There's a reason they need help.

[Christine]

The jewelry thing doesn't bother me - you can't tell from a TV screen if it's real, and goodness knows you can get a pile of cheap jewelry from WalMart.

But if you want to talk about people throwing money away - let's talk about military families.

I am a military spouse. When we lived on post, our house was free, our utilities were free, our medical care is always free. But our neighbors were always hurting for money, hanging on til the 1st or the 15th.

And by the 2nd or the 16th, there would be some new toy or piece of furniture or electronic item, that would make them just as broke until the next payday.

When it was time to move to the next post, (all moving expenses also free) they'd just leave stuff on the curb. During the 2 years we were stationed at Ft. Lee, Virginia, I acquired two Little Tykes Playhouses, one Little Tykes climber, one Step 2 climber, two Step 2 slides, a pool and a sandbox - all plucked from my neighbors' trash. They didn't want to take them apart or clean them for the move. Those little playhouses run $200, just to give you an idea.

The party line is supposed to be that our military are woefully underpaid, and perhaps in the very lowest ranks they are. But a soldier who chooses to get married and have a child when he is taking home $900 per month is creating his own financial problem, IMO.

And the military wives I've met wouldn't get a job if their lives depended on it. Despite the fact that they are entitled to very low cost childcare on base.

When the value of our benefits and other allotments are factored in, my husband makes more in the Army than he would in an equivalent job in the private sector. For some military jobs, there is no equivalent in the private sector.

I am sick to death of hearing how hard it is to get by on a military salary. I am probably guilty of saying the same thing myself, in the past. But when I did the math...it's just not true.

I totally agree with you.

I used to be an Air Force wife. When I got married, my DH was an E-3. We were very poor at first but by the time he got to E-5 we were doing very well. At that point, I was able to get a civil service job on base and, with no kids, we were SO comfortable. I didn't need to work but I did so just to keep occupied. I could have easily managed having a child on an E-5 salary. You are right in that our house was free, our medical care free, we had virtually no commuting expenses as we lived where we worked. The discounts on stuff were very good also.

Sometimes I feel like I had way more financial freedom back then than I do now making "heaps" more money.

 

[cardaway]

I've always felt that way too, you have no bills! Luckily the military people I know understand that and even joke with others about it. I got a DLP projector and you don't. They relaize it's great to have the PX and free housing.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Where I live I have noticed that some people have taken to stealing instead of asking for money. It is a suburban/rural town that you would think is quiet, but for the last year or so nothing kept outside is safe. Thieves are stealing tools from contractors at work sites, yard equipment out of senior citizens' garages, church vans, etc... anything they can get their hands on. It must be an act of desperation because some lower end jobs are being lost here. But I also think there is some measure of laziness involved in it as well. People steal because they are too lazy to ask for help or to seek work that will require commitment from them.

Meanwhile those who can get credit run thru it like there is no tomorrow. One of my brothers has been bankrupt twice and doesn't have a job right now other than selling exotic meats at local carnivals and street fairs. Yet he will soon be making his third trip to WDW in the past year; he drives a late model truck; has bought three expensive pedigreed pups, and... the topper to it all... is hopelessly behind in child support to both his ex-wives.


Whew! That was cathartic! You may now resume your regularly scheduled thread

 

[cardaway]

Where I live I have noticed that some people have taken to stealing instead of asking for money. It is a suburban/rural town that you would think is quiet, but for the last year or so nothing kept outside is safe. Thieves are stealing tools from contractors at work sites, yard equipment out of senior citizens' garages, church vans, etc... anything they can get their hands on. It must be an act of desperation because some lower end jobs are being lost here. But I also think there is some measure of laziness involved in it as well. People steal because they are too lazy to ask for help or to seek work that will require commitment from them.

