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The feeling of being broke!!

13

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  • Registered Users Posts: 508 ✭✭✭The DayDream


    Ive had many humbling experiences being broke. One that comes to mind is when I worked at an animal shelter and had no laundry facilities at my home. You get really dirty in that job and the pay was barely covering my rent, so in order to have money for food I would show up early and wash my clothes in the washing machine at work - the ones we used to wash the dog blankets that were covered in urine and feces and fur. By not taking the clothes to a laundromat Id have money for groceries.

    I rationalized this by saying my clothes had all that stuff on them already from working there, just in smaller amounts. And the drums were rinsed well by the wash cycle, probably stuff just as nasty is washed at public laundromats.

    But the real embarrassing part came when I forgot about the clothes due to being busy helping with an adoption and came into the kennel where the washing machine was afterwards to find one of my female coworkers folding my underwear, with a confused look on her face saying, 'Who put boxer shorts in here?'

    I was the only male working there and she spent the lunch break that day describing my jocks to the other ladies for their amusement.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,993 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    I don't like averages, because the people earning far much more than the regular Joe conflate them. I'd rather see how many people are on each.

    "According to the CSO, in terms of income, the median of annual earnings in 2018 was €36,095. The public sector had total median annual earnings of €47,116 while the private sector median was €31,684. This data includes both full-time and part-time workers (the Taoiseach’s claim related to full-time workers only)." Link

    2018 median annual earnings = 36,095, as you say.

    https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-eaads/earningsanalysisusingadministrativedatasources2018/annualearnings/


  • Registered Users Posts: 508 ✭✭✭The DayDream


    How this country has changed... imagine people from the 1930s-50s reading this pampered, whiny sh1te... Still it does show that poverty/brokeness is indeed relative.

    Pretty sure people from the 1930s or 50s would shíte themselves at the cost of things too! Especially housing/rent.

    If we were still as badly off now as back then with all the incredible advancements in technology, transport, healthcare and infrastructure it wouldn't make sense. I mean cavemen would probably think people from the 1930s are pampered.

    We produce so much 'stuff' that it's a lot more rare to lack for clothing and even things like phones/TVs etc are not incredibly expensive. But that doesn't mean people are comfortable. Most of us can't afford to miss a single paycheck, which covid made abundantly clear.


  • Posts: 17,381 [Deleted User]


    Ive had many humbling experiences being broke. One that comes to mind is when I worked at an animal shelter and had no laundry facilities at my home. You get really dirty in that job and the pay was barely covering my rent, so in order to have money for food I would show up early and wash my clothes in the washing machine at work - the ones we used to wash the dog blankets that were covered in urine and feces and fur. By not taking the clothes to a laundromat Id have money for groceries.

    I rationalized this by saying my clothes had all that stuff on them already from working there, just in smaller amounts. And the drums were rinsed well by the wash cycle, probably stuff just as nasty is washed at public laundromats.

    But the real embarrassing part came when I forgot about the clothes due to being busy helping with an adoption and came into the kennel where the washing machine was afterwards to find one of my female coworkers folding my underwear, with a confused look on her face saying, 'Who put boxer shorts in here?'

    I was the only male working there and she spent the lunch break that day describing my jocks to the other ladies for their amusement.

    Did you ever consider just handwashing your clothes? Especially the boxers if the alternative is a vet's machine.

    Most of the world lacks access to a washing machine like.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,453 ✭✭✭Evd-Burner


    I remember in college when I had absolutely nothing in my final year (2011/2012), well the second round of my final year. In the October of the first round of my final year I became a dad (split from the ex) and come November I had to defer as there was simply too much stress to deal with. I worked full time up until the following September and paid maintenance etc, saving as much as possible living in my parents.

    Come the September of 2011 for the second go of my final year between savings, selling my car and the grant (only year I got the grant) I had just enough to rent a room and pay maintenance/bills etc. Towards the end of the college year I had nothing, maybe 15 euro a week to survive on. I made it work though, so much cheap aldi/lidl beans on toast etc. It's funny because although it was such a hard time I still enjoyed it. Roll on 10 years and things couldn't be more different, I have a good job, a house (with a mortgage), 3 kids and an amazing fiance. Times can be tough but once you work hard and make as best decisions available in the circumstances things tend to work out.

