One family on "hard times"

[Racket_Man]

Boo freaking hoo, they can't go on 2-3 vacations a year. I haven't been on a vacation in over five years. I don't see me going on one any time soon.

Did they say $130 a WEEK in gas? How is that possible? I spend like $35 every 2-3 weeks. That's pathetic. How do they waste so much gas?

try doing delivery driving. I go through around $100 a week doing that though maybe for notmuch longer.

vacations hmmmmmmm lets see I take $10 a week from my tips and put it away so I can drive 500 miles to see my mom for a week.

hmmmmm do not now how to budget and needs to be shown???????? do some simple math like net income vs. expences like house payment, insurance, food, etc.

you know you will have certain fixed expences like house and car payment and insurance EACH AND EVERY MONTH put that aside 1st no questions asked. next variable expences try and best estimate them and put that money aside.

lastly put away (MEANING save some back) for emergancies. anything left over is yours (these days not much)

that my friends is budgeting

[Eben56]

Sorry, but I just don't understand why there is so much anger about these folks telling their story. They were not whining, complaining, or asking for anything. They even say "life is good".

I saw it as just an interesting human interest story about how even people who would normally have been unaffected by changes in the economy. The story was saying how they were adjusting, the kids were chipping in, their only major change to their life is fewer trips, etc.

There have always been poor people just scraping by and there have always been the rich. This is the first time that the american middle class has had to really think about money and saving.

I make a good living, I eat out a couple times a month, don't look at the price when deciding whether to have pork or chicken for supper, etc. I drive a pick-up, pay my bills on time and put $200-$300 each month into savings. The price of heating oil here is double last year. Some will freeze. To me it means there goes $150 of that savings. Gas is now $4.00. My commute is 300 miles per week. There goes another $100.00. My health insurance just went up about $100.00 each month.

I'm not hurting, but I have to change my lifestyle through no fault of my own. I did not become an alcoholic, did not quit my job (actually working more as I am salary and have to take up some of the slack because of layoffs), did not buy a pricy SUV. I was always fairly frugal... Not many toys.

My fellow CSers: These stories are important to read because traditionally it is the middle class that is the engine of any strong nation's economy. These are the people who eat the fast food we serve, buy the cell phones we support, and buy the computers we repair. If I have to decide whether to buy gas or go out to eat, I will still eat at home, but some hardworking single mom is not going to get my tip that night.

OK! rant off.

[mattm04]

Check out the picture of this women form NOLA. Look at what what she calls "pitiful" living conditions.

http://pursuingholiness.com/2007/12/...n-new-orleans/

Scroll down to the picture below the YouTube video.

[tacohuman]

ALTHOUGH, having said that, there are many more affordable types of vehicles other than Navigators and Silverados. I'm sure they could get a van that gets much better mileage.

the problem, though, may be that they are unable to afford a new vehicle without getting rid of what they have, and they may be unable to do so if their area is like mine, where many dealers are outright refusing the trade-in of suvs due to the current glut on the market. private sale is no help either, as people just aren't buying them.

[XCashier]

"If I knew what gas was going to do, I would never have gotten the SUV," his wife says with a sigh.

Oh, for heaven's sake! Who doesn't know that gas prices go up and down?! Who doesn't know that oil will eventually run out?! I've known that for decades, and have always driven cars that get at least 25 MPG, if not better.

Rebekka Rice says there's no family budget: "If a family of seven can live on a budget, I wish they'd teach me how!"

Yes, I wish someone would teach them about budgeting.

As for that article...

[blas]

Looking back on what I wrote earlier, I will say the ONLY thing I feel bad for them about is that it's kind of impossible to drive a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle when you have that large of a family.

ALTHOUGH, having said that, there are many more affordable types of vehicles other than Navigators and Silverados. I'm sure they could get a van that gets much better mileage.

[smileyeagle1021]

may I join in the chime of boo fricking hoo... I live with 3 other roommates in a (granted it is 3 bed 2 bath) just over 1100sq ft if you include the patio condo, I only drive to work on the days that I am working so much overtime that I CAN'T take the bus because it doesn't run late enough (or early enough as the case may be)... and the only vacation I have planned is to go to my grandma's interment...

[Sliceanddice]

im sorry really?
I work barely parttime, need a new one, with my sisters. moms, and my job we have about 300 a month for grocerys. Thats paying for a fraud against me, car payments, insurence.rent. and the stuff that cant be helped, gas and repairs.
we are 4 people squished in a less 1000 sg/ft condo.
and god help me if i could ever feel sorry for them.
People liuke that make me wanna call that 30 days guy and make them live the life of someone barely survinvng for as long as possible

[powerboy]

And they want me to feel sorry for them. I make 1/2 of what they do and just do a little over ok. But I do drive a small vehicle instead of a gas guzzler. Maybe, just maybe if they sold a vehicle, that they might have some money to help out.

[edible_hat]

A few months ago there was a similar article in my local paper... family with 5 kids, 2 SUVs, single wage earner on double the average weekly income, and complaining about not having to cut back on international travel and being forced to buy a slightly smaller plasma TV than the one they wanted.

2 days later the editorial claimed that they didn't try to make readers feel sympathy for the people in the story, and that all the people who wrote letters about it misinterpreted the story.

The day after that they retracted that editorial.

[the_std]

Hey, I never said it was a good reason. But some people will use their children as a reason (or excuse) for anything.

[Evil Queen]

They're all between the ages of 9 and 16, I think they would be fine unless they're like my EX and are compleatly incompitant. Then it might be a good idea not to let them out in public.

[the_std]

And how can't this woman get a part-time job?

The kids might be her reason.

[Parrothead]

And how can't this woman get a part-time job? I'm a full time student (Full time is 12+ hours, I'm taking 15) and working 30-40 hours a week in a kennel. I have a friend who took her senior year in high school and her freshman year of college at the same time, and she still had time for scouts.

Granted, my fifteen hours is in three classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I can work five days a week.

[ReadyToRetire]

I did notice that the article said it was a 99 Navigator. Selling price is less than 10,000 in excellent condition. Not quite the expensive car everyone is making it out to be.

The community in which they live, and the article was written, may be very high-brow, so cutting back like this may be a "hardship" for them.

The husband works 7 freakin days a week <not always, though>.

The fact that they spend $500 a MONTH in groceries for 7 people is utterly amazing.
I spend $200 a month and I live by myself, and still go out to eat <and get free meals when I'm working>.

I dunno, maybe the point of the article was that things are getting so bad, that even people living the good life are starting to feel it.