Hi

[Bettybee]

I grew up in the country. My home was in Kentucky for 24 years. We had a farm and grew all our food. The only thing I can remember my Mother buying was flour, sugar and pasta. We raise our on hogs and chickens, Had a cow for milk and made our own butter and cheese. Things have changed a lot since I was a kid. It's very hard to make ends meet now days.

[Bettybee]

Originally Posted by Bettybee

I grew up in the country. My home was in Kentucky for 24 years. We had a farm and grew all our food. The only thing I can remember my Mother buying was flour, sugar and pasta. We raise our on hogs and chickens, Had a cow for milk and made our own butter and cheese. Things have changed a lot since I was a kid. It's very hard to make ends meet now days.

You don't miss the water until the well runs dry

[NW Admin]

She's not kidding either! She still lives in that state of mind some times. Her and I lived together for many years. She never could say that she wanted anything in particular from the store. She still has this state of mind that she will take what she can get (whatever I will go buy). And she has no problem just eating crackers and water. Or lettuce. She has always been very unique in that way. Not too worry though, I wasn't feeding her just water and crackers! Haha!

It's true though. I didn't live back then, but even just the change from when I first lived on my own 11 years ago to now... it's hard. I never used to bargain shop or use coupons. That's all I do now. For example, my favorite ice cream is by Private Selection. Our Kroger grocery store runs sales on it for $1. The same with Lipton Rice packages. I love them, but if that sale isn't running, then I won't buy it. And since it's the cheaper ice cream, I will go for a while without ice cream... just waiting for that sale to come around again. I also started buying more generic brand items. Some things I just can't go generic on though and I really cringe when I buy them.

[CarolineWH]

Originally Posted by Bettybee

I grew up in the country. My home was in Kentucky for 24 years. We had a farm and grew all our food. The only thing I can remember my Mother buying was flour, sugar and pasta. We raise our on hogs and chickens, Had a cow for milk and made our own butter and cheese. Things have changed a lot since I was a kid. It's very hard to make ends meet now days.

If you tried to tell this to the younger generation many will look at you as if you have a brick for a brain instead of good sense...They do not save...They spend..They have this little piece of plastic that works..Now they can use it at a grocery store and once a month they have to pay on it....It is a joke...If you happen to be in a grocery line behind them, sometimes they will pull out two or three of these before they get one to work....It is called "CREDIT"...I believe it has to be one of the first things that a child now learns as they age...

Stop at a Subway or eating place now and whip out that card...No wonder the younger generation doesn't know how to save...We were out to lunch and a girl came in with two kids in a stroller...Small one in front and another in back...She lived in some apartments down the street...She knew the owners well...Mind you...This was a sandwich place....Spent $36.00 on four nice sandwiches with chips and drinks...This is for lunch...Her neighbor was coming over....So out came the plastic and home she went...I wonder if she knows what a loaf of bread and cold cuts are...Add potato chips and you have got it made.....My husband and I looked at each other in awe....I doubt she knows any better....I would say she was about 22 years old....I think they now call this the American Way.....PLASTIC....Buy now...Hope to pay later or if nothing else.....scream BAILOUT.....

This mess that we are in bugs me...No, it infuriates me....And may I add that I think that we have only just begun.....

Take care, Caroline

[CarolineWH]

Please understand I do not mean all of the younger generation as like we were when we were young...I realize that they are still learning of life...They probably would think I had "a brick for a brain" because they are young and I am older...Far older but sometimes along with age comes a bit of wisdom....At least I hope so...

The young woman I spoke about above, we had seen before...She kind of lives off the county...If there wasn't a large grocery store less than one block from her apartment building, I would not have been so critical...BUT she could have gotten what she paid $36.00 for at the store for probably $12 to $14.00...This is what people must learn...Sure it is fun eating out with someone else doing the preparing for you, but it cost money....And they just don't have it...

I did want to straighten this out...

[NW Admin]

Oh I agree, Caroline. I used to go out to eat all the time. I hardly ever cooked anything. Now it seems like any time we do break down and go to Arby's or something, I immediately think about how much more I could have bought at the grocery store with the money I spent at Arby's. Or think in terms of... well... I could have bought a whole loaf of bread, mayo, cheese, deli ham, chips, and juice... PLUS... had a little left over to save for a bill. Haha! Gee whiz!

I didn't really care about the money I was spending when I was younger. I can honestly say that I had serious spending/saving issues when I was younger. I don't think I learned enough or was taught with enough emphasis on managing money wisely or the importance of credit. It wasn't until recent years that I started to straighten up. Now I am recovering from the damage I did to my own credit at that time. And let me tell you, that is not easy to recover from.

We have actually elected to drop cable television to save money. Cut back to the cheaper cell phone plan. I use the water from my dehumidifier to water my plants now. And if I don't finish my glass of water, I put it in the dog's water bowl. Haha! Trying to conserve as much as possible now days.