Have you ever been really skint?

Always had a place to live but when me & the Mrs first got together times were really hard. When our eldest was born in 99 we lived on handouts from both our parents to feed us. We always made sure the baby had what she needed but we went without proper meals for weeks on end. It was the bleakest time of my life. Get up , go to work, walk home, eat whatever we could get together & then bed.
We didn't have any spare cash at all so obviously no beer, the Mrs gave up the cigs & my trips to Maine Rd were none existent with the exception of a couple of games paid for by my dad & some good mate .
Luckily we got through it & those times are well & truly behind us but I often think of what could have happened.
 
I have been through utter poverty as a kid.
Been a few days without food, and seen a couple of christmases come and go without presents.
My step dad used to bypass the electric meter, so we were trained never to let the meter readers into my mums house!
I didn't know bills could come in any other colour than red. I thought our house was called final demand..
The roof leaked and there was no electric lighting for many years. Hot water/heating was via an immersion heater and one gas fire.
So most days was a cold water wash, and the gas fire lit only on the coldest days.
I have to be honest, i actually enjoyed being in bed with every spare coat thrown on top!

But despite the severe lack of money, it never bothered me. As a kid you just accept it.
My mum and real dad were very loving, and i could see they were trying their very best.

It gave me a drive to work hard and never be in the same situation again as an adult.
My kids have never wanted for anything. I do make sure they know they are lucky though.
One of my best achievement in life was turning our old ramshackle family house into the best house on the street.
I have had a few financial dips though. I changed jobs, and this lead to leaning on my credit cards a bit too much, or basically ignoring how much debt i really had.
Even though i was earning a very good wage, i just wasn't dealing with excessive spending/debt.
I never missed payments or ran out of money. I just wasn't looking ahead.

I would advise anybody struggling with money/debt to contact the Money Advice Service. I thought i was pretty good dealing with money.
The advice/help i received was superb. They don't judge you, they just give great sound advice how to make things better.
I took their advice, and i have been completely debt free for a while now.
 
I have been through utter poverty as a kid.
Been a few days without food, and seen a couple of christmases come and go without presents.
My step dad used to bypass the electric meter, so we were trained never to let the meter readers into my mums house!
I didn't know bills could come in any other colour than red. I thought our house was called final demand..
The roof leaked and there was no electric lighting for many years. Hot water/heating was via an immersion heater and one gas fire.
So most days was a cold water wash, and the gas fire lit only on the coldest days.
I have to be honest, i actually enjoyed being in bed with every spare coat thrown on top!

But despite the severe lack of money, it never bothered me. As a kid you just accept it.
My mum and real dad were very loving, and i could see they were trying their very best.

It gave me a drive to work hard and never be in the same situation again as an adult.
My kids have never wanted for anything. I do make sure they know they are lucky though.
One of my best achievement in life was turning our old ramshackle family house into the best house on the street.
I have had a few financial dips though. I changed jobs, and this lead to leaning on my credit cards a bit too much, or basically ignoring how much debt i really had.
Even though i was earning a very good wage, i just wasn't dealing with excessive spending/debt.
I never missed payments or ran out of money. I just wasn't looking ahead.

I would advise anybody struggling with money/debt to contact the Money Advice Service. I thought i was pretty good dealing with money.
The advice/help i received was superb. They don't judge you, they just give great sound advice how to make things better.
I took their advice, and i have been completely debt free for a while now.

Can you lend us £20 then cheers
 
Doubt that would bother him, he’s had enough media exposure leading up to Xmas, Not naming him but should be in jail and shit at pens, ask Niall Quinn :-)))
Did he miss three consecutive penalties for three different clubs against us by any chance ?
 
I have been through utter poverty as a kid.
Been a few days without food, and seen a couple of christmases come and go without presents.
My step dad used to bypass the electric meter, so we were trained never to let the meter readers into my mums house!
I didn't know bills could come in any other colour than red. I thought our house was called final demand..
The roof leaked and there was no electric lighting for many years. Hot water/heating was via an immersion heater and one gas fire.
So most days was a cold water wash, and the gas fire lit only on the coldest days.
I have to be honest, i actually enjoyed being in bed with every spare coat thrown on top!

But despite the severe lack of money, it never bothered me. As a kid you just accept it.
My mum and real dad were very loving, and i could see they were trying their very best.

It gave me a drive to work hard and never be in the same situation again as an adult.
My kids have never wanted for anything. I do make sure they know they are lucky though.
One of my best achievement in life was turning our old ramshackle family house into the best house on the street.
I have had a few financial dips though. I changed jobs, and this lead to leaning on my credit cards a bit too much, or basically ignoring how much debt i really had.
Even though i was earning a very good wage, i just wasn't dealing with excessive spending/debt.
I never missed payments or ran out of money. I just wasn't looking ahead.

I would advise anybody struggling with money/debt to contact the Money Advice Service. I thought i was pretty good dealing with money.
The advice/help i received was superb. They don't judge you, they just give great sound advice how to make things better.
I took their advice, and i have been completely debt free for a while now.
Top post, thanks for sharing mate.

Seems like your impoverished hardship as a kid made you the person you are today, nice one. And the love you had as a kid has helped you show love to your kids and learn them basic values.

My childhood was pretty good in comparison. My parents lost the family business due to some unscrupulous bastard ripping them off. My mum suffered a breakdown and almost died of stress resulting in a collapsed lung. When she got out of Baguley hospital we ended up living on a council estate. Wasn't the worst but far from the best. My dad worked hard and provided for 3 kids but we had to often eat cows heart and cheap cuts of meat. Offal and tripe on our table wasn't uncommon.

Some years we were struggling and I had to wear a rather embarrassing pair of homemade Oxford bags my mother had sewn me. They were hideous and I looked a twat. Christmas and birthdays we got humble presents, the rest of the year it was improvisation. I made a cricket bat from a pallet slat, cricket ball was a tennis ball I'd probably found. As for skateboards, kid next door had a real Bobby dazzler board, mine was piece of 6x1" wood with my sister's roller skate nailed to it.

Never been as skint as some as an adult but times have been very hard. When divorced I think I was very close to losing my mind and my house. Eventually pulled through though, especially when my mate lodged at mine for a year.

Always tried to instill the values of money to my girls. After divorce and being well shafted through a solicitor and CSA I was potless and maxed out on my credit card, 3.6k in the red. But I always made sure I had enough money to make a good tater hash and other cheap nutritional foods. No coca cola in my house. I'd by a large bag of apples oranges and carrots and juice them. I've brought my two up as best I can and we often share wonderful memories of simple things like going the park, swimming baths and seaside.

Good times don't have to cost much in money, love and laughter with my kids made up the lack of cash to fritter on needless crap I couldn't afford: )
 
we often share wonderful memories of simple things like going the park

Good times don't have to cost much in money, love and laughter with my kids made up the lack of cash to fritter on needless crap I couldn't afford: )

Going to the park and running with my kids playing tig and other daft games that made them laugh are among the most treasured memories I have
 

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