Living on only $25 a week, not by choice, is not a situation any of us would ever want to see ourselves in.
One of our followers, Princess Fiona (not her real name), has admitted to have lived a hand-to-mouth existence at the lowest point in her life.
It might seem unbelievable, but she said that she did survive on $25 a week, having two children and a good-for-nothing husband at that.
But before you pour out every ounce of pity you have for Princess Fiona, her story is probably one that you would want to read to get inspired for today.
This is her story:
My story starts with me surviving on $25 a week. Yes, this might sound unbelievable – but I did it. I lived on only $25/week because I had no choice.
I was in a disastrous relationship with two children — one of which was a baby. People always ask what happened and I explain it as a difference of opinion.
He thought it was ok to steal and not come home for two weeks at a time and I thought stealing was wrong and that he should at least text to tell me he was alive. I stupidly allowed him to ‘pay’ the bills.
When I left, there were debts and no money to pay them. I immediately organised to pay something each week but once I had sorted all this, I was left with $25 a week for everything else. Luckily, I was breastfeeding and used cloth nappies, and I mean the square old fashioned use a pin kind!
After crying myself into sanity, I composed myself. I then took stock and found 40 packs of instant porridge at the supermarket for 40c. I got some super cheap laundry detergent, soap, washing liquid, toothpaste. You know the luxuries of life. I had a vegetable garden that produced salad ingredients, but not much as they were in pots. This is what I lived on for the first week.
I couldn’t afford fuel, but luckily I had a push bike. On Tuesday nights, the local supermarket cleared out their old bread and cakes. Now when I say reduced, I mean to 25c a pack of bread / finger buns, they also had a mega pack of sausages for a super cheap price ($1-$2). I must have looked a real sight walking out with a trolley loaded up with cakes. I then found a green grocer that would sell bags of not-so-fresh veggies. They were edible but not for long. I would cook them up and freeze them and eat pureed vegies, sausages and bread roll for dinner. Breakfast was always porridge and lunch was vegemite on a bread roll.
I decided I needed to take control of my life so everything became a matter of lists, food planner list, grocery lists, to-do list, bills list — my life was made of lists. Then a list of life changes so I would never be in that situation again. I get laughed at walking in with my display folder with all my bills, shopping list, food plan, but it works.
This lasted about 6-8 weeks before my finances were at a stage I could afford $50 a week, we thought this was heaven. I will never forget my kids’ faces when I got a chicken breast and we had chicken pasta. By this stage, word got out, people were inviting me for dinner and morning teas. I didn’t know this was a way of making me eat healthier. I volunteered at a school canteen and the others refused the leftovers, so I got them. Heaven cold mini pizzas, sausage rolls, yoghurts, flavoured milks and cheese! All these helped me out.
I learned a few lessons along the way:
- Contact debtors and they will help.
- Lists, lists and plans save so much money.
- Always pay the bills yourself.
- People will help but some don’t make a big deal of it. (I do it this way now)
Those days are far behind me now. I worked my way up from a volunteering pauper to business manager. I got the man of my dreams and we got married, had my daughter and have all the nice things I ever dreamed of in life but I will never forget those two months. It has been a humbling experience for me and my children.
My current motto in life, after getting spoilt by my hubby, is “I am in love with my dishwasher” (admit it so are you).
Were you inspired by her story?
Responses to “I Lived On Only $25/Week Because I Had No Choice”
this person shows great strength & character to recover from such a bad situation that she was not responsible for. well done
Well done Princess Fiona. Though my situation wasn’t quite as dire as yours, I know where you’re coming from.
When I first moved out I was only getting two days a week at one job (solutions programmer at the local university), and erratic spurts of work at the other (nightfill associate at Big W) and there were weeks where I’d barely have two fivers to rub together – I was in a bit of a bind at home and was desperate to get out.
I got through by making sure the bills were covered first and those I couldn’t, I called the debtor in question and worked something out. I learned to cook (big thing for a guy, I know!) and rarely had take away. I rode my pushbike *everywhere* – to uni classes, to work and back, et cetera (didn’t have a car). Long story short, work picked up at Big W, then I got an extra day at the uni and quit my job at Big W, and am now working full-time in my chosen career, happily married with a child on the way, and I haven’t looked back.
I am in a similar position right now. Not as bad as Princess Fiona, but bad enough. I am a single mum, I have been left all the debt which my ex accrued, I am working part time and on Parenting payments. My son gets me through but both of us have health issues at the moment, so the bills keep getting bigger and the landlord is putting the rent up, the finance company can’t count and have been charging me extra interest for the last 8 months and added payments onto my amount owing instead of taking the payments OFF (yes this one is still getting taken up by the finance Ombudsman). Hospital and drs bills and Solicitors bill. My employer getting upset that I am taking time off when my son is ill…. it just feels like it never ends. So reading ‘Princess Fiona’s’ story reminds me that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train! 🙂
to walk out of a bad relationship with kids takes strength and its the 1st step.to then survive on your own and feed those kids and do what ever it takes to survive and hold your head up is the begining to the rest of your perfect life that will follow. I did it with 4 kids walked out and struggled big time. Yep, i did the supermarket clearance thing and found a small store that sold past used by date goods that were still consumable. I now have a perfect husband and all the luxuries.The key is to know where every dollar has go and prioritize the bills.I had comments of “your a strong woman” no I wasnt I was scared and determined to never ever be in a bad relationship again and to never ever have my kids feel like they went without and to this day they have noidea of my struggles. Well done Princess Fiona.To all those women out there to scared to move forward..you CAN do it and we dont really need as much as we think we do. xx Linny
Im in this position…. HUGE debt from my narcissistic ex. I have a young baby boy & have just also taken on my 4yo neice who was being sexually abused.
Its extremely difficult to live on such a little amount, especially when my neice has barely and clothes or toys (starting to gather some up now, she plays with my sons stuff)
Its all about cheaper options in my house…. Baking all bread an goodies, lucky to be given 20kg of organic flour from the local organic shop that was a couple of months off of expiry. 5kgs of Basmati rice for $7 on sale at coles & vegies out of my amazing Grandparents gardens… Oh and $1.20 for a bag of popping corn, which makes a tonne of popcorn, which my neice loves! We rarely eat meat but thats fine by us. 😀
It is difficult but living this way for a few years and getting out of debt will make for a much better life in the future! 🙂