Food For Thought
I know I complain about my meal budget, which is why I’m doing an April challenge of spending only $50 per week on vittles. But there are a lot of people in this world having a hard time affording food. The New York papers have been writing a lot about that issue.
In a Newsday story, the paper writes about people with middle income jobs who are using food pantries to feed their families. In the New York Times article, the story discusses the increase of people using food stamps. Geez. I’m glad that the people profiled are getting much needed help, but a little sad that there are people here who can’t afford meals.
These articles are more motivation for me to save money, just in case times get tough.Have you always had enough food to eat? How do you deal with saving money on food? Have you ever used food stamps or a pantry?
Thanks Chic not Cheap and Jasmine for the links.
15 Responses to Food For Thought
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I guess I don’t really think about food….I just buy it. I try really hard to buy store brand stuff when possible and will use coupons. However, I am not buying groceries at Walmart yet to save even more money. I guess good food is my one indulgence! Even in our early days of being married and unemployed we always were able to buy groceries (although I did carry a calculator with me to the store!)!
This post made me think of another article I was reading that was talking about how families are doing grocery shopping at Walmart, etc.
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I think food and other necessities should be first on your list then you pay rent , car and other obligations.
I hate to play devil’s advocate, but it’s simply where they live is making them poor.
Living in Long Island, NY, I’m sorry that place it very expensive to make it on 70K a year however if they stayed in ATL, SC, or other southern states they would not have this problem
Also you always have to watch your lifestyle. If you make $70K –guess what you can’t live like you make $70K.
Unless you have a side hustle that can supplement your lifestyle.
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Twiggers-Well, you already know I’m coupon challenged. Maybe I’ll start taking calculators to the grocery store. Heheh
Moneymonk-Indeed, New York is rather pricey. Southern-even Midwestern living-is easier on the finances. No, I take that back. South Florida’s kinda pricey, too.
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I blame our administration for the price increase of food just like everything else. The rich get richer and the poor become third world citizens.
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NBC Nightly news is doing special called Hard Times.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#23889563
When I got laid off in late 2001, I got a restaurant job. Pockets empty…belly full!
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There’s a calculator function included in most cell phones. And you probably already take your cell to the grocery store (and everywhere else, ever).
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I’m sorry but most of the people mentioned in the article are in their situations because of their own actions and decisions. The guy who makes $70,000 and goes to the food pantry is doing so because he signed onto a terrible mortgage. That’s his fault, not society’s. Also, there is a common thread of people having children who are clearly not financially capable of paying for them. So, again, how is it society’s fault that someone has 4 kids and he or she does not have the financial means to take care of raising those kids? Plus, I guarantee you that these families have expenses which could be cut out of their budgets; they just choose not to because they view them as necessities (cell phones, cable tv, SUV’s, clothes, etc.) So I admit it, I don’t feel sorry for these middle-income families who can’t buy food because they choose to buy other unnecessary goods instead and are in their situations because of their own decisions (having children they are not financially able to support) OR signing onto an incredibly stupid mortgage.
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Mary Sue- Great point!
Josh-I’m blogging about cutting back expenses everyday because I see how easy it is to go from “middle class” to broke. I got a wake up call this year. I am thankful that I did.
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“I’m blogging about cutting back expenses everyday because I see how easy it is to go from “middle class” to broke.”
Ok, but this “ease” with which the middle-class can go broke is overwhelmingly caused by bad decision making, stupidity, incompetence, or personal lifestyle choices, all of which are controllable.
Yes, it is easy to go broke if you earn a middle-class salary but try to live like an upper-class individual. For example, the guy quoted in the article who makes $70,000 (they didn’t mention anything about his wife working so lets assume she doesn’t) and has to go to the food pantry said he mortgage jumped from $3300 to $4300/month. Which means that before his mortgage reset, he was paying $39,600/year in housing costs or approximately 56% of his (pre-tax) salary. This is unsustainable and stupid. Whoever approved him for a monthly home payment of more than his gross salary is a moron. And the guy is also quite stupid for choosing to live in a house which requires that much of his salary. So when people make extremely stupid, unwise, and financially unsustainable decisions, why are we to feel sorry for them when they can’t pay their food bill? They valued other things (nice expensive house, SUV’s, etc.) over their food, so again, why should we feel sorry for them?
I’m sick and tired of people who spend unnecessary money and try to live an upper-income lifestyle on a middle or lower income salary whining when they can’t make ends meet due to their own stupidity and financial incompetence.
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sorry…”Whoever approved him for a monthly home payment of more than his gross salary is a moron.”
should read
“Whoever approved him for a monthly home payment of more than 50% of his gross salary is a moron, seeing as how the recommended level of expense to spend on housing is 33%.”
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I so qualify for food stamps and so much more gov. assistance on my journalist salary…sorta makes me want to leave the industry and get a better paying job than apply for assistance though. I love writing and I love the news and the fourth estate…but sometimes a girl has got to eat!
P.S. I know, I know we live in San Diego — a HCOL area. But my pay was similar in Utah — LCOL — and I felt the same frustration.
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Namesake-Even though we are “professionals” it doesn’t seem like it sometimes. I first noticed it when I saw that I qualified for an affordable housing program a few years back. I thought that by working everyday, my salary would be enough to not qualify for any government program. It’s kind of a quasi-middle class existence.
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So, I would just like to add a thought: How many “upper-class” American soldiers are in Iraq right now fighting a war declared by the upper class? I would venture to say they’re the exception rather than the rule. But I would be interested in knowing how many of those soldiers grew up on food stamps or were children who, according to Josh, should not have been born because their families were too poor. That’s just one example. Many entrepreneurs have grown up to contribute to our society. I think of Wendy’s Dave Thomas who was adopted and according to Josh…The point is that children, poor or not, can grow up to contribute great things. A society is built around them. They will end up paying into the Social Security. People who think like Josh would benefit from a more global perspective.
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“But I would be interested in knowing how many of those soldiers grew up on food stamps or were children who, according to Josh, should not have been born because their families were too poor.”
Thank you for distorting my comments Jasmine. Much appreciated.
“The point is that children, poor or not, can grow up to contribute great things.”
Jasmine, you completely missed the point of my post. My point was that if you are not financially capable of having children, then you should not have children. And if you do, then don’t rely on government handouts from my tax dollars and the tax dollars of other responsible fiscally sane individuals to help raise your children. The point isn’t that poor children can not achieve great things. The point is that responsible working people like myself should not have to pay taxes to support irresponsible and fiscally reckless people many (but not all) of those mentioned in those 2 articles. Do you understand now?
“People who think like Josh would benefit from a more global perspective.”
People who think like Jasmine might benefit from a more intellligent, educated, and fiscally sane perspective.
So I leave you with a question Janet. Why should I give up my hard-earned money to give food and money to people who aren’t working hard or aren’t financially responsible? So if I buy a new car and then crash it 2 days later, and I don’t have the money to fix it, shouldn’t the government pay for that? It’s no different when people buy things like cell phones, big screen tv’s, and SUV’s, yet receive food stamps or free government health insurance.
Twiggers