Poverty Theory

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Eating On A $25 A Week Budget

Not long ago someone asked how she could eat on less than $25 a week. Here are my thoughts on how I'd approach that problem. (It wouldn't be a good long-term diet, but it would get a person through a couple of bad weeks.)

If I were trying to do that I'd skim of $5 for a couple of coffees out each week (or one dollar menu sandwich and drink) - just some little treat and break from home food.

Then, with the $20 I'd probably buy a dozen eggs (about a dollar thirty)(scrambled or fried eggs, egg sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, etc.)

I'd buy a store brand margarine (for cooking the eggs and other things, maybe for adding to toast)
A small store brand mayo.
A small store brand mustard.
A store brand peanut butter.
A dollar-sized Parmesan cheese.
These basics should come to about $6.
(You probably wouldn't have to buy these every week, so I'll factor that in at the end of this. Mustard lasts forever. Mayo goes a long way. Margarine lasts forever. Peanut butter would probably go for a few weeks. The parmesan cheese may have to be purchased each week, depending).

A loaf of bread (anywhere from $1 to just under $4) (Sandwiches, toast) If you decide you won't spend top-price for the bread you can get a store brand one for about $2. Whole grain bread is nutritionally better than white.

Now you're up to approximately $9.

I may buy about $3 worth of tuna (the small, no-drain, foil packs are about a dollar each), or two cans may come to around $3 (but give you more than one serving)

$12 at this point.

I'd buy $2 worth of American cheese (Kraft and Land O' Lakes are about that for 16 individually wrapped slices, but you could get $2 worth of the thin-sliced at the deli too).

$14 at this point.

I'd probably buy two boxes of store brand pasta (about 1.50, I think - maybe 2.00 total). Rice is cheap, if you don't like pasta or if you'd want to buy both instead of two boxes of pasta. Brown rice is nutritionally better than white.

Tiny cans of tomato sauce (some with garlic and/or herbs) are about 60 cents.

At this point, it's up to (maybe $17).

I'd buy a 1.39 quart of orange juice (or a can of frozen to mix)
A head of lettuce.
One or two tomatos
A quart of milk (although if you drink coffee and use half and half or cream, that could work with any dishes needing milk or cream).

These last few things would bring the total up to about $22 (but if you either skim from that $5 you first skimmed, or factor in that you shouldn't need mayonnaise or peanut butter every week)that could make up for the extra $3 (that $17 plus the final approximate $5 at the end wouldn't allow for the $5 skimming at the beginning.)

I'd probably aim to add a bag of frozen vegetables each week, because you can take a few but leave the rest frozen. Suppose you kept carrots, snap peas, and broccoli in the freezer - those could be added to meals. Canned lima beans, canned carrots, and canned peas make good additions to meals too. If one week you bought one or two vegetables and another week you bought another one or two, you could build up a little stockpile for when you wanted them.

You may also to substitute a vegetable with a couple of apples or other fruits.

Also, you would need to have on hand salt, pepper, sugar (sweetener) or honey if you use them. You'd have to trade out some of the other things to get these; but these aren't items that get used up fast. If you set aside the money to, at the beginning of your "program", stock up on whichever of these basics you use, you wouldn't have to get them all at once in any one given week.

You'd have to trade one thing for another on the list (maybe a box of pasta, something from the "not-every-week" list, or doing without a coffee out) - but for under $2 you can usually get a box of store brand tea. For about $3 you can get store brand coffee. These aren't things you'd buy every week, so a little juggling would have to be done.

With the above stuff, you'd have a pretty good balance of nutrition - considering you'd only be spending that much and aren't going to be eating lavishly.

You could have peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter or margarine on toast. You could also have:

Pasta or rice with vegetables, a basic salad or salad with tuna, pasta with a little tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese or pasta with a "faux" Alfredo type sauce on it. Tuna sandwiches, tuna in a tomato, tuna melts (with the cheese and bread). You could make cheese toast (paremesan cheese, margarine, and bread). Lettuce and tomato sandwiches. A little orange juice with breakfast. Tea or coffee with other meals. Microwaved lettuce, tomato, and cheese sandwiches.

Other substitutions: For about $3 you can get something like prepared chicken chunks or Healthy Choice (or other) deli meats. There are the canned and foil-packet salmon and other meats and/or fish for not much money. They could be substitutions for protein. A few pieces of chicken added to pasta or rice go a long way.

