some folks really have to save

[bookwormom]

driving home from the feedstore, there was something on NPR on hard times. a woman from Massachusetts told about the hardships they have since she lost her job. they used to eat all their meals out or ordered carry in, their favorite Indian restaurant came to 50 bucks a meal. she has had to resort to buying frozen dinners and that has saved her a lot. someone told her, you can save even more if you buy a bag of real potatoes instead of frozen french fries. she declined, saying she is not that low yet, that would make her feel like a housewife.
I was not sure whether to laugh or to cry. thought I would share it.

[FrugalMom]

Some grand delusion these "poor" folks have fallen for. Has it really gotten that bad? Feel like a housewife or not, you'd think she'd want to save every dollar she can right now!!

[pcrowder]

wow....that is a real head shaker, for sure. Unfortunately, book, it is all too common in this day and age. Some people will be in denial until they are literally down to their last penny, and then will wonder not only how did they get there, but where do they go from here? And by that time,it will be toooooooo late! *

[pcrowder]

Oh, and WELCOME, Frugal mom! You'll like it here! ;D

[8kids4me]

Personally, real potatoes taste better than frozen anyway. Gee, I must be a housewife or something!! ;)

[michiganmom]

Being a house wife, nothing wrong with that. I am proud to be a house wife.

[sissy]

Personally I love being a housewife (except cleaning LOL) I love doing things for my husband. Taking care of him pleases me. And he takes wonderful care of me. We do certain things separately & help each other with other things.. We even run a business togather. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Sissy

[Wyobuckaroo]

----------" saying she is not that low yet, that would make her feel like a housewife."----------

Sounds like a type A person, raised by much to affluent, A type parents, more worried about keeping up with the Jones.

Never had to deal with anything more pressing in life than juggling nail appointments, with yoga, and fund raisers.

But don't get me started, or I'll have to let you know what I really think......................

Wyo

[Trina_S.]

Sounds like a woman I spoke to in the store a while back.
She commented on the amount of food I had in the cart (we stock up on things every two to three weeks) Plus I have two teenagers at home. As I looked in her cart she had three or four items pre-made salads gourmet this and that.
As I thought about it later, it occurred to me that when things go south as they will before it gets any better.
It will be people like this woman who will be crying on the news that she has no food in the house. I think so many people are going to wake up shocked. :o

[firegirl969]

I take pride in cooking homemade french fries and making homemade bread. I must be a housewife!

[Native87]

I have to vote for laughing at her. She was given good advice and pushed it under the rug. Like my Grandparents used to say "If you can't hear you can sure feel" Case in point. Terry

[CanNerd]

I have a friend in another state that is exactly like that and even stayed with an abusive husband in order to have "the good life." Her good life is crumbling away rapidly and she has nothing to hold on to and reality can't get through to her.

Her husband lost his job and the secretary job she begrudgingly got will end in 3 months or sooner. I'm expecting abuse to accelerate as conditions truly worsen and they try to save a $1M home and lifestyle.

[Kyhome]

Guess I should be glad that I don't know anyone like this lady. Kind of hard to understand the thinking with her outlook and stance. I for one am real proud of my house wife even though we dont see eye to eye on getting out of the city areas. Rick

[Catalpa]

I really have to shake my head at this one. How sad!

Home made foods are always better than frozen dinners; but her response goes way beyond that. She's not even living in reality! There are none so blind as those who will not see.

She spurns what I long for. Being a single mom I have to work outside the home to support us. My wish would be to marry a fellow homesteader type guy so I could actually be a housewife and have time to garden and can and raise animals and everything I long to do to make a house a home.

But hey, maybe I'm just a redneck.

[MIKENSUE]

I agree with all of you. I work part time in a grocery store and cannot believe the amount of convenience foods people buy. Not just the young mothers, but older people as well. Whether it be the pizza, egg rolls, "steam fresh veggies and meals" for the microwave, cheese bread, or just plain stuff from our bakery. 4.19 for a dozen cookies!!!
Good Lord, what ever happened to buying ingredients and making it yourself? Last weekend I made a pot of homemade bean soup with a leftover ham bone that I froze from 2 weeks ago. Ham was 1.19 a lb originally, beans were home grown from last year. Homemade lemon pie, lemons 2 for 88 cents, and a loaf of homemade bread. I fed 4 people supper AND lunch for under what most people spend on one night out for 2.
If that makes me a house wife then so be it!
I feel I got a heck of a lot of knowledge that many of the younger generation is going to be scrambling to glean from in this ecomonomy. Thank God for my parents and grandparents for teaching me gardening, cooking, canning and GOOD OLD FASHIONED VALUES!

Sue

[leera]

That woman sounds a lot like a young girl I work with..... :P

We had a conversation last night about saving money....my DH and I volunteer at a church on Tuesdays that has a clothing and household goods give away every week.......I have gotten a large portion of my wardrobe there......

She(the girl) told me that her father forbids her to shop at resale shops or thrift stores,and used clothing is an absolute NO NO........my response was " No one is going to know your clothes are used unless you tell them....and most people won't even care."

