Poor people here go on state assistance or school and state pays til they start pre-K at 3 or4 which is in elementary schools... probably why our property taxes which pay for schools are crazy high
I see. Welfare would be about the only option then. Interesting here. I guess 75% of our kids will not be returning to goverment school in the fall. I don't see the school getting another levy passed in the next few years. I am all for it. Get the property taxes down.
There are some things I do to save money like a lot of you. Of course burning wood all winter is a big money saver. LED lights. I manage all of my own investments on line. Some Brokers are a rip off. I will maintain and work on a lot of my own stuff. Like tractors, backhoe, lawnmowers, chainsaws, weedeaters, cars, pickups and stuff around the house. I am retired but like doing things and sometimes I trade some of my skills for someone else's skills. That can be a big money saver. I have a Tig, Mig and gas welding setup that I can use to save money. I have no debt and I only buy things with cash or else I do without. Because I save so much money on all those things I can afford a good cigar and some good whisky. No worrys.
Not at my mothers!! $20 a week she provided meals snack etc. no wonder new kids stayed til they aged out.. mom was nurse. 1 kids got sent home from school with chicken pox. She kinda had them quarantine on enclosed front porch. End of day told all parents when they picked up kids if they wanted bring pajama tooth brushes etc kept all kids in our house and yard 3 or 4 days was a great party.. my kid brother had 4 or 5 pox only.. none of us real sick.. completely illegal now..
If both parents aren't making decent money it doesn't make sense for both to work. The bread winner works and the other stays home with the kids.
Several impactive things we've done: Halving - try halving the amount of consumables to figure out the optimum quantity (detergent, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, etc.) Household energy efficiency - LED lighting, efficient appliances, insulation, air sealing, big shade trees to the south, avoid using the electric oven, etc. Heat and cool only where and when needed - IR heaters in the bathrooms in winter, AC in the bedroom during summer Electric vehicle for commuting - much less per mile cost and saves wear and tear on my expensive truck Vegetable gardening and preserving TV over the air and via the internet only Most expenses paid on cash-back credit cards, maintain no balance Pausing on purchases - put them off and it's amazing how many you ultimately forgo. DIY on anything that makes sense (in 20 years on our property we've only hired out septic tank cleaning and gravel hauling) Equating money spent with my work time - e.g., how long to I have to work to pay for this?
Kids all grown, 4 of them, retired, but do have a decent retirement income. no credit card debt etc. Feels nice to go buy something big like a living room set or a major appliance and pay for it. I could spend more, but it won't do me any good. Big thing to avoid is impulse buying. This covid thing has saved me a lot in gas and eating out expenses. I have really good medical care, I only pay for medicare and a small co pay on my medications. No other deductibles.
Colorado daycare, healthcare and school lunches are free for under a certain income. The cheating game is to only make so much $$ reported on taxes and do the rest under table. Steal from the taxpayers twice, one using tax payers $$, and second not contributing to the taxes that pay for those programs.
We have a lot of that here now, as the coast migrates inward. Anything to not be honest. they show up, then try to change everything. problem is we do not have the tax base to rape from like they do. I just charge them lots extra, and try to divide it out to the local churches, or older people that are decent.
Speaking of saving a $$$, are we the last people to NOT have a cell fon ? Luddites ? No good service here ( a landscape "hole" ), no need for all these social media stupidities ( you really, really need those likes ? ), a need for no hack privacy. They will and can get to you. Friends who come by, whine that they "only are getting a bar". So I offer them a drink after they climb on top of their pickup for reception. I didn't realise that cell fons can cost in the $100's a month. No need since my single malt is less. Yuh, when the landline dies, we'll have no choice.
