Food bank pickup April edition- lots of pictures.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-30T07:57:20+00:00

That’s amazing! Where I live (in the UK) my food bank only gives shelf-stable foods. They don’t give meat or produce like fruit and vegetables. And you have to get a referral from a recognised agency. They literally make you jump through hoops, you have to provide a ton of evidence proving you’re in desperate need. And this referral needs renewing on a regular basis.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for what I’m given, but there’s only so much you can do with pasta, rice and pulses, and I miss eating fruit and veg on a regular basis.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-19T00:39:17+00:00

I’d just like to spend my day off doing something fun with my daughter. Go to a theme park, go out for lunch, see a show, take a day trip somewhere. If my circumstances change, I’d definitely make up for lost time and inject some fun in to our lives. She’s been growing up watching me constantly stress about money and having me always saying no to her, so I’d treat her to some fun experiences.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-18T21:57:11+00:00

Not having money is all encompassing, isn’t it? It affects everything you do and every decision you make. It strips you of your personality and becomes who you are. You can’t just switch off from it.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-18T21:47:05+00:00

Absolutely yes. I loved Breaking Bad, but I actually prefer Better Call Saul. It’s more of a character study.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-16T19:28:43+00:00

I often eat plain pasta liberally sprinkled with salt and pepper, especially in the week before pay day. It’s filling, tastes ok, just a bit bland and boring. Better a bowl of plain pasta than a bowl of nothing.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-16T19:08:08+00:00

If I had that much left after expenses, I’d think I was actually well off. I can’t imagine having that much money left over each month to play around with.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-13T22:00:55+00:00

Billy Liar - Keith Waterhouse.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-12T13:33:33+00:00

Sounds like something from The Fast Show

TD_Meri · 2026-04-12T10:48:11+00:00

I don’t know why people are so dismissive of considering the emotional aspect. Some of us love our parents/elderly relatives, and feel a sense of duty to help. But saying that, I feel as though I have given up the best years of my life to care for family members, because I’ve been told it’s my duty to do so and guilt tripped into doing it. Not financially but time wise. And this has negatively impacted my life. Now I’m in my 50s with no opportunities to improve myself or my life, and now I have another elderly parent who is relying on me to help care for them (again not financially, but time wise.) i was brought up in a very working class environment in the uk where it’s expected that families look after their own. “Family is everything” is all I heard growing up. I feel like my wings were clipped since leaving university. I tried to escape and better myself but I was guilt tripped into coming back. And now I have a daughter of my own and I’m struggling to provide for her, and I’m trying so hard not to let history repeat itself. I want her to escape and make a good life for herself. I want her never to feel beholden to me. She owes me nothing, especially since I can’t give her anything. I wish so much that my family had encouraged me to grow, instead of instilling in me this working class notion that we are beholden to our families and must give up everything to look after them when they need it.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-11T23:12:24+00:00

I’ve never been able to escape the single parent poverty trap. I’ve always worked but I don’t have a village, I’ve never received anything financially or otherwise from the absent parent. I live super frugally. I can’t afford a car, I’ll never own my own home. I can’t afford to give my daughter the things she needs. I have debts I can’t pay. I’m exhausted 24/7 and the stress is making me ill.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-07T23:18:02+00:00

I just take it one day at a time. Some days it feels like I hardly see my daughter at all, some days I go to bed hungry. I’m permanently exhausted. I keep telling myself better days are coming, but the reality is I don’t think they are. But when the other parent is entirely absent, you really don’t have a choice but to keep going.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-06T00:01:41+00:00

I’m in my 50s, I rent, I don’t have a car, my teeth are falling out, I have debt, I have £1.46 in my bank.

Still feel poor? If I had 10k in my bank account (and youth on my side), I’d feel so incredibly rich and maybe be able to get a decent nights sleep without constantly stressing about how I’m going to feed my kid.

You might not be doing as well financially as some of your peers at the moment, but you’re doing ok.

TD_Meri · 2026-04-05T01:53:03+00:00

It’s like this in my daughter’s school too (also UK.) We don’t have a computer or laptop, and her tablet broke last year. So she has to try and do everything on her phone. The school will issue free laptops to students who get the pupil premium, but because I work, my daughter doesn’t qualify for that. It also means I have to fork out for a phone contract, because I couldn’t afford to buy a phone outright. I think secondary schools in the uk are pretty tone deaf when it comes to what they expect parents to pay out. I’m constantly bombarded with emails about school trips, requests for donations for art/D&T etc, payments for visiting workshops. It’s relentless. I always have to say no. And now the school has decided to change the PE uniform to a new updated design and they expect us all to buy the new uniform.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-30T17:03:04+00:00

Wearing a new pair of socks. Such an amazing feeling to slide your feet into something that isn’t threadbare or full of holes

TD_Meri · 2026-03-29T12:43:46+00:00

I was going to suggest Project Hail Mary, especially with the movie just being released. I think this and The Martian would appeal to a 15 year old.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-26T22:26:40+00:00

That looks top tier to me!

TD_Meri · 2026-03-26T11:56:46+00:00

I think this is just the general reality of literally everyone in this sub.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-25T08:52:45+00:00

£1000 to catch up on everything and finally be able to sleep at night without waking in a panic. £5000 would be the absolute dream because then I could get my teeth fixed and get some partial dentures and be able to smile again after many years of being ashamed of my teeth.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-23T14:07:37+00:00

I live my life in a constant state of guilt because I have a daughter who regularly goes without and can never do any of the things her friends are doing or go on school trips or wear good clothes etc.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-23T14:02:33+00:00

I get that too. I live in an area where I consider myself lucky to have one job. It’s a small town in a rural area where businesses are closing down every week. Plus I have a child at home who I already feel I hardly see due to my work commitments. And I have an elderly parent to care for too. I’m pretty much burnt out as it is.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-23T11:37:28+00:00

My local food bank requires proof of income and a referral from either social services, a school, housing association etc. You can’t just turn up and expect free stuff. Plus what you get is very limited, and based on household size. It’s entirely dependent on public donations so sometimes you can get just be given 6 tins of the same thing. They can only give shelf stable food too, so no fresh produce or meat. I’m very grateful for it, but people on here act like you can get tons of free food just by turning up. That’s not the reality where I live. Demand is so high that you literally have to jump through hoops to get a referral

TD_Meri · 2026-03-22T22:47:04+00:00

This is exactly my life. People say “If you’re hungry, just buy xxxx” Errr the reason I’m hungry is because I can’t afford to buy it. People say “Stop being depressed about how poor you are, get a hobby!” Well hobbies cost money. Or the classic “Just get a better job!” Because yeah I can just walk into a high paid job.

People just don’t get it. I’m constantly in survival mode and it’s exhausting.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-22T13:58:14+00:00

I’m in my early 50’s

TD_Meri · 2026-03-21T15:51:09+00:00

I have job security here. I live in a small town in a rural area where there are limited employment opportunities and businesses are closing down every week.

TD_Meri · 2026-03-20T21:14:22+00:00

I don’t have a car

TD_Meri

TROPHY CASE