Things you've done when things got desperate!

Skint_Catt

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

what other reason would you voluntarily pump untested drugs into your system for?

Further, i used to give a pint of blood a week when working in Germany as they used to me about £20 (and that was back in 1990). Think i'd draw the line in organ selling though!!!

For medical research which may help others in the future is the other reason!

I'm a blood donor (no payment these days!) and I'm on the bone marrow register. No gain to me - only pain! - but I'm helping other people cause I'm nice like that (and I might need it back one day!)

C xx

Ivrytwr3

For medical research which may help others in the future is the other reason!

financial gain is the only reason i would test unknown drugs. marrow/blood donation is tried and tested. good on you though.

Storm

Ivrytwr3 - I didn't mean to upset anyone - re-reading it my post did come across a bit strong, sorry

I think what I was trying to say (very badly) was that having read this thread as it's developed there are many people that have at one point or another been very desperate for money, and have done things they never thought they would have just to feed themselves and their family.

Whilst medical studies can obviously pay good money, it is a very serious thing to volunteer yourself for, as the case last year was it(?) highlighted.

I've also heard stories when I was at uni about female students being flown to America to donate eggs to infertile couples as they paid good money for healthy undergrad eggs - however, there are risks involved in donating like this to your own fertility, hence in this country they only encourage donation from women who have already had a family.

I worry that some people may see medical trials as the only way to raise money quickly, andsome may not consider all the potential consequences (not casting aspersions towards anyone on here thought )

Ivrytwr3

I didn't mean to upset anyone

You didn't, the forum is a debate, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I agree with you that it is a serious thing to to carry out clinical trials, which is why the money is good. But like Tetsuko states, £3k is a lot of money for little work! You can only do it if it feels right for you.

DIRTY_CASH

Picked wild garlic from the woods and tried to make a garlic soup - god awful!
Plus toasted some bread I think even seagulls would turn down and tried to fool myself they were croutons. All to save a poxy £1 for coffees in work.

DKLS

Having read this thread, has bought laughter and lumps to the thoat in equal measures, It never ceases to amaze me how resourceful we can be when teh need arises.

My friend used to feast like a king on what he found in the skip behind M&S, now they put it all in a crusher skip, so all food is now wasted.

As for Med trials, do a search for your local Psychology/Psychiatry University Dept and see if they are doing trials, much smaller payments but no risks to your physical health. Or do a general Uni search, I did a fab chocolate snack trial, I recieved a bin liner full of choccies/crisps and other snacks in return for...... being weighed once a week, and keeping a food diary.

Crown

DIRTY_CASH wrote: »

Picked wild garlic from the woods and tried to make a garlic soup - god awful!
Plus toasted some bread I think even seagulls would turn down and tried to fool myself they were croutons. All to save a poxy £1 for coffees in work.

This made me laugh. Sorry Im taking pleasure at your misfortune but it is amazing what lengths we go to to save a few pennies.

Some things I have done include:

I have telephoned people and hung up after a couple of rings hoping that they will call me back and then made excuses that the phoen cut off.

Regulary will look around for the cheapest place to buy a drink if Im out for the day. I will go intoa store and check the prices and leave again and walk to the other end of the street if I can get the product 5p cheaper elsewhere.

Remember as a kid my Mum going without meals to feed us kids

Avoiding debt collectors by going camping for long weekends.

Being sent out with a couple of quid as kid to try win more money by scouting the arcades for likely looking fruit machines or general gambling as we had no other money available and would sometimes be marooned without petrol unless one us could come of with the goods. I sometimes wonder if that is what lead to my gambling problems as a adult as I had it in my mind I could always get out of trouble by knowing when the odds are in your favour.

Being paid to play arcade games to show people the endings of them. I madea regular income doing this at around 14-15.

There is a ton more but a lot of people have already mentioned most of the scams we get upto .

mookybargirl

newcook wrote: »

A few years back (before cash machines were as upto date as what they are now) I would always be eagle eyed when walking past a machine incase someone forgot to take their money (it happens! Have come across £20 winking at me a few times!)...

My mum was taking money out for me, and at the time Halifax took a little longer to give you your money than other cash machines. My mum walked off after pressing for £200 thinking it was broken only to go to another machine down the road. Tried for £200 pounds there and no luck as my daily limit was £300, she went back to Halifax, tried for £200 and no luck, tried for £50 and then again walked off thinking it was broken and wondering why she couldn't press for £200. Thankfully, someone took the £200 to the police station around the corner and the bank sucked back in the £50.

Got a real telling off from the bank for giving my mum my pin no but at least I was lucky enough that someone handed in £200. I'm really not sure that I would have

Imelda

I think one of the reasons I got into debt in the first place was because we had nothing as kids, as soon as I could spend, I did!
My mum did everything she could for me and my sister, my Dad was useless. Wouldn't give my mum a penny from his wages, would go out drinking, playing golf. He would have a holiday every year but we didn't (unless a kind relative lent us a caravan). Mum worked 2 jobs and did absolutely everything round the house.
The most shameful thing I have ever done was steal my Dad's wallet. I knew which pub he would be in on a Friday afternoon (half day and pay day). I popped in to see him after school, saw his wallet on the bar and took it. He was so drunk he didn't notice until the next day (him and his mates would have whip in a pint glass). He reported it to the police and they came round, I was sh1tting myself!
I put all the cash into my mum's purse and buried the wallet in the garden. My mum guessed but kept quiet.
In the summer holidays my mum told us that we could only eat in the evenings (used to have free school meals) so we would scrounge from our friends' houses. She would often go without food herself.
Now I am out of debt and determined that I will never go back there, I also spoil my mum to bits as I know how hard it was for her to bring us up. Nothing could ever repay what she has done for me and my sister.

LookingAhead

Imelda.....I take my hat off to you! Loved the story about the wallet!