Skint, On The Bones Of Your Arse....

[Tuerto]

No, I know you’re not mate, just been bugging me a lot on social media lately with smart arsed comments in reply to Marchs Rashford and his fight for children’s meals. I see people who I grew up with on the Gurnos estate who are doing ok now and forgot where they come from. Sticking up for Tory policies and the type of people who wouldn’t cross the road to piss on them if they were on fire on and that is just the type of crap they come out with. Wanted to get it off my chest

Fair enough, things got better for me in my teens, my parents got work, qualified etc. The biggest achievement in my life is that none of my kids have had to come home to a cold house with **** all in the fridge, if i was going to get one thing right then that was it. I can't understand those people who seem to think that just because they got out of poverty then so should others, i may not have had much but what i did have was loving parents and a support network around me, plenty of kids don't have that.

[insider]

Fair enough, things got better for me in my teens, my parents got work, qualified etc. The biggest achievement in my life is that none of my kids have had to come home to a cold house with **** all in the fridge, if i was going to get one thing right then that was it. I can't understand those people who seem to think that just because they got out of poverty then so should others, i may not have had much but what i did have was loving parents and a support network around me, plenty of kids don't have that.

[J R Hartley]

Fair enough, things got better for me in my teens, my parents got work, qualified etc. The biggest achievement in my life is that none of my kids have had to come home to a cold house with **** all in the fridge, if i was going to get one thing right then that was it. I can't understand those people who seem to think that just because they got out of poverty then so should others, i may not have had much but what i did have was loving parents and a support network around me, plenty of kids don't have that.

I never wanted for anything as a kid, from my parents or my grand parents, never known poverty. My old man was out of work for a few years when I was 9/10 but we never went hungry or cold. My mother would cook 4 meals at 4 different times for the 4 of us.

We moved out of the Gurnos but I still went to school there and grew up there because that’s where my mates lived.

I went to school with people who had absolutely **** all. It’s only now as an adult with more of a social conscience that I look back on some kids and realise how bad some had it.

I remember some kids in my class were only 5 or 6 and walking half a mile to school on their own. No breakfast inside them. Dinner ticket for free meal was probably the only meal they had all day. What chance have people like that got?

[Tuerto]

I never wanted for anything as a kid, from my parents or my grand parents, never known poverty. My old man was out of work for a few years when I was 9/10 but we never went hungry or cold. My mother would cook 4 means at 4 different times for the 4 of us.

We moved out of the Gurnos but I still went to school there and grew up there because that’s where my mates lived.

I did however go to school with people who had absolutely **** all. It’s only now as an adult with more of a social conscience that I look back on some kids and realise how bad some had it.

I remember some kids in my class were only 5 or 6 and walking half a mile to school on their own. No breakfast inside them. Dinner ticket for free meal was probably the only meal they had all day. What chance have people like that got?

Yup, i was speaking to someone who taught on the gurnos and she said that social services would come to the school she was teaching in and take the kids into care such was the condition some of them were living in, although to counter that, she said that the vast majority were loving caring parents who gave their kids everything that they needed. Same where i went to school, some really poor families with all of the social problems that went with it. I never quite understood it as a child, although as you mature and have your own kids you realise how bad it was for some families. I was brought up on estates, Ely, Llanedeyrn, i look back now and it's unbelievable how many of the lads i grew up with are dead now due to addiction, crime, suicide etc. we all have choices, but being poor and not having a strong support network around you must be detrimental towards life chances, health and longevity.

[splott parker]

I’ve still got photos from school, early 60s, one class photo from around about 1962/63 is quite a sobering one, there were some of my classmates more or less dressed in rags. Looking back I imagine they were hand me downs and had been in the family for years, heartbreaking really, I was ok but some poor dabs must have had it hard.

[J R Hartley]

Yup, i was speaking to someone who taught on the gurnos and she said that social services would come to the school she was teaching in and take the kids into care such was the condition some of them were living in, although to counter that, she said that the vast majority were loving caring parents who gave their kids everything that they needed. Same where i went to school, some really poor families with all of the social problems that went with it. I never quite understood it as a child, although as you mature and have your own kids you realise how bad it was for some families. I was brought up on estates, Ely, Llanedeyrn, i look back now and it's unbelievable how many of the lads i grew up with are dead now due to addiction, crime, suicide etc. we all have choices, but being poor and not having a strong support network around you must be detrimental towards life chances, health and longevity.

I was out walking there in the summer and was behind a few kids about 11/12 having fun with an old office chair. Spinning on it, just ****ing about, having a laugh with each other, took me bsck to being a kid.


Then I carried on walking and there was a boy and girl about 15/16 out of their head on spice or heroin and it really struck a chord with me thinking that in a few years time it’s very likely the younger boys I’d seen only a few minutes earlier having fun at least one of them will end up like the boy or girl on spice.

Very sad indeed. Couldn’t stop thinking about the girl in particular who was around same age as my daughter.

[life on mars]

That's awful mate, being truly skint for long periods can be damaging, especially for kids. It can make you stronger though, more resilient to adversity, tougher.

Thanks , wife and kids had to move in with in laws for a while due to no heating and electricty in house it was tough ,looking back I can see I made silly decesions , bit naive, married too young .

