No matter who you are, you’ve probably been up the financial creek at some stage.

Some people go for a dip to see what it’s like, but others get caught in the current and are there for the long haul.

If you’re not sure, here are a few tell-tale signs you may recognise. And if any are still at play today, it’s probably time to start looking for a paddle…

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When you choose to drive in a sauna rather than turn on the air con, and slip it into neutral every time you hit a slight downhill.

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When you start justifying your casual shoplifting from the supermarket because they’re big greedy corporates and can afford it.

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When you start shopping at Vinnies for real, not just for dress-up parties.

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When you start buying Christmas presents at Vinnies.

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When you have more messages from the electricity company chasing a bill than your mates. This includes text, voice, email messages, and good old-fashioned letters.

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When you start combing the deals on the back of your supermarket docket.

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When you start collecting the dregs from all the abandoned drinks at a bar to fill your glass. Also referred to as a “game” called Random Drink (by people already up the creek).

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When people regularly ask if you’re doing the 40 Hour Famine.

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When you start sneaking a hip flask into bars, festivals or ridiculously over-priced footy stadiums. Actually, on second thought, that’s just good sense.

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When the wine you take to a BYO joint is cheaper than the corkage.

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When you’ve marked off council-clean up / hard-rubbish / chuck-out weekend on your calendar and your entire apartment is furnished with road-side gems.

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When your dates deteriorate from dinner and a movie to a bag of goon in the park.

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When house parties come back into fashion.

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When you’re really hanging out for a particular great-grandma to cark it.

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When you start asking the parents if they particularly want that chair/lamp/car/family heirloom, because you’d be happy to throw it on eBay for them.

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When you’d rather spend 18 hours photocopying every page of a textbook than pay for it.

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And the biggest doozy of all… when you move back in with the folks.

Image: unsplash.com