When you've been skint, what's the Kindest thing someone has done?

[CharlieUniformNovemberTango]

I've posted on the thread about a the cruellest things people have said and done when you've been skint but I thought a reverse thread would be a lovely idea.

Let's restore our faith in human nature :o



Also, feel free to post if you've done something kind to help a friend in need. It might give someone some inspiration :)

[TodaysAGoodDay]

I was living with my brother and fucking horrible SIL and I was waiting for a divorce settlement so I could buy a house. Things got very, very bad living with them and I could do nothing about it. My SIL then got pregnant and told me (and 5yr old DS) to get out. We had no money and nowhere to go. My wonderful, wonderful friend heard about this and loaned me £3000 to rent somewhere for 6 months while I waited for the settlement. Settlement is now through, my friend has been paid back, and we are moving into our new house next month .

Thank you Janet, you truly saved my life xx

[TodaysAGoodDay]

Or should that be !

[BikeRunSki]

DH was made redundant when DD was 4 weeks old last autumn. DS was just 3 and had just started independent swimming lessons with the instructor whose baby classes we'd been to and who DS adored. We had paid for a term, but couldn't afford the next term. My mum (on state pension) sent me cash in an envelope to pay for the next term. When I went to pay, someone had paid for us, and mum let me keep the cash.

DH got a new job quickly, on same salary. I burst into tears in the PO when he rang to tell me. Having stared low income in the face at such a vulnerable time, I organised all my friends together to donate all their old baby stuff to pregnancy crisis. We delivered 10 black bags and several moses baskets, pushchairs etc. All usable. While I was there a MW rang up to see if they could help three families on her books who could not afford anything for their new babies.

[TodaysAGoodDay]

Oh, and I helped out my other friend who had been in refuge with me for a couple of months. She moved in to a new flat and had nothing. People from church gave her table, chairs, sofa, bed, fridge and freezer. I bought her the necessities, a flat screen TV and a digibox! We're still great friends.

[sweetkitty]

When DP and I were students we were always skint we lived on 49p pizzas, pasta n Sauce and super noodles.

My Gran used to post me up £20 each week she was on a widows pension and I felt really bad for having to take it but it was so needed. She died just before I got pregnant with DD1 so never saw my DC

[foofooyeah]

What a lovely thread. We are struggling at the moment and both my Mum and MIL take me out food shopping sometimes.

A dear dear friend posted me £10 for wine - and insisted I got wine and not necessities - wine had never tasted so good.

[Springforward]

I have been given a put-together hamper of nice foods I couldn't afford in the past, from someone who understood just how often I was eating beans on toast.

I did this for my sister at xmas too, and popped a bottle of brandy and one of lemonade in along with an xmas tea kit, so she could have her favourite tipple on christmas day evening.

[bringmesunshine2009]

A really nice ( well a lot of really nice tbh) MNers PMd offering to send me that which I could not afford to replace. One in particular asked to send me a present but I was too shy to accept. A huge thanks. X

[deburca]

I once had someone drive me 50 miles out of there way just to make sure I go home safely - 100 mile round trip for someone that she didnt know very well - never forgot that.

I have lent a friend £200 when I really couldnt afford it - she broke down and mentioned that she had to put food back in the supermarket and she was so embarrassed about it, I transferred the cash, sat in for 2 months and never regretted it!

[ella47]

Got thinking about mine and almost in tears, so many....

A very close friend would pick me up and take me out for coffee regularly and although we usually took turns paying every week, when I was at my skintest she would 'forget' it was my turn to pay and swear blind it was hers and say I could pay next time..... by which time she'd have forgotten again. I offered to have her round to mine for coffee instead but she knew how much I enjoyed that one little treat and never drew attention to the fact I couldn't really afford it.

My parents set up a savings account for me and ds as a Christmas present one year with £300 in. When I was really broke I had no choice but to drain it so I could buy food and pay the rent. I'm certain they knew I'd used the money and I know it was money as a present but my parents are very strict and proper about money and them not mentioning it or trying to 'tell me off' for not managing was very kind on their part.

Another instance was a relative who unfailingly buys me cheap but useless presents at Xmas 'suddenly' deciding that for once she couldn't think of anything to buy me and giving me £100 instead, which was so needed.

[MsOnatopp]

I have a few.

A friend giving me a hundred pound cheque that I was to use to spoil myself with. Not for my DC, not for food or bills, something fun and to spoil myself.

The mother of a bride-to-be gave me all the left over food from the hen do. I burst into tears when I got home and saw how much was in those bags.

Sister bringing round sweets/treats when she comes to watch a movie and saying 'och there's no point me taking that stuff back, keep it here' and leaving BAGS of sweets/chocs/crisps.

My mother who will get 'buy one get one half price' or BOGOFs and bring me the spare one of whatever it is.

Family constantly waving money I owe them.

People in groups I know giving me clothes their kids have outgrow, some barely worn, some new with tags (now I am suspicious...) because their kids never got round to wearing them.

Family pay for all my DC's shoes.

A Mumsnetter who messaged me privately and offered to help me out after I have posted on a 'you know you're skint when' thread a while back. I declined but s/he will never know how grateful I was that s/he had offered!

[Onthebottomwithawomansweekly]

When I was a student I needed a v v expensive skin medication.

My doctor (who was our family doctor and knew me since I was born) knew my dad was out of work and money was tight, he put it on my gran's medical card so that we could afford it.

