You missed my point and my joke. Your frustration and desire to change the world is not new or unique to your generation. The generations preceding you have made great strides in righting many wrongs and continue to do so.

Sorry if I missed the joke. I'm fighting to find work for more than starvation wages while my governor and his ilk call me greedy, promiscuous, lazy, and far worse because I was helped by ACA. Not much about our country's financial situation is funny to me.

Prêt a Manger donates the food left at the end of the day to the hungry- at least that is what the signs in all of their stores say!
I once was offered 2 free oatmeals at a Pret when I was doing a breakfast shop. The cashier said they would have to throw it away otherwise. I told him I would take them and donate them to homeless people, which I did. Not sure why they would throw out oatmeal but donate the sandwiches and salads....

I don't know what a millennial is either, just have to assume they are the generation after "gen X". I'm afraid they are in for more than a bad awakening. As much as the previous generations have tried, our government does not make it easy to earn a living these days. DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A POLITCAL DEBATE!!! I don't care if you are democrat, republican or independent, we currently have a shitty govt. running us into the ground, all parties included.

I am particularly pissed tonight, as I just looked at my husband's paystub for tomorrow. He is bringing home 53% of his pay. 53%!!! That does not include insurance or 401k deductions, 100% taxes. That is beyond absurd. My husband makes a very good living, and has been able to keep me from going back to work (although trust me, I still work!) after I got laid off last Jan. But when we only bring home half of what he makes, it isn't always easy. I have no idea how we as America fix it.

OK I got off topic.................as far as the homeless go, there are MANY where I live. When I first moved here from a tiny little town in KS (graduating class of 42 people), I was appalled. I wanted to help them all. I quickly figured out when you stop at 19 stop lights on the way to the mall, you cannot possibly help them all, or you would go broke. I feel bad for them, but if I gave every person holding a sign $1 every day, I would spend more than the amount I make MSing every month.


LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There have been something like six recessions
> since 1960. Since this may be the first time
> millenials (whatever and whoever that is) have
> lived through one it makes sense they would think
> they have a heightened awareness

I have lived through many recessions, many more than the millenials have. This is the first I have been in that is so lopsided. While 10-15% of people were out of work, the other 85% or so still had their same jobs. Perhaps these numbers are different than the reports but still the majority were still working. Where I live I saw the pricey restaurants the millenials like to hang out at with waiting lines outside of them all throughout the recession and still it is so. I still have my job and millions others still do at the same salary and even with some raises. The place I park for the pricey BBQ restaurant I shop is in a pricey shopping mall across the street. In 2008/9 when I went there I had trouble finding a place to park in their huge lot even though the news kept saying no one was shopping. Maybe they were walking out with one bag instead of three but they were still shopping. And I did not notice people cutting back much on their starbucks every day or their pricey cell phone plans. Unfortunately the people it did hurt got hurt badly and this recession still had a lot of people who did not keep buying due to fear of getting laid off and not because they actually were laid off. In other recessions I have witnessed it seemed like the pain hit a much larger percentage of people than this one did. Of course there were stock market losses for everyone but even having a stock account to lose meant you were way ahead of people in previous recessions.

CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am glad the majority do not feel as you do...
> hope you are never in a position to need
> assistance some day.....
>
> holliscary Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I only ever do shops for charity.....ME

Canadamommy, you can not assume that everybody has a luxury to donate the required purchases. I have been able to dress my family, pay for all of our groceries and toiletries with shopping, and feed my hungry kids with all these sandwiches and the mutilated pizza that some people here poopooed, otherwise pizza is a luxury food, and we enjoy vacations and amazing experiences due to shopping. Otherwise our lifestyle would be significantly downgraded. Not only we could not afford luxury resorts but even Extended stay otherwise. It is a necessity for me to buy the butter in one convenience store, the milk in the other, the eggs in the next one and the bread in the following. Subway sandwiches are a snack for growing teenagers that can consume massive amounts of food and outgrow their clothes like crazy. Airport shops are our toiletries source. Being in the college tuition phase makes the matters worse. Yes, the only charity I give is me and my family, and I am not ashamed of it.

So you also KateH....
I also hope you are never in the place of needing assistance some day.
What makes you any different, kids, college, clothes, food? sounds like a normal family.
Except YOU have a roof over your head.


