Food stamps with a mercedes-benz

[grantmeaname]

There's a difference between a 1995 7 series that's been driven till the wheels fall off and a one-owner Merc that's five years old. A big difference.

[iris lily]

There's a difference between a 1995 7 series that's been driven till the wheels fall off and a one-owner Merc that's five years old. A big difference.

off topic, but--did you REALLY change your avatar from St. Louis' local boy, US Grant? awwwwww, that's too bad.

I went to a dinner some months ago where there was a reenactment that included US Grant and the actor was short and burley and quite convincing. I've also seen Grant's office in the old Illinois statehouse, very cool.

[ShortInSeattle]

This article cemented my decision to STOP READING such articles.  I feel I started using them as a way to feel superior, judgmental, and, sometimes, down right ugly against the poor /downtrodden (whatever their circumstances).  Instead, I am going to row my own boat, and not let them bring out the worst in me when I know there is literally nothing I can do but focus on myself, my family and our awesome MMM life.

This. Thank you giggles!

[MayDay]

I totally side eye keeping the car. Except they were probably thinking he would get a job any day, and then they would have to desperately scramble to buy a car. We sold our second car when H was able to bike/bus to work. Within a year the company collapsed, he was laid off, and we were in this horrible limbo of him job hunting, me driving the car to work, and the minute he landed a job we needed to go buy a car.  Luckily for us it ended well with being gifted an old beater.  But I get why they struggled with it.

 I agree with the PP who said the worst part of unemployment is not knowing when it will end. When H was laid off a second time and I was staying home with a baby and toddler, I applied for wic as soon as he lost his job. We had about six months of cash, plus could have tapped retirement accounts. But we were underwater on our house, had noidea how long he would be out of work, and we knew that one house/car/medical emergency could wipe out our emergency fund. I got us on WIC asap to extend the period of time we could go until the kids were truly hungry. I feel no shame about that.  Luckily H was employed within six months so we didn't get to that point, and we ate once again paying more in on taxes than the cost of the six months of wic we qualified for.

[grantmeaname]

off topic, but--did you REALLY change your avatar from St. Louis' local boy, US Grant? awwwwww, that's too bad.

Cincinnati had him first! Yeah, I did. Though I wouldn't be too surprised if he's back, because that picture is just ridiculously badass.

I went to a dinner some months ago where there was a reenactment that included US Grant and the actor was short and burley and quite convincing. I've also seen Grant's office in the old Illinois statehouse, very cool.

I really need to get out and see those and his tomb. I've been to his birthplace and childhood home but that's all.

[Kaspian]

Whatever the actual case, the author seems to focus much more on her embarrassment and blaming others for making her feel ashamed rather than diagnosing the mess, describing useful steps to correct things, or showing a little praise those who helped.  There's already plenty of Internet articles loosely headlined, "Other people suck because they made me feel bad about myself."  Meh, get over it.  It's all self-projected image consciousness anyway.  She felt embarrassed to go to a dingy place that had potholes in the parking lot to get food stamps.  ...Poor baby.  A part of town sucks?  Hey, that's somebody else's neighbourhood and reality--go easy on it.

[hownowbrowncow]

She's baaaack!!

http://time.com/3023619/childcare-low-income-debra-harrell/

[kite]

For a moment there, I thought it must have been 1974. Why is childcare solely the mother's problem?   Pet peeve of mine that journalists routinely omit any mention of fathers within the childcare discussion.  Do they think these kids are something that spontaneously happens to women?   Why are we making this society's problem without even a mention of Dads?