Paycheck to Paycheck

Recently, my husband and I took an online money management course. We are part of the ever growing class that is called “the working poor”. It means that we live paycheck to paycheck. It means that we struggle to pay our bills each month. It means that we are one paycheck away from homelessness. It means that a bad tooth, new tires, an illness are each enough to send us into panic mode where we make the decision to let the electric bill go for a month to accommodate the “crisis”.
We have grown used to the government and our current president not understanding situations like ours. They tell us to buy hybrids (you must have money for down payments, insurance, and monthly payments), go back to school (you must have money and time) and to tighten your belts (most of us have had to add new holes to our already very tight belts).
They seem to forget that while the majority of Americans live in a city type setting where some of these things might help- the majority of America is rural. We live miles away from public transit, stores, libraries, schools, etc. Gas runs our lives. For many, just getting to a gas station would be farther than a hybrid can travel.
So, back to this class, it was supposed to help us make a budget. It was supposed to help us “cut the fat” from our spending. I really expected more than we got. After entering our basic expenses, it informed us that we were spending more than we were taking in- no s#%@! It then proceeded to tell us ways to “cut back”. We weren’t sure whether to laugh or cry at the suggestions.
1. Stop drinking expensive coffees. (We don’t drink coffee of any kind).
2. Rent movies instead of going to them. (We haven’t been to a movie in 5 years- we also do not rent them- we watch them on Netflix for $9.00 a month).
3. Eat out less. (In the past 18 months, we have eaten out 3 times, this includes a run through McDonald’s drive thru window, Chinese food where we split a lunch and Denny’s where we split a breakfast.)
4. Carpool, take the bus or use public transit. (My husband works in the next big town to us, he drives our smaller car which has to be filled twice a week, $45 a fill. I am left with the pickup which means I go nowhere whenever possible. It takes ½ a tank to go to town and back- $35.)
5. Get a better job. (I’ve been trying but our local employment office will only qualify me for job experience that I have been paid for. 20 years of parenting, church work, volunteer work doesn’t count for anything.)
6. Shop sales for clothing and similar items. (We shop yard sales and thrift stores- gas prices will probably be eliminating even those).
The list goes on. Doesn’t anybody have a clue? I wish they would get one. We were so disgusted with this class and its advice. We know that we aren’t the only ones out there. We meet others all the time. We all make a little too much money to get help but not enough to really do anything but spin our wheels month after month. When will our voices be heard?
And in the meantime, I have my next vehicle all picked out, it’s a shiny red shopping cart. I think I’ll look great pushing all my earthly belongings around in it. I’ve also been brushing up on my survival skills just in case.
That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?