KateH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am glad the majority do not feel as you do...
> > hope you are never in a position to need
> > assistance some day.....
> >
> > holliscary Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I only ever do shops for charity.....ME
>
> Canadamommy, you can not assume that everybody has
> a luxury to donate the required purchases. I have
> been able to dress my family, pay for all of our
> groceries and toiletries with shopping, and feed
> my hungry kids with all these sandwiches and the
> mutilated pizza that some people here poopooed,
> otherwise pizza is a luxury food, and we enjoy
> vacations and amazing experiences due to shopping.
> Otherwise our lifestyle would be significantly
> downgraded. Not only we could not afford luxury
> resorts but even Extended stay otherwise. It is a
> necessity for me to buy the butter in one
> convenience store, the milk in the other, the eggs
> in the next one and the bread in the following.
> Subway sandwiches are a snack for growing
> teenagers that can consume massive amounts of food
> and outgrow their clothes like crazy. Airport
> shops are our toiletries source. Being in the
> college tuition phase makes the matters worse.
> Yes, the only charity I give is me and my family,
> and I am not ashamed of it.

I'm doing a 'warehouse' grocery type shop tomorrow. I plan to donate the food I buy to our local public television station that I volunteer for. We are doing a live on-air auction and feed about 500 people a day. The commissary will love me for the free food and I will get to eat some also.

And still you seem to be missing the point.

Maybe some of us *are* in the place of needing assistance. That's why those reimbursed purchases mean so much to us.

If I could afford to give stuff away, I would. I would love to. I used to be able to, and I hope to be able to again. Actually, I *do* give *some* stuff away. But not much. I can't afford to. When I drive past the lotto sign and imagine having that much money, the thing I want to do most ~ after investing it properly so it pretty much self-perpetuates ~ is use it to help others. Every time I hear of someone with huge medical bills, or who's lost their home, or has some essential financial need they can't afford; I wish with all my heart & soul I could fix it for them.

Just 'having a roof over one's head' doesn't mean much if you can just barely afford the taxes, insurance, utilities, food and other necessary groceries, clothes, and transportation. And are going without medical care and other necessities for yourself because you can't afford them. And wear decade-old clothes and only have one or two pair of shoes at a time, and never get your hair or nails done or any of those other luxuries that many consider just day-to-day stuff. Your bedding and bath towels are the same ones you had in the early 90's, because who can afford new ones? Just dry off around the holes. Or two sets of fitted sheets so there isn't an actual hole through to the mattress. Using the reimbursements afforded by MS'ing helps a lot.

Just having generic on-sale pop with a store coupon or a bag of store-brand chips or some on-sale store-brand ice cream or a $5 pizza on occasion is a luxury around here. Reimbursed MS stuff helps a lot.

Maybe you should reflect on how judgmental you're coming across.



CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So you also KateH....
> I also hope you are never in the place of needing
> assistance some day.
> What makes you any different, kids, college,
> clothes, food? sounds like a normal family.
> Except YOU have a roof over your head.

CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So you also KateH....
> I also hope you are never in the place of needing
> assistance some day.
> What makes you any different, kids, college,
> clothes, food? sounds like a normal family.
> Except YOU have a roof over your head.