Since you don't like vegetables you could switch some of those with a couple of cans of vegetable juice (to get your servings without having to eat them). The cost for a big bottle would come to around the same as buying a few different vegetables in one shot.

There's also the store brand saltines with something like spread cheese, sliced cheese, tuna, or whatever you like on them. They can make a light meal. Also, store brand waffles or pancakes tend to be less than $2 for a bunch of them.

That's kind of what I have for off-the-top-of-the-head ideas. Basically, if you stay away from the meat counter and the prepared frozen meals there are a lot of cheap ways to put meals together.)

Gifts - When It's TRULY The Thought That Counts

Here are some ideas on super-inexpensive gifts for when - REALLY - it's the thought that counts:

When the gift recipients will be family or friends (rather than, say, professional colleagues) it truly is the thought that counts. Family and friends understand the financial situation of those who struggle with finances. (If you have professional colleagues to whom you plan to give gifts chances are you also have the money to buy an appropriate one.)

Bear in mind that these suggestions are for the truly financially challenged (such as students, low-income individuals, unemployed people, and the unemployed), and remember that the future gift recipients really do understand the situation and don't want someone who is struggling to try to buy "better" gifts.

1. Gifts that have been created by the giver are always very nice. If you're able to paint, something like simple watercolor artworks on mats make a really nice gift. If you're not an artist but are able to make anything with materials from a crafts store or discount store's crafts department that's nice too. WalMart has a crafts department and sells unpainted wood cut-outs out of which wall-hangings can be made. The small bottles of paint sell for under fifty cents each.

One or two stems of artificial flowers can be taken apart and arranged attractively on the painted wall-hanging. Ribbon for decorating and/or hanging or stick-on flowers and other stick-ons are also available. Hangers can be found either in the crafts, framing, stationery or curtain-rod departments. While a glue gun and glue stick are always best, extremely inexpensive glue can be found in the stationery department for under a dollar.

For the beading-inclined, crafts departments have all kinds of beads that can easily be strung to make gifts for girls (over six years old or so) and women.

2. Dollar Stores and Discount Stores (like WalMart) offer a variety of items that can be pretty, attractive or useful. Stores like these often offer a variety of basic glass vases, which, in themselves, are often handy to have. For the person who has a little skill with a paintbrush, painting these basic vases can turn something basic into something very special.

These stores usually offer inexpensive photo albums, things like desk accessories, or tools. While inexpensive tools aren't what a professional would want, the person who has no tools in his car's trunk may appreciate a few basic screwdrivers, wrenches and/or flashlights. Often found in stores like this are standard knit ski caps and basic little knit gloves in all colors. Things like umbrellas or scarves can also be extremely inexpensive. There are also "gift-y" items like scented candles and candle accessories. Picture frames (especially with your photo or painting in it) make nice gifts. These stores often have holiday or year-round mugs, which could be filled with candy or nuts and wrapped Easter-basket style with colored, see-through paper and a ribbon tie.

Discount stores often offer rather pretty costume jewelry, but even gift shops often offer nice looking costume jewelry for under fifteen dollars. With inexpensive costume jewelry simpler is usually better, and staying away from large, fake stones is always a good idea (unless, of course, you know that the recipient likes huge, fake, stones). Simple pieces without "gems" or with only tiny ones are usually the nicest. Also available in discount stores and gift shops are keychains, coaster sets, and other smaller gifts such as sports-team associated bottle openers, hats, keychains, Teddy Bears, or mugs.

Discount and dollar stores often sell calendars for very little. Placemats, potholders, and placemat/potholder sets make nice little gifts. So do table-runners and doilies. Stores like these offer two-dollar calculators (although you have to hunt out the ones that don't look like they cost that), dollar FM radios that fit in a pocket or purse, super-cheap headphones or earbuds (for the person who could use an extra pair and doesn't care whether they're top-of-the-line).

Sometimes a shopper can find super-cheap books or CD's at these stores. Small-sized scents, moisturizers, and other bath products from well known companies are often available, and sometimes unknown companies offer these products in pretty packages/bottles. (Many lesser known companies offer products that have a nice scent.)

For the gift recipient who also struggles, sometimes a pretty gift bag full of things the recipient really needs makes the perfect gift. Does s/he need office or school supplies? Kitchen items? Bathroom items? Personal products? Gadgets? Would a selection of teas, candy, cookies, coffees or cheeses be something the recipient would like? Keep in mind that discount department stores and drug stores also offer some fairly nice holiday gift packages priced at ten dollars and under. Hunting carefully can often help the shopper find that particularly nice gift package that's just a little more appealing than some of the not-so-great ones. At holiday time candy is often packaged in special tins. So is popcorn.