I don't doubt you, but who is buying it at a price to make it worth it? I can at least understand the motive behind some crimes, but not that. They would be better off pulling off many other far more profitable crimes.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Pawn shops? Flea Markets? Fences? I dunno But too much is being stolen in too short of a time for people to be of using the weedeaters and wrenches in their own yards or garages. I hear meth is not THAT expensive

 

[BuckNaked]

But if you want to talk about people throwing money away - let's talk about military families.

I am a military spouse. When we lived on post, our house was free, our utilities were free, our medical care is always free. But our neighbors were always hurting for money, hanging on til the 1st or the 15th.

And by the 2nd or the 16th, there would be some new toy or piece of furniture or electronic item, that would make them just as broke until the next payday.

When it was time to move to the next post, (all moving expenses also free) they'd just leave stuff on the curb. During the 2 years we were stationed at Ft. Lee, Virginia, I acquired two Little Tykes Playhouses, one Little Tykes climber, one Step 2 climber, two Step 2 slides, a pool and a sandbox - all plucked from my neighbors' trash. They didn't want to take them apart or clean them for the move. Those little playhouses run $200, just to give you an idea.

The party line is supposed to be that our military are woefully underpaid, and perhaps in the very lowest ranks they are. But a soldier who chooses to get married and have a child when he is taking home $900 per month is creating his own financial problem, IMO.

And the military wives I've met wouldn't get a job if their lives depended on it. Despite the fact that they are entitled to very low cost childcare on base.

When the value of our benefits and other allotments are factored in, my husband makes more in the Army than he would in an equivalent job in the private sector. For some military jobs, there is no equivalent in the private sector.

I am sick to death of hearing how hard it is to get by on a military salary. I am probably guilty of saying the same thing myself, in the past. But when I did the math...it's just not true.

Sing it sistah.

I've been saying for most of the 19+ years I've been in that the vast majority of the cases I've seen of military members qualifying for foodstamps, running out of money, etc. was because they had families that were too big for their rank.

The lowest pay is E-1 less than 4 months, $1178 and change per month.

 

[BuckNaked]

But if you get married, and have to move off-post while you wait for post housing, and have a baby, and your wife doesn't go to work, then yes, $900 is hard to stretch. It's all about choices!

Yep. And once you move off base, it isn't $900/month anymore, because there is BAH & BAS (and many people don't realize those are tax free).

I know for a fact that I make much less in the military than I will in the civilian workforce, but at the same, I don't feel that I'm not compensated well enough to live pretty well.

 

[hockeymomoftwo]

I work in community health and deal with this daily. People won't go spend $5.00 on there prescription but will walk around with who knows what cooties but not buy that pack of cigs that day no way. (yes I understand the power of addiction). There are many other things I observe in my patients besides smoking. Will see kids in the waiting room with psp's, ipods etc but family is on govt assistance of some sort. Priorities are just different for some people.

 

[Free4Life11]

Then they call and say they can't come to work for some reason or another, then complain when they don't have any spending money! Duh!

This drives me nuts! At the theatre I work everyone whines about the pay, but the second they are looking for someone to go home early it's "me, me, me!"

If you cannot afford the children that you have, why oh why would you have another one?

Because you want children. They like childern! And if you WANT something that means you should do whatever it takes to get it, right? Want want want, that's all some people think about these days. Never about need, always about want.

I remember seeing a high school dropout riding the bus one, two kids in tow. And I kid you not, she was chatting away on her fancy cell phone (must be nice, huh?) about how she is planning on another one.

The entitlement mentality is an epidemic if you ask me. I really think there needs to be another round of reform.

 

[TCPluto]

I'm all for welfare and such if a person truly cannot work, ran into some hard times, etc,....

This would account for only about 10% of those on welfare right now.

 

[HOGFAN]

...and people moan and groan about the increasing gap between rich and poor.
old quote "poor people make poor decisions"

 

[golfgal]

va32h---

You are very brave to post this. I admire you. You do know that someone will soon post how unpatriotic you are, right?