While it is generalities, having worked in the field, I feel no pity for homeless as the large majority are drug and alcohol addicts and refuse to go to a shelter because they are not allowed to use there, or have mental issues. Despite the mythology perpetuated by the news media and the NIMBY crowd, the poor people have it the best in the USA. Once a single member of the family unit is approved for federal benefits, the gravy train starts. Free cell phone, free car, free housing, full level cable for $15, landline for $10, free medical insurance, cash to use anywhere including strip clubs or vacations in Hawaii, etc. You also do not have to be a US citizen to enjoy all these benefits and free loading. A disabled, elderly, veteran, is classified lower in the priority list for free public housing than a family of illegal immigrants who just came to the USA. It is the working poor, that suffer the most in the USA. Those who are just above the poverty income level, or those who decide to get off their fat *** and work, even for minimum wage, instead of waiting for the monthly loading of their government issued credit cards and trying to find more ways to get more money out of the government. I used to cringe going into public housing and see expensive TV sets with their full digital cable units, multiple in each apartment, and clothes when I was working and could only afford on the air TV. My kids had to take public transportation or walk to school and always arrived on time, even with ice and snow, but the public housing crowd arrives by taxi, especially on snow days, always late. Yes, I could sit on my own fat *** and feel pity for myself but I found a way to provide my family a great lifestyle and I am not ashamed for it. We eat pizza and McD, and 5 gringos, go to fine dining restaurants, use only Aveda products on our hair, renew our glasses prescription every year, have oil changes on time, vacation in expensive resorts (and use the numerous body wash, soap, and toothpaste for ourselves when we return home), have fun amusement activities and unique experiences, rarely pay anything out of pocket for groceries, wear nice clothes (a mix of great Goodwill finds and designer mystery shopping reimbursement), paint my house with BM paint and maintain all areas, exercise in the gym 4 times a month, have monthly haircuts and blowdrying, dental cleaning for the entire family every 6 months, etc. I work hard for this lifestyle and have no regrets, or shame. As for the roof on my head, I worked hard to acquire it, had even my 8 year old removing decades old wallpaper, plastering and painting it myself. I did every ACE, HD, and Lowes in a 3 state area around me to buy supplies. I did not sit on my back to wait for the lottery for free apartments. If you are hardworking, do not self pity over life's obstacles, you will succeed in life. Bad things happen to all of us. The difference is how we act on them.

Congratulations, Kate, on working hard and providing for your family. I get what you are saying. I was working a job at a station this week and a man of about 40 or so who appeared to be in excellent health asked me for money to buy gas. I'm working and he's panhandling. You think I gave that deadbeat money? No way. I do give some to the deserving poor that I know but I have to be acquainted with their circumstances so that I know my money is not going for booze and drugs. I am not a mark and I do not give money to strangers. A great deal of "charity" is funded by the federal government, and the federal government is funded by the taxpayers. Thanks, but I already gave on tax day. Whatever I can get together and hang on to is for me and mine.

lbw1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many mystery shop for volunteering?

>
> P.S. Taking a take out shop (even bonused) and
> giving the food to the homeless person is also a
> great thing to do. They get the food (which is
> better than money as they can't take it and buy
> drugs or alcohol).

I commented on this many times. I am a "people watcher". You know who the phony beggars are. You give them the french sandwich, "fine quality garbage" that will get you sick if you eat it. You watched the employee grab the patty out of a greasy drawer and microwave it. You do not want to eat it so you give it to the "homeless" guy"!

The evaluations are concerned with speed of service NEVER quality of food. They are concerned if hot foods are hot and cold foods are cold but taste is in the mouth of the beholder. The resulting ache in your stomach if you eat it as no one is in the dinning room or in your car making sure you eat it.

Well, yesterday, just after I had done a grocery shop, I was approached in the parking lot by someone who said that she and her children were living in their car. Every now and then I've given money on an impulse, but as a rule, I don't, for the standard reason--that I don't want to enable someone's drug or alcohol habit. But, I gave her everything I'd bought that was suitable for a living-in-your-car lifestyle. (I kept the green pepper.) It wasn't much. She accepted it graciously. It's possible that she did really want food.

Maybe her kids did...and, just in case it was all a sham, at least you kept the green pepper.

(heart)

(edited to add the smiley. TY sojo!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2014 11:47PM by stilllearning.

At a minimum the kids are entitled of SNAP (food stamps), if the family is so poor that they have to live in a car. Just make sure never give meat, or other items that can be easily sold or swapped for money.


These are the CA gross income limits to get an idea
If you have this many persons in your household:

Your monthly income is less than:

1-$1,211

2-$1,640

3-$2,069

4-$2,498

5-$2,927

+$429 for each additional person

The green pepper was the last ingredient for the 100% shopped-over-several-days sweet and sour pork that I'm making tonight. The water chestnuts were especially fun. The store employee I asked had no idea what they were, but he dug in and helped me anyway, asking the sort of searching questions that would be great on a more serious sales shop. (First he went to ask another employee, who didn't know if they had them or not. Then he returned, and asked me what they were, and what sort of packaging I'd expect them to be in, and what types of products I'd found them near, any time I'd bought them before. I wasn't even confident that this type of a store would have them, but he found them!) Wow, I'm way off the subject, now.