WIC..pay for each item separately?

[Anonymous]

yes, you can look for jobs before separating. It wasn't easy for us though because we lived in Europe and he out processed in the middle of nowhere.

DH did have his career path with the military and then he changed his mind. He decided to no longer be career because the money was much better on the Gov. Contractor side. Really, who could blame him?

Then one of the contracts he was working for was cancelled. This is what caused the long stint of unemployment.

We weren't 20 years old and trying to figure out what to do with our lives. We were changing paths and if you think at 38 you won't, you could be in for a big surprise. My dad was a very successful executive for 20-25 years before he left that crazy world for another. He became a child protective worker. The pay was crap, the days were long, but the rewards were greater.

Anonymous wrote:Didn't he look for jobs before separating from the military? Or is that a military no no?

I don't understand. Most people find jobs before quitting the ones they have. And if my husband loses his job, I can't support the family on my PT pay but we have enough in the bank to hold us over for quite some time.

And that's why the 38 yo PP posted. She had established herself before having kids and making major life decisions.

It's just common sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned it. I worked hard (two jobs) while in school and didn't have my first baby until 38, when I could afford it.

WTH has that got to do with anything?

Agree. WTF does that have to do with anything? Who cares if you were older and could afford a Bugaboo, boutique clothing, live in a certain zipcode or drive them around in a fancy car. Babies don't know the difference.

At one point we were technically homeless. Not because we were (overly) poor but because DH had just separated from the military when we moved here. No one would rent to us without DH and I having proof of income. It didn't matter that he was interviewing for jobs or that we could write a check for an entire years worth of rent. We wound up staying with family, three hours away, and staying in hotels here for extended stays.

Another point in our married life DH lost his job. While I do work, I am not the breadwinner, and after 8 months of unemployment we were almost all the way through our savings. It was to the point where I filed for and was approved for welfare. We were about to cash in our retirement funds so we could pay our mortgage and really thought we would have to sell the house. We were lucky and we didn't have to use the welfare benefits because DH got a job days after we were approved and two weeks before my entire department at work was eliminated.

My kids are happy, healthy, and well adjusted. They also understand the value of a dollar. They know that life can change at a moment's notice and not to take things for granted. They also have a great deal of empathy and understanding.

[Anonymous]

Oh my god. The people posting on this forum are really and truly depressing me. Such hate, Such lack of charity and basic human kindness. Are you raising your children to believe that babies of the less well-off don't deserve to eat? Are you raising children to believe that only the rich should be allowed to raise families? Are you raising children who will one day believe, like you do, that it is okay to degrade a family simply because they are poorer than you?

I hope and pray that these comments are the work of only one poster, and that poster is a troll. I know there are some broken people in the world, but how do you get to that point, where you openly admit to hating a person because they are poor? Especially in this economy, where even folks who want work can't find it? And certainly, many more may have jobs, but they do not have meaningful work, or livable wages?

For those of you who do not know what it means to be poor, I would say you are lucky, but you are not. No one can be considered lucky or healthy and have that much hate and ignorance in their heart.

I've never had to take public assistance but I grew up poor. I don't think one has to experience poverty first hand, however, to show some empathy. This thread makes me terribly sad.

[Anonymous]

"This thread makes me terribly sad."

Yes, now you know who raises the "mean girls".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I earned it. I worked hard (two jobs) while in school and didn't have my first baby until 38, when I could afford it.

My, my. Aren't you special?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned it. I worked hard (two jobs) while in school and didn't have my first baby until 38, when I could afford it.

My, my. Aren't you special?

You have to admit there is some merit in her sentiment though. I also feel like DH and I made some hard sacrifices for many years to not have babies early in life, work our way through school, pick careers that had potential of steady income, keep a trade to make extra money when needed, etc.

While we are very grateful for all of the things we have in life, we also feel like some of that credit is due to our hard work and sacrifices.

I am a pp that mentioned a has sister that has made very different decisions than I did and has used all types of public assistance. She had her first baby in high school which has led her down the path she is on today leading a very financially stressful life.

