What about poor people?

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My husband and I are not really poor but we're in debt to the point of whether we're going to be able to eat or not for the next two weeks. I have two children and I don't want them to starve if food is going to be shorted. I can't stock up on food or save any money! What do WE do? I'm a little scared!

-- Monica Stacey Reigle (JMReigle@charter.net), October 06, 1999

Answers

I can't tell you what to do about your debt. You can feed the kids rice, beans, oatmeal, and grits for the next two weeks for $25. You can make that much in tips on a slow night waiting tables. I would strongly suggest that one of you get a night job with part of the pay in cash tips. Put the tips aside for food money only. Every time you buy one pound of beans, rice, oatmeal, or grits, buy another pound for storage. You'll gradually build up your inventory. The paycheck from your extra job should go for prepping too. Pretend this extra money doesn't exist except for your food shopping. Hope this helps.

-- helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), October 06, 1999.

Perhaps, since you've now admitted that you have a debt problem (the first and hardest step), you could consult with a financial manager to put together a management package rather than a consolidation loan. The service is relatively inexpensive, well worth the money, a step toward greater security for your family. You didn't say whether you were a single parent really, but this works for anyone with the same problem.

We have friends in the same boat, who if they lose one paycheck will have to declare bankruptcy. And your problem isn't unique. The majority of citizens in this country are a max of two paychecks away from homelessness with the working poor needed to lose only one check to find themselves in that situation.

Getting a second job is always an option for one or both parents. Unfortunately, child care to cover that extra time away from home may also be an issue. If this is true for you, talk with a trusted friend or neighbor about doing this service for you in return for a smaller chunk of change or bartered items or service. Look at every option you have. Do you really need that boat, for example? And this is only an example since I don't know your situation. In other words, can you liquidate those things you truly don't need?

I pray you find your answers and will keep you in my thoughts. Take care of yourselves as best you can and find others who may be in similar situations and talk with them about their plans. They might have other options for you, too.

Regards, Claudette

-- Claudette Young (laclaud@cybertrails.com), October 06, 1999.


Monica, as with any disaster, of this magnitude, the urban poor will be screwed. Remember the black plague? The urban rich moved to country villas, lorded over the rural poor, and the urban poor died like flies. Now, i'm gonna give you my reccomnedation for surviving y2k, but , I have given it before, and nobody has ever listened, but, here goes: #1 I am a rural person, I am colledge educated, and i found out about y2k in 98, I immediately knew what would happen, it came like a flash. and no, it wasn't "divinely inspired". My brother asked me: "hypothetically, imagine what the world would be like if every computer in the world stopped working, all at once?" Instantly I knew that we were facing the possible destruction of civilization. I asked "can't they fix it?" He responded: "Fix every computer in the world? In two years? besides even if they could, do you think people will believe it, or just ignore it until it is too late?" (granrted he was overstating the case, every computer in the world will NOT quit working on jan 1st, but the overall SYSTEM will start breaking down, falling dominoes) #2 Now, with such a dire threat haning over our heads, What do we do? first you have to ask yourself a couple questions: Do I beleive y2k is real? Do I beleive that it can affect me, maybe even kill me? Do I beleive in preparing for the worst possible scenario so that even if something less than the worst happens i (and in your case your family) will survive? #3 assuming your answers to the above questions are all 'yes' here we go: rule #1 think rural Urban areas are depandant on COMPUTER driven enterprises/city services just to keep peopel alive. (gas, electricity, water, sewer) now, if these systems crumble, or become unreliable, a major die off will begin in cities almost immediately. Imagine detroit with no heat, LA without water, NY without Sewers.... now the threat is not that just ONE or TWO of these things MAY happen, but that MANY of them may happen. That is the nature of y2k... it's everywhere. Now, some may take me to task for assuming the worst, but that's what we're here to do right? assume the worst and plan for it, survival no matter what is my creed. #2 come up with a plan ask yourslef a series of questions: How will I eat in 2000? How will I clothe myself? warm myself? protect myself? etc etc Basically, i figured that if I became totally (or as close to total as possible)self sufficient, then I would be OK no matter what. I have had a year to get ready, and thousands of $$, you don't you have two months to prepare and hundreds of $$, here's my suggestion. buy a beat up old travel trailer, install a woodstove and a 55 gal plastic drum style septic system (get a book called travel trailer homesteading, a trailer can be made 100% self sufficient for $5000, but you won't need fancy shmancy solar panels etc. you could cut the cost down to probably $2000, top end) put enough supplies in there for you & yours to survive till the early harvest (ususally january till June in northern states maybe april in the south) get a few non-hybrid seeds, and be ready to garden for yourslef in the new year. th reson to get a travel trailer is simple, if society is collapsing, cities bruning etc, and you try to drive to a local farmhouse, kids in tow expecting for a handout, you will probably end up fance down ina ditch, farmers will have their own troubles, trust me, but if you show up with your own food, water (water filters can be bought for about $200-300 for a good one, try to find the terra cotta drip filter, if not, get a book on how to distill water) shelter and such, you will probably be welcomed as an asset to the rural community, if you show up empty handed, as millions of others will try to do, you will simply be a burnden and will be told to shove off at gunpoint, that may sound harsh, but I know people around here, and it's not like there are mountains of food on farms in december, there isn't any period, it's all gone (harvested), so if you come out done come empty handed.