These stores often offer fairly nice looking (but cheap) glass plates, bowls, glasses, juice decanters, or even wine glasses. Not all gift recipients are looking for Lenox items. Holiday time often brings sales on things like coffee makers, toasters and irons. Other kitchen/food gadgets are also usually available for under fifteen dollars. For the shopper who knows someone who needs a cell phone or Ipod case, these stores often offer very inexpensive but reasonably nice looking cases.

Toys for babies under two are usually quite inexpensive. Bibs and cute little undershirts are also available for babies. So are Golden Books (often sold at places like supermarkets). Coloring books, paint-with-water books, activity books and crayons make nice little gifts for children. Generally, the toy department at a discount store offers toys, books, craft sets, and other items for children between five and twelve.

Regardless of the age of the recipient, small stuffed animals are usually available at discount department stores, discount drug stores, and dollar stores. At holiday time there are often pretty porcelain, collector-type, dolls in a variety of sizes.

Sometimes a shopper may find a pretty slip or camisole as a gift for women. There are also trinket boxes, make-up cases (or sets of cases), and tote bags. Some men may appreciate a good package of their favorite kind of socks, a shaving set, or some thermal gloves. There are manicure sets for both genders. Also, don't overlook pretty soap dishes or handcream dispensers, high-quality ice scrapers or snow shovels meant to be kept in cars, or inexpensive throws (blanket-type) to be kept on a sofa or bed or in a car for emergencies. Boxes of notecards also make a nice but inexpensive gift. Small plants in attractive pots make nice gifts for the right person as well. A bunch of fresh cut flowers from the supermarket (either wrapped by the florist department or placed in an inexpensive vase) is a small but nice gift under some circumstances.

Sometimes inexpensive, but particularly appropriate, Christmas ornaments can be found. There are often also knick-knack items that may be particularly right for certain people.

3. For those in the AT&T Wireless area AT&T's website often offers prepaid, refurbished (but with a limited warranty) cell phones for under twenty dollars. These prepaid phones come with ten dollars' time on them, so when AT&T is offering a refurbished phone for ten dollars the shopper gets the phone and the time for his ten dollars. The gift recipient must, of course, pay at least fifteen dollars a month to keep the service on (although s/he will have 60 days before the account is closed).

4. Don't forget edible gifts that you put together yourself. There are easy-to-make fudge recipes, as well as easy-to-make cookie, coffee cake, and banana-nut breads. If baking from scratch is not possible Pillsbury offers quickbread mixes (date, banana, carrot, pumpkin, lemon poppy, apple, and others) at less than two dollars a mix. These mixes require eggs, shortening, vegetable oil, any add-ins one prefers, loaf pans (disposable foil loaf pans in packages of three or individually are available) and a mixing bowl. Mixing up several different kinds of quickbreads and presenting them on a pretty (and inexpensive) holiday plate or in a holiday tin makes an inexpensive gift. When they're presented on a plate or in a tin they can be cut into small slices. These breads can also be presented unsliced and wrapped attractively.

Party stores, as well as discount and dollar stores, usually carry plastic, "cut-glass-looking" plates, trays, and other dishes for inexpensive but attractive presentation of foods. Inexpensive baskets can also often be found, especially at holiday time. Fruit baskets or fruit trays can easily be made by adding (of course) fruit and wrapping. Unsliced fruit will last longer, although slicing/cutting it works better on trays.

5. Gift cards and gift certificates are available from most retailers and start with denominations of ten dollars (although fast-food places may offer five-dollar books of gift certificates). Whether its a book store, WalMart, Dunkin Donuts, CVS or McDonalds, these cards can make useful gifts for some people. Students who use prepaid phone service may appreciate a few dollars on a phone card (that is, of course, from their service provider).

Many of the above gifts can be mixed and matched and included in a gift bag of assorted gifts. A gift bag with things like a small box of notecards, some scented candles, a pretty keychain, and a trial size package of some personal product the recipient is known to use makes a nice gift.