I only wish I could stay home and be a house wife......it would make me SO HAPPY!!!!......

[Wyobuckaroo]

Leera
-------------------
She(the girl) told me that her father forbids her to shop at resale shops or thrift stores,and used clothing is an absolute NO NO........my response was " No one is going to know your clothes are used unless you tell them....and most people won't even care."
-------------------------

So, did she have an answer to this ? Or just a deer in the headlights look to say "what do you mean ?"

I practically live out of the thrift store. About 99.9% of my stuff comes from there. The only things I routinely buy new are socks and whitie-tighties.

A quick trip through the washer and everything I have gotten from thrift is good to go.

I guess I don't get people sometimes.............

Wyo

[anna]

I object to the term housewife. I'm a wife married to dh. Not the house. I'm a HOMEMAKER and proud of it. I also work full time but can't recall the last time I bought frozen potatoes. Actually, I think its been nearly a year since I bought potatoes!! We're still eating potatoes and sweet potatoes from our garden and I can guarantee they taste better than anything gourmet that lady buys!

I have to questions people's skewed judgment. I had a young woman crying on my shoulder about not being able to afford food ... but she had two babies in disposable diapers. I gently suggested that if she used cloth diapers she would be able to afford food even tho the inital cost would be higher. Her reply, oh I have cloth diapers but can't use them because I don't have pins!!!!!!! What she actually told me was she would rather go hungry than use cloth diapers.

[Saoirse]

I overheard a mom at the grocery store telling her son that they "needed" toaster pastries because he had eaten the last of them that morning.
My kids lived on homemade pancakes or oatmeal for breakfast. Clothes and toys were usually from garage sales, Amvets and homemade. I often used cloth diapers and made baby food. We had a modest garden and I shopped the sales for groceries. Lunch was peanut butter and jelly, leftovers or homemade macaroni and cheese. Dinner was homemade and well planned. I wasn't born a great cook; I had to teach myself cooking as I went. Nothing went to waste. It was my obsession. Ordering pizza was a rare treat. Their dad worked full time and more if he could. I worked on and off and took classes at the community college when we could scrape the tuition together. Somehow we found time for volunteer work on the weekends. We usually had only 1 car at a time; it was always a beater. Twice a month I took the kids to the library. Our furniture was absolutely battered. Our house was the cheapest and ugliest on the block. We constantly worked on it and kept it clean. We never had a pool and vacation was visiting my parents. We were usually broke, but we managed to pay our bills.
And you know what? My kids talk about what a great childhood they had.
Note: The kids never tasted a toaster pastry or frozen potatoes until they were well into their teens, I'm sure. :)

[leera]

WYO,she really just did the deer in headlights look...... ::)

I don't think she could comprehend that you don't have to spend $100.00 on one shirt......(I have gotten$100.00 shirts news with the tags on them for free at the church).

I'd would say that about 85% of my current clothing is from the church or thrift stores,the other 15% is stuff I refuse to wear used(undies,etc)or I have had for several years and just keep them in good shape.

It interesting to watch people shop who don't really know how to shop too......

I have a friend who has five kids,at one time she was getting 700 a month just in food stamps,and she would spend every last penny on premade,frozen,processed junk.......nothing that required any actual cooking or thought.

I couldn't even imagine having that much money to buy food with.My pantry would be stuffed floor to ceiling with just one month of her food stamps.

What was even better was her brother,who married a woman with kids,instant family,so what did he do? Started gardening,and plants a 1/2 acre garden every year now to help cut down food costs.....big diferences in the two siblings eh?

[lsg]

Sounds like the type of drag on society that the government wants to support. Too lazy to do anything other than put it in the microwave and nuke it.

[rivahmom]

How is using a real potato "low"? This woman needs to check her priorities. I have enough money to live on processed crap but I choose to fix foods from scratch because it is healthier, cheaper, and taste better. I also find it irresponsible to feed your child crap for breakfast, lunch and supper. It must be the natural homemaker in me. I have also seen the food stamp mammas fill their carts with chips, soda and every frozen dish imaginable. I cannot justify paying 3.00 for box for shake and bake when I can spend the same amount on a bag of flour and not get MSG headaches from it. They fill their bodies with crap on the guvment dime and then moan about needing free medical care. Sorry for the rant, certain things trigger my temper and this is one of them.

[appalachian]

This woman reminds me of my sister in law >:(

[jebrown]

What cracks me up is a lot of them are so puzzled about why they can't get by on a six figure income.
When I talk wit peopleabout disaster preparedness and food storage I always bring one kitchen item with me. I show it to them and ask "Do you know what this is and how to operate it"?
The majority of the under 45 crowd have no idea. Some have seen one before but can't tell what is is. Others can tell me what it is but don't know how to use one.When I tell them that it is a hand-operated mechanical can opener I get all kinds of remarks and disbelief until I show them how to operate one.
It is a can opener with one round and one flat handle. The flat one having a soda pop bottle (or Beer) opener on the end.
I also show them the one with a blade to puncture the can and slice the lid open little by little. It has a cork screw inside the handle.
At one seminar an eight year old boy demonstrated to the rest of the people how that one operated. When he had opened the can he turned to me and said that he found one in an old fishing tacke box belonging to his Grandfather who taught him how to us it. The boy also knew what a miltary P-38 was and how to opereate it. He had one o a key ring that he used to open another can. A passdown gift from his Grandpa.
Can you imagine this lady who doesn't want to lower herself by cooking with real potatos would feel if she had to use a mechanical can opener?

