Can we start a poverty solidarity thread?

Good idea - I don't know why I haven't thought of this. 😊

With you.
I'm self employed and income is variable currently.
I'm having to have at least 25 no spend days in the month. Cheese is a flipping luxury item and that's the cheap as chips own brand stuff.
Dropped to one meal a day so there's enough food for my boys to eat.
Dropped to one shower a week - I work from home so it doesn't matter if I'm a mingbag.
It's bl**dy relentless and the six weeks hols are looming.

There are some real arseholes on here. Hope you are ok op x

Yes, she should be able to. and it's pretty shit that she can't. The fact is she couldn't but did anyway and THAT is why she is in this position and very very different from the people who are literally in dire poverty because they simply DO NOT have money to feed themselves not that they don't have the money to feed themselves because they bought a bloody shed.

HUGE difference.

This!!
the op works and should be able to afford the basics and a cheap shed.
I’m in a professional job snd these days I feel poorer than when I was in benefits.
The sanctimony and privilege on this thread is unbelievable

We currently have £50 to last until payday (9 days away). But, we have food and the bills are paid so I suppose we are luckier than many!

@Fourpeasinapodcast

Okay, but OP's post wasn't AIBU to buy a shed, it wasn't even AIBU to ask for budgeting advice. She was looking for support and understanding from others who have been in her situation.

And as I've said, OP is not the first person who has thought, "fuck it, I'm buying that thing I've been trying to save up for months and I'll deal with the consequences later," come payday and she certainly won't be the last.

I've done it. Others on this thread have done it.

Was it the right thing to do? Maybe not, but it's done now. She has the shed she may or may not have needed (whether it is safe and practical to store bikes in your kitchen surely depends upon the size of your kitchen). Dry cereal won't harm her kids in the long run. Nor will a lack of shampoo or biscuits.

You're not alone.
I am fed up of having no money.
Just got a new job cleaning but missed this month's pay day so working 6 weeks with no money, I've run out of toothpaste and deodorant today and just want to cry.
I never thought I would be in a position where I can't afford toothpaste.

I’m sorry you’re struggling but you’re not in poverty. If you go onto the credit crunch board there are lots of people who could help you to budget.

Have a look at this https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/budget-planning/?_ga=2.94038301.1467482744.1684320848-1878579072.1680724145&_gl=11q2esu1_gaMTg3ODU3OTA3Mi4xNjgwNzI0MTQ1_ga_X74CWQS9F0*MTY4NDMyMDg0OS4zLjEuMTY4NDMyMDkxOC41OC4wLjA.#planner

I will repeat; someone working full-time should be able to afford a small and still manage basics for the month

You are absolutely right. No question.

But the reality is they can't. Through NO fault of their own they cannot because of our shit government. That is the reality. A reality they are all too aware of. The issue is they are AWARE of the reality and went ahead and bought something that was really, in no way, a necessity and put themselves into a position where they are hungry, cannot wash their hair properly and are giving their children dry cereal. That is a choice. They made the choice. The majority of people living in the same position as the OP would not have made that choice. Therein lies the difference.

The point is not whether a person SHOULD be able to afford a shed to house bikes but the fact they KNOW they cannot but do it knowingly anyway to the detriment of their themselves and their children.

Yes it's a well used tactic. Meanwhile the super rich become even richer. Funny, that.

Dishwasher - In an ideal world everyone should be able to afford a shed and then not struggle for the rest of the month, but reality isn't like that. Everyone has different priorities and some people, like the OP has admitted, are poor at budgeting. There are always going to be families that struggle with money.

I do think that rents are too high in this country, but even when rents were lower guess what some people were still struggling due to poor budgeting. For too long now people don't want to take responsibility for their choices, there's always something or someone else to blame.

Exactly this.

It is absolutely financial irresponsibility. Splashing out £200 quid because you are tired of looking at bikes in your kitchen and then not being able to pour milk on your child's cornflakes.
No excuse in the world for this. None. No use looking out at a shed when then there is no bloody milk in the fridge and nothing to wash your hair with. No justification. Of all things you can make yourself literally destitute for...a shed to put bikes in. Those of you justifying and sympathising with this are worse.

Would YOU do it? Would you leave your kids like that for a shed?

In all honesty the OP is actually taking responsibility to a certain extent and saying she is shite with money and there are all you telling her she is not and she is right to buy the shed.

I despair.

The simple fact that she buys a shed for bicycles without planning for how she will pay for essentials fkr the rest of the mint is pure financial irresponsibility. She prioritized a bike she’s over being able to eat and you’re trying to justify it.

There are two issues here, one low income which she will have to work on though I’m sure you will come back with the wow betide me how dare you say she should earn more excuse, and second she has very very very bad financial management skills. You can try making all the excises in the world but with simple basic budgeting she can make better decisions, and guess what she herself admits she is crap at budgeting.

We’re now so good at making excuses for people which may be nice but all it does is keep people stuck in their circumstances.

OP may have decided to use dry shampoo instead of hot water to wash her hair to save on utility costs, perhaps she is trying to reduce her gas and electric bills.

The point is that someone working full.time shouldn't need to watch and record every single penny.

That someone working full time should be able to live without constantly thinking about money.

That they should be able to make the occasional small capital purchase, school shoes, winter coats or even a shed, without then meaning they are left without food for the month.

It's exhausting always thinking about money and not having anything spare to do anything.

Let alone daring to think about having fun

And this is someone who, on all the rhetoric, is doing the right thing. She's working full-time and raising children.

In a civilised society her life should not be this hard

This is how the government gets away with all the crap it does. We are too busy bickering over the scraps they drop to look up at what is really going on and demand change.

I will repeat; someone working full-time should be able to afford a small and still manage basics for the month.

It was a £200 bike shed not a fucking mansion in her back garden.

^^ agreed this isn't about nitpicking over budgeting. The standards of living in this country are abysmal

I'm on a low income like the OP and this is what I try to do as well. I find it very helpful. I stock up as best I can soon after payday, and fill up the car. If I spend the money on essentials first then I have food in the cupboards and fridge-freezer and a full tank of petrol. I find it is easier to budget for weekly food with the smaller amount left, and I am less likely to spend it.

This is how the government gets away with all the crap it does. We are too busy bickering over the scraps they drop to look up at what is really going on and demand change.

I will repeat; someone working full-time should be able to afford a small and still manage basics for the month.

It was a £200 bike shed not a fucking mansion in her back garden.

This. You need proper budgeting OP. If you can’t afford certain things, you can’t afford them. If you buy them anyway and go without basic necessities for rest of the month - it’s entirely your own CHOICE!

If you spend more than you earn, you’ll always be stint.

Yes, I’m sure it was like that

Sorry, didn’t mean to sound judgemental. It’s reasonable to expect one to spend on needs first and then on wants.
OP needs shampoo, he/she had the money for it, but decided to spend it on what she wanted.

Read the whole thread before posting your judgemental answer.

Shampoo may be cheap, I have 46p to my name, would cheap shampoo help me?

Op, why was the shed so important?

and how can you not have any money for shampoo!?? It costs less than £2 in Aldi / Lidl. Do you use a particularly expensive shampoo?