When the recipient understands the giver's financial situation giving a card with the gift is often not necessary. Gift tags with a few extra words on them will do the job. When a greeting card is important it isn't necessary to pay three dollars for one. Dollar stores, discount stores, and supermarkets often offer cards for less. Making a card is also nice. Its also not necessary to pay top dollar for wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, tape or ribbons. These items, too, can be found at dollar stores for very little money.

Finally, regardless of one's religion (or lack of it), keep in mind the words from the Christmas song, "The Little Drummer Boy", in which the drummer boy says, "I have no gift to bring....that's fit to give a king....shall I play for Him on my drum?"

Finding Holiday Spirit When the Spirit and Your Budget Don't Move You

Whether Christmas holds a religious meaning for you, or whether your focus is on family, tradition, and that warm, peace-on-Earth approach, there are times when it can be a real challenge to feel even a shred of Christmas spirit.

For every family that gets to enjoy a festive Christmas with all the trimmings there are many more who simply don't have the money for such a Christmas. Whether or not money is an issue, there are many people who live alone and don't see the need to try to create some Christmas atmosphere. There are also those times when someone is sick or when people have had recent loss and can't imagine bothering with Christmas. Some of these people will have fond memories of Christmas seasons that "felt like Christmas". Others may have never experienced the feeling.

Regardless of circumstances, its just kind of nice when people don't feel that the Christmas season is for others but not for them. For people who need to create a Christmas for children (even grown ones) or elderly family members finding a way to create a little Christmas atmosphere is particularly important. How, though, can the person with limited means or limited energy muster up what it takes to create some Christmas atmosphere in the home? Its really not that difficult or expensive. The world is full of magazines that tell readers how to have a beautiful Christmas when energy and money are in abundance (or at least not stretched to the limit). The following ideas on making the Christmas season feel a little more like Christmas are for those who are stretched to the limit, whether that's when it comes to money, physical stamina, or emotional energy.

Must-Haves Whether You'll Eat Them or Not

Gingerbread Men: During the Christmas season every home should have a plate of gingerbread men and a bowl of candy canes out somewhere. Li'l Debbie has boxes of eight wrapped gingerbread men for just over one dollar. If you're able to make gingerbread that is, of course, even better. (4 pkgs x 1.39)

Candy Canes: Boxes of a dozen candy canes are also available for about a dollar or less. Traditional peppermint canes are the most Christmas-y. Besides being put out on display to create a little atmosphere, both gingerbread men and candy canes make inexpensive, traditional and charming tree decorations if you will have a tree. Sure, your taste may lean toward fine baked goods and elegant ornaments from a gift shop, but when you're stretched to the limit you sometimes need to go with what is simply Christmas-y and traditional. (3 pkgs x 1.00)

Must-Haves Whether They're Your Taste or Not

Balsam Christmas Wreath with a Red Bow for Your Front Door: Your first preference may not be the basic balsam wreath. Maybe you don't even like them. They are, however, easy to find and inexpensive. Decorating your door with one of these will leave more money to be spent on something else. Whether you like them or don't, they're Christmas-y and traditional. (Also, they smell like Christmas.) (About $5)

Window candles and extra bulbs: Traditional, plastic, window candles are extremely inexpensive. You may not be able to (or want to) put one in every window in your house, but put one (or a multi-bulb candelabra - also inexpensive) in the windows of the room where you'll spend most of your time. (3 or 4: $6 -$8)

String Lights: Window candles can make more atmosphere than string lights do, but if you have a spare few dollars for a string of lights to drape over a handrail or fireplace even better. If you're going to have a tree you will need at least two sets of string lights. (2 boxes of 100-lights: About $6)

Poinsettias: If you can only buy one little poinsettia to put on your dining table buy at least that. If buying a larger plant or additional smaller ones is possible, the more the better. If there's a reason you can't buy real plants consider looking for a few good fake poinsettias to put in the a glass vase. (Yes, fake flowers are often tacky, but its better to have a few fake poinsettias in vases than no poinsettias at all. They help with the Christmas feeling.)

Scented Potpourri, Tarts or Candles: Products to scent the home come in all kinds of Christmas-y scents. They can really ad to the atmosphere. One tart can be used several times. You do, of course, need a burner. If you can't come up with a burner votive candles are the next best thing. Votives can be found at dollar stores and grocery stores.

Christmas Music: Sometimes you can find inexpensive Christmas music in dollar stores, but even if you don't have and can't buy any radio stations often play Christmas music in the days leading up to Christmas. Some play nothing but Christmas music on Christmas Eve and Day.