While I feel for her and help her out as much as I can, she made the decisions she made and now has to live with the consequences. She understands that she and her DH are trying to make their lives easier by going back to school and applying for higher paying jobs, but they are somewhat in control of their life. She is learning to take responsibility.

While there are many people who have fallen on hard times because of uncontrollable circumstances (medical issues, etc) but there are a lot who just made bad decisions from having too many babies or having them too young to overextending themselves by being greedy in the housing boom or are just lazy (I know a few in DH's family). In those situations you made your bed and must lie in it now.

I had friends who took contractor jobs and laughed at me when I went govt. I will never be super rich, but I will have a better chance at stable job than these friends. Now, they are all boo-hooing that they can't afford their mansions and tanks they drive because the contractors are laying off and begging me to help them get in the govt. Well, again, I will help where I can, but you took the chance to make big money while you could and if you expected it to last forever, that's no one's problem but your own. Oh, wait, it is my problem because you are taking public assistance that I pay into with my slow-earning but stable job.

My point is that some category of people on this assistance are those who decided to live riskier financial lives and wanted a quick rich life that didn't turn out the way they planned. These people are the problem in my opinion. That greed will never go away.

Another segment of folks are those too lazy to keep a job (as mentioned earlier in DH's fmaily). Several of them literally just don't show up to work because of this reason or that reason and don't understand why they got fired, again. I refuse to personally financially help people like this. They are also taking as much public assistance as possible and don't see any issues with this. Like someone owes them a living.

The other segment of folks that truly need the assitance due to uncontrollable cuircumstances or are uneducated but hard working have all of my support in the world.

[Anonymous]

I don't look down on anyone who needs WIC, and I don't question whether they should have made different decisions that render them in need of the program. I don't know anything about their lives or the circumstances that led them to need WIC. It does, however, leave a really bad taste in my mouth when people complain about the program's food offerings (e.g., no organics, limited variety of whole wheat bread, types of tortillas). This program is something that other citizens pay for with their tax dollars to help you and your family. The reason that the program exists is because we as a society have determined that we do not want the nutrition of women, infants and children in need to fall below a certain minimum level. It seems ungracious to complain about the program offerings, except to the extent that they are not meeting your family's basic nutritional needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned it. I worked hard (two jobs) while in school and didn't have my first baby until 38, when I could afford it.

WTH has that got to do with anything?

Agree. WTF does that have to do with anything? Who cares if you were older and could afford a Bugaboo, boutique clothing, live in a certain zipcode or drive them around in a fancy car. Babies don't know the difference.

At one point we were technically homeless. Not because we were (overly) poor but because DH had just separated from the military when we moved here. No one would rent to us without DH and I having proof of income. It didn't matter that he was interviewing for jobs or that we could write a check for an entire years worth of rent. We wound up staying with family, three hours away, and staying in hotels here for extended stays.

Another point in our married life DH lost his job. While I do work, I am not the breadwinner, and after 8 months of unemployment we were almost all the way through our savings. It was to the point where I filed for and was approved for welfare. We were about to cash in our retirement funds so we could pay our mortgage and really thought we would have to sell the house. We were lucky and we didn't have to use the welfare benefits because DH got a job days after we were approved and two weeks before my entire department at work was eliminated.

My kids are happy, healthy, and well adjusted. They also understand the value of a dollar. They know that life can change at a moment's notice and not to take things for granted. They also have a great deal of empathy and understanding.

I believe you're confusing me with other posters. I don't drive a fancy car, I don't have a Bugaboo and I shop at the Gap. I'm just saying I don't live off hand outs and welfare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't look down on anyone who needs WIC, and I don't question whether they should have made different decisions that render them in need of the program. I don't know anything about their lives or the circumstances that led them to need WIC. It does, however, leave a really bad taste in my mouth when people complain about the program's food offerings (e.g., no organics, limited variety of whole wheat bread, types of tortillas). This program is something that other citizens pay for with their tax dollars to help you and your family. The reason that the program exists is because we as a society have determined that we do not want the nutrition of women, infants and children in need to fall below a certain minimum level. It seems ungracious to complain about the program offerings, except to the extent that they are not meeting your family's basic nutritional needs.

