should I feel bad when my parents tell me they are skint

[yummyripples]

When they have just put on Facebook that they have bought the latest phone, booked a Disney cruise and spent a fortune on xmas????

[loocyloo]

:eeeek: NO !!!

one of mine told me she had no money for Christmas, in the same breath as telling me about the amazing holiday she has booked for next year!

[Ripeberry]

When they have just put on Facebook that they have bought the latest phone, booked a Disney cruise and spent a fortune on xmas????

I just spluttered all over the computer.....

[tulip0803]

I had an ex parent come up to me earlier in the year telling me how the bank had taken all partners money in charges and she couldn't afford food for the children - whilst opening a new packet of fags and swigging a new bottle of lucozade while the children (3) were all eating magnum lollies.
I spoke to hubby when I saw him at school next day saying sorry to hear you are struggling and he said "Well she booked a holiday on-line and used up all my wages!"

[caz3007]

One of mine is always saying she is skint but always off to pop concerts and has been out xmas shopping lots of times lately x

[kellib]

One of mine is always saying she is skint but always off to pop concerts and has been out xmas shopping lots of times lately x

I think a lot of people say they are skint but aren't really in the true meaning of the word.

There's a difference between saying I'm skint and pleading poverty IMO

[Bluebell]

some people make me so cross!! they just don't seem to get it at all!

Especially when there are so many genuinely needy people out there!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

You are not FC so NO NO NO lol

[Koala]

OOOHHHHH YEEESSSSSSS - give them the shirt off your back as well. after they've bleed you dry off course because your a sucker. :D

NO Don't :censored: fall for it. :thumbsup:

[Tealady]

When they have just put on Facebook that they have bought the latest phone, booked a Disney cruise and spent a fortune on xmas????

Well they probably are skint now!!!!!!

[MessybutHappy]

No, just remind them how little they pay you to look after their children and ask them who they think is more likely to be skint!

[Maza]

Yes, of course you should! Just like a nursery would, I'm sure they would let them off with their fees for at least a month. :laughing:

[FloraDora]

An ex boss used to say.... " you cannot walk in to Macdonalds and ask for a burger .....and then say... I will pay you next week... " it was generally said in reference to school dinner money ...but works the same for us...what other business would stand for no payment on time.......

[LauraS]

I think everyone is 'skint' in their own way, at least that's my theory. We went to Disneyland last year and a parent told me that he could never afford to take his children, weren't we lucky to be so well off (ha!)

He then got into his new and heavily financed car, wearing his designer clothes and shoes, latest iphone in pocket. Meanwhile I had a pair of Sainsburys pumps on, DPs jeans, an eight year old car that is the bane of my life and a phone that is just as ancient.

We all have different priorities, I wouldn't feel bad at all!!!

[hectors house]

Completely agree that everyone has different priorities - once had parent saying she couldn't afford to get her son proper Clarks shoes - well if she didn't go out for Sunday lunch each week she could have afforded properly fitting shoes!

I remember watching a tv programme last year about how people were so poor that they had to go to the food bank to get free food each week, maybe they should have got rid of their 2 huge dogs and cinema screen sized TV or should just learn to shop in Lidls or buy value brand products.

[lilac_dragon]

Separated parents, each pays with equal amounts of tax credits and Mum then tops up the shortfall.
Mum almost in tears telling me she can't cope with just her wages especially as they gave up their flat and are each renting own place so having to cope with paying all her own bills and what a struggle it is to find the top-up for my fees each month. Tells me Dad is refusing to help with the top up.
Like an idiot I feel sorry for her and cut the fees by £1 per hour, so effectively a quarter as I can't bear the thought of her and lo struggling.
Dad looks at bill next month and says I've worked it out wrong and not charged them enough. I explained that I'd dropped it a bit due to their bills being higher now they're apart.
Dad laughs and says Mum's in a place with her new boyfriend, she's just bought a new car - turned up in it to collect lo last week,- and she's booked a 2 week holiday in Egypt for August!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feel SUCH an idiot for being so trusting.:(

[Koala]

What a B :censored: itch. She's definitely screwed you Lilac dragon.

Don't beet yourself up though for being kind, supportive and trusting, now you know and don't do it again. I have had a few parents that I have done extra's for lent them things and gone over and above my duties to have them be inconsiderate, not return items and rip me off with payment. It has taken a long time for me to realize - give an inch and they will take a mile..

[The Juggler]

Separated parents, each pays with equal amounts of tax credits and Mum then tops up the shortfall.
Mum almost in tears telling me she can't cope with just her wages especially as they gave up their flat and are each renting own place so having to cope with paying all her own bills and what a struggle it is to find the top-up for my fees each month. Tells me Dad is refusing to help with the top up.
Like an idiot I feel sorry for her and cut the fees by £1 per hour, so effectively a quarter as I can't bear the thought of her and lo struggling.
Dad looks at bill next month and says I've worked it out wrong and not charged them enough. I explained that I'd dropped it a bit due to their bills being higher now they're apart.
Dad laughs and says Mum's in a place with her new boyfriend, she's just bought a new car - turned up in it to collect lo last week,- and she's booked a 2 week holiday in Egypt for August!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feel SUCH an idiot for being so trusting.:(

OMG! that is just selfish and nasty. I would do a new letter informing her that due to personal circumstances you cannot afford to continue to offer her the £1/hour discount. :angry::angry:

[blue bear]

Skint in my book is when you have sold off everything possible to raise cash and still can't afford to eat, but for people skint means you go out for lunch, book holidays, have a great night out, bought the latest designer clothes but want to put off paying the childminder so you can get your nails done.

[dawn100]

My friend is always going on how skint she is, she's in a£25k - £30k job and not exactly sure how much her husband earns but she let it slip the other day he's a higher tax rate payer so £40k +, they only have one child but is always on about how they got no money to do anything and can't afford Christmas etc but always buys designer clothes, ugg boots, tesco finest and a branded new £30k car. Where as I have 3 children and for many years was a full time parent so only one wage, but never have I moaned about being skint just had to make careful choices on what we spent money on eg no designer clothes, economic home cooked meals. It's got to the point where it has driven a wedge between us.
Very few people are truly skint, as a kid my mum had to count the pennies each week and at Christmas we would have fruit juice as a treat and my mum said she would love to be able to afford fruit juice once a month but she never considered herself skint as she had just enough money to pay the bills and feed and clothe us!!!

[munch149]

We all live to our means. Skint doesn't really mean poor. It means you can't really afford to spend as much as you normally do or have less than normal for one reason or another. My partner earns a good wage but because of the amount of our rent and bills we struggle from time to time particularly if we take holiday (I don't get paid, he's on price work so gets a lot less). If we moved to a tiny flat we would have more spare cash but I bet it would still get spent elsewhere