    The best memories of the time that I have are of my Grandad (RIP) who used to call me every month or so to remotely login to his computer to show him how to use his banking online, he would always send me 50 euro to "look after myself", to this day I can't explain how much that meant!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 24,695 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    Always believed in using money to enable my wellbeing and happiness. So, I’m a spender.


    im sensible now where till my early 20’s I wasn’t...

    Never liked people who were or are tight / mean with cash... they are generally tight and mean with other aspects of themselves, I can think of two people whom would be looking for a favor in a heartbeat but slow as **** to do you a good turn and certainly wouldn’t be sticking a few cents in a vending machine for an aero for you...



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,855 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    Well there is no point in asking the spendthrift for that aero either. They'll have pissed up their money against a wall already



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,855 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump



    Learn to live on the 350 a week.

    If you ever go back to your "nearly six figure" salary, then pretend you are still only on 350 a week for at least a few months. If you do increase it over time, only do so gradually and in small steps.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,115 ✭✭✭job seeker


    I have about 10k in saving. In college, however, It was worse. I had to budget like crazy and miss some nights out with friends to be able to afford rent that month. I got by though! My biggest issue is where should I keep my savings? I am worried the bank will take it or a portion of it through charges..



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,077 ✭✭✭Rubberchikken


    I've never been 'broke' but I have been at a stage where pay day was in sight and very welcome.


    Mind having said that I am a saver so always have something to fall back on. It's a habit at this stage ki couldn't break even if I tried.


    It is crap to be without money but everyone should learn to budget/save a bit. No excuse not to.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,113 ✭✭✭Quantum Erasure


    >The feeling of being broke


    >Boards.ie



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,228 ✭✭✭The Mighty Quinn


    Hi P-M.

    I don't mean to pick on you here, but just want to question the attitude that your happiness is more important than paying your debts. I know nobody like paying loans and seeing the interest on loans is a real kick in the stones at times, but, it wasn't the big bad banks holding you at gunpoint. You decided to take out this money at terms outlined at the start. I understand people find their circumstances change etc, but to just decide you don't want to pay anymore, well, it f*/ks it up for the rest of us who DO try to make the payments. Interest rates are higher in Ireland than mainland Europe to cater for cases like yours.

    You display the same attitude towards the credit union, "they shouldn't have given you half what they did" neatly absolves you of your part in it doesn't it?

    I've read your other threads where you live your life believing everybody is an arsehole until proven otherwise, and you'll probably apply that to me now, but instead of directing your frustration and anger at financial institutions etc, why not take some time to examine your own behaviour and accept some responsibility for your own actions.

    Not really great behaviour is it, upping your drug intake and absconding from your commitments? Now you'll tell me I'm jealous of your lifestyle and the freedom you have, per other threads, but c'mon man.



  • Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭what?


    finally learned or found a method that works for me

    Earn decent salary, but have a hape of loans for refurbishing the cheap house I got in 2015

    I use revolut and pay myself walking around money, this covers groceries, fuel for the car, day to day and discretionary

    The remainder I leave in my KBC , this covers child support, bills, mortgage, insurance, loans, savings ...all the grown up stuff

    Seeing the decreasing balance in the revolut is good for self control, seeing the remainder in the KBC get added on to the balnce each payday is satisfying.

    Been at it a few months now, almost to where I have a months worth of expenses to spare in the current account. It is very liberating



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    They were bleak days and hard for me to even imagine happening again. I've saved nearly €20k since the start of lockdown and have no debts, never going back to worrying about money again. In many ways I'm grateful for lockdown, it made me re-evaluate many things, learned how to save, what's really important, got a new job, 50% salary bump, found out who's really a friend and who's not.



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,761 ✭✭✭Pinch Flat


    I moved to London in my ealry 20s having come off the dole in Ireland. Managed to get a house share and used all my spare cash for deposit but had no money for bedding or food - spent the first month until I got paid on a bare matrass with a coat over me. Food also an issue- had to get cheap eats in the bargain aisle in Asda to survive. Can remember checking the back of the sofa for spare change for the tube to work. I also spent a stint on the dole in 2009 - having €2 in my pocket on Saturday with dole day the following week was humbling.



