Posted on 03/07/2005 7:08:34 PM PST by SLB
Welfare lines would shrink if everyone became frugal.
Being frugal ain't easy. We're variously seen as fringe fanatics, minimalists, or threats to a consumerist driven economy. It's not easy to hide being frugal, either, and it's even hard to imagine a society where being frugal was accepted.
What a life that would be! What a cut to the goverment's beloved welfare programs!
If everyone understood how to stretch food, how to cut back on utility costs, how to get out and stay out of debt, how to find alternative housing and transportation and how to shop for necessities with a frugal eye, the level of welfare in the form of food stamps, Section 8 Vouchers and clothing banks, would drop like a rock in the ocean.
And if even the corporations and cities and towns and the government itself became frugal... well, what a dream world it would be!
I'm dreaming, of course, but if - just if - it would really happen? What would it be like?
For one thing I think that places like McDonald's and Safeway and Walmart would quit throwing out good food.
They'd give it away, or sell it for a dime on the dollar at the least, and people wouldn't be stupid enough to try to sue them for doing a good deed. No sir, they'd be all too happy to find food for such a great price, and those who were too good to buy food at or near the expiration date would leave plenty for those who just needed the food.
Farmer's fields would be open to gleaners after they were harvested, just like the Good Book says they should be. The gleaners and recipients of throwaway food would know what to do with it, too. They'd make good meals from it, and freeze it and can it and dehydrate it for when they needed it. No more soup lines or welfare coupons for them!
People would know how to darn socks and not have to buy inferior quality because they could only afford one pair of good socks instead of 6 pairs of poor ones. They could buy one good pair every other year and keep the old ones in good repair. Same thing with other articles of clothing. Companies would be forced to make things that really lasted, like they used to.
If it became difficult to pay the rent or mortgage, people would opt for housesitting, buying a camper to live in, or rooming with others who had the same dilemma, among other things. Forget Uncle Sam's Section 8 welfare program. Who wants the government to babysit them all their lives, anyway?
Don't get me wrong! Welfare is fine and good for the times when it's truly needed. Even when we're frugal to the bone, things happen - unexpected bills, job loss, divorce or major illnesses can turn our financial worlds upside down and we should never be too proud to use it when we need to. The welfare program is ours; we've already paid for it.
Too often, though, going on welfare is used as a substitute for education and motivation. It's often easier to get food stamps than to grow a garden. It's easier to stop by the clothing bank than to learn to mend and sew. It's definitely easier to stand in line for government housing assistance than it is to get on the ball and find another way to house our families.
I'm not saying everyone can do all of those things all the time. I AM saying that some of the people can do some of the things some of the time - and that, if those who could, did, it would make a measureable impact on government welfare, which we all pay for.
We can't convince people they need to budget, much less teach them how, at the same time we're touting the newest "convenience" food stupidity or going deeper into debt to keep up with the Joneses. Prewashed (ready to bake!) potatoes for the price of a five pound bag, McMansions that are empty all day so Mom and Dad can work to pay for them, and outfits that take all afternoon to shop for and all day long to pay for, come at a cost, and it isn't all straight cash outlay.
It's a cost to our moral fiber, if you will. America was founded on independence and ingenuity. Where has that gone?
It must be waiting in line at the welfare office. And, yes, I have my flame retardant clothing on. Fire away.
Ping
AKA good old fashioned farm / frontier sense. Just like m' grandpappy taught.
The economy would crash if everyone became frugal. It's ok to be frugal yourself, but it's in your economic self interest to encourage others to spend away.
Amen.
"Welfare lines would shrink if everyone became frugal. "
Well, there is a novel idea!
It's high time to really reform the welfare system:
It should have a definite limit, so people don't spend their entire lives on welfare. People who are disabled, ill ( I mean really disabled and really ill, not people who get a doctor's affidavit that they have a back problem, then they go out and participate very nicely in more physical activity,than those who aren't "disabled"), or elderly should get welfare.
Healthy people can fall on hard time, they could get welfare for a very limited time, to get back on their feet, but that's it.
Single women with children should ask their Mother to babysit, and they should go to work, preferably when they only have 1-2, that will make them think about wanting to just keep having children, because that will get them more free money.
It's amazing how little money people can get by actually very nicely, if they do spend frugally.
Been there, done that, still have the T-shirt-Ping
I have no choice but to be frugal....
I don't have any money, I live in Erie County!
Good article, Thanks SLB!
When we didn't have the cash to do expensive things the things seemed important. Now that we have the cash to do expensive treats (movies, dinner out, a weekend away, nice clothes) they aren't important anymore.
Darn Skippy!
Would you live on the cheap if someone else was paying the tab?
Look up frugal in the dictionary and you will see my face!!
"I'm not cheap, I'm frugal!!!!"
Not many people have to be frugal. Most have enough money to waste, and others are covered by gov't programs.
People who choose to be frugal so that, for example, one parent can stay home with their kids, do very well.
You're asking for people who don't have to be frugal to do so. Won't happen. It's easier to waste money.
100% agreed!
It kinda burns me up when I see people with food stamps buying
cookies and sugar coated cereal. What, you can't bake your own cookies for a fraction of what you buy them for? And what's wrong with good old fashioned oatmeal? I've often thought people on welfare should at least be required to take nutrition classes for pete's sake!
The most frugal person I know lives on the subway, drinks soup out of his shoe and eats scabs that he pulled from his hair.
Nothing more aggravating to me than to see someone with a cart full of name-brand convenience/junk foods whip out an EBT card at the checkout when I'm keeping close tabs on what I spend and cooking from scratch so I can stay home with the kids. One girl used her EBT card for her cartful of grocery items and then whipped out cash to pay for the $50 worth of alcohol she bought.
As it stands, the current welfare program offers no incentive for recipients to work. We need to start helping those who are out there trying, rather than making it more profitable for them to stay on the couch all day.
A close relative was supporting three people on $6.00/hr. He worked his butt off, put in his time and finally got a raise to $6.50/hr. At that point, they cut all of his food stamps and his MedicAid. Since he couldn't afford the $400/month for health insurance, they just went without. His comment to me was, "If I didn't have any pride at all, the best thing I could do for my family would be to quit my job." He stuck it out and now has a good job AND health insurance. But, he and his wife can still stretch a dime farther than most can stretch a dollar.
Sorry for the rant. hehe
I spend less on food than I see welfare families spending - and usually my cart is full of nutritious foods (well, maybe one or two treats) while theirs is loaded down with sugary cereals and foods full of salt, fat, and refined flour.
A 10-pack of instant oatmeal packets (store brand, not Quaker - I can't tell the difference) is $0.99 and is breakfast for one person for more than a week. A box of Sugar Crisp or Froot Loops is $3.50 or so and feeds one person for 5-6 days at most. The former is both cheaper and much more nutritious. I can feed myself breakfast for almost 3 weeks for a total of $1.98! That leaves more money for some "splurge" items for interesting dinners.
I believe I read an article recently that says an adult can get all 5+ recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, almost all fresh, for just a dollar or so a day. Frugal shopping and creative meal planning can stretch a dollar far.
Wow! Bump to the top! I have been making my own bread, butter, sauerkraut, soap, and other necessities for years.
You want something else, get a job!
Btw~It's oatmeal for me every morning too, I like it.
And to be frugal, I place a packet of instant oatmeal in a big mug on top of the Mr. coffee decanter with the coffee basket swung aside.
I put enough extra water in the coffee maker to fill my oatmeal mug.
Then pull off the mug and swing the coffee basket back in place to continue making coffee.
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