How broke have you been?
- Thread starter BayView
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I've posted before about our early years.
Had just purchased the PPOR a couple of years previously on an interest rate of around 7.5-8%. Interest rates went to 17.5%. We had a baby & a young toddler. Hubby got retrenched with no payout. We were surviving on Centrelink payments. If you rent, you get rent assistance. If you have a mortgage (of which the payments were a lot higher than renting) you get no extra payments.
We had 2 cars, neither of them were really road worthy, but we needed transport because we both took on whatever part-time/temporary/casual work we could get. One of them had a large hole over the top of one of the back seats and our daughter would have to wear a raincoat with a hood inside the car when it rained.
We ate rice, baked beans, instant noodles and manufactured meat (the large rolls of home brand devon you get at the supermarket) almost exclusively for almost 2 years.
I remember a lady that lived nearby used to come over to our house and complain about how bad her lot was. She was also on Centrelink. She got a Housing Commision house. She got the free phone (you can't ring out, but people could call you). She got regular "help" from various charities. She also did not have the upkeep of cars (she couldn't afford a car). Anyway, she told me about all her problems (money), and I found out how much she was getting. I did a quick calculation and realised that she had more than double what we were existing on. In her mind we were doing OK, because we were buying a house AND could afford to run cars. It was quite depressing.
The worst day of my life was Christmas day. I don't remember the year, but the youngest of my kids was 2-3 years old at the time. We had just unwrapped all of the presents. There was a heap of them for the kids. Hubby had built furniture for their cubbyhouse out of scrap, and I had spent hours painting them, so they looked really good, but cost next to nothing, as even the paint was left overs. Hubby had built the cubby from scrap the year before. As this was the only presents, we had wrapped them and brought them inside, under the tree for the kids. They were having a ball.
I had splurged and had bought some ham (only a small amount) and pineapple, so we could eat ham, cheese and pineapple on toast for Christmas dinner. Well, my friends arrived on the doorstep. We invited them in and they admired what we had made for the kids. She then told me about what her kids got. They had a hamper from one charity, a heap of clothes from another, toys from a couple of others. Then, they had also bought stuff (all the latest expensive crap)for their kids too. They had a huge amount of Christmas food that they had been given, as well as what she had bought.
After they left, I just sat down and balled my eyes out. Not only was this woman and her family getting more payments than us, despite us trying to find work (of which they had no intention of working), but she had also recieved a huge amount of stuff from Charities too.
Well, I look at where we are now, and I remember the stuggle. I still get teary when I have to think back to where we wer back then. I know that I can survive anything. I also know that this woman is still living in her Housing Commission home, still surviving on Centrelink. We lost touch years ago, and I must say that I am happy for that.
Had just purchased the PPOR a couple of years previously on an interest rate of around 7.5-8%. Interest rates went to 17.5%. We had a baby & a young toddler. Hubby got retrenched with no payout. We were surviving on Centrelink payments. If you rent, you get rent assistance. If you have a mortgage (of which the payments were a lot higher than renting) you get no extra payments.
We had 2 cars, neither of them were really road worthy, but we needed transport because we both took on whatever part-time/temporary/casual work we could get. One of them had a large hole over the top of one of the back seats and our daughter would have to wear a raincoat with a hood inside the car when it rained.
We ate rice, baked beans, instant noodles and manufactured meat (the large rolls of home brand devon you get at the supermarket) almost exclusively for almost 2 years.
I remember a lady that lived nearby used to come over to our house and complain about how bad her lot was. She was also on Centrelink. She got a Housing Commision house. She got the free phone (you can't ring out, but people could call you). She got regular "help" from various charities. She also did not have the upkeep of cars (she couldn't afford a car). Anyway, she told me about all her problems (money), and I found out how much she was getting. I did a quick calculation and realised that she had more than double what we were existing on. In her mind we were doing OK, because we were buying a house AND could afford to run cars. It was quite depressing.
The worst day of my life was Christmas day. I don't remember the year, but the youngest of my kids was 2-3 years old at the time. We had just unwrapped all of the presents. There was a heap of them for the kids. Hubby had built furniture for their cubbyhouse out of scrap, and I had spent hours painting them, so they looked really good, but cost next to nothing, as even the paint was left overs. Hubby had built the cubby from scrap the year before. As this was the only presents, we had wrapped them and brought them inside, under the tree for the kids. They were having a ball.