Tablecloth: If you have a white, cream, red, green, or Christmas tablecloth iron it and put it on your table. Stores like WalMart sell tablecloths (sometimes in the Christmas aisle, rather than in domestics) for as little as $8. If you can't come up with a cloth tablecloth buy a disposable holiday version. The lightweight plastic table covers are inexpensive and durable enough to be able to leave on for the week or so before Christmas. Don't shop at a party store for these. Grocery stores, discount stores, and dollar stores are the best bet.

The above, basic, items will help create Christmas feeling in your home. Depending on how many of these items you need to buy the total expenditure could range as high as $30 or $35. If money is a problem it may be possible to buy these items over the course of a few weeks or more in order to make the expense less painful.

A Tree: A tree really helps create a Christmas atmosphere, so if at all possible its nice to have a tree.

Trees, of course, cost money and can be work to put up. If you already have an artificial tree that's one expense about which you won't need to worry. Small trees are sometimes easier to afford than full-sized trees. They're also easier to put up. Mini-trees are better than none, whether they're real or artificial. Real trees can be found relatively inexpensively, but they require work to put up. Its possible you would know someone who has an old artificial tree they don't want to use this year and would let you borrow. Even "tired" old artificial trees can be held together with wire or tape if they must be called to duty one last time.

A tree is more important to have when young children live in the home, but having even a small tree will add a little atmosphere to anyone's Christmas season.

Decorating the tree: The $35 I noted above includes four packages of Li'l Debbie gingerbread men. Use two or three to decorate the tree. That figure also includes three packages of candy canes. Use two for the tree. If you buy one or two sets of string lights use them on a tree rather than elsewhere in the house. If you're able to afford a third set of lights for the tree that would add sparkle. If your tree has nothing but lights, gingerbread men and candy canes it will look Christmas-y and traditional. Anything extra you're able to add will be even nicer.

Gifts: When young children are involved and money is the problem it may be necessary to ask for assistance from local groups which help Santa come for young children. When there aren't young children you will need to decide whether its possible to find tiny gifts for each family member or whether exchanging gifts is necessary. Dollar stores are great for finding inexpensive glass vases, photo albums, tools, knit caps, or any number of items that could be wrapped. These stores also sell wrapping paper for less. Making gifts is always a nice idea as well.

Christmas Dinner: While having a big dinner with all the fixings is, of course, the nicest thing to do, there can be times when cutting back on the lavish dinner in order to have a few Christmas goodies may feel more like Christmas. Some people would agree that they care less about the big dinner than they do the atmosphere, so don't feel bad about cutting back on the dinner. This may be one time when decorations and traditional treats may be more crucial than a big, fancy, dinner.

Christmas Goodies: It doesn't feel like Christmas without Christmas goodies, but for under $2 (sometimes as little as $1) you can buy a mix like Pillsbury's cranberry, apple, or date breads. For under $6 three breads can be made. Cutting small pieces can provide some for Christmas Eve and some for Christmas Day. If you're not able to provide any goodies other than these, the gingerbread men, and the candy canes at least these items are traditional. A nice extra is pop corn on Christmas Eve. Its inexpensive and smell nice when its popping.

Tips for When Your Money is Limited: When money is a problem, whether or not your Christmas will be as bare-bones as the one proposed above, try to begin picking up an item here or there no later than October. As early as possible, but no later than November, find ways to cut down on your regular grocery spending. Use the money you save by cutting back to buy what you need for Christmas. These may not be ideal, but the frozen meat case usually has small turkey breast roasts (in a foil pan with gravy) for about $3. Canned vegetables and instant potato are inexpensive. Add a package of dinner rolls, and you've got a modest dinner for the holiday.

Tips for When Your Physical Stamina is Low: If you have family members ask them to help. When it comes to putting up any decorations do one thing at a time, here or there, over the first week or so of December.

Tips for When Your Emotional Energy is Depleted: Again, ask for help. Again, don't try to do everything at once. Make lists to help clear your mind. Check off each completed task. Start taking out the holiday/special dishes early, only a few at a time. Make sure they're clean, dry, and wrapped so they'll be ready for use when you want them. Make sure all dishes you'll be using are ready to go by around December 15. Don't leave any gifts to collect before wrapping them, but even if you do get all wrapping done by no later than December 15 or so. The last ten days before Christmas should not be more stress than they need to be.