-- Jeremiah (braponspdetroit@hotmail.com), October 06, 1999.

Another option could be to check with your local Consumer Credit Counseling. It's a free program that takes your entire budget into account and works with your debtors to reduce payments. They can also reduce and sometimes eliminate interest owed on debts. When you complete this program, you won't have a black mark on your credit either. They will help you budget a reasonable amount for food (which for them is a lot!), some of which you can start using for food storage. This place even takes into consideration that you might smoke or watch cable tv. They don't try to get you to drastically change your lifestyle (although that could definitely help with some people) because they want you to be able to stick with this program.

They set up a budget for your bills and you pay them (usually through your employer) once a week.

Most major cities have one, so look it up and good luck!

P.S., you may also want to check with your local food bank. You could get something from them once a month and set it back. Also local food co-ops are a great idea!

-- Kimberly Hott (ckhott@urec.net), October 06, 1999.


This obliquely raises another issue. "Will" or "How will" the y2k technology problem affect the distribution of wealth? Will the concept of wealth change from stocks to tangibles and self-sufficient resources? Will anger and feelings of betrayal rise in the majority - "have-nots" - of the population and cause destruction of our cities as in the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, etc.?

You must admit the "class" gtap is wide, distribution rather lopsided right now and growing wider by the minute. This problem is endemic - far deeper than the "welfare" crowd. The growing class of rural serfs to large conglomerates and indentured servants to the bankers and mortgagers in the cities and suburbs is actually an alarming threat to freedom.

One paycheck, two paychecks? How insecure our future's are. How precariously we hover over disaster. No wonder our people can't face y2k. They have trained their vision to focus on making ends meet this week or this month. They can't psychologically look beyond that - there is no security.

This is the most prosperous economy in decades????? Someone is being duped.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), October 06, 1999.



One important asset you have now...you know what the problem is and that it might hit...

Are there other things your family owns and could sell? Most families can raise a couple hundred bucks by holding a garage sale.

Are your kids old enough to understand? If so get them informed to expect potential problems...tell them they must be helpful and courageous.

A college friend of mine told me fondly and with a smile on her face of the childhood winter when her mom couldn't pay the heating bill so they had to break ice when they wanted to flush the toilet...

Not to be crass....start to understand that you might die...this is always around the corner for each and every one of us. Don't deny it. On one hand it will motivate you...on the other you may be able to find some peace with it.

Be inspired by the many Jews who somehow beyond all odds survived the terrible conditions of the WWII German work camps. Those who survived faced death and held a vision of life.