I had splurged and had bought some ham (only a small amount) and pineapple, so we could eat ham, cheese and pineapple on toast for Christmas dinner. Well, my friends arrived on the doorstep. We invited them in and they admired what we had made for the kids. She then told me about what her kids got. They had a hamper from one charity, a heap of clothes from another, toys from a couple of others. Then, they had also bought stuff (all the latest expensive crap)for their kids too. They had a huge amount of Christmas food that they had been given, as well as what she had bought.
After they left, I just sat down and balled my eyes out. Not only was this woman and her family getting more payments than us, despite us trying to find work (of which they had no intention of working), but she had also recieved a huge amount of stuff from Charities too.
Well, I look at where we are now, and I remember the stuggle. I still get teary when I have to think back to where we wer back then. I know that I can survive anything. I also know that this woman is still living in her Housing Commission home, still surviving on Centrelink. We lost touch years ago, and I must say that I am happy for that.
Skater:
Oooooooh ho hum ...works for me, Nathan is a Ben Affleck-Ryan Gosling cross lookalike...nice one...
Oooooooh ho hum ...works for me, Nathan is a Ben Affleck-Ryan Gosling cross lookalike...nice one...
Skater:
Oooooooh ho hum ...works for me, Nathan is a Ben Affleck-Ryan Gosling cross lookalike...nice one...
But he's young enough to be my son.
LoL @ Skater, I was reffering to when I was still a fetus, I had nothing...
Thanks OO
I know, I'm just stirring you up.
I was just on 18 working at a casual summer job - warehouse labourer through an agency. One particular day it was lunch time and I knew I only had enough funds in the bank that could only be drawn out through EFTPOS i.e less than $20. I went to buy lunch and the only lunch shop in the area would only allow a minimum of $10 on eftpos - turns out i had less than this in the account and couldn't buy anything. A workmate I hardly knew simpathetically offered half his sandwich to me.
Worst day ever!!! So embarresing
I guess experiances like this build character
Worst day ever!!! So embarresing
I guess experiances like this build character
I was just on 18 working at a casual summer job - warehouse labourer through an agency. One particular day it was lunch time and I knew I only had enough funds in the bank that could only be drawn out through EFTPOS i.e less than $20. I went to buy lunch and the only lunch shop in the area would only allow a minimum of $10 on eftpos - turns out i had less than this in the account and couldn't buy anything. A workmate I hardly knew simpathetically offered half his sandwich to me.
Worst day ever!!! So embarresing
I guess experiances like this build character
Welcome to property investing
many times have been like that however always pull through as you say is character building.Wow this thread really brought back memories! I am like you skater. We had our first PPOR in 88. Then I got pregnant and had 165/110 BP so out of work for me!. Hubby's wage was 260 take home and mortgage rates hit 17.5% so were costing us about 180 per week. After bills, petrol etc some weeks we only had $20 for food.
The next worst time was about 12 years ago, I got really sick and hubby had to quit work to look after me. His work said for him to come back when I was better, but when he did they didn't have anything for him so we had to go on the dole. God it was so sole destroying. we also had a mortgage so no rent assistance for us. We used to go to the local markets to sell stuff just to get by.
Interesting though was because he was having trouble getting another job we decided that he should go back to study to get some new skills. Centrelink didn't know how to process os from the dole to austudy- no one had ever asked for it at that office before Doesn't that just tell you????
I vowed we would never have to beg for help again! We retired from working for a living on December 31 2008.
Kids , by the way, thought going to the markets was the best bit of their childhood-go figure!
The next worst time was about 12 years ago, I got really sick and hubby had to quit work to look after me. His work said for him to come back when I was better, but when he did they didn't have anything for him so we had to go on the dole. God it was so sole destroying. we also had a mortgage so no rent assistance for us. We used to go to the local markets to sell stuff just to get by.
Interesting though was because he was having trouble getting another job we decided that he should go back to study to get some new skills. Centrelink didn't know how to process os from the dole to austudy- no one had ever asked for it at that office before
Doesn't that just tell you????I vowed we would never have to beg for help again! We retired from working for a living on December 31 2008.
Kids , by the way, thought going to the markets was the best bit of their childhood-go figure!
Beer Money
I started from nothing back in the late 70's and have had many a night on noodles and baked beans etc. As interest rates for loans of around $1mil hit 18%.
But today was Sooo embarassing.
I went to Dan Murphys to buy 2 beers.
opened my wallet to note that my wife had borrowed the $50 that was in there
Emptied my pockets and found I was short 15 cents. So i suggested i put it on Mastercard.
The young girl serving said it is OK. I have 20 cents you can have that someone dropped on the floor.
I said Thanks So Much. Now I feel like a poor alcoholic.
