You know you're truly skint when...

[ratflavouredjelly]

I've decided to humour myself and start this thread laughs hysterically. Anyone care to join me with their stories. Maybe we can out skint each other...

So, you know you're truly skint when:
Shopping in charity shops are no longer ironic.
The middle of the month arrives and you panic about feeding the family.
You can not afford the petrol to work.
You're growing your own veg but cannot stretch to compost to enrich the soil.
DS and DD's shoes are too tight (something you never thought you would allow to happen)
Your bra is too tight, buying a new one is out of the question, so you just 'get used' to the pain.
Yadda harumph harumph

Hoorah! I've entered the 1990s . . .

How do I know I am dirt poor? I answer the phone in spanish - "que, comesta" and the Indian Debt Collector answers me in perfectly Indian accent spanish, asking me when I will pay my debt. Even pretending I am someone else dosn't get the debt collectors off my back.

That the children's secondary school send me a 10% off voucher for new school clothes because I am so poor. However I have to phone ahead to the school outfitters so "I will not be embarrised asking for my discount when other people in the shop , may over hear." Hello?? Don't they know that I have no pride whatsoever left anymore - poverty does that to you.

You know you're skint when you can't go out to concerts/plays etc and the opera is an unachievable dream, not only because you cant afford the tickets but because you cant afford the transport and the worst is you have to put up with the other mums talking about how you haven't got any interests.

Home dyeing of hair, rarely getting a professional hair cut (and putting up with colleague's sniggers) shopping for work clothes at Asda (which by the way are good quality), cooking with chick peas at 34p a tin and turning the heating off as much as possible, no magazines and not eating out are a part of our life and thats because we use the money saved for uni fees etc. I dont feel sorry for myself when I buy Loreal hair dye from Tesco : In fact I feel pleased I can afford it!

Our skintness can be measured by the birthday: shop cake=not skint but working ; home made = not skint and working part time. no cake= skint

Not going into a new bookshop but buying books from Barnados and borrowing them from the library has simply shown me how much money I spent unnecessarily before.

I turned a job down once because I couldn't afford the travel for the first month till I was paid. The next time I was offered a job I asked HR for a loan for the travel: which I was given!

I wish I could give the children's old school clothes and shoes to those who need them though.

taking sandwiches to the cinema!

oh xmasbaby I've done that, taken a whole picnic in!

The Conservative politician on question time some weeks ago who argued that people were not going hungry in the UK should come and get her eyes opened.

When I was a child my mum used to go out walks with the pram and load it with fence posts so she could burn them to keep us warm. We used to eat potatoes daily - just potatoes - for days and days.

You expect to look back at your past and notice how much poorer your parents were than you are at the same age. Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I am comfortable - incredibly lucky and in secure employment. However, I remind myself daily just how lucky I am and still exercise thrift. I feel very lucky that it is a choice - many of us seem to be much worse off than our parents were.

passmethecrisps I'm educated to a much higher level than my parents who were both immigrants to this country, and yet my lifestyle at this stage of my life is much worse than theirs. I regularly take ds to the woods in winter to hunt for wood - fortunately he loves it. And I often just eat their leftovers for lunch to avoid using up food for me.

I know Zukie the fire is a lifesaver. It's been so chilly in the evenings, we had a fire the weekend before last. I do hope the kids will look back fondly on the times when they'd rush downstairs after their bath to have warm milk in front of the fire, when the reality was because we couldn't afford to have the heating on (even though it's bloody May but the temperature hadn't crept up above 6 degrees all day!)

Reading this thread has reminded me how fortunate I am. I moan about not having enough cash left to last the month but I don't have to worry about putting food on the table or being able to afford new clothes/shoes for the DCs.

I hope this doesn't come over the wrong way but I have a box of shoes and a coat that don't fit the DCs any more that I can't sell on eBay but can't bring myself to just get rid of. I would be happy to post these items for free to anyone who would like them for their DCs.

The things in my "grown-out-of box" are:

For girls:

1. 1 pair Startrite black patent Mary-Jane shoes (velcro fastening) size 10 F (these were school shoes but are also nice as party shoes as are shiny. Good conditon)

1. 1 pair Lelli Kelly trainers - velcro fastening with lots of pink flowery bling on size Eur28/UK size 10 (condition: bit tired but OK for knocking around in)

1. 1 pair rose pink Geox leather trainers - slightly high ankle style (for a toddler), velcro fastening - size Eur 25/UK 7.5. Condition: scuffed toes but intact and sturdy

1. 1 pair bright pink leather ballet pumps size 25/UK7.5. I loved these. Bought them on holiday in Spain for DD, but they were party shoes really and she only wore them a few times. Cost about £30 new, good quality.

1. 1 black quilted (for winter) (with fur trim on hood) M&S jacket age 7-8, never worn.

For boys:

1. 1 pair red leather Geox trainers (velcro fastening size Eur29/UK10 - condition: slightly scuffed toes but otherwise fine, plenty of wear left

1. 1 pair brown nubuck Geox trainers (velcro fastening) size Eur31/UK12 in good condition.