The above suggestions will not get you a big, beautiful, extravagant, Christmas. Using these suggestions may, however, get you a little Christmas feeling in the weeks before the holiday and a nice, traditional, little, Christmas Day. Whether you're low on money, physical stamina, emotional energy, or all of the above a nice little Christmas may be just the thing to help you forget your troubles and have that one special day.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas. These ideas are my gift to you.

Why Welfare Programs Don't Work

Welfare programs generally don't work because 1) they don't generally give many people the one-time, reasonably small, financial boost they may need in order to be able to work and 2) they often assume that anyone who has applied for a welfare program isn't just without money but is also stupid, in need of counseling, and in need of job training they may not, in fact, need.

While it, of course, wouldn't make any sense to give benefits to a person who manages to find work, welfare programs often penalize recipients of benefits by decreasing benefits too soon after the person begins to get on his feet. People who live in Section 8 housing may need to be careful not to earn too much too soon because they may earn themselves out of health insurance they need and will earn themselves out of some rent assistance. Again, it may make sense that the working individual no longer should receive benefits; but addressing the costs of working (which are often too high a cost for the low-income person to be able to afford) to be unable to afford health care or housing would be addressing one of the primary reasons people are not able to get off welfare books.

The person without custody of a minor child may lose a home, a job, and a car; and there may be no welfare assistance for such a person, even if it were just to be able to help survive for a month or two, get a car, and be able to get to a job. People in this situation may play up the anxiety that results from it and apply for SSI because some income is better than none. The person kicked out of his home because of, perhaps, divorce may be living with a relative; and if he applies for SSI benefits he will be penalized for the fact that relative is paying his own housing expenses; while SSI considers half of those expenses as "income" for the applicant and reduces his benefits to the point where he is that much farther into poverty. Just the idea that the homeless person who goes in out of the weather to a relative's home will be seen as having income he doesn't have and can't use shows how assistance programs don't even recognize the autonomous nature of being an adult.

The man who goes to welfare to see if there's any assistance for the person who is out of work and out of a home may be offered any number of job training programs he doesn't need. A person can be an engineer, a teacher, an executive assistant, or a software designer and be laid off and out of a home. Welfare programs sometimes offer something

like "keyboard training" to people. Often, though, the person who is not eligible for assistance is also not eligible for any services offered to those who are.

Most people want to work. Most people do not want to be on assistance. There may be some who are out to defraud the system, but, in general, most people - no matter who they are - want to work, have health insurance for their families, and have a decent roof over their heads. Sometimes all it would take for some people to be able to work would be a temporary financial boost in the form of some minor cash assistance (compared to what it costs to keep whole families on Welfare for years), even if it were in the form of a low-interest, short-term, loan. There is, instead, insufficient or no cash for this type of assistance. As a result, people with children have the choice to either reject any dealings with the welfare programs at all and live in a cardboard box(or else sleep on a relative's couch); or to allow themselves to be sucked into the quagmire of food stamps, welfare health insurance, low-income housing and a lifestyle that many middle-class-values/potential workers can't imagine living in, and remaining in the poverty that welfare programs usually guarantee. It is a rare mother who reject being able to shelter and feed her children, so mothers often have little choice but to accept the poverty of welfare.

The person without children to feed may have the "luxury" of staying away from welfare and just sleeping on a relative's couch until he wears out his welcome.

Welfare programs are not about recognizing that people with no money may have values, may want to work, and may even be quite well qualified for some very decent jobs if they can get through an extremely rough financial spot. Welfare programs are not about empowering people to live the way most people want to live.

People who run welfare programs will tell you, "Well, this is not supposed to be a lifestyle. Its supposed to be a minimal level of assistance in times of crisis". The reality is welfare programs often do amount to lifestyle, and when people try to escape that lifestyle they are often penalized by the very programs that claim to encourage independence.

The Welfare Program "Joke"

Welfare Programs are, for people who are normal, hard-working, capable, people in financial hardship, a giant joke. Also, they are not designed to get people off welfare roles, as most people know. While these programs may be designed for a segment of the population who does choose to turn to welfare programs, there is a (possibly a much larger) segment of people in need for whom there is no assistance at all, or in whose lives welfare program will only cause devastation.If anyone were to do a little research into welfare programs they would discover that welfare programs make some assumptions about applicants/recipients.

1. They assume "these people" probably need counseling -and they're more than willing to provide that. In reality (not something in which welfare programs always deal), there are people who are in severe financial difficulty but who are otherwise completely solid, capable, individuals who need nothing more than money.

