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

vent away purple :)

I went to asda on sunday night at just past 7pm LOADS of reductions!

I got two whole gressingham ducks for 50p each!!!
2 packs of gressingham duck breast strips for 40p each
1 pasta bake ready meal 20p
2 packs of wild mushroom tortelloni 20p each
one of those indian takeaway in a bag things for two people 50p!!

I never manage to get the fresh food bargains, just the bread normally so am well chuffed, the checkout lad said Sunday's are the best for them, hope that helps someone.

Tonight we will dine like Kings on wild mushroom pasta with duck

That is rather fab news, purple.

Hi all,

Well, after telling me sis this morning that I was seriously thinking of selling me car as I cant aford to run it she said......

"Oh. We booked to go to menorca for a week on friday"

They went away for a week at easter and are going away for 4 weeks in the summer. Sigh. Its another world!

There is a job going at my local co-op in the evenings BUT when dh is away with work I would have to take annual leave to be at home with the dc...wwyd?

Its 16 hours (which is what I want) but not sure what days etc it is....

Fed up of having no money/having to buy things on credit

I didn't get the job I had interview for on Friday. Poo.

Badvoc, talk to them and see if that is an acceptable plan to them. How often is your DH away? Can anyone step in and babysit?

Sorry to hear that, Foof.

Badvoc, I would be tempted to apply, say nothing, try your damndest to make it work. Have a friend who works in our co-op and cos she works hard, is polite, reliable etc she gets great shifts now and also she can swap with colleagues sometimes. Even if you do a month then can't continue it would be money in the bank. Do you claim benefits you would have to sign off? That's obv more problematic. But if not then nothing to lose?

I have read every sing post on here. Serial NC'er.

Today I've felt the most jealous and petty than I ever have before.

My best mate hasn't worked since her children were born (6 years). She had an affair and split from her husband to be with the OM. Every other week she has amazing trips away... 3 holidays this year. Stands to make a fair bit from the divorce... Doesn't have to work in the forseeable future. I know she's not taking anything from me but it's really getting me down. I married, always worked, took short mat leaves and yet we're just stuffed.

I spent this afternoon thinking how our worlds are so far apart. Her husband was an arse. I'm not suprised she left, but it just seems like it's so fecking easy for her...

I have read that back and know I sound like an utter arse, but there we go. That's how skint I am - ready to begrudge my best mate her own happiness

Thanks Boffin.

Foof, so sorry. Big hugs and positive vibes in your direction. I prefer an application being ignored altogether to being rejected after an interview.

Edsillyband someone once told me its okay to envy people just don't begrudge them for what they have. Now I've tried to live by that, but its really bloody hard to separate the two at times!

Bumble I envy your pert/firm bum but I don't begrudge it

I went in Tesco at 9pm, lots of reductions, bread 7p, cheese 18p etc, we ate like kings for a couple of £

ed I try to remind mysef that "comparison is the thief of joy" but at times its hard. I wouldnt want my sis's life (my bil is a pig) but sometimes I would like to not have to worry about money. Just for a bit.

I dont claim benefits (never have) The only thing I get (which is a benefit now I think about it!!) is CB. CB has been my only "income" since I had my dc - so for 9 years. There is a 5 year gap between my dc (many mc in between) Just as I had given up on having more dc and started looking for a job I got pg with ds2!!!

I know one of the women who work at the co op so will have a chat with her re: job.

This month is a nightmare tbh...we have paid a small deposit on our UK hol for july. Its dh's 40th and ds1 9th b day and my dads b day and my PILs ann. And fathers day! sigh. I am having to use the cc to buy food this month...not great but at least its 0% interest!!!

purple, that's good news. I have a friend that was really struggling with debt. it was affecting her whole life. She was the same as you, working all hours, struggling all the time not to default, at the expense of everything else. But then she contacted Pay Plan recently and things have eased off a lot for her. I hope the same happens for you.
Badvoc, one of my neighbours works for the co-op and she says that they are a really good employer. if you work hard and play fair with them, they are very accommodating. I would be tempted to apply for the job and then just see what happens. As long as DH isn't away every week or whatever, I think that you should be OK.

Foof, sorry about the job. it's rubbish when you get interviewed and then don't get it, but at least it is interview experience. The next one might go better because of it.

Ed, it's really hard to see others do well when you are struggling. I always try to remember that we don't really know what peoples lives are like and behind the gloss, they might be struggling in ways we can't see, so I try not to be envious.

Just finished the whole thread! Phew!

We live in Sydney and the area we live in is very affluent, but there are loads of people like us who are living on the breadline. We convinced ourselves that it was a compromise on space vs lifestyle living here when we emigrated, but its tough. And envy is a real problem for us (a friend going through a divorce said she is only going to get $400 a week from STBXH but is worrying because she spends that on food a week - we spend about $60!)

