To enjoy being a bit skint

[Welcometotheterrorzone]

I realise this might sound really privileged to some.
We are by no means struggling to pay our mortgage or buy food. We both have alright jobs, low paid but steady and enough to pay for a lovely house in a rough part of town. Like I said, we do alright but have to budget in order to have Christmas and holidays. We camp, we don't eat out, we share subscriptions with friends, we have one car, we buy second hand everything, we use freetogo apps etc to save. I am an obsessive yellow sticker shopper and do not pay full price for any meat, bread, milk or fruit as I hit different supermarkets at different times and have a huge freezer to store it all in. We eat veggie 70% of the time too.
Yesterday it was a one off treat day for DS as he's starting school. I had £24 for the day and no access to anymore money. We had such a lovely time, bakery lunch, went to a national trust place where just going in the grounds is a lot cheaper than tickets for the house so did that, treated them to an ice lolly and found a Poundland on the way home for a toy instead of getting (the same quality) toy in the gift shop. I was a bit worried at one point as we walked past this amazing sweet shop and I thought that they were going to ask for something I couldn't afford (only had £2 left by this point as we were on our way to the train station) but brilliantly they had a reduced section with these Harry Potter chocolate bars for 50p so still had a £1 at the end of it.
My aibu is that I don't want to lose this feeling of joy that we have found something that fits our budget and makes me feel like I'm treating them. I've had times where I felt really down that I can't just say 'choose whatever you like' but I think every parent sets limits so I'm not being unnecessary harsh. I'm trying to teach them to find pleasure in small things, and that finding the right toy in a charity shop is better than going to a big toy shop full of plastic where you can choose anything. I hope they don't resent me for it.
Luckily it's payday tomorrow!

I'm wondering if actually the op meant only a 'bit skint' and opposed to 'totally skint'.
The opening title says ' bit skint' which I interpreted to mean that she's
not got much money, but maybe more than someone 'totally' skint.
I'm not sure why people are picking over use of the word skint, its a slang term used to mean anything from being on the bones of your arse, to only having a few quid until pay day and its entirely relative. I don't ask for a financial breakdown and refer someone to the poverty indices, when I hear someone in real life using the expression.
I noticed a thread earlier about someone being happy single, I am sure this must be causing offence to someone out there. Maybe the ones that are offended by the use of the word skint, might want to hop over to remind the op of her privilege.

I was coming on here to back you OP until I read your post about those on benefits. Have you ever tried living on benefits? It's an awful life for anyone, my MIL is on them due to having a disability and honestly she'd be on the streets if she didn't get help from family, if they make a mistake with your money your just have to wait til it's rectified, so whether that's for food, rent, heat etc. There is no stability so I think you're just talking shit and you haven't really got a clue about how other people live.

@Welcometotheterrorzone

I'm sorry but the only people who I know who have struggled to feed their kids are the working poor, as in those who aren't eligible for much but genuinely struggle. My friend on UC (but earns more than me) gets a huge hamper of food every two weeks which she doesn't have to pick up, it's delivered. She also gets free holiday club all summer, with a bag of food to take home for dinner. This might be a postcode lottery type thing but it's not as clear cut as those on benefits are starving and those who work are tucking into cote de beouf every night. A couple with a mortgage, with one self employed, and childcare costs are usually the ones I see in financial difficulties.

If being on benefits is such a fucking cakewalk, why don’t you do it?

What offensive insulting shit. You don’t know you’re born.

I've just re-read the OP. There is nothing unpleasant in what is written at all. It's just the word 'skint' in the title that has raised such vitriol. And as a PP said in an articulate and intelligent post, it's just a question of semantics really.

As for the 'benefit bashing', I don't agree she is doing that. I just think she has pointed out, quite rightly that the line between people struggling on benefits and those struggling with low paid jobs, no additional monetary support and with childcare fees, can sometimes be somewhat blurred.

P. S. So if you're still reading this OP (and I don't blame you if you're not), don't let all this upset you. You actually sound really lovely.

I know what you mean OP. It's about getting real pleasure out of inexpensive things and appreciating that they can be done comfortably within a budget.

Omg so many people on here bashing.

Not everyone on benefits struggles financially and thats ok and it's not unreasonable for OP to note that you can draw a binary distinction between "those on benefits - skint" and "those not on benefits - not skint". Its hugely varied depending on where you live, your households fixed costs and your personal circumstances.

Can't draw a binary distinction I mean!

Sounds like a lovely day. I enjoy being frugal and I know exactly what you mean about the feeling that you get when you get value for your money.

If I had been twice in the position of having my electricity cut off this summer and been met with the cost of replenishing my massive freezer both times, that £24 would definitely not have been going on a visit to the grounds of a stately home and buying chocolate and sweets. It would have stayed in my account with every other scrap of unallocated cash to ensure I wasn't so much in the shit the next time my bad financial situation or management bit me in the arse.

And I'd probably remember, from my time of "crying on the phone to HMRC" just how damn difficult it is when pennies need to stretch to filling tummies and I'd leave the yellow sticker items on the shelves for people who need them instead of hoarding them in my freezer like some mad cheapo dragon

When mine were little, for 4 years I had £6 per day for food/clothes and essentials. I'm going back almost 20years but it still didn't go far. You wouldn't believe the things I can create with a pack of lentils and my DC eat everything because we couldn't afford to be fussy.
We got through it, our income is close to 6 figures now but I find it hard to enjoy spending money.
We donate to several charities and save, so that we can help our DC should they ever need it. I don't think that experience of poverty ever leaves you

Oh God, I remember those days, good for you if you're happy but for me, fuck that.