2. They assume "these people" may need "education" with regard to managing money - and they're often more than willing to provide that. In reality (again, something in which welfare programs and the government, in general, do not always deal), there are people who find themselves in situations beyond their control and whose financial problems have nothing to do with poor decision-making or poor spending habits. Further, there are people who would never have had financial problems had it not been for the way the courts disregard one or both partners in divorce cases. There are also people who would never have had money problems had the public schools not so dismally failed them as students. In other words, what the government doesn't seem to get is that money problems can occur as a result of something beyond a person's control and/or as a result of the government's own failure - and that education with regard to money management can be a giant waste of everyone's time and money.

3. The same applies to the available of "parenting programs" for the many people who don't need that. It's great that the government offers parenting programs, but not everybody who needs welfare assistance needs parenting programs. Again, there is such a thing as having financial disaster while being a perfectly capable (and in some cases, more than capable) parent.

4. They assume it is not important for a non-custodial parent of children under 18 to be able to earn a living, have a place to live, or remain "whole" enough to continue to provide emotional and financial support to his/her children. They don't care about anyone who does not have custody of minor children. They usually deal only with people who have custody of minor children. The fact that non-custodial parents may end up homeless or in poverty doesn't matter, in the eyes of the government. "After all, there just isn't enough money to provide assistance to people who don't have to care for minor children." While it is true the government pays "lip service" to the idea that non-custodial parents should remain parents, and while it is sometimes even ready to arrest "deadbeat" parents for not paying court-ordered support; the reality is that it is often the government that ties the hands of non-custodial parents (in any number of ways), and causes non-support to occur. With regard to emotional support and presence in the lives of children, the government (welfare programs and the court) do not even acknowledge the importance of that for families.

There are actually couples who would be able to divorce and have a "separated but not broken family", who end up with a "broken" or "pretty close to broken" family as a result of the way courts and the government, in general, mishandle divorces and mistreat divorcing people.

5. Welfare programs offer job training and help with job placement. Again, there is such a thing as a well educated and/or well trained/skilled individual who may have job skills/experience/education in more than one area - but who may have financial problems as a result of having been laid off and, perhaps, being too old to be able to easily get another job. Then, too, there are educated/skilled people who must leave a marriage because of domestic violence or a spouse's substance abuse. In fact, there are any number of causes for financial hardship that don't involve lack of education, intelligence, and/or marketable skills.

I actually know someone who called a welfare office, was told there was no assistance available except for job training, and responded with, "I don't need job training." This individual was actually told, "Well, maybe you'd like some anyway."

6. Welfare programs may offer "government insurance". This certainly helps a lot of people a lot of the time, but health care professionals often note the problems associated with government health insurance; and there is at least the chance that health care (regardless of what programs like to claim) is as high-quality as that provided under private health insurance.

7. Subsidized housing is available to those unfortunate enough to seek it. The problem with that is that people who are of middle-class mentality and are afraid of bad neighborhoods may not even consider it. Subsidized housing (like most welfare-related assistance) tends to be centered around horrible neighborhoods; and people who fall victim to it can easly end up with children in trouble and worse. With low-income housing also often comes low-income/low-performing schools and students who reflect that. Subsidized often is often housing located in "a world all its own", where truly seedy behavior is rampant.

8. Food Stamps. Food stamps are relatively easy for any number of people to get. They're not a bad idea, although the application involves asking people for income information for everyone in a house. If a divorced father, for example, is staying at his sister's home, the food stamps people will expect to have his sister's income factored in (even though siblings may live under one roof but generally keep their finances and food completely separate). This can discourage people staying in relative's homes from applying for food stamps; because normal, caring, people often do not want to ask relatives to share financial information when the financial problem is not theirs. Other than that, food stamps don't cause anyone too many problems. It is ironic, however, that people can buy candy, chips, and soda with them but cannot buy, say, a 99-cent sandwich at a fast-food place or some 2.00 chicken breasts that have been prepared and are sold at the supermarket. Apparently, the food stamps program "assumes" that a sandwich from a fast-food dollar menu or chicken breasts prepared at the local supermarket cannot possibly offer protein, while, of course, it appears candy, soda, and chips "must".