[Woody]

I saw an article in the paper today where a couple changed cell phone plans and saved $140.00 per month. What are they paying per month now after the savings? I think I'm missing something on that.

We pay $65.00 a month and I think that is ridiculous but I guess I'm saving a lot !

Woody

[cry_freedom]

Normally I wouldn't wish ill on people. But this woman is indicative of the type of worthless citizenry that needs to become seriously poor. If there is one thing above all others I hate it is snobbery.

A few years of growing her own food, taking care of a home and living a simple life would beat that out of her. Sadly I'm sure Uncle Samuel will intervene and bail her and her spawn out of the situation. In the same time just making the nation weaker.

[ShaunaRB]

she declined, *saying she is not that low yet, that would make her feel like a housewife. *
I was not sure whether to laugh or to cry. thought I would share it.



WOW! *I loved being "low"! lol *A year ago I had to go back to work,full time, due to having to put our 3 girls in a private school (serious safety issues in our public schools). *I would give ANYTHING *to be a stay at home mom and wife again! I miss the cooking, baking, what I call "serious gardening", and most of all being here for my girls when they come home from school. *When I first read your post I felt insulted (I still do), then anger that she would say such a thing about something she doesn't even realize she's missing out on, then pity, BECAUSE she doesn't realize what she's missing.
Yup, I would give ANYTHING to be that low again! ;)

[neopat]

I heard a similar story on NPR the other morning about the DHL "situation." They, DHL, had tried to get in on the ground biz in the U.S. and finally closed down the operation and laid off a lot of people. The woman they were talking with had been there for 19 years and now she had no idea what was gonna happen to her. She said, and I paraphrase, "Its just a travesty. I was here 19 years and now I am left with nothing."
The travesty, in my opinion, is that she did not save and/or plan for a rainy day. It amazes me each and every day to see these "sheeple" wonder what happened and why! I could go on and on but believe me, I am not above lowering myself to survive. My definition of humility is---knowing where you've been, where you are, and where you are going.
I'll stop now. LOL

[calliesue]

I was talking to a girl I worked with about buying a big bag of chicken leg quarters and how I could make three meals out of them. When I told her I just skin, boil, and bone the chicken her eyes about rolled back in her head. She said that was ," Too Country For Her! "

[bookwormom]

how stupid is that, but fine with me,

[Junie]

WOW! *I loved being "low"! lol *A year ago I had to go back to work,full time, due to having to put our 3 girls in a private school (serious safety issues in our public schools). *I would give ANYTHING *to be a stay at home mom and wife again! I miss the cooking, baking, what I call "serious gardening", and most of all being here for my girls when they come home from school. *When I first read your post I felt insulted (I still do), then anger that she would say such a thing about something she doesn't even realize she's missing out on, then pity, BECAUSE she doesn't realize what she's missing.
Yup, I would give ANYTHING to be that low again! ;)
Couldn't you homeschool them? That way they'd be safe, they'd get a good education, and you'd be home, doing what you want to do.

[Terri]

I was talking to a girl I worked with about buying a big bag of chicken leg quarters and how I could make three meals out of them. When I told her I just skin, boil, and bone the chicken her eyes about rolled back in her head. She said that was ," Too Country For Her! "

That is too country for my kids also! They want them cut up and fried!

DH and I like the chicken 'n dumplings I make from the back pieces that get cut off of the thighs, but that is too country to please the kids. They eat lightly and then raid the fridge.

There is so much to teach the kids that it is hard to teach them scratch cooking but I make sure they know the basics: finding a recipe in the cookbook, measuring, cleaning, baking, etc. And, of course, shopping!

[Prairie]

I know I shouldn't, but I really enjoy threads like these. Thanks for digging it up again!

The stupidity of people is amazing. I heard an interview on the radio a month or so ago, with some lady who went all frugal and tried to save as much money as possibly, and she said that the most expensive thing that she quit buying is Bisquik. For a $3 or so box of pancake mix, she could make the same amount for 30c or so with flour, lard, and baking soda. And just a couple of weeks ago, my mom had my kids over and they said that they love soft tacos and my mom asked me how I made them. I told her she needed the tortilla skins, a lb of ground beef, some lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar, and salsa and sour cream. (When I make soft tacos, I go all out) She said what about the seasoning. So I told her the propertions of the chili powder, cumin, oregano, etc.. She groaned as if it was too much work to throw the spiced together, so I said, "or... you could just go to the supermarket and get the Old El Paso taco seasoning spice packet for 99c." I was invited over for supper that night, and instead of buying the tortillas and spice packet seperately, she bought the Soft Taco Kit for a few dollars more! Sadly, this is my mom. Then again, whats a few more dollars here and there? :o