"Ungracious"? Are you serious? I guess when -- or perhaps I should say, "if" -- you offer to buy a meal for a homeless person on the street, you do so only if that person eats at McDonald's, even if he or she would prefer to have sandwich with fresh ingredients.... You must have invented the wonderful phrase, "Beggars can't be choosers." I really hope that you re-examine your values.

[Anonymous]

"The other segment of folks that truly need the assitance due to uncontrollable cuircumstances or are uneducated but hard working have all of my support in the world. "

Where do I send your Nobel Prize?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned it. I worked hard (two jobs) while in school and didn't have my first baby until 38, when I could afford it.

Unfortunately, in this economy many people equally confident have found themselves in dire straits. Truly. You really are out of touch if you feel that hard work and delayed childbearing are enough to inoculate you against job loss, health crisis, or other calamities that increasingly strike people just like you.

I'm not niave enough to think that something horrible couldn't happen to me - it could happen to anyone. However, I stated that I didn't go out and have a child with no money in the bank and no job. It's called planning.

[Anonymous]

"I'm not niave enough to think that something horrible couldn't happen to me - it could happen to anyone. However, I stated that I didn't go out and have a child with no money in the bank and no job. It's called planning. "

I get it. Since you planned your life and didn't get hit with any major curveballs, you get to roll your eyes at WIC recipients that YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned it. I worked hard (two jobs) while in school and didn't have my first baby until 38, when I could afford it.

My, my. Aren't you special?

Actually, I'm not. That's the point isn't it? That everyday people make sacrifices to do what's best for their families. My choice was to work to jobs, put myself through school, not have children until later in life. Others chose to follow a different path, which includes public assistance. There are fewer of them then there are of us - but I'm not sure why to be hateful to me for the choices I made, isn't the goal to get people off public assistance? To be one of the "special" who don't need goverment help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I'm not niave enough to think that something horrible couldn't happen to me - it could happen to anyone. However, I stated that I didn't go out and have a child with no money in the bank and no job. It's called planning. "

I get it. Since you planned your life and didn't get hit with any major curveballs, you get to roll your eyes at WIC recipients that YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.

You don't know me. How do you know that I don't work for the government actually processing WIC checks? How do you know I don't have family on WIC? How do you know anything about me from 2 anoynomous posts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I'm not niave enough to think that something horrible couldn't happen to me - it could happen to anyone. However, I stated that I didn't go out and have a child with no money in the bank and no job. It's called planning. "

I get it. Since you planned your life and didn't get hit with any major curveballs, you get to roll your eyes at WIC recipients that YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.

You don't know me. How do you know that I don't work for the government actually processing WIC checks? How do you know I don't have family on WIC? How do you know anything about me from 2 anoynomous posts?

Spelling Police, stat!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned it. I worked hard (two jobs) while in school and didn't have my first baby until 38, when I could afford it.

Unfortunately, in this economy many people equally confident have found themselves in dire straits. Truly. You really are out of touch if you feel that hard work and delayed childbearing are enough to inoculate you against job loss, health crisis, or other calamities that increasingly strike people just like you.

I'm not niave enough to think that something horrible couldn't happen to me - it could happen to anyone. However, I stated that I didn't go out and have a child with no money in the bank and no job. It's called planning.

Birthcontrold does fail and not everyone believes abortion is the right choice for them. Others believe in having children when they are younger, healthier, and the changes of genetic defect are lower. They think careers are what should be put on hold not the chance for healthy children. There are also those who are financhially stable when they are younger and have lost money through job loss, bad investments, or because the economy has tanked.

FYI, all the planning in the world doesn't mean things will work out the way you plan them.