  • Registered Users Posts: 27 Mysteriouschic1


    Used to be terrible with money still am at times being a impulse buyer , shopping online or if I pay for everything by card. I realised I was starting to spend a lot more again. For me what works is if I budget and take out cash and pay only in cash for most things then I'll constantly be adding up what I buy making sure I don't go over the cash I have on me and leave card at home when I can. Tapping all the time card is a dangerous game for me .



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,765 ✭✭✭✭Potential-Monke


    Ah I get where you're coming from, but I still firmly believe happiness is more important than paying back a loan as quickly as possible. When I was last making the agreed payments, it was €145 a week and I was on nearly 25k a year more. I'm not looking to not pay at all, I will pay it back, but most of the repayments are interest so they're still making money from me. Just that I've realised what I need to stop myself falling back into a pit of anxiety/depression. I mentioned that they shouldn't have given it to me, and they shouldn't. I know of at least 1 €20k loan that the CU fiddled the books for me to get. I should have been told no, and then maybe I wouldn't be where I am. At the end of the day, I'm just a person, they were the financial institution which only had their own interests in mind, and I'm pretty sure at least half the loans should never have been given. Of course a lad of 25 is gonna take the money that was literally been thrown at me. I needed a loan of 1.5k for a decent laptop, they convinced me to take 3k. I built up close to 40k in loans over 7 years, and not once did they say no.

    Yes, I still took it, but my point is I shouldn't have been given the opportunity, as a financial institution they should be wary of that and no give loans when they shouldn't be giving them. And again, I'm not looking to not pay it back, I will pay it, but at my rate, which takes into account my mental state, which financial institutions couldn't care less about. I'm fairly certain they can't pursue me further either, because then they'll have to stand behind all the loans they gave me, which they (legally) can't imo (could be wrong, but i'm highly confident that they wouldn't be able to).

    Re: Increasing my weed intake instead, yeah, most people will look at that and think it's idiotic. But my weed intake and gaming accounts for 95% of what I do. I don't spend money on holidays, I don't spend it on watching/playing/following sport or any other activity, I don't drink anymore and have zero interest in going to a pub ever again. Take how much people spend on all these different activities and you'll probably find I'm spending less than them. Plus, it benefits my mental health.

    Maybe I'll change, maybe some day I'll start paying more just because. Doubt it though. I've just realised what I need to at least have some happiness in my life, and I'll fight tooth and nail for it now. And I don't expect anyone to agree with me, in fact I suspect most people have me written off as a waster, but the good thing about me putting my mental health first before anything else, is that I just don't care what people think anymore!



  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Oppee


    I used to be disastrous with money then the first lockdown hit, I was out of work and truly knew what it was like to say "I've rent, bills and food to pay". Before that my main priority was figuring out what to buy for a night out that ended up being ****€ anyways then it was making sure I had enough for rent and bills. Lockdown hit then money was really short and with nowhere to go I was able to put some money to the side which eventually paid off a loan which didn't have too much left and the release from that was amazing. Scrimping and saving what I could knowing that if I paid off my loan meant that when I turned to work (thankfully the same place) my wages was mine and I continued to live a budget lifestyle if you will and on the road to saving for a deposit for a house. Second lockdown hit, no loan, little bit extra to save, returned to the same job and 1 year later I still have the same budget habits from the first lockdown. Even more so that I put a few bob away each month and call it a Me Spend and spend guilt free. I think to truly know what budget is is to know what it's like to live on a short income to understand the difference between necessity and wants. I'd love to to have the mindset of "life is too short" The pandemic has shown me that watching your money, lack thereof can be stretched if you use it wisely and knowing that being a anti social bird can have its perks... Sometimes



  • Registered Users Posts: 134 ✭✭Liam32123


    We're all been there at least once. It's totally ok, trust me. Instead: use this bad feeling for generate positive decisions for the future!



