x

[sarah4770]

x

 

[marthachick]

You are so right! Most of us are blessed beyond measure. I know I personally am. We have a nice warm house, cars that run (usually ) and way more food than we need. I was talking to a friend at the Y today & she said an old friend from England had recently lost her grandson. He was only days old. We are truly fortunate as long as all our family is still here with us. Thanks for the reminder. And I hope you are blessed Sarah.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I am very blessed, I have a home, a wonderful husband who works very hard. We have most needs. We dont have health ins. But it will come in time. We still have alot more than most. My prayer is for the ones who have a worse need than I do.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Agreed, wholeheatedly.

 

[C.Ann]

You can say that again!! I'm a little older than a lot of the posters here (61 and a widow for almost 5 years now) and I've often wondered what happened to the phrase, "Make do.."

If you can't afford to pay cash for something (or charge it only if you are 200% positive you can pay it in full at the end of the month) the simple solution is - don't buy it..

If you don't have enough money to buy "new", buy used..

If you're running low on groceries, rummage through your cupboards and I'll bet you anything there's something in there that you can make a meal out of..

What happened to "needs" come before "wants"?

Or living below ones income - so you have a little cushion?

-----------------

Sorry if I hijacked your thread in a different direction..

 

[Jennasis]

I bet your grandmother's grandmother thought your grandma was going "soft" too. Every generation has things a bit easier than the one before...or at least, that's the idea. Or did I misinterpret what you were saying?

However, in general, a little wallowing now and then never hurt anyone. We all can't be made of stone. You gotta get the complaint out, have you 15 minute pity party and then knuckle down and solve your problems and move on. The thing is that in our new "instant information" age, people can share their pity parties INSTANTLY with the entire world, whereas your grandma may have just written her thoughts in a journal or chatted about them with her husband late at night. I guarantee you there were times your grandma wasn't all roses and sunshine, but she probably kept it to herself because that's how it was done.

 

[tvguy]

Needs versus wants.

Needs: Food, shelter, health.

Wants: Flat screen TV. Smartphones (or really even a basic cell phone). $500 purses. $200 blue jeans.

 

[Belle0101]

Needs versus wants.

Needs: Food, shelter, health.

Wants: Flat screen TV. Smartphones (or really even a basic cell phone). $500 purses. $200 blue jeans.

Could you explain that to my sister? She is getting her food stamps tomorrow. For two people she will get between $390 - 400 for the month. And that's fine, if she needs the help.

Her cell phone is currently just shy of $300 /month. She has multiple numbers and they each have all the bells and whistles possible.

Still though, it's not enough. Her daughter, my neice, wanted a new Droid. So she got it for her. Along with an upgraded internet plan for the 2 new Droids she got. One for herself. She said the new internet plan will add a min. of $25 to her monthly bill.

Granted she herself may very well need a phone for call backs for jobs but a $400+ plan? Internet on the phones when she has the internet at home?

I just cringe because we were not raised like that. We were raised that you meet your needs first and then if you have money you can have some of your wants. Not get your wants and then take charity or handouts for your needs.

 

[autumnpalm]

Fascinating website:

http://whoarethejoneses.org/

Earning $20,000 per year makes you richer than 80% of the world. One of my closest friends is a missionary worker in India (Calcutta) and works with women in brothels who literally have nothing. There are children there living in the train tracks because they have nowhere else to go. They fall asleep on the tracks high off of glue because they can't afford food and glue keeps them from feeling hunger.

There is a family at my church from Iran who left the country after having their youngest daughter shot and killed by police right outside her elementary school because she was a girl, alone, carrying books and learning to read.

Of course, we aren't immune to pain and hardship just because we have clean water and freedom in North America. Everyone's reality is different and what may seem small to some may seem big to others. Venting frustrations is normal and healthy, but I do think it is also important for us to open our eyes and realize how incredibly blessed and privileged we are. I know I complain far too often about student loans, trying to fit in a job with my studies and worrying about the job market when I graduate. I am by no means guilt-free! I let little things get to me every day and I get cranky and discouraged. But I also try to remember that I have been blessed beyond the wildest dreams of many people and families living in third world countries- so many of us are.

Thanks so much for posting, sometimes I need that little reality check to remind myself that while I may not have an iPhone or a Coach purse and I'll probably be making Christmas presents this year instead of buying them for friends and family... I am incredibly lucky to have what I need (and MORE!) in life.

 

[DisneyScraps]

I have a saying that I repeat to myself anytime I think that things aren't going well.


As bad as I might think it is, someone has it MUCH worse...guaranteed.

I went through 7 years of infertility (my high drama phase) just sitting in the doctors waiting room hearing all of the women's stories would put me right into perspective. Yes I didn't have what I wanted but I wasn't not suffering through miscariage after miscariage.

Every night I go to sleep in a bed, warm, safe and fed....that should be enough.

Lisa

 

[mrsdon]

Thank you for that reminder
I am very blessed and while times are a little rough for me right now. I have more than enough
There will always be some that have more than me and some that have less

 

[Helene]

I have a saying that I repeat to myself anytime I think that things aren't going well.


As bad as I might think it is, someone has it MUCH worse...guaranteed.

I went through 7 years of infertility (my high drama phase) just sitting in the doctors waiting room hearing all of the women's stories would put me right into perspective. Yes I didn't have what I wanted but I wasn't not suffering through miscariage after miscariage.

Every night I go to sleep in a bed, warm, safe and fed....that should be enough.