A couple of years later when things were better, I was working in a nursing home one summer in the US. When it came to my last day, one of the residents, a lovely old lady (103) gave me an envelope with a card and her bingo winnings from the previous week. She said she knew how expensive it was in college and hoped I could get something nice with it (I think it came to about $5). This was over 20 years ago and I still think about her.

[mummytooo1]

im truly skint at the moment lost job etc waiting for benefits to come through :(
but for me i no im truly skint when i have to beg family for help even though i no i have to do it as a last resort they will say no but still need to try
the kindest thing any one has done for me is a lady who used to live in my street knew i have been struggling and she posted my little boy a goodybag full of treats and colouring stuff i thought it was lovely of her to do
cant wait for things to get better cos at the minute its heartbreaking had no gas for a week now and elec all but gone and no food left its hell

[Doowrah]

I had a £6.00 off your £50 shop at Morrison's voucher from a newspaper only I didn't have the money for a £50 shop so I gave it to another lady going into Morrison's and she was delighted.

[soontobeburns]

The only thing I can think off is my wonderful grandparents who will always 'lend' me money when i need it and are now paying for me to have driving lessons.


As for me im unemployed and skint myself (no DC yet though :-( so can manage) but I do try to help...not much at all but I gave my friend a packet of ciggerettes when he had none.

[prinsazz]

I work for my mum in their shop one day a week and I dont really earn any money, but she knows we are having a bit of trouble with money, and ive been trying to make a bit more so she has been offering me more days and making sure there are presents for me to thankyou (normally cash) I love my mum

This thread has made me cry, people are just so nice. I want to make sure that I am one of these nice people too. what a lovely world we live in that people would do these things for others

[ShoopShoop]

I popped onto the Credit Crunch section to get some ideas for saving / cutting back. I was so saddened by the "You know you're skint when....." thread and also cruellest things thread. This thread is amazing though - some people are so kind.

On the "You know you're skint when...." thread, people were talking about really uncomfy bras. Ouch. I don't know if anyone needs any at the moment, or if this is the right place to post, so I hope I don't offend anyone!! I have 3 bras - 2 never worn but with the labels taken off, and 1 worn twice. They are pre-pregnancy and things have headed south since then! I would love them to go to a good home. I realise I have ridiculously large boobs so I'm not even sure if they're any good to anyone!

• Black 32HH
  
• Cream 32HH
  
• Red 34G
  
  If anyone needs them, please get in touch or PM me. I'd love to help if I can
  
  Shoop x

[hermioneweasley]

These stories are lovely so I'm bumping

[BustersOfDoom]

About 20 years ago we went on holiday to Turkey. It was our first holiday abroad with DS who was 5. Although we had budgeted very carefully we managed to run out of money about 2 days before we came home and we couldn't withdraw any from the cashpoint due to some sort of error even though we knew we had money available.

Whilst there we had got friendly with an elderly couple from the UK. They were so friendly and had many interesting tales to tell about their life in the army. Idi Amin had been an usher at their wedding. Not through their choice, it was deemed an appropriate thing to do as the British Army was handing over to the Ugandan army at the time and back then he was a very well respected General.

Anyway, the internal currency in the hotel was beads which you bought in advance to pay for meals, drinks etc. We had run out of beads but when we went to reception the morning afer the lovely elderly couple had checked out we were presented with an evelope full of beads. Enough to pay for food and drink until we checked out. We never had the opportunity to thank them which is such a shame, but we were so very grateful for their kind gift.

[WantAnOrange]

It wasn't me, and it's such a little thing really but one thing that comes to mind is when DH (DP at the time) and I were in KFC when we were about 18. A homeless guy came in and rifled through all the rubbish left on the tables looking for leftover food. The other costumers either ignored him or looked disgusted. The man didn't find any food so he went back outside and sat down. DH saved his chips and gave them to him on the way out, with some money to get a coffee to go with it. This man's face lit up like christmas, it was sad and heart warming all at once.

[onemoreforgoodmeasure]

I'm in debt and my OH just replaced my laptop. My DB nearly died Wednesday and I'm booking my DM a ticket so she can visit with him. It all goes round.

[waitingtobeamummy]

I posted this on another one a while ago.
We heard through friends an aquatence's baby was ok hospital desperately ill. No family members would help them get there to visit and they lived pretty much hand to mouth.
We put .£50 in a card saying to help get to your little boy and posted it through theit door.
The warm feeling it gave us was amazing, if only we had enough money to to it regularly for people. X

[BikeRunSki]

DH was put on short hours when DD was 4 weeks old, and I was still recovering from a emcs. A lady I didn't know very well came round one day when DH was at work and brought me lunch - she'd been in touch with a v good friend of mine to see what I'd like. Stayed, had a chat and a cuddle with new baby, cleaned the kitchen and left nothing but choc brownies. A week later she drove me, DS (3) and DD out to soft play with her DS (same age as mine). She did something for me every Thursday until I was back on my feet - which also coincided with DH getting a new job. She's now expecting her second DC and will have a CS. I can't wait to repay the favour!

[regnamechange]

BikeRunSki that's lovely

[regnamechange]

I had some very generous mums netters one year on a secret Santa. The gifts went to my children as we couldn't really afford a pressy for Xmas day. That was very nice.
Friends helping out when we've been in extremely tight financial situations. I've been lucky with generous friendly family and friends when I've least expected it.