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

When you used to buy all your clothes from Next and now cannot even afford to buy them from a car boot sale.........

The saddest thing is the shame in being poor. THERE IS NO SHAME (unless you sniffed all the cash away as glue).

I never, ever hide that we are struggling.
Why should I be ashamed?

I'm doing the very best I can in trying circumstances, and I've found that people are very understanding . Pretending the problem doesn't exist, hiding it away is not helping!

Please don't feel that being short of money, and not knowing where the next meal is coming from is something to be ashamed of. We need to reclaim poverty! You know you're not the only one out there living like this. It's not your fault!

I'm not living in poverty, (whatever the government say) I have a roof over my head and (donated) shoes on my feet. I know how to make £30 a week stretch to feed a family and I can do it on less if I have to (Thank you Marguerite Pattern), I use libraries and books (and thank God fro the internet) , and can make pretty much anything and repair pretty much anything. (I've learnt to plumb, rewire and re-build engines). I once discovered that I had entrely made the clothes of a group of 7 people from their heads down (and even made a pair of their shoes)

I can make bread and brew beer, mead and wine.

These are all skills I've had to learn because money has never been that forthcoming and now money is really tight I'm really glad I did.

I've rebuilt my kitchen after a flood and rodent infestation out of prettty much nothing (stuff I've found at the roadside and dragged home in my cycle trailer)'

I'm pretty damn proud of being able to sustain my family.

I don't think I need to be ashamed of my financial status. And neither should you.
I'm also very aware that I'm still better off than most of the population of this planet.

Ruby, will you marry me?

Wow Ruby, respect!

Silver lining (if you don't mind me joking) - with those skills, you and your family are guaranteed to survive an apocalypse or zombie attack! :)

Fisherman's sandals pattern for anyone who wants to have a go.

If you're making a toddlersized pair you can use doubled-up inner tube or cycle tyre lined with fabric for soles:

www.simpleshoemaking.com/fishermans_sandals.htm

alypaly try this in your vegetable soup.

Marigold bouillon

Or if someone you know is going to Germany, Maggi do some stuff in a bottle that is the German equivalent of Worcestershire Sauce, that gives you a bit of umami in food that would otherwise be rather bland. It's basically liquid herbs.

Wurzemittel

Ruby's right, there is no shame in struggling to make ends meet. We've been skint for years and, while I don't have the skills Ruby has (wish I did), I can:

knit
crochet
preserve food
make cordials/herb teas and the like
forage for wild food
seed save and raise veg from the saved seeds
feed a family of 7 on £30 a week
bake anything we need from bread to birthday cakes
and more

so, what is there to be ashamed off. I have a lot of skills that I can use to make sure that we get by. I've even sold some of my knitting/baking etc. to make a few pounds and raised money for charities by donating my stuff to sell.

we should all be proud that we cope in difficult circumstances, not ashamed that we don't have the same things as some other people. And, like Ruby, I think that it helps a lot to remember that, even though things are very difficult, the majority of the world's people have so little that what I have is actually so much more than I need.

I think we should all look for the positives, what we CAN do rather than what we can't. it definitely makes you feel better.

Ruby, will you write some guest posts for the Austerity Housekeeping blog? Please??

I think you are onto something. You are only as poor as you think you are. Women should be quicker to ask for things when they need them - if you put out on the jungle drums that you need to borrow a sewing machine/learn how to repair taps/could do with some kitchen cabinets if anyone is throwing them out/need to learn how to cut your children's hair/need to make a bit of money from babysitting or whatever so you can send your kid on a school trip, it is a lot better for everyone than sitting at home and feeling embarrassed, and you'll be more involved in society. People will help because it won't bring obligation on either side, and it will add to the common good.

I have written about this.

Spiritual Housekeeping

Thanks for the tip BM I might try that too

(DD loves making us soup after stopping off at the greengrocers on her way home - Friday is her big soup day ! )

Think you can pick up Maggi in lots of shops now selling Eastern European foods.. also think it may have been said but just in case it hasn't do check different aisles for things in supermarkets - 3 different prices and different places for coconut milk in Tesco!

You can also drink the Marigold Bouillon as a hot drink instead of tea and coffee as well. Actually healthier, a bit like drinking Bovril for vegetarians!

I think partly it could be about encouraging sustainable community living for all too BM which is so much better for the planet and for our well-being.

We don't just have to be isolated consumers - that's so last century !
(And only benefits profit at any cost capitalism)

It's good also to have some strong flavoured pre-grated cheese in the fridge as it seems to keep for weeks forever, and a sprinkle on hot soup with a bit of black pepper on top transforms it. Gruyere is a particular favourite of mine but strong Cheddar would be another possibility.

I think that's where we have all gone wrong, living like islands. Families don't do well like that.

Good grief, the power of MN! Me just mentioning that post has meant that hits on there instantly have gone mental!! Must be a lot of lurkers ...

Spread the love, that's what I say.

when you have to frequently 'borrow' loo roll from shopping malls (well hey, you've spent enough in there over the years, right?!) , work etc

I never buy coconut milk in a tin,it is so expensive.I buy the KTC blocks of creamed coconut and use that in curries and soups.It doesn't go off or have to be used quickly once opened either,so I can make a block last for 3 or 4 meals over several weeks.

I've just got in and found a message from someone wanting me to ring them with regard to doing some work.I have already lost one day a week and £200 a month,so that will be very welcome.One of my lovely customers must have recommended me.

For soup would recommend frying off base veg like onions / carrots or whatever you're using to caramalise a bit - that adds loads of flavour. Some dried herbs and spices are quite cheap from ethnic shops or even main supermarkets like Asda these days have sections where often similar products sold elsewhere are cheaper.

I have a lot of sleep suits/bodies from newborn up to 12-18 months (mostly white JL stuff), all in very good condition if anyone could do with them.

I'm in Edinburgh, so please PM me if you could use anything.

Re. the coconut milk, Tesco sell a box of coconut milk powder for about £3. it works out much cheaper than tins and you can use as much or as little as you like without worrying about using the rest up. Also the blocks of coconut cream that Mirage mentioned. Both are better value than tinned stuff if you can get them.

Would anyone like to share their £30 per week menus?

Actually, would be easy if the younger two (5 and 9) were less fussy than the rest of us - DH and DD1 (19) would happily eat soup several times a week but the youngest refuses to touch it and just ends up eating a bread roll (stubborn as a mule), as soup's dead easy to make with a veg base and optional meat chucked in (bacon, or cooked chicken scraps from the Sunday roast - I can't remember the last time we paid full price for a Sunday roast, DH always stops into Sainsbury's on the way home as that's when they do the reductions)

revolution do not buy an iron unless you are going to be making money by taking in people's ironing!
Waste of time, electricity, money, and won't do your aches and pains any good at all. I am strongly opposed to ironing at the best of times and if you are trying to save money just don't do it!