@okbussitout in the late nineties/early 00's what was going on with me and my mates was stuff like...
Having a basic unfashionable-branded brick phone on PAYG and feeling posh to have even that! Typing in text speak so we could fit everything we needed to say into one message to save money. Paying for multiple messages or calls was too expensive. We didn't text anyone unless it was urgent and couldn't wait or we were arranging to meet up. Mate having a landline pay phone in the house so her mum could be sure of always being able to pay the phone bill.
Skinny mate borrowing overweight Nan's bra during pregnancy, just the one (Nan needed the other one!) and hand washing it to dry overnight. Everyone wearing boyfriend's clothes while pregnant, or another larger relative's if their boyfriend was as skinny as them.
Leaving school and starting work at 16 or as soon as we had our NI number for a few of us. Being piss poor because there was no minimum wage. Having a full time job and a part time one at the same time. My mate having a full time job before she'd left school working most eves until late and weekends.
The only clothes we bought were what we needed for work, owning hardly any going out clothes and everything came from cheapy shops.
Pooling our money and drinking slowly to make a £5 last all night in the pub for us both. We were off men and nursing heartbreak at the time and generally didn't accept offers of drinks.
Watching the MC kids from school (who were still there doing A Levels) being bought a brand new car at 17 after an intensive course of lessons also fully paid for, tax and insurance paid, and given a petrol allowance to go with the personal entertainment/clothing allowance they already had.
Eventually learning to drive in my 20's when I could afford it and buying a clapped out old wreck of a car that sounded like a jet plane taking off and shook so bad you couldn't take it over 50mph and still keep hold of the steering wheel. Wrapping up the battery in cotton wool every night to help stop it going flat because I couldn't afford a new one. Driving around with the window open whatever the weather even lashing rain, because you could have any two of lights, window wipers and demisters, but never all 3 or the engine cut out.
Walking from home 2miles up the hill to the precinct with a pram to bring the booze back in for a party, took forever because toddlers walk so slow. People saying stay over it's fine I'll sleep in with my sister/mum/auntie, because the house is overcrowded anyway and there's no spare beds.
Reading the magazines in the shop during lunch break to avoid having to buy them. Making mix tapes by recording music from the radio. Hanging about in the park or the street because we couldn't afford to go anywhere. Getting drunk on cheap whatever if it was someone's birthday but not being able to afford it as a regular thing. At least it saved our livers.
My mate running out of money before payday, feeding the cat tuna and mince while she had beans on toast every night, going round her mum's to borrow a toilet roll.
Sleeping/sitting on the floor because there's no furniture and social media isn't a thing so no putting out pleas of "anyone got any free stuff, it's my first home?". Saving up and looking in charity shops or the local free paper or Freeads paper when you needed to buy something second hand.
The neighbours, two girls (who didn't officially live there, nobody in that house did, the owner was in prison) coming round with a mug asking for some shampoo because they had a date that night and putting a few squirts in the mug for them.
Walking everywhere possible to save on the bus/train fare, if I didn't have a travel pass. Wiping off my lippy, pulling my hair into a ponytail, untucking my blouse from my skirt and getting on the bus with the school kids who'd been hanging around in McDonalds, pretending to be one so I could get half fare on my way home from work.
Looking after people's little ones while they worked an evening shift in exchange for them giving me tea along with the kids that night.
Going everywhere with home made sandwiches and a can/bottle/carton drink from a multipack, marvelling at those who could afford to buy their dinner whilst out.
Coats on inside the home in winter because nobody could afford heating during the day, only for a few hours in the evening before bed. Hot water bottles at night. Watching TV in the dark to save on electric.