You know you're broke when....

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by RedefinedDiva

You are driving on fumes. You gas needle is PAST E, your gas light is on, and you are praying that your car doesn't stop before you get home.

That has happened to me once; I was driving on the freeway, on fumes, madly trying to get off the freeway to the nearest gas station, and I RAN OUT OF GAS!!. The engine quit, but I was still going 55-60 mph (and steadily decelerating). I managed to coast down the exit ramp, go one block to the nearest gas station, and pull into the nearest pump, all on pure inertia, thanks to a continuous steady downhill slope in the road.

YKYBW...

...you save your leftover food and eat those all in one big meal (which my mother said was called "slumgullion", which was a hodgepodge of different "dishes"). I do this anyway, but that's because I don't like to waste any food, not necessarily because I'm broke.

[RedefinedDiva]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

YKYBW...

...you save your leftover food and eat those all in one big meal (which my mother said was called "slumgullion", which was a hodgepodge of different "dishes"). I do this anyway, but that's because I don't like to waste any food, not necessarily because I'm broke.

I know ALL about this....

[Obsession8]

Originally Posted by RedefinedDiva

I know ALL about this....

So do I. My fam is notorious for this, especially during the holidays.

I live for leftovers (it's true that many foods taste better after a day or two); I get it from my (paternal) grandmother. My best friend shakes her head at me, but she was practically born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She throws perfectly good food away by the "Best *SOLD* By" date, let alone the actual expiration date. Some people just don't know what it's like to do the stuff we've been talking about (i.e. salvaging molding cheese by cutting off the bad parts...you know you've done it ).

[OneTimeSBX]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

...you save your leftover food and eat those all in one big meal (which my mother said was called "slumgullion", which was a hodgepodge of different "dishes"). I do this anyway, but that's because I don't like to waste any food, not necessarily because I'm broke.

hell, i do that now, we just call it "leftover night". since my mom lives 100 yards away, we do a "buffet" and bring all our leftovers together and eat. that is not being broke, i cant stand throwing food away either!

[mulattogyrl]

Originally Posted by RedefinedDiva

You eat pancakes daily because the complete mix only requires you to add water. (Thank God because you can't afford eggs or milk)

You and a friend put in change, hoping that it equals enough for the both of you to get at least one item off the dollar menu.

You start checking out movies from the public library because it's free.

You charge people washateria rates to come over and wash clothes.

You go on dates to get a meal.

You go to weddings/catered affairs to get a meal.

You volunteer at events that'll spring for lunch, drinks, snacks, etc. so that you know you'll have at least one meal that day.

You drink water because you can't afford anything else.

When you do get some money, you buy items in bulk in preparation for the times when you know you won't have money.

You become a math whiz because as you pick up things in the market, you calculate what your esimated total will be down to the penny.

You have bought exactly one gallon of gas.

You are driving on fumes. You gas needle is PAST E, your gas light is on, and you are praying that your car doesn't stop before you get home.

This is hilarious! Well, not funny, but funny. .

I have done the dollar menu thing - searching in my car and house for any kind of change that is laying around. I've actually done the pancake thing too, but I do it moreso with pasta, lol.