So what if it’s partially/all your fault? Everyone makes mistakes. People are not offering to help you because you deserve it; they’re offering because no person should have to go hungry. And, anyway, you seem nice. 
Good luck and blessings to you.
Y’know, I think that maybe this thread or one like it should be made a sticky, so that when the smart-ass teeny-bopper guests post threads that say “Why are you all here? This message board is lame! AND they charge for it! I’m leavin’”! (I know, they usually say it in leet speak, but I’m not conversant in that), they can be pointed to this. I’m betting these things don’t happen so often on other boards. But since I’ve been here, I’ve seen so much support of all kinds, it makes me wanna stick around.
You guys rock!
I came in here hating the world today (a mood I seem to be getting better and better at) and you guys have ruined it! Same as last week when I came in complaining about my financial problems and was met with offers of help from total strangers. Is this place amazing or what?
HHM, I’m in no position to offer help, but you have my good wishes. I’m reminded of a short story I read as a kid where a poor lady who still has decent clothing walks around a grocery store, eating as she “shops”. At the end, she tells the cashier she has to go out to her car for her purse and never comes back. I guess that’s always stuck in my mind as a backup plan in case I become homeless, but the advice in this thread has been lots better. I hope you’ve gotten some help.
Hehehe…sent a little something via PayPal. Sent it as US Dollars, hope that works OK. Karma is a cool thing.
I know how it is to be low on food…here are some things I have done:
College campuses often have meetings, screenings and other events and at the very least cookies and soda are served. Oftentimes you luck out with pizza. Spend a day looking at a local campus calander to see what events you can do. You might even be able to get a student to use one of their meals to get you in to the dining hall (easiest at the end of the months, when they have leftover meals) where you can eat all you want and might even be able to sneak home some food.
Make friends with people that work in supermarkets. Hang out where the clerks take their smoke breaks and tell them your story. I ended up with huge bags of only-slightly-expired food this way.
Beans and rice are a sure bet. It’s cheap and as nutrious as it gets. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, beans take forever and are hard to get right. Without one, I stick to lentils and rice. You can cook them together at the same time and anything you have to add (yogurt, tomato sauce, spices) will make it taste better.
Talk to a co-worker. Even at my poorest, I was able to give my even broker foodless co-worker some bags of rice.
Trade services at your work (we gave free video rentals at our video store) in exchange for free food from local fast food joints.
Sneak in to bars with good happy hours. Try to get invited to wine-n-cheese art openings.
Ask a homeless person where you can get food. They are surprisingly helpful, especially to girls. You can learn where they day-old bread drops and soup kitchen meals are. Even if it is embarrasing, keep in mind that they understand hunger. They are often willing to help.
Spend a day at a day labor place. They pay in cash at the end of the day. If manual labor isn’t your gig, try the old classics of washing windows, mowing lawns, washing cars- whatever will get you enough cash for the beans and rice.
I hope you don’t have to use any of these suggestions, and it looks like you won’t, The dopers have helped me through some bad times as well. Best wishes.
You people amaze me in a new way every day. I’m speechless.
I’m amazed too. Good on you - all of you.
Howler Monkey, best of luck.
This place truly does rock. Restores my faith in humanity.
HHM, it sounds like you’re set, but let me know if you need more help. Addy’s in the profile (I think).
Don’t be afraid to ask - we all need help sometimes.
<Red Green>I’m pulling for you; we’re all in this together.</Red Green>
Regarding blood donation - they don’t pay for it here in Canada, but they do provide you with as many free cookies as you can eat. If you ever get in this situation again, keep it in mind.
I just got into work so I could get on the net, and I have to head off to a meeting/training session, I just had to log in and thank-you all so much, I will write more later, I am sorry this is so short, it really doesn’t do my feelings justice. You are the most awesome group of people in the world.
Snuffling again, boss is going to think I’m a bit nuts.
Just wondering… if you haven’t been eating too much lately, is free cookies for blood really going to improve your situation that much?? :] I’ve been told you should make sure to eat a good meal beforehand if you’re going to give blood and so forth. :]
You’d probably have to go in at the beginning of your fast…
Do you have plasma donation services there though (that is probably what he meant)? If you donate plasma you get $20-25, and it takes about 2 hours.
I would send you paypal funds (i’m poor too so I could only throw in $5 or so) but paypal may take 3-4 days to transfer the money into your bank account. If you have a mailing address you’d give I can send $5. But I doubt my $5 will matter any as other people have offered alot more than that.
What is important is to get as many calories per $ spent. If you buy a bunch of potatoes they may be cheap, but you are basically just eating solid water (potatoes have almost no calories), and you will start starving even if you eat 10 potatoes a day. 5 lbs of potatoes only has about 1600 calories in it and will set you back $3 or so. Not worth it all.
The foods with the highest caloric densities are
Homemade kool aid (15 cents for a half pound of sugar, 10 cents for a generic kool aid packet, 2 liters of water is free.)
generic soda in a 2-liter
spaghetti
rice
brownie and cake mix (3000 calories per $ spent if you buy generic)
bread
peanut butter
butter
Ramen Noodles (yuck)
mashed potato mix (add extra butter to add more calories)
All of these foods provide 2000-4000 calories per dollar, and that should be enough to get you by each day. If you are a good cook or really desperate then just buy sugar and self rising yeast (you may need eggs too, I haven’t baked bread in a while and forget how), that gives 7000 calories per dollar (for a woman that is about 3 days food for a dollar). It may not taste good but it’ll get you through the hard times.
Last but not least, sugar water can really get you through the hard times. Not that i’d recommend it but if you can get sugar for 25 cents a pound that is 7264 calories per $1 spent. Can you live off sugar dissolved in tap water? I dont think I can but its still a good source of cheap calories.
Hell you can get your sugar free from any fast food place. Just don’t let them see you lifting 50 small packets.
I find this idea pretty funny for some reason, but in theory it should help provide alot of calories.
Check your email again.
You people are amazing. I want to print this thread out and put it on my tiny dorm refrigerator.
In Canada they don’t pay for plasma either. You get cookies, a firm handshake and a thankyouverymuch.
There *are * a few other boards that would do the same- but damn few and none anywhere near as large as this one. We have great people here.
Well, I’d offer too, but I think you can get through until next payday now.
I have been poor before, but never that poor. I did once make ketchup & cracker sandwiches like Tom Hanks did in his last film.
Top ramen, cheap mac & cheese mixes are also good along with the rice & beans.
Some eateries do have free crackers laid out. Buy a cup of soup, eat all the bread & crackers you can while there, and walk off with your pockets full. Free sugar packets also, and sometimes tea. And at home you can mix ketchup, pepper, and hot water and with enough crackers it does kind of taste like tomato soup.
You all have done your Karma good, if nothing else. 
So how much have you gotten altogether? Just curious . . .
I’m between calls right now, so I wanted to come in and thank-you all again (sorry if this gets long, want to reply to everyone)
I don’t honestly know, I’ve never actually used the PayPal account before, I am having a little bit of a problem with it, it says it needs to send a small amount of money to my bank account to confirm it is mine, and then I need to log back into their site and confirm it, but it isn’t showing up yet. But it says it can take 2-3 days, so I am trying to be patient (person beside me is eating Mac & Cheese, trying not to drool, it smells good).
Wesley Clark & DrDeth the sugar idea is a great one, I made sugar water just now using the free sugar from the cafe, I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me…it’s like clear Kool Aid.
Actually have a call, will come back later…