All the Geox cost £40-£50 new and they are good shoes that have plenty of wear in. If anyone wants any of these items, just PM me saying which number item you want and give your address and I will post it to you. I doubt I'm going to be deluged but if more than one person asks for something, the first person to ask gets it.

You know you are truly skint when the Taxman feels sorry for you,gives you a tissue, a hug and tells you to phone the doctor.
(True story)

Please PM me I have various pairs of ladies black work shoes sizes 5 and 6. Will send them to you.

I have a pair of black DM shoes, size 7, virtually unworn, it's time someone made use of them! I never sold them when I did my mega ebaying for some reason.

They are buckle over, like chunky Mary Jane type things. Would make reasonable work shoes I would say.

The kindness in this thread, people offering items to others, is lovely to read

I am also skint with a capital S despite working all hours god sends. I was on a thread earlier this year about being scared to put any heating on. After a few months my mum walked into the house and said it smelt damp on further investigation all behind the wardrobes and chests of drawers in two bedrooms were covered with mould and mildew, on the furniture and the walls, because i presume, of having no heat on It smelt so awful but i was getting used to it and just sitting in the damp and cold everyday/night.

I don't go out, i have no special days out with the family, we eat boring rubbish i havent had a day trip or holiday for nine years at least. All i do is work.

I sometimes think i would be better not actually being here but then i think of my kids, my father took his own life and i've never got over that. I won't do it i'm too strong for that but you know what an early death of natural causes would do me a favour right now!

((((hugs)))) This is all so wrong. No one should be living like this. When I see the bonuses and the share holder dividends being paid out to fat cats, money all you good people have earned for them. I want to scream at the bloody injustice. Workers create value, we make the goods, we sell them, we transport them, we offer the face to face service, we answer the phones, deliver the stuff, nurse the sick and wash the floors and yet so many people appear to be living a life, devoid of joy.

We have always had to be very careful, we don't go without adequate food and we manage a few days out a month with the children. Food, heat, clothing these are necessities not luxuries.

Our political class should be shamed of themselves. has any one sent the thread to number 10? I would, not sure if it will help but it does seem they are completely out of touch, the stories on this thread should be a wake up call to them.

I'm so sorry things are that hard for you ATM OK
but glad you can be honest on here x

I hope things will pick up and brighten for you very soon.

Could you have at least one or two day trips to look forward to this summer ?

You've been working so long with no break at all

I know this thread has some really sad stories on it, but it also shows what lovely people there are in the world, don't you think? Look at all the MNers that are trying to help each other. I've had some really kind people offer me things to help me, even though we've never met and probably never will.

I know it's silly, but to me that has made it a little bit easier to stay positive recently.

Also, I'm not stealth boasting and I hope it doesnt come across like it is, but i think it fits in - I mentioned up thread and last week that my car had died and we were going to struggle to buy a new one but really rely on it for work. My DPs boss has given us £700 for a car. Just because he appreciates DP and had the cash and wanted to help. I don't mind admitting that I cried when DP told me, because it was just sub a beautifully kind thing to do and I have no hope of being able to pay him back.

It showed me, along with this thread, that there can be good things that happen and there are wonderful people out there. I'm not being as succinct as I would like to be, but I am definitely feeling rich on things other than money at he moment.

toast with a fork! Now, that is delicious. Nothing tastes quite like it!

It sounds like a clique completely, but I am sure that having the upbringing I did made me a better person. When parents tell me they can't afford new school shoes this week (or possibly next) I believe them. My dad once went off a wander himself when we were out in town shopping. He came back really ashen faced and a bit teary actually. He explained that he had walked past a homeless man only to look back and realise it was an old pal. He was told that the man had become unemployed which caused his marriage to fail. In a matter of weeks he became unemployed and homeless. My dad was humbled by how quickly life can take such a major turn.

Twll what an absolute star your DP's boss is!

It would be nice to think that something good would come out of the hardship so many are experiencing at the moment - if only there seemed to.be a . ight at the end of the tunnel.

what's that saying - you're only ever 3 months away from being homeless - very true how quickly things can change.

Twllbach That is not boasting, that is just lovely news

Oh and I also have been offered an interview today, at McDonald's, not the best but apparently a good employer.

I am worried though that i shan't cope with the physical demands of a job just now as i have a long standing back problem, am on DLA for it but we cannot afford for me to be not working any more, it's been a year now.

And the irony is that the DLA which will probably help me cope more with the demands of a job by being able to take taxis to and from rather than a long walk - will probably have to go as they'll say that as I am working all day there can't be much wrong with my back, despite the fact i'll have to go back to taking copious amounts of prescribed heavy duty painkillers to be able to do it.
it's a vicious circle

And i may risk doing even more damage too

I also have various worn baby girl clothes (up to 1 year, more to come as she grows), so PM me if you need.