Lisa

I totally relate to this philosphy. We recently got hit with a major unexpected stressor. I've lost 7 lbs this week just worrying about things.

BUT....all I had to do was think about all the heartarche some people in my life have endured. My problems aren't so big anymore

 

[DawnM]

Gracious!

Tell her that many of us have a $35/month (plus $7 tax) plan for our FAMILY plan! We have 3 phones, 700 min. and then the regular nights and weekends free minutes, which we try to use more than the others. We do just fine!

$400/month for two people for food? Our grocery bill is just around $500 for 5 of us, including 3 BOYS.

BTW: I have a friend like your sister. When I talk to her it drives me crazy! Her cell is around $200 or more. She gets the government to pay her housing and food stamps. She wants MORE.

Dawn

Could you explain that to my sister? She is getting her food stamps tomorrow. For two people she will get between $390 - 400 for the month. And that's fine, if she needs the help.

Her cell phone is currently just shy of $300 /month. She has multiple numbers and they each have all the bells and whistles possible.

Still though, it's not enough. Her daughter, my neice, wanted a new Droid. So she got it for her. Along with an upgraded internet plan for the 2 new Droids she got. One for herself. She said the new internet plan will add a min. of $25 to her monthly bill.

Granted she herself may very well need a phone for call backs for jobs but a $400+ plan? Internet on the phones when she has the internet at home?

I just cringe because we were not raised like that. We were raised that you meet your needs first and then if you have money you can have some of your wants. Not get your wants and then take charity or handouts for your needs.

 

[DawnM]

We have more than we need. WAY more.

The big problem is that people lived way above their means during the times when they had a good income and now they can't pay for that lifestyle anymore. I am the first one to agree that it is far easier to upsize than to downsize, but it is time to look at money differently and for many of us to downsize drastically.

Dawn

You can say that again!! I'm a little older than a lot of the posters here (61 and a widow for almost 5 years now) and I've often wondered what happened to the phrase, "Make do.."

If you can't afford to pay cash for something (or charge it only if you are 200% positive you can pay it in full at the end of the month) the simple solution is - don't buy it..

If you don't have enough money to buy "new", buy used..

If you're running low on groceries, rummage through your cupboards and I'll bet you anything there's something in there that you can make a meal out of..

What happened to "needs" come before "wants"?

Or living below ones income - so you have a little cushion?

-----------------

Sure - there are situations that can't be avoided.. Large medical bills; being blindsided by the loss of a job with no warning; some natural catastrophe wipes out your home (which the insurance company may or may not cover - based on their whims) - and other things of that nature..

But recently I've been watching a few threads and/or posts on the various boards - 2 new ones that just popped up today I believe - in addition to one I've been watching for several days - and I'm getting very bad vibes from them.. The "woe is me" is worded in such a way that it seems to be a form of begging (and at least one person conveniently has a PayPal account - a scam I have seen run before)..

I can be a real sucker when it comes to helping other people out - whether I know them personally or not.. And at times I have gone without something I needed myself to help someone else - who may or may not have been taking advantage of me.. But the past 5 or 6 days, I've seen some things here that I wish I hadn't seen..

I've made suggestions to some of these people and somehow there's some reason why that just "won't work"..

Ii wasn't raised that way - and I'm sure that lots of other people here weren't raised that way either.. God helps those who help themselves - and I will help those who help themselves - but when I don't see any effort going on it's time for me to look the other way - and that honestly bothers me..

I don't even know if this is what you had in mind with your post, but I was just reading some stuff elsewhere on these boards and had to get this off my chest..

Sorry if I hijacked your thread in a different direction..

 

[C.Ann]

I have a saying that I repeat to myself anytime I think that things aren't going well.


As bad as I might think it is, someone has it MUCH worse...guaranteed.

Lisa

That has always been my mantra.. Even if you don't see in right in your own little corner of the world (neighborhood), all you have to do is watch the news - or read the posts here where people are battling cancer; have very ill children; etc...

Always, always, always someone worse off somewhere..

 

[FINFAN]

Reality checks are good every now and again. Peace to All.

 

[marcyinPA]

Thank you for that reminder
I am very blessed and while times are a little rough for me right now. I have more than enough
There will always be some that have more than me and some that have less

I feel the same way. I have moments of "woe is me" but I turn to my faith in those times and snap out of it.

My DH is working two jobs out of necessity right now, and last night I was whining about it....it IS REALLY EXHAUSTING ON ALL OF US.....but then, he pointed out to me how BLESSED he is to have that second job, when some people don't even have ONE job. He's right. I know he's right!

 

[dismom2]

Needs versus wants.



I was just about to post the same thing. Many people don't know the difference between need and want.

One of my kids tries to pull the "I need" with me sometimes, and she gets the lecture about need vs. want.

 

[wvjules]

Could you explain that to my sister? She is getting her food stamps tomorrow. For two people she will get between $390 - 400 for the month. And that's fine, if she needs the help.

I really find it hard to believe that she gets $400 for two people.

Gracious!

Tell her that many of us have a $35/month (plus $7 tax) plan for our FAMILY plan! We have 3 phones, 700 min. and then the regular nights and weekends free minutes, which we try to use more than the others. We do just fine!

Dawn

Who in the heck is your cell phone provider? I don't think I have ever seen a plan for 3 phones that low.

 

[Tinkermommy]

I agree with you OP, I think the WWII generation was the best generation we have produced as a country.

I have so many blessings and gifts in my life. As long as my family is healthy and together the rest is just gravy.