Gee Cee
Drunken BUM
I started from nothing back in the late 70's and have had many a night on noodles and baked beans etc. As interest rates for loans of around $1mil hit 18%.
But today was Sooo embarassing.
I went to Dan Murphys to buy 2 beers.
opened my wallet to note that my wife had borrowed the $50 that was in there
Emptied my pockets and found I was short 15 cents. So i suggested i put it on Mastercard.
The young girl serving said it is OK. I have 20 cents you can have that someone dropped on the floor.
I said Thanks So Much. Now I feel like a poor alcoholic.
Gee Cee
Drunken BUM
Therewas a time, where i had nothing, i had no money, no clothes, no undies, no phone, no food, I was living in a confined space which wasnt very comfortable.......
.......Then my mother gave birth to me and i started my journey of accumulation (both knowledge and materialistic)
I sure HOPE there wasn't a phone in there.
I struggle to remember a time when I was broke.
Only time I remember is in primary school with 20cents for lunch when a sausage roll was 15c and a pie 25c. I was broke and could'nt afford a pie
I always worked when I could, and did'nt have many expenses.
I always had a few bob in my pocket as expenses rarely exceeded income.
I was always different to those around me lol , it was'nt normal.
Everybody would whinge about bills car payments etc, and I'd just agree.
By the time I was 19, i knew the secret of wealth
Only time I remember is in primary school with 20cents for lunch when a sausage roll was 15c and a pie 25c. I was broke and could'nt afford a pie
I always worked when I could, and did'nt have many expenses.
I always had a few bob in my pocket as expenses rarely exceeded income.
I was always different to those around me lol , it was'nt normal.
Everybody would whinge about bills car payments etc, and I'd just agree.
By the time I was 19, i knew the secret of wealth
Drunken BUM
LOL, takes me back to my nights drinking Jump-about.
So poor for a while when I had no job and mounting debt that I used a sock full of 1c and 2c pieces to buy the nightly dinner of 2 minute noodles and a bottle of Jump-about (trevi spumante) to act as a sleeping pill sharing my humble flat with the cockroaches during cold winter nights.
I've moved on since then
Dave
I struggle to remember a time when I was broke.
Only time I remember is in primary school with 20cents for lunch when a sausage roll was 15c and a pie 25c. I was broke and could'nt afford a pie
Nah; you weren't broke; you were loaded and just didn't realise it!
You could afford the sausage roll, and about 20 anniseed "blocks" @ 4 blocks per cent.
Or, a packet of those "cigs" @ 5c - remember them?
Or, a packet of "fizzwizz". Some one stop me....
Of course, you did the right thing and spent 15c and saved the other 5c towards your first house - didn't you?
Or, a packet of those "cigs" @ 5c - remember them?
Or, a packet of "fizzwizz". Some one stop me....
Of course, you did the right thing and spent 15c and saved the other 5c towards your first house - didn't you?
lol I remember them, lollies in the shape of cigarettes
And a Sunnyboy for 10c
Actually I always took a sandwich or too as well.
But broke is a feeling, or a state of mind imo. When others would buy a pie
and I could'nt, and I felt broke for while.
But being without money dont mean broke imo, that's just a temporary situation.
You could afford the sausage roll, and about 20 anniseed "blocks" @ 4 blocks per cent.
LOL! They were my favorite at school. I remember my Dad used to give me 5cents each day to spend at the shop. I would mostly buy the aniseed squares. One morning he gave me a 1 cent & 2 x 2 cent pieces. Well, what he thought was 1 cent, was actually a very dirty 5 cent piece. Sheesh! I felt really rich that day. Blew the whole lot on aniseed squares. YUM!!!
You can get a block of about 8 squares joined together now for around $3.00, and they are as rare as hens teeth. Everytime I see them I have to get some.
I started from nothing back in the late 70's and have had many a night on noodles and baked beans etc. As interest rates for loans of around $1mil hit 18%.
But today was Sooo embarassing.
I went to Dan Murphys to buy 2 beers.
opened my wallet to note that my wife had borrowed the $50 that was in there
Emptied my pockets and found I was short 15 cents. So i suggested i put it on Mastercard.
The young girl serving said it is OK. I have 20 cents you can have that someone dropped on the floor.
I said Thanks So Much. Now I feel like a poor alcoholic.
Gee Cee
Drunken BUM
He he that reminds me of me, I find it much easier and more convenient to use my hubbys ATM than go to a real one! LOL
But he's young enough to be my son.
....................and you have a problem with that? LOL
