AIBU to be sad and shocked by this article?

[LittleDorrit]

Have just been reading this:

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/18/child-poverty-labour-eradicate-promise

and I am shocked by the conditions this family is living in, but in particular how little/what sort of food they are able to afford.

It's not so much an AIBU issue, but just wondered whether others in similarly difficult circumstances think this is typical, or whether the mother could try to buy other types of food (e.g. rice, lentils, etc.) or perhaps be able to afford to spend a bigger proportion of her budget on food... £20 is very little.

Yes Sorrento, I agree but I had a better upbringing than this girl and was brought up with the best quality food, tons of fruit and veg, frequent restaurant meals and I have a palate developed by foreign holidays when young, and two years of travelling as an adult.

I cooked well at home, even with cheap foods and no food ethics. Louise didn't have my upbringing and doesn't have my background as a starting point.

As I said in an earlier post, I'm one of the lucky ones who was benefits and it was still hard and utterly crappy. I can't imagine coping in Louise's shoes.

thanks for the book link, I have poped it in my basket. My grandmother grew up ot far from Lambeth walk, not so well of though and her and her parents often did a moonlight flit, in the end as granma grew she took charge of the household as her mother was terrible really with money. Granma did this to aviod the moonlight flit when they did't have the money to pay the rent and there was plenty doing it.

ezmi thats not poverty when your able to buy fags, credit your phone and pay your internet. As well as being able to pay your debts etc..

Poverty is when you havent got the money to do these things. Yes it is just you and your DD so its easier for you.

But when you have more than one child to feed and have to pay rent, food, bills, and debts and you still cant manage this... Thats Poverty.

i was only telling you that i can manage on he same amount as the lady in the acticle, all she pys more than me is for another childs meals, which i could do as well. oshe just needs to pre arrange her money.
and according to the acticles definition f povery i fitth bill!

I get less than this lady a week and I have a partner and DD to support. I know I cant pay my debts as my dd's health is much more important. I dont get how you can pay all these things on £120 a week. I get this and theres no way we could live if my mum didnt buy us food.

That Jennifer Worth book is listed on my profile as the last book I read!. It isn't, I just never update my profile.
I've just ordered the Workhouse one, and I feel so lucky to be able to see a book I want and buy it. Couldn't have done that a year ago.
I still get so much pleasure from small things

needs to rearrange her money???

but she has a budget - which she sticks to rigidly.

And how do you pay all that stuff on £120 a week? I get more than that (as I have 3 children), plus and extra £20 (well actually it works out at £18.90 - but that's neither here nor there) a week from my organ playing (they apologise recently for not paying me the "going" rate as the church can't afford to - I don't them not to worry as if they did it would start affecting my benefits lol).

I also have the internet (obviously ) and CC's, but admitedly don't pay for college lunches, I also smoke - but can't afford fags - I smoke roll-ups instead - I do however have school stuff to pay for, and have to top up my rent.

I manage it with spare each month but (as I said) I have 3 children so that's more CB, and more CTC's.

Really don't see how that's all possible on £120 a week.

Chelles girl - why are you supporting your partner?

I dont mean literally. We support each other, hes the one with the benefits, and has just lost his job due to recession.

i spend about £90 a week including all my bills and have about thrity quid left over for days or toys, and i dont buy all value foods or shop in a pound shop, so the acticle is not giving people on benefits a good light, she just does not want to spend her money is a better way, the article has not given hertrue amount either. she is getting nearer £200 a week for her and her two kids, which is a sight mre than the £120/130 that they said.

mugglewump - I know where you are coming from

Hope you enjoy the book, could you link me to it please?

you must have bloody cheap utility bils and the like then to fit all your bills, and fags, and nursery top ups, and college lunches etc into £55-65 !!!

actually ezmi - can we swap bills

would you like me to put up a break down of my outgoings just so you can see that it is possible... i pay fixed direct debit of £22 gas £20 electric a month so £10 in total a week, nursery top up is £7 a week internet/phone/comp £10, college is £10 a week, £10 on fags/crap from the shops, £25 a week towards buying food - fornightly, £5 on tv license, brightnouse £10, £10 towards c/card and money left over!

My elec, gas, water, t.v licence comes to £35-45 per week. Food at £45 for the 3 of us.
£20 for nappies, milk, wipes.
£18 for debts that we do have to pay as subject to Special arrangement with CAB.
£30 for rent as LHA pays 80% now.

So thats...£148 a week.

We get £95.94 JSA
£3.71 CTC
£18.90 CB

Total £118 ish.

So each week were in arrears with our rent, or go without one meal a day (not dd tho).

So I seriosly dont know emzi how you do it.

What food do you buy?

you lucky cow - only £42 a month for gas and electric

nursery top up - whats that?

Ivykaty44
here

thanks for that - had seen the midwife cook and thought at some stage will get it. My list is ever increasing atm and I have a voucher for waterstones to use!

i buy the large trays of meat from the shops - shop in the evening when they discount prices, and separate before freezing, i get 4 dinners out of a tray for £3. i cook from stratch, so buy big bags of rice, pasta etc. so £10 on meat/chicken etc, £5 on pasta/rice etc £5 on jars such as pasta sauce for a quick dinner, bread and freeze it £3, dairylea, yogurt for dd £5 fruit and veg on my healty start vouchers as dd drinks cows milk now so 1 voucher a week and top up £4 for fruit etc frozen food about £5-10 fish fingers fries etc, dont buy snacks/crisps etc buy raisans/rice cakes etc instead drink squash and water have occasional fizzy pop. £10 on extras like bikkies, cereal etc and buy nappies and wipes etc on offer - got 9 packs of wipes for £5 from asda last week so dont need any for couple months now.

i am an access student and get £160 nursery fees paid but total is £167 so pay the remainding £7 a week.

ezmi - wait until your DD is a bit older - you suddenly find they eat more so unfortunately you get less meals out of those big packs of meat.

We are better off than any previous generation, we live in one of the richest nations in the world.

The 'poor' in this country are ok, the have food, access to education, helth care etc. I am not saying this from a detached perspective, as I spent 6 months on benefits a few years ago. It is not something I would like to repeat but I was actually damn grateful for living in this country and at a time when benefits are available.

I am now a student but also work in a family history business, 150 years ago if you had no work you would end up in a workhouse, children too, sometimes orphaned children were left there. Really we should be thankful for the amazing progress we have made, and stop whinging.

ermm Sense - who's whinging? Louise in the article is quoted as saying she doesn't expect any more money and is grateful for what she gets.