Economics, choices, priorities... all sorts of good stuff.

OK, first things first, if anybody actually reads this (and I'll be shocked if the do! LOL) I don't mean to tick people off. I'm just thinking aloud - er, um, on screen. Yeah.

OK, so here is the deal. I have no major issues with food stamps/WIC, etc. Heck, how do you think my mom managed for awhile. Just keep that in mind.

OK, so it started on some message board where it was mentioned that more all these people use food stamps, and people put in their 2 cents regarding the pros and cons. Good reads, made me think.

Until I ready about the organic carrots and soy milk.

Some lady said she was so glad they qualified because before she couldn't afford her organic carrots and soy milk.

Let me repeat this one more time: there is a mom out there right now using your and my tax dollars to buy organic carrots and soy milk.

If you have no issues with that, please stop reading now.

Let me go back a bit and tell you about my family. If my husband just did his job (teacher) and nothing else, we would soooo easily qualify for assistance. If he just did his job and 1/2 of the extra things he picks up, we would soooooo easily qualify for assistance. But it is our choice to have him take on lots of extra responsibility at work (and for me to do some work on the side too) and it just so happens that that puts us over the edge.

More about us: we have no cable/fancy tech toys/fancy cars (OK, we do have 1 new van, but only because we planned for it). We're boring. I use coupons and live for sales. J. shops meats on sale and bread on clearance and we freeze it. We rent books and movies from the library. We are pretty frugal.

Back to the organic carrots and soy milk.

So as I read this all I can think was, wait a minute. I would *love* to buy healthier alternatives to the foods I get. Really, I would. (Not organic or soy, but nicer fruit bars for the kids, for example.) But, because of the choices that we make regarding jobs and money, that's not an option. So... do I tell my husband to quit his extras so he can be home more AND we can get assistance??!! It truly made me question how we live out life. I mean, seriously, maybe we have this all screwed up.

Think about it:
NOW
- DH gets to work at 5:30, teaches until 2:3o, required to stay until 3:00
- after 3:00 he is either at meetings, doing clubs, taking pictures for yearbook, or bolting off to do a class
- at home after dinner and bedtime he catches up on more class work and does things for the clubs/groups
- goes out for 1 or 2 weeks in the summer and other days during the year to the capitol to work for the State Ed Dept to earn extra money
- also has yearbook late nights/Model UN overnights
- money is snug!

OTHER WAY
- DH could go to school from 7:40 - 3:00
- maybe spend some extra time there or at home doing grades, etc every so often
- get assitance with food/heat/etc

Sigh. I know. I know. Just had to gripe....