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,228 ✭✭✭The Mighty Quinn


    By the time all the sundries are paid for - mortgage (850ish), car insurance direct debit (70), car tax every 3 months (224, wrong age car, sickens me because i can't afford 6 or 12 months at a time) , car fuel (75), loans (550ish), health insurance for family (240ish) utilities and phone (100), and shopping is taken care of for 2 adults and 2 babies, it doesn't leave much.

    Absolutely not broke, I've a roof, a warm (small!) home, food, meet my debt repayments (at least this gets less each month, gotta try clear what I've got and then not take any new loans where can be helped) and I know I'm fortunate to be able to do this at least but I've precious little savings and no "fun" money, no meals out or nights away, hopefully this changes as loans are paid down.

    We owe some 13K between 3 loans at present, hardly end of world stuff, but I haaaate it.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭popa smurf


    12 of us were draged up in 3 bed roomed council cottage in the 70s and 80s, ould lad was fond of a drop and on the dole and I was out of there at 15 and practicaly on my own, made me a bit of a miser to be honest. Done every kind of a job a few euro there was nothing off limits even working down the sewers in London, Wife's family would let on to be kind of well to do but are constantly broke even herself when she got married I had to pay off her 3 grand credit card. They still like to keep up this foolish appearance of letting on they are loaded. So OP chin up work hard and put a fee euro a side for a rainy day.



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭Slick666


    Hi all, thanks for all your advice and hearing all your stories. I’m back to work now so I’ll try put your advice into practice. I’ve to pay my parents back as without them the past while, I’ll probably be in my car or at a friends or relatives couch ha. I was a disaster with money but I think this being broke thing has helped me realize it’s a horrible feeling and I don’t want to go there again. Oh and I’m also female, not sure why some people assumed I was male! Anyways thanks guys.



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    OP make sure you buy a lotto ticket for the weekend and who knows... no more feeling broke😎



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭Slick666


    I will buy one lol but I usually do buy them. Maybe I’m on a lucky streak so I’ll buy one with an extra line just for good measure. If I win big on the euro millions I’ll see Fryup out on here and give you a share ha.



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭Slick666


    Funny you say this because in my head I already have my first wage spent! I’m unreal! But ya what I must do is work out all my monthly expenses ( which at last will be up €450 as my car is paid for ) and then what’s left over, put some in a savings account that I can’t access. I did this before but the savings account was on my internet banking so I was popping in there all the time. I will also leave some in my account for emergencies and the ‘odd’ treat or present for family as I do like giving them stuff.

    It’s funny because my sister is totally the opposite of me. She’s so good at budgeting, spending only what’s necessary, not wasting food as she freezes leftovers, if she wants something she will save for it and not just spontaneously buy it or get a loan. We are like chalk and cheese. But my Dads Mam ( my Nanny ) was so thrifty with money and my Mams Mam ( My Granny ) loved to spend. She’d go to Dublin maybe once or twice a year and she loved her expensive good quality coats, bags and cardigans etc. So you can see who my sister and I take after lol.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,926 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988




  • Registered Users Posts: 3,926 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988


    Best of luck. Someone above mentioned the paying yourself a set amount on Revolut for day to day spending. i do that and tbh it has really helped with budgeting etc.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,714 ✭✭✭Greyfox


    No, I've always either had money or been in debt. Been in debt doesn't scare me which is a very bad thing



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭Slick666


    You must have a safety net though if being in debt doesn’t scare you? That’s a bit like me as I know if push came to shove, my parents would bail me out. But if I didn’t have them and there was the real possibility of being homeless, then I would prob ensure my bills were paid and I had to go without that new phone or takeaway etc. My Mam actually said that once that what would I do if they weren’t there to bail me out, I just said I don’t know and that it would never happen lol. Now I’m not talking about taking thousands from my folks and I am paying them back. They don’t want it of course but I want to.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,714 ✭✭✭Greyfox


    I don't, would be too embarrassed to ask my parents so instead would get a bank loan. Luckily I don't have kids and I'm not a huge spender anyway. Saving money just seems pointless as there's always unpredictable little bills that pop up here and there.



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