Have you ever been so poor you couldn't afford food?

The pangs of hunger are one of the toughest things in life.I have felt the pangs of hunger many times but those were not because I could not afford food but because of circumstances where I could not go and buy some food.Like when I was attending classes in University or when I was in the middle of something important at work.But I have not been so poor as t not be able to buy food.That is why it moves me when I see poverty stricken people by the roadside begging for alms.

When I was about 16 and pregnant, my mother went legally blind and quit her job. I couldn't work due to being pregnant nobody would hire me. My siblings were only 9 and 2 at the time. My mother was single, so no dad to help us out. For months the only meal I ate was school lunch. I had friends that would come pick me up and take me out to dinner. Eventually these friends allowed me to clean their house for $40 a week, plus a free meal while I was cleaning. One time they bought me a case of creamed corn in a can at a wholesale club, so there were many nights that was my only dinner. I remember a night when my mother fried up old soft taco shells and our dinner that night was nachos. Plain old salty nachos. No cheese or toppings. As an adult, my life has never been near that bad. It drives me nuts when my kids look at a full stocked fridge and say "there's nothing to eat". I pray they never know the true meaning of that phrase.

fortunately, i never have to experience this in my life and i pray to God that i never have to... i always scared of not having money and always try to live frugally... i try to spend my money wisely and save whatever amount i can save for emergency purposes... so far, it works really well for me... take care and have a nice day...

Although I experienced this as a student supporting myself, in recent years this hasn't been an issue. However, I think that with the economy so poor right now and it appears it will continue to be this way in the future, I think a lot of people will experience real hardship. I saw a woman (with a job) on the TV news recently who said she had given up eating breakfast because she couldn't afford it. The most sad story I read in the newspaper was about those living in the slums in Haiti. There are people so poor there that they eat dirt cookies (dirt combined with a little fat and water). Of course, it cannot satisfy their hunger over the long term and who knows what they are ingesting along with the dirt? It's not because there is no food in the country, but the prices have gone up so high and the people can't afford even the most basic food (like bread or rice). There are too many people all over the world who go hungry.

There were a lot of times back in college when all that is left in my pocket is only PhP10 and I know its not enough to buy a meal. Good thing, I was living in a dormitory and my food was already paid for a month. Lending money is also a solution if I don;t have any money anymore but most of the time, help or funds arrive when I badly need it. I consider myself frugal in other aspects but never on food but I don't overspend either. I don't dine in fancy restos or buy food just because I like having one but I only buy it when I am already hungry. I don't buy new clothes often unless there are special occasions that I need a new one.

wow. never thought i'd pass this discussi0n. we've been so poor nowadays. it brags me that sometimes we dont have any food to eat or to cook. its true. i guess our life wasnt the same anymore as we are now down low. we'd lost our business and it takes time to recover it. my mom is just an agent of herbal products and my father is always AWOLing. it sucks that they sometimes blame me. x_x

Who taught you the greatest lessons of frugal living? Have you ever been so low on funds that you just decided not to eat? For me its not "who" taught me to be frugal but "what"...I've been homeless and had to live without a penny to my name so I know all too well what its like to survive without food, shelter etc etc...Being frugal is something I'm very good at but fortunately not something I have had to really worry about the past several yrs...

Hi, I too have been at a time in my life where I could not afford anything, including anything to eat. In fact I grew up that way as a child. I often went without anything to eat. One thing I promised myself was that my children would never have to experience that...and they have not. I have gone without to make sure that they did not. cheers,

yes, I have and I have been very lucky that something has always happened when we were at that point so that my girls and I could eat. It is a scary thought , knowing your don't have money for food and essentials. somehow things always manage to work out.

Yes,when I graduated from school,I began to apply for a job.But ,I couldn't find a suitable job for about 1.5 monthes.I nerely have no money to eat.And I have no money to buy new chothe .I just buy some basic food to eat.But,I sitll stick on look for my job.I have my dream and duty.I didn't tell my parents how hard I wad,because I didn't want them worry about me.Now,I live common.I admire myself.

I grew up poor, we never had a whole lot, but for some reason we never went hungry. My grandparents raised me, we were just living on what my grandpa made from his pension every month, which wasn't alot back then. We always ate something whether it was just beans and bread or gravy and biscuits, my grandma made sure we had something. She always said that as long as you had flour, you can make something out of it. Which now I appreciate what I learned from her. We always had to watch what we spent at the store, and to this day I still do that. It drives my husband crazy, he says I make him feel like were poor. I've been blessed to not have to do that now, I have a husband that takes care of me, and I no longer have to worry a whole lot about money, but I still do, thats what I've had to do all my life, never had alot of money to spend on things, just got used to being that way. But my grandparents are the ones who taught me to be frugal. Thankfully I've never been so low on funds that I've decided not to eat, been close tho a few times...have a good day.

The same thing has happened to me when I was in university. I was working while studying but hadn't received my wages. I didn't have enough to buy my bus ticket so I had to walk to school. And then I had to skip lunch as well. When I got home, there was only enough food for me and my mom. We had to sell some furniture so we can buy food. It was that bad. But we got over it. That experience really taught me to work hard and save money.

I grew up in a situation where we don't have any extra money. What we have is just enough on our daily expenses. Even until now experience not to have any money just to buy food. I may not be that rich but I always make sure that I always have enough on my pocket specially now that I have a baby. I don't want my baby to suffer poverty like those that I've seen on the streets. Maybe seeing beggars daily makes me realize that life is not that easy that we should know how to save some for the rainy seasons.

When I was in High School, there was a time when my allowance was only enough for me to go back and forth home and school. I couldn't afford to buy food for recess or even for my lunch. I just brought some homemade goodies to school. I envied other kids who could buy whatever their heart desires. That really taught me the value of money. Good thing the agony didn't last that long. It was a lesson I will keep forever.

i never been experience being poor and couldn't buy or afford to buy food..we are not rich but still we eat 3 times a day.that i thanked god! just to advice to people to save money for the future and for emergency.thanks!

yea,it's happened to me..but i usually staved it off getting either a restaurant or a housekeeping job. an unbelieveable amount of food gets left behind/thrown out,so i'd just take it home instead. made the difference betwen eating and not eating.

Yes, I am there now and yes you learn to be frugal and settle for a lot less to get by. like not eating and wearing old clothes until they wear out, but if you are alive, there is a chance it will get better, at least I hope to God it does.

Hi beautyqueen. Yes you are hight and I agree with you when you say that life never give up on you. I couldn't afford food twice in my life. The first one was when I left my home with 17 old and was still without food for 4 or 5 days till got a job. The second, years after, when my daughter was a child and I was low on funds and all the food I could bought was for her. I learn the first time and teach my daughter to never refuse any kind of food and till now I use my leftover and remake it no matter if we can buy lots of food. Life teach us. cheers

I have been fortunate enough that I have not had to endure that problem. My husband however was brought up very poor, and they had to struggle to get food on the table. My husband has worked since he was 7 years old to try and help his family keep food on the table. I learned a lot from his mother. She raised 4 kids on her own, and even sustained a bad injury and had to be on disability but she managed to keep a roof over their heads. Food was sometimes scarse. My husband has worked really hard his entire life, and he is successful and very driven because he does not ever want to be poor again. With this economy the way it is though anyones life can be pulled out from underneath them at any time. We are constantly living under the treat of lay offs. It is not a comfortable feeling.

Thank goodness!I don't have the miserable experience as yours.I don't know whether it's good for me or not.But I always believe that it's hardships and sufferings that make us strong enough to challenge our lives.