ran off. I prised it from his jaws, washed it and ate it. :T

The last bit gave me a good old chuckle, cheers Tigertiger!!!:rotfl:

Life really is bittersweet eh?

Welcome to MSE!!

newcook

have written (legitimate) complaints to various companies (used works pc, paper, ink & franking lable) in the hope they send me some vouchers. have also sent nice letters commenting on the nice layout of store/friendly staff etc for the same reason!

Ms_Piggy_2

Gorwel wrote: »

My friend and hubby took in a (male) lodger to help their desperate financial position. The men were burger,chips and beer guys but she was the 'knit your own muesli' type. She was obsessive about breast feeding so fed each of her 3 babies on that alone for 6 months. Her spare milk she froze and the guys refused to have cereal as the jug on the breakfast table could quite likely contain not just cows' milk......... for up to 2 years after the birth!!!

TBH I think this has less to do with money saving and more to do with good sense / good health. The World Health Organisation recommend exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months. As for breastfeeding for two years - that's quite normal for many people. the average age of weaning globally is something like four years. It's just our society that links breasts with sexuality and gets upset/offended by breast feeding (but is quite happy to see them on pg 3 )

Tetsuko

wisbech_lad wrote: »

- Buying decent suit from M&S for interviews, returning it next day.

OMG that is such a good idea. Noooooooo, damn you....take it back out of my head

Tetsuko

JCD_Capulet wrote: »

I'm taking up an old job talking smutty for pennies per minute :eek:

Don't suppose you could please, please, pretty please PM me the name of any companies that employ for that? Afterall, as my great aunt used to say, take care of the pennies and the pounds look after themselves

LookingAhead

Tiger - welcome aboard. Your post got me a lump in my throat!

betterlatethannever

When someone leaves at work they put an envelope in the office, and when you put money in you sign the envelope. Many. many times, ive signed the envelope and not put anything in....c'mon surely i'm NOT the only one to do this?????

Miss_No-Money-Penny

Once was soo hungry cos unemployed and benefits taking weeks to sort out that fiancee and I went on night-time raid of pensioners allotments (albeit no torch!)!

Imagine when we got home to realise that the tomatoes we had nicked were green, the cabbages full of caterpillers and the beans were so stringy you could cut your tongue on them! :eek:

Divine retribution I think!!
If you have been allotment-raided, sincere apologies, we really were hungry!!:o