What i miss about the UK is the reduced stuff in supermarkets - I often speak to my mum and they'll say they've just picked up an Indian ready meal for 50p in the reduced section, but it just doesn't happen here.

My lovely friend gave me lots of maternity clothes to borrow (I'm 30 weeks) so I feel like i can at least look half decent!

Got v excited today because I sold my old phone on Ebay which means we can pay our electricity bill this month!

Its shit, but hopefully we'll come out of it soon. Its reassuring (in a weird way, but sad too) to know that we're not the only ones.

Someone please help me convince dh that we need to sell my car!

I know I will miss it, but it is a luxury we simply cant afford anymore.

We will prob get about £2.8k for it (hopefully) and that would mean we could sort out our bank balances (which are dire atm) and put £2k into savings which means we could start paying the cc off.

It will also save me £100 per month at least (petrol, ins, tax, breakdown cover etc).

How can I make him understand?

Our only other "luxury" is virginmedia cable but we use it a lot and the kids have a lot of stuff recorded on it and we watch films on there instead of going to the cinema.

We dont drink (much), smoke or go out (maybe 3 x per year?)

Atm I use the car for the school run 3 x per week. Also for general trips to local shops and going into town maybe 2 x per month. Public transport round here isnt brilliant but the next town has a railway station and both my dc love trains!

I already get most of my groceries delivered.

The car has to go!

I've just been to the doctor this morning because I had some blood tests done due to being tired all the time and he wanted to discuss the results with me. I told him that a major factor in me not eating well was money :( and now he is all worried and I feel shit, again.

Sigh.

bertie I am glad he is worried. Perhaps he can get in touch with the HV or someone to get you some help x Dont feel shit. Its not your fault. If its a choice of you eat or the kids then its the kids isnt it? I get that. I would do the same {hugs}

Bertie, what nutrients are you missing?

Cheap fortified cereal, such as tesco value cornflakes, will give you a much needed mineral kick, and value eggs are about 10 p each. Yes, they chickens will be sad, you but are malnourished and people come first. Eggs are a massively turbo charged package of protein and vitamins, and the protein is perfectly accessible to people.

I do know how it feels to be juggling pennies versus nutrients, it seems like you can either fill your belly or nourish your body, but you can't afford to do both.

He is getting in touch with my HV and I think that's what's making me anxious. I have to remember that they are trying to help, not judge me, and I'm coping a lot better than I was before it's just that 2 years ago I had them on my case for over 6 months because I wasn't keeping the house clean and tidy and I'm just worried now that if they deem I can't look after myself properly (because part of it is money, and part of it is me not being arsed) that I'll get sucked into all of that again, when actually I thought I was doing okay now.

I'm short on iron and vitamin D, he's given me prescriptions for supplements but also wanted to see if HV can help me with any extra support etc.

DS always comes first, he has a healthy balanced diet, even if he does eat a bit too much processed food, I know which of the value fish fingers are the nice ones! I always make sure his meals are okay, and I know he eats well at his childminder's.

I know this sounds fussy, but part of my problem is that if I don't like something I can't force myself to eat it, so tesco value cornflakes are a no, because I just know they'll sit uneaten in the cupboard for months until I end up throwing them away. Eggs are okay though. I feel bad for the chickens but when we are skint like this I do buy the cheapo eggs, we eat a lot of them. I try to buy free range when we have the cash to make up for it. Tesco have just started doing the individually bagged chicken breasts in their fresh chicken section which is brilliant because I freeze them and they last for ages, whereas the time I bought the asda value frozen chicken breasts put me off chicken completely for ages.

Also - stupid little thing, but when I was really struggling to keep up with the housework etc, DP threw away (rather than wash up) loads of those little plastic containers you get from chinese takeaways, so I now have nothing to freeze extra portions of food in. I used to do this quite regularly but now I find if I make extra then it goes off, so I end up spending more to make smaller portions. I must add some of those little containers to my next tesco shop.

badvoc i sold my car 2 days ago....dh still has his so i can use that as i am insured ....i felt it was a waste too...i prefer to walk most days

bertie no one will judge you...we all let the housework go at some points...life often gets in the way of me having clean windows I find

doormat I am insured on dh's car too so its not like I wont have access to one.

I also really want to lose some weight and feel more walking will help

Do you like any other breakfast cereal? How are you with fresh milk, because that's another winner? Do you like things like kidney beans and crab sticks? They are good for cheap protein, as are pork mince, lardons, stir fry strips of meat, and yoghurt. Nut butters can help as well.