Thank you, for you informative post. I have often wondered why young men and women in the military have babies so young, all the while claiming that they cannot get by on a military salary. Maybe I shouldn't use the word "claiming", b/c I must admit, $900 a month is a sin. How can anyone live off of that?

But why then have children before you can afford to feed them on your own?

$900 a month with no rent/house payment, subsidized car insurance, no income taxes, reduced prices at the grocery store (PX), free medical care, etc., etc, etc. When DH first started working he took home less then that/month and survived just fine. It can be done, like va32h said, you just have to be smart and when you are just starting out you can't have EVERYTHING that someone who has been in the working world for 20 years has, which is really most people's problem.

 

[XYSRUS]

My new bumper sticker- "I work, so you don't have to!" I'd make millions but it would probably get me shot in my neightborhood!

 

[LindsayDunn228]

But a soldier who chooses to get married and have a child when he is taking home $900 per month is creating his own financial problem, IMO.

Thank you! I'm so glad someone finally said it!

 

[cardaway]

My new bumper sticker- "I work, so you don't have to!" I'd make millions but it would probably get me shot in my neightborhood!

But you would go out right!

Sometimes I wonder why I bother to do everything I'm doing. If I could just get over my idea that debt is wrong, I could live much better than I am right now.

Hard not to wonder how great and frequent our trips to WDW would be if I didn't insist they be done with money we have in the bank.

 

[LoraJ]

I'm all for some sort of welfare reform. Someone suggested it would be great to have people check in on these families and see if they actually do need it. The thing is, those that are so against welfare, are also against paying for state/city workers to do this type of thing.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Every dollar that goes to a family like that is another dollar taken away from a family who is on disability or has some legitimate problem and can't make ends meet. That is what makes me angriest.

And the woman who bought a three hundred dollar bag (to keep what inside? her food stamps?) while her children were dressed in rags is just plain cruel. If you can't afford children or don't want to take care of children, don't have any. There is a woman my age (26) in my town who has no job, lives off welfare and money from her current bf and her 4 (!) kids' 4 fathers. She has the manicured nails, jewelry, etc. and sits on her cell phone in the park while her kids run around. Whenever I see her, I think to myself: I did well in school and went to college, while she was failing classes, making fun of what others wore, and getting pregnant. I started a career while she went on welfare. I am saving for a wedding, while she is taking care of herself and not her kids. So why is it that whenever she sees me, she looks at me like I'm beneath her for not wearing the designer labels all over?

Though, I have to add that name brand stuff can occasionally be gotten cheaply, I bought a Dooney and Bourke purse off ebay (used, but in decent condition) for 16 bucks. (originally 250.00) But, I wouldn't even spend the 16 bucks on myself if I had children dressed in rags!

 

[BuckNaked]

$900 a month with no rent/house payment, subsidized car insurance, no income taxes, reduced prices at the grocery store (PX), free medical care, etc., etc, etc. When DH first started working he took home less then that/month and survived just fine. It can be done, like va32h said, you just have to be smart and when you are just starting out you can't have EVERYTHING that someone who has been in the working world for 20 years has, which is really most people's problem.

Just to clear a couple of things up from this post...I'm not aware of any subsidized car insurance for military members, military members most certainly are taxed on their base pay, and the PX is not a grocery store.

Also, while I agree with your basic point about $900/month being adequate for someone that has no bills, I would bet that when your DH started working, his take home pay went much, much further than the same amount of money would today.

 

[Charade]

Hmm how long until someone posts the jewlery could have been gifts? .

Maybe but they would have been better off getting food cards from the grocery store as gifts instead of bling.

 

[golfgal]

Just to clear a couple of things up from this post...I'm not aware of any subsidized car insurance for military members, military members most certainly are taxed on their base pay, and the PX is not a grocery store.

Also, while I agree with your basic point about $900/month being adequate for someone that has no bills, I would bet that when your DH started working, his take home pay went much, much further than the same amount of money would today.

I was getting that information from va32h's post (#52).