The Poverty Thread

ArphaRima · 11-12-2006 07:58AM

What's with all this pint robbing? I would -how would I put it nicely- MURDER (not condoning violence on boards, really) anybody who stole a pint off me. It is one of our most sacred rules. Dont **** with a mans car is one. His beer is surely second. I guess his woman would be close by too.

Sleepy · 11-12-2006 12:02PM

A friend of a friend landed himself in Vincents with the first case of scurvy the doctor had ever seen through his diet of tea and koka noodles whilst in college! :eek:

My own college life was never that harsh considering I lived at home and always had a part-time job. I do remember perfecting the £10 night out with a friend whilst in first year in UCG: finish work at 9, down to Cactus Jacks (now the Gaf) for three £1 shots of tequila, up to booze brothers for a £3.40 naggin of vodka, £2 each for a hackney to the Warwick where it was free in before ten leaving us with £1.60 for 3 cordials to pour the contents of the naggin into over the course of the night before walking home to Knocknacarra. Was great!

Until the night some bastrd robbed my jacket from it's hiding place behind one of the couches

5starpool · 11-12-2006 12:04PM

Pighead wrote:

There was this phase in Galway when the nightclubs would stop at midnight for half an hour and Chicken Curry would be served to everybody. It was designed to stop the kids getting drunk I think.

I think this was a legal thing they had to do in order to be allowed to stay open until about 6 or 7 years ago or something. I remember finding this out when I was a student, and it would nearly be my best meal of the week no matter how bad it was. A few times before grant payments I had to go into the bank to withdraw my last less than a fiver (when you could still get fivers out of bank machines). One lad I shared with in Limerick lived on toast and cup a soups his mother brought in. I think at one point he was close to getting scurvy.

The worsst I have ever been though was in 3rd year in college living in Elm Park in Limerick (anyone that went to UL knows the hell of Elm Park) and there was no central heating in the place. There were radiators though so we were fooled into thinking there was, but they were run off the open fireplace, but we couldn't afford coal or any burnable substance. It was horrendously cold too, and many times there were 6 students in the sitting room drinking from flagons of cider wrapped in 3 layers of clothes and a quilt each. Scumbag of a landlord called the health inspectors on us too cause we weren't the tidiest of lads I must admit.

No matter how broke I was I never stole pints though. That just is not cool.

Sleepy · 11-12-2006 12:11PM

5starpool wrote:

they were run off the open fireplace, but we couldn't afford coal or any burnable substance.

Amateurs, you could have just gone to the local newsagent and asked for the previous day's papers. Roll and twist the pages of a broadsheet and you'll keep a fire going for half an hour or so. Many broadsheets = hours of free heating

This trick was perfected by my ex's flatmate, a rather ingenious chap called Peter who was something of an artist at having a good time in college off of fvck all money.

Naked Lepper · 11-12-2006 12:22PM

stuck in new york one winter working for some miserable old furniture moving company and wasnt getting the hours at all
was horrible, was surviving on pasta or beans on toast while the lads who i was living with were coming in with 1000+ dollars cash a week and waving it in front of my face
hard times

Wez · 11-12-2006 03:29PM

I'm going through college at the minute, those €10 nights are so good! I'm living at home (I'm aware it's a real luxury) so before I go out I get as much scotch as I can into me before having to leave. I then tend to cycle to wherever I'm going (although have to get the bus sometimes because of friends) and so I tend to save money there. The challenge of getting into clubs without id when I was younger helped me to perfect the whole getting in free.. I normally buy a naggin of Glenn's vodka and sneak it in, then either drink it straight, or bum the end of a coke off someone with enough money to buy a vodka & coke in there.. Getting home is usually about €2 in a taxi if there's enough people to split it.

They're always the best nights! Loads of my friends have spend like 40-50 by the end of the night and haven't had a good time, but I've spent a tenner and had great craic!

I've got a policy of never buying girls a drink, damn skanks go around all night trying to get guys to buy them drinks, then they **** off, never to be seen again!

Dear god I need a job!

watna · 11-12-2006 04:27PM

I'm poor at the end of every month. Last month I emptied out all the 20c and 10c from my change bottle and lived off them for a week. There was about €20. It was beautiful!

The way I survive is to do monthly shops and buy monthly DART tickets. No matter how poor I am (usually very) by the end of the month at least I can get to work and eat.

cujimmy · 11-12-2006 04:34PM

As a poor student nurse years ago I once survived a full 10 days on "clinifeed" the stuff they tube feed sick folk with.

StupidLikeAFox · 11-12-2006 05:03PM

This one time i spent the night in dublin, got the train up and that. Had a great night, didnt get a wink of sleep from partying, lost my wallet, and forgot to bring a charger for my phone. That was grand, i had somehow managed to hold on to my train ticket and two euro, got to the train station and spent my last two quid on food coz i was starving. All goin well, i only fell asleep on the train! Woke up about 3 mins after my stop, hopped off in Carlow with no money, no phone and no way of contacting anyone. Ended up going into the garda station and asked to use the phone there. I suppose those were the poorest couple of hours i ever had!

nobodythere · 11-12-2006 08:03PM

I was stuck one week when I was moved out. Went out every night, got stamped for 3 or 4 clubs for free. In front of the bar on the floor, it's a great place to make money. I made €35 that week. Best money I ever had.

It looks shameful to see it written down for the whole world to see but when ya need it you really ****ing need it!

The Poverty Thread

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