The need to eat vs BEER!
Back in the late 1980’s, when I was a graphic design student, I lived in a shared house with 2 other lads. I would never have described myself as a penniless student at the time – I was lucky in that I got a full grant, plus had a weekend and holiday job that covered my weekly expenses pretty much (i.e. beer and the odd kebab). However, after a full year of living in halls, with everything paid for, the sudden shock of paying rent, rates and bills diminished the amount of disposable income I had at the time. I soon learned to budget, and budget well. Shopping at Winners (a long-gone chain of discount stores that made Lidl look like Harrods in comparison) became a weekly occurrence, to allow the beer money to go further. Not everything was bought there, but some tins and basics could be purchased very cheaply, and allow for some luxuries like fresh veg from the grocers.

However, there was one week where I didn’t go home at the weekend, and therefore didn’t work and so didn't get paid. Having had a fairly debauched weekend (including a mate’s flatwarming party and an all-nighter at the sadly-missed Mayfair in Newcastle) and spending about 3 times as much in the space of 2 days as I would in a fortnight, resources got a little bit tight for the next week. Panic and desperation began to set in – how the hell are we going to eat, pay the rent and have enough beer money for the week? Have no fear, Winners to the rescue. With a shopping budget of about £2.50, off we went to buy several jumbo-sized tins of beans (which were officially the most disgusting baked beans on the planet – the ‘tomato’ sauce was a sort of creamy, off-white colour), a loaf of bread, some milk, and a couple of tins of ready-made spaghetti bolognaise.

It was absolutely bloody foul. My guts were like an explosion in a fertiliser factory by the end of the week, and I had never been more glad to return to the bosom of my slightly dysfunctional family the following weekend.

I suppose we could have refrained from going to the pub that week, but another luxury item we convinced ourselves that we couldn’t afford was toilet paper, and so going to the local hostelry was used as an excuse to nick some from the gents. Man-logic is brilliant.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 15 Nov 2007, 16:03, 2 replies)

Pubs are great for freebies.
When skint, I'd go to our local on a Monday teatime, when they did free chip butties.
Buy 1/2 soda and black for 30p, and have a butty. Nick sachets of brown/red sauce, tartare, salad cream, and mustard. Found out where the massive loo rolls were kept, straight under the coat. Vinegar, salt, pepper.
Few glasses and ash trays.
30p, not bad when fucking strapped.
(Bear Pookie The Frankly Challenged. Halloween is coming to town., Thu 15 Nov 2007, 16:24, closed)

TP
I've swiped toilet paper from campus. It's horrid thin stuff, but I didn't wanna go to the store today.
(evil_penguin_17 Robots of Doom... Attack!, Fri 16 Nov 2007, 0:18, closed)