[Tuerto]

Thanks , wife and kids had to move in with in laws for a while due to no heating and electricty in house it was tough ,looking back I can see I made silly decesions , bit naive, married too young .

All in the past mate, we all make silly decisions, as long as we learn from them and keep plugging forward then it's fine. Hope it all worked out for you.

[J R Hartley]

All in the past mate, we all make silly decisions, as long as we learn from them and keep plugging forward then it's fine. Hope it all worked out for you.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger as they say

[Tuerto]

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger as they say

It can certainly give you an edge, determination etc

[NYCBlue]

How much would it cost you-as a single person, living on your own-to feed yourself for a week?

And i'm talking balanced, with nutritional value. I'm going to go for £15 per week. No booze or luxuries though.

It would take some planning and it would be a bit shit, but with some preperation and a shit load of imagination, could it be done? I suppose fresh veg and fruit can be pricey, and meat, even the frozen stuff at that budget. Maybe i'm way out, what do people think.

Is this food for a week every week? Or can you go back to your normal diet after 7 days?

I just did a mock online shop. I'm eating bread, butter, cheese milk, chicken, black beans, and spinach every day and it's $46.68.

[NYCBlue]

Is this food for a week every week? Or can you go back to your normal diet after 7 days?

I just did a mock online shop. I'm eating bread, butter, cheese milk, chicken, black beans, and spinach every day and it's $46.68.

Plus $4.29 for a can of coffee.

[J R Hartley]

Plus $4.29 for a can of coffee.

They got Aldi or Home Bargains in NYC?

[Allez Allez Allez]

I was listening to Marcus Rashford's mum saying that at times they didn't even have any bread in the house, i can remember that happening regularly when i was a kid, **** all in the food cupboard and no food banks back then. Plenty of kids going hungry in this country as we speak.

We didn't have it quite as hard, although we had help from grandparents. Without them, we may have struggled a bit. Grew up with kids who would go hungry, and scrounge a crisp off anyone who opened a packet. Huge shame it still is happening in the 5th richest country in the world.

[In the background]

1 kg chicken breast fillet (x2) £5 each. 7 fillets in a pack so 14 in total
1 kg mixed vegetables (x3) 69p each
2.5 kg red potatoes (x4) £1.09 each

£15.74 total, Prices taken from Tesco online.
You would be eating a roast chicken dinner twice a day every day which would get boring very quickly, but it's only 74p over the £15 budget and the combination of a lean meat and mixed veg will mean it's pretty good for you while the potatoes will fill you up

You will need a bit more cash to run a freezer and oven

[NYCBlue]

They got Aldi or Home Bargains in NYC?

They got Aldi or Home Bargains in NYC?

We've got Lidl. But you never know what you're going to find there.

Admittedly, that's for a pound of ground coffee. But it's a cheap brand, and there'd be plenty left over. I would sacrifice the cheese for the coffee. That was almost $8.

[splott parker]

We've got Lidl. But you never know what you're going to find there.

Admittedly, that's for a pound of ground coffee. But it's a cheap brand, and there'd be plenty left over. I would sacrifice the cheese for the coffee. That was almost $8.

What’s the poverty and on the street homeless like in New York, is it widespread or central based or invisible to the general public?

[OurManFlint II]

We also need to question why food is so cheap, rather than so expensive.

[NYCBlue]

What’s the poverty and on the street homeless like in New York, is it widespread or central based or invisible to the general public?

It's visible. And a real problem. But it's nothing like LA. LA has a crazy homeless population. There are tents everywhere.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tent...w=1242&bih=698

[cityhammer]

If I was given £60 per month to feed myself I think I could do it. Bigger packs, batch cooking would make it easier.
Being given £15 each week would make it harder, but weetabix for breakfast, beans on toast for lunch and a jacket potato with tuna in the evening is doable.

The budget is £15, not £5. For £15 a week you could eat quite well no need for resorting to basics like beans in toast and jacket potatoes.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

My sister and I grew up on a staple diet of jam, banana or paste sandwiches.
My mother raised us after she divorced my father when we were small. I used to drink huge amounts of milk though, I can only think this was what helped me grow.

[lardy]

The budget is £15, not £5. For £15 a week you could eat quite well no need for resorting to basics like beans in toast and jacket potatoes.

£15 a week is about £60 a month

[The Bloop]

The budget is £15, not £5. For £15 a week you could eat quite well no need for resorting to basics like beans in toast and jacket potatoes.

Beans on toast is delicious. I'd have enough left over for some grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce aswell.
Spending more on basics may give you a little left over for the odd treat.

[neilw65]

Check out this website. Some very good recipes with costs included

https://cookingonabootstrap.com

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

Is this just the cost of the food - or does it also cover the cost of electric/gas and all the other things needed to avoid cold/raw veg (and tuna)?

Didn't some Tory MP try to live on some small amount in a council flat about 20 years ago - and got loads of TV and newspaper publicity for trying to prove the state was generous - only to be caught out cheating (food from family and nipping home for a delux sleep)?

£15 p.w. may be possible (if you can get to a low cost supermarket without blowing half your budget on bus fares) but miserable!

My thoughts exactly. The cost of the energy to prep the food and costs to source the cheap foods (travel) should be factored in. 15 quid for 7 days of food is also a challenge if you are to have a well-balanced healthy diet.
Spedger