9. The SSI Program: This one's a bigger joke than "regular" welfare programs. It will be addressed in a separate post. I'm imagining a reader thinking, "but the SSI program is not for 'hard-working' people. It is for disabled people." Well, that's true enough - but "disability" covers a lot of ground, and sometimes the only "disability" a person has is related to having stress about not having a job or money. Then, too, the SSI program has on its "members roster" children who are said to have disabilities when, in fact, what they really have are parents who haven't managed to nurture their behavior and/or intellect adequately. (I'm not saying there aren't SOME kids for whom SSI is appropriate, or SOME kids who have genuine disabilities.)

In upcoming posts I'll be digging up (from under the rocks under which they hide) examples of how government programs cause, and or contribute substantially to, poverty and the problems associated with it.

The Physics of Homelessness

If P represents a person (including his physical, mental, emotional, and financial wellbeing and his genes) and E represents his whole environment (including internal environment, such as high stress hormones, as well as external environment):

At any given moment a person's individual (internal and external) situation (S) is the sum of P plus E. While P (the person, himself) may change over a period of time, E (his internal and external environment) may or may not change from one moment to the next. Without assigning any unit of measurement to the term, "moment", in general and in life, any one moment in any one person's life tends to be affected by major changes or lack of major changes - and P (the person, himself) may or not factor into any changes in the next moment in time. Also, anyone who knows what it feels like to have a sudden fright can attest to recognizing that even P can be in different states from one moment to the next.

So, assuming that P plus E equals S the simple formula, S = S squared +E can be used to begin to understand the physics of homelessness. If one were able to use a computer that can produce fractal imaging one would see that by starting with S and applying this formula the resulting picture would be as individual as each "S" with which the imaging process started.

In plain English, each person's life and situation is a picture of all those individual moments (within the person and around him) that have created his present picture.

In order to understand why one person's "picture" has turned out ok while someone else's is bleak one needs to understand three other factors involved: When it comes to financial stability there are three categories. The first is static financial ability that can be difficult to achieve and maintain and is, except in the case of people who inherit vast wealth, something that can only be achieved over a long period of time. The more common types of financial situations are the ever-changing ones in which degree of stability and general financial wellbeing are moving a positive direction or a negative one. Situations (including emotional, mental, physical and financial) tend to snowball in whichever direction they are already going. Essentially, a parallel can be drawn between this snowballing phenomenon and the in-progress fractal image.

Which direction a person's situation takes is often related to the number of negative factors versus the number of positive factors in S.

While a person's situation may appear to remain relatively stagnant or even moving in a positive direction, there can be a point where the number of negative factors outweighing the positive ones is too great. This can cause a shift in the direction of the snowball.

Another factor that plays a large role at the starting point of any individual (which is essentially the present situation as it relates to a person's future) is how much margin of error any one situation has at any one time. In other words, the person of relative financial stability who inadvertently runs up three $35 overdraft fees in his checking account will not be as devastated by those fees as will the person in a situation that will be sent in a downward spiral as a result of those fees.

Room for error can, in a way, factor into a person's mental health as well. The person who is strong, solid, and very mentally whole will be able to cope better with financial struggles than will the person without benefit of coping skills. In other words, it may take less to destroy the life of person who starts out on emotional or mental thin ice, but even the healthiest and most solid of individuals can/will eventually be damaged by a long-term, downward, financial spiral.

This leads to what may be the most important principle in homelessness: When Negative-E outweighs S the nature/general wellbeing of P begins to change, and that leads to additional Negative-E (internal) factors which ultimately give yet more momentum to the downward spiral of S.

Many people tend to see homelessness in a simplistic way. They see homeless people as mentally ill people who got kicked out of their group home for breaking a rule, substance abusers who got kicked out of their home and had no place to go, or else families who couldn't pay their rent or mortgage and had no place to go. They may even see the divorced person who had to leave his home, stayed with relatives until his welcome was worn out, and couldn't afford to get an apartment.

Understanding the physics of homelessness helps us understand one very simple thing: There may be a point where even the strongest, most sensible, most solid, person may get to where he has had so much "Negative E" in his life he will either go insane or kill himself if he doesn't take a drink or use a drug that will make his immediate moment more bearable. Whether it is the strongest person who risks the psychotic breakdown or suicide, or whether the strongest are those who will do what it takes (drink or use a drug) to survive the moment of mental and physical torture of being homeless, is something I don't know. I do know that when a person crosses that threshold into homelessness his risk of "Negative E" outweighing S and ultimately destroying P is ominously high.