"I Dressed in Lost and Found Clothes" – What’s Your Wildest ‘I Was Young and Needed the Money’ Story?

I sold my ID card and passport. (I really needed the money.) Of course, I reported them lost at the office the same day to clear my name if anyone tried to use them.

Not me, but my then-heroin-addicted girlfriend sold a Madonna-autographed poster for next to nothing. She had waited for hours in the freezing cold outside the Hilton where Madonna was filming Evita to get it signed. That’s when I realized the harsh grip of addiction.

My friend said she could get me a job in England and even bought my plane ticket (I promised to pay her back from my first paycheck). I just had to get to Budapest and board the plane. I was 1.50 USD short for the train ticket and had only half an hour left.

I went into a pub and started begging customers. Everyone shooed me away except an older man who said he’d give me the money if he could touch my chest. I had to choose between slapping him or accepting. With no other option, I let him. He groped me a few times, paid, and I ran to the station. Not my proudest moment, but now I run my own business in England, so it was worth it.

I lived in a small four-apartment building for two years but had to move in with a friend after losing my job and falling behind on rent. The lady who rented me the tiny place lived downstairs but moved to the countryside to be with her son and was rarely home. I secretly moved back in. The other tenants didn’t suspect anything since they’d known me for two years. I used almost no electricity or water and barely came home except to sleep because I was working hard at my new job to save for a deposit on a better place. I stayed rent-free for six months until I got back on my feet without anyone noticing.

A friend worked at a fast-food joint where feeding homeless people was forbidden, so I hid behind the dumpster while he secretly slipped me leftovers they were about to throw away. I lived on that for three months—and ironically, I gained eight pounds.

I really wanted to fit in at my new job, so I was thrilled when my coworkers invited me to work out with them. The first session was free for office workers, so the entry fee wasn’t an issue—but I had no clothes to wear and wouldn’t get paid for another two weeks.

I went to the gym and told them I’d accidentally left my workout clothes there and asked if I could check the lost and found. That’s where I found a pair of pants. I got turned away at the next place with no luck, but the following two gyms had a top and a sweatshirt I could borrow. That’s how I managed to join the girls for workouts.

I broke a glass next to my bowl of rice and it filled with shards, but I had no other food—or money to buy any. So I ate carefully, picking out glass pieces from every bite. There was even a time I lived on soup made from half a bouillon cube dissolved in hot water for two weeks.

One of our clients was a handsome, wealthy family man who never hid that he liked me. When my company closed, I hit a tough financial patch. I couldn’t find work but had to pay rent. I called him, explained my situation, and we agreed on an arrangement.

He visited me twice a week for sex and paid me 860 USD monthly for two years. He was a good lover and kind person—I don’t regret it. When I got back on my feet and met my current boyfriend, we ended the agreement but stayed on good terms and still keep in touch.

During university, I was so broke one night I took my flashlight to a closed hypermarket parking lot to search for coins, hoping to gather enough for some bread. A police officer found me suspicious and pulled up beside me. When I explained, he took me to a 24-hour shop and bought me food.

I was so down on my luck I had to go back to my parents’ place in the countryside but needed a few dollars for the bus ticket. I had no choice but to beg at the station. Within an hour, I collected over 3 USD and never had to do that again.

Photos: istockphoto.com

"I Dressed in Lost and Found Clothes" – What’s Your Wildest ‘I Was Young and Needed the Money’ Story?

Identity

The Keepsake

Grabbed

Squat

Behind the Dumpster

Outfit

Shards

Transaction

Suspicious

Beggar

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