-- Thom Gilligan (thomgill@eznet.net), October 06, 1999.


You should immediately cut up every credit card you own. Then contact Larry Burkett's organization (Christian Financial Concepts) in Atlanta, Ga. The web site is at www.cfcministry.org. This is an excellent organization for anybody with financial difficulties.

-- Ann M. (hismckids@aol.com), October 07, 1999.

Do you have any collectibles? Beanie Babys and what not? If so, sell 'em. They don't do anything and people will pay for them. And for that matter, if you have anything that doesn't contribute, or just plain doesn't do anything for you, consider selling that too.

Stuff that keeps you warm, feeds you, educates you (like the computer your reading from right now if you know how to use it.) or does stuff your going to want to keep.

I found I could save a bundle by not eating out. It's healthier ans much cheaper. And yes, rice and beans are among the cheapest of foods. So is pasta. If you don't have time to cook it every night, cook it ahead of time for use during the week and freeze it in a microwavable container. (I use zip lock bags and punch a few holes in them before I toss them in the 'wave). Nuke 'em while you heat the sauce up and your done. Saves a bundle because you won't have to go out for food. And even fast food is a poor value.

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.not), October 07, 1999.


Hi Monica, I found Anita Evangelista's book, How to Develop a Low-Cost Family Food Storage System (Breakout Productions, Port Townsend, WA) to be really useful, in spite of its basic rural slant (I live in a city). She has great common sense and suggestions. You can order through Amazoncom or see if a local independent bookseller can order it for you. Knowing some wild edible plants and other free possible food sources can give you some extra piece of mind. As someone else suggested, buy double quantities of food that can be stored everytime you go to the market (but only buy what your family will actually EAT.) Look for a large warehouse type food source and spend a little extra each week for bulk rice, beans, pasta, etc. You can learn to dry meats in the oven for "jerky." You can even freeze eggs by beating them and pouring into ice cube trays. Anna's book is great for strategizing. Good luck. I know it's scary--but do what you can and you'll feel better and last longer. God bless.

-- Amy Marsh (canaryclub@aol.com), October 07, 1999.

go to an asian grocery store 100 pounds of rice=25 bucks,they accept food stamps

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 08, 1999.


Actually, you should be a LOT scared. Your situation (which I have also been in...) is that you are on such a knife edge that a relatively small bump will knock you off into poverty. A two week layoff (without pay), major medical problems, a vehicle out of service, all can leave you in a downward spiral. And that is before Y2K... But there is hope. You always have some options to raise a little cash. And even a little can mean big preparations...

(1) Consider collecting aluminum cans...just a few dollars worth and you can pick up another 50# of oatmeal, beans, or rice. This also gives you a real security blanket in case of that unexpected layoff...

(2) Consider your local food bank...you probably qualify.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), October 09, 1999.


On-line cookbook and almanac of useful information for poor people

Printable flyers for distribution during y2k disruptions (There is one on preparing on a low budget)

-- robert waldrop (rmwj@soonernet.com), October 09, 1999.


You have some tough choices to make. You're not going to get out of debt before rollover, so don't try. Just keep plugging away with the minimum payments to keep you out of trouble. Look at what you own that you don't NEED (as opposed to want). Do you need your TV? How about those old toys that the kids don't play with anymore? More clothes than you need? Think of all the things you have that 1)you don't use very often, 2) you won't be able to use next January if the power goes out, and 3) those things that you can really do without anyway. A garage sale is a good idea. You can also advertise items in the local "nickel adds." I've had pretty good luck with those in the past. By cleaning all of the extraneous junk out of your house and your life, you've simplified your existence, reduced the amount of stuff you could lose if things go bad, and you've cleared a couple hundred bucks as well, which can be used to buy things that you DO need: light, heat, food, and shelter.

You're under three months, though, so get moving!

-- rob minor (rbminor@hotmail.com), October 12, 1999.


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