I was so broke one time I.........

After going to the emergency room a few years back, they wanted the total cost within 3 months, which neither of our paychecks would cover, so my friend hired me to clean her house...it was nice for awhile and I think I ended up doing that for atleast a whole year every other week. It was still hard working full-time and going to school full-time and doing that, but I managed. Things still pop up here and there that I don't need (which so does everyone), so I also have a steady pet sitting job with 3-4 different clients throughout the year. It's really nice since one of the lady's is going out of the country for 2 weeks and since I have to take a week leave of absence from work I won't get paid for, the pet sitting job will make up for that! Cha Ching! Once I have my teaching job, things will definitely be better...if I can just get those darn credit card bills paid off!!

P.S. I basically had to take extra out of my school loans for a laptop and many expenses that had to do with school (books, etc.) there was no other way. Sad, but true!

Originally Posted by caprice

...if I can't just get those darn credit card bills paid off!!

Click to expand...

Shhhhhhh... I'm trying not to think about those....

I know that if I get a credit card, I would never be able to pay it off. My hubby is the frugal one and he watches over all of our spendings. Otherwise I would just spend my utility money on an eye cream and get even deeper in my hole.

Hubby never buys anything for himself. I guess that's why I am willing to let him take total control. Even with him taking total control I am still the one blowing money on beauty products. It is my weakness.

The husband and I have been broke so broke that we ate popcorn for three days. It was the only thing we had in the house at the time.

As for credit cards, we are 6 months from being credit card debit free!! Then we have to start working on his student loans (I don't have any).

We were so broke once that we had to borrow toilet paper from a neighbor. We were making OK money and lived great for the first week after payday. The second week was always kind of tough.

You learn quickly that you can write a check to Domino's on Wednesday and it won't be cashed until Friday!

Alos, when my daughter was born, my husband had just graduated from college and was only making $20K a year. I stayed at home. His mom and my mom, we found out later, had arranged a diaper schedule for us. They would come by with diapers and wipes once a week. That was a blessing!

Originally Posted by AnnasMom

Alos, when my daughter was born, my husband had just graduated from college and was only making $20K a year. I stayed at home. His mom and my mom, we found out later, had arranged a diaper schedule for us. They would come by with diapers and wipes once a week. That was a blessing!

Click to expand...

Best Grandma's Ever!

I too have went shopping at my mom's house more on more then one occasion.
I remember when my oldest was about 7 months old my ex and I were so broke that the power was shut off for 3 days. I had water, and a phone but no food or electricity. Thank god I was on WIC for formula for Justice but other then that I was literally living off of crackers that were given to me by a local church's food pantry. My sister called me on the third day and asked how Justice was and found out I had no power and paid the electric bill with her credit card for me... First, last and only time she's ever done anything for anyone.

Ok, this is bad...I can think of one now...I was so broke, I had to use my mom's feminine products

I love this thread. My husband and I often talk about the days when we were always broke.

I remember occasions of having to cash in pop cans in order to buy milk or bread to last until we got paid next. We also used to cash in our pennies/change to buy gas (that would never work today!) $5.00 would give us 1/2 a tank.

If we were really broke and didn't have any food, I would call my mother-in-law "just to visit" and any phone call with her would automatically include an invitation over for dinner that night I can't count the number of meals we ate at her house when we were first married.

LOL Sounds familiar! My in-laws may hate me, but at least they fed us when we needed the extra help.

I remember searching my car and couch cushions for change to buy gas.

Originally Posted by caprice

Ok, this is bad...I can think of one now...I was so broke, I had to use my mom's feminine products

Click to expand...

I was so broke once....that when I saw HEB had clearance for older people pads, I brought a 80-pack for 50 cents. I figured if it absorbs, then it absorbs.

Two years ago we were so bad off the gas got turned off. Well it was turned off in the middle of winter and we spent the week before during and after Christmas with no heat or hot water. It figures it was the only time it would snow in Louisiana! But me and my 3 girls managed!

My gas has been off for a year now. So is my internet and cable. I now only use internet at work.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, we were homeless. (I found out I was pregnant the day I intended to file for divorce, so for some idiotic reason I thought I should try to make it work.) We ate at soup kitchens, and slept on whatever couch we could find, or at the Salvation Army shelter. We went to another town a few hours away where a friend said her boyfriend could use "some help" in his business. Turns out his business was robbing people of their welfare and Social Security checks. I picked up cans by the road, 7 months pregnant, to buy a bus ticket home. I had to do it twice because my husband found out, beat the crap out of me, and stole my money for beer and weed. I ended up getting on the bus with only the clothes on my back and about 2 dollars. Thankfully my parents took me in and I lived with them for awhile.

Normally if we get to where we absoluely have no $$$ for groceries, I will ask my mom or normally my brother for a "loan" or we go to pay day loans I absolutely HATE being broke!!! That sooo badly sucks.

Originally Posted by shengmei

I was so broke once....that when I saw HEB had clearance for older people pads, I brought a 80-pack for 50 cents. I figured if it absorbs, then it absorbs.

Click to expand...

Yeap!

I remember making feminine napkins out of toilet paper

Omg, this thread is my life story. I've never been not broke in my entire life!

Growing up as kids it was super tough. My mom and dad tried to give us the most normal childhood they could and they often were far worse off than me or my 3 sisters.

My dad wouldn't eat when he was on the road for 4 or 5 days at a time and was always sickly and my mom wore her cloths till they were holy enough to go to church Us kids never had much clothes. I had 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts to last me an entire school year and same as my sisters.

More than once, we only had 50 dollars for 2 weeks worth of groceries for 6 people. We lived off of pancakes (thankfully I loved them and thought they were a treat lol), hot dogs, porage (sp??), and macaroni once a day. We never had breakfast or lunch.

I don't know, but my most fond memories comes from those times. As a family, we had to be creative and find ways to entertain ourselves and spent a heck of a lot more time together.

Today it isn't that bad, but we've had to eat a lot of stuff I don't like cuz thats all we had and we still have to borrow money from my parents and the in-laws to help pay all our bills. Once I am done university, it will get a lot better and I believe a struggle makes a person stronger.

I still give plasma, but used to do so twice a week because I was so broke. Until my mom said I was getting too pale and needed to stop!

Originally Posted by menagerie mama

I still give plasma, but used to do so twice a week because I was so broke. Until my mom said I was getting too pale and needed to stop!

Click to expand...

Ahhh! The plasma days. I couldn't give it, my veins were too small, but my husband was a pro. How can you turn down $240 a month?

Giving blood? I never thought of that............hummmmmmmm