What does a BYUI students life in poverty look like?

Alot of the things I write about may take a while to prove. I make assumptions first hope I'm wrong so I can feel better about my situation study it and find out most of the time that I am Infact right. It was about a year ago after reading a Facebook post that I wondered if more young couples than I thought were using government programs such as ahcccs and medicaid to pay for their childbirths. Even though I had friends who did use those programs I thought for the most part people my age who were members of my faith did not. They were taught they needed to PROVIDE for their families by whatever means necessary. It wasn't until after I read this post which had absolutely no hint or mention of this subject that I decided to dig deeper into finding answers. That's why I wrote this post titled "Taking a break trying a new path"
In that post there was another article I wanted to include from 2009 but couldn't find it until yesterday. Here's the link.
http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/madison-county-the-poorest-in-idaho/article_2faa2f30-a5b7-5048-bfd7-987b1a3b1b8d.html?mode=jqm
Another article discussing poverty among college married couples that doesn't dig enough to find a real solution or the root of the problem. Yeah, we get it, they don't have money but how are they getting funds to take vacations and trips when we should question weather or not they should be taking those trips in the first place. They are using taxpayer dollars. Taxpayers should have a say. Right?
Here is my question. Is this couple genuinely poor enough to receive the government help. I mean they look poor and according to the article they make no income so they are extremely poor which makes them eligible for free housing.

Let me give you an idea of what my life was like around this time. I had just had a baby who was in the hospital for RSV. So not only do I have my first c section hospital bill that I am paying I also have another hostpital bill that I need to pay for. It was around this time I also used credit cards to help subsidies my housing. I was probably making around 30 k a year which more than qualified me for some government programs but no I was donating twice a week to the plasma center to again subsidize my food. One of those weeks I donated half of that plasma money to the food bank.

Now let's look and see how a life in poverty while in college looks like. Unfortunately because of privacy concerns i will not disclose where i found this info.  Three months prior to this news article being written this couple and their 2 kids were in......Florida going to Disneyworld. A month after this article was written the Husband was in Alaska for two weeks. Now remember he is not employed at this time his income is zero so where is the money coming from? The wife during this time took her two kids from Rexburg Idaho to California for those two weeks. The info I have doesn't specify if she drove or flew. With two kids I'm guessing she flew. So no work they get free housing free food free formula both kids births were probably paid through medicaid with very little out of their pocket.
 That's what poverty looks like? It's a slap in the face to me who thought I was ok when I wasn't. It's funny how much info behind the story there is that is hidden.

Update. I didn't want to go back and edit my post. I wanted to allow myself and others to see even I make mistakes while writing. My timing is a little off. My wife was pregnant with my second. We did not have her yet. We were still struggling and making it due to plasma donations. I actually found a small segment from our blog about the food donation that we needed for ourselves but instead donated. This again is half of our plasma donation that we donated so that college kids with no income could travel by airplane to visit family or expensive truck owners could keep their nice houses. Just months later we were asking for an extension on our rent.

I understand that there are people who genuinely need help but I also know that unfortunately through our helping all we are doing is sustaining people's lifestyle. As is with the above article example. They did not truly sacrifice with all that help. It sustained a lifestyle they were used to. It's not until they truly sacrifice and live as pioneers in a sense that they will appreciate a dollar appreciate being independent appreciate giving then appreciate receiving. 

WIC Medicaid Housing assistant program and church programs if they were involved. You have failed with this family. They should not of received so much when it was obvious with a Disneyworld trip Alaska trip and California trip that they DID not NEED assistance. They AND their PARENTS ABUSED the welfare system. Their parents obviously were not suffering through the great recession and why should they have to support their grown children. It is my argument that they (the parents) carefully calculated a way to keep their money for luxuries while their kids were fed with the welfare spoon. This while some of us THOUGHT we were doing the right thing when we were selling our blood to EAT and share our food.

Hardened heart just a little softer.

So this is a little bit from the heart. So this weekend I came home from work defeated and feeling sorry for myself. After 9 years with the same company I make the same base pay as a new person starting the job. To throw more salt on the wound a new person has taken over my pay and my guaranteed minimum pay is no longer happening. Instead of focusing on that I just want to say my heart has softened a little. I used to be the person who said you do anything and everything to take care of your family but after this experience I wish I could help people like me. People who are just trying to get by with big dreams yet they never happen. People who downgrade their life for a better future only to be downgraded even lower because of work or health situations. I feel for you and wish I could help.

Let me make this clear though. This does not mean I feel sorry for the couple who chose a vacation over financial obligations. I don't feel sorry for the family with a 40k vehicle and are at risk of foreclosure. I still don't feel sorry for anyone who had a week long honeymoon on a cruise Hawaii or Alaska. I don't feel sorry for the young couple going to college and having babies paid for through state funding. Those are financial choices that they did not have to make but if you are working hard and just trying to make a living but are still getting kicked to the ground let me offer you my condolences and tell you keep it up. Better things should be coming..

Another car loan rant.

I wish I would just record the Dave Ramsey show. Twice tonight two callers called asking a question to solve a problem. What problem? Again car payments. The thing I loathe. The first story the 65 year old (seriously how the heck are you 65 and don't own your own vehicles) made the excuse (embarrassingly) that the reason he is underwater on his car is because he just wanted newer and newer. His car payment grew to over 500 dollars still had a 25000 dollar balance and his car was only worth 16k. The second guys company offered him a car allowance of 1000 a month so he goes out and buys a 50k truck. (let's see 50×18=900+insurance tires registration) you do the math. That's more than his allowance. A year goes by and they decide to scrap that program leaving him with an expensive car loan and 7k in the hole. DON'T FINANCE CARS PEOPLE!

One last thing. I found this the other day.

Financial Reasons?
Another young couple buying on wants rather than needs.
Rant over. More to come.

July's I can't afford it award 1st contestant

Wow this cannot wait. I just found my first  contestant for July's "I Can't Afford It Award"
I'm pretty sure it's noted that I have 3 main pet pees when it comes to the car buying world those are Brand new Vans Brand new crossovers and brand new trucks those followed by loan ect. Why? Well being that 93% of Americans cant own a car out right meaning they have some type of auto loan and you have these news articles pop up on google

its probably a good guess that 50%+ can't afford them or are barely aaffording them. I should also note I have a favorite van right now and that is the Honda Odyssey from 2011 up. Why? Because it gets 3 extra miles to the gallon over the Town and Country but it should also be noted that it would take up to 20 years to make up the price difference between the 2 and doesn't even include depreciation.
So when I saw this add today you can bet I got excited.

A brand new 2015 Honda Odyssey.

with only 100 miles.

100 miles? Where did they drive it? Home? How in the heck did they not realize this was a mistake?? Again this is why people don't realize till they sign that last document of how much of a hole they are digging. When I purchased my car I was hesitant because the payment from my previous car went up a 160 dollars and was at a higher interest. The sales guy was good though explained through my fears. I didn't leave without making a plan with my wife to pay it off within 2 years. Here we are 8 years later still have a car loan. (2600 and getting lower!!)

How in the heck do you not realize that you can't afford it until you get home? What the heck was going on in their minds.

A little background of the buyer. Newer house  (mortgage payment) has 2 kids. Younger family I would say around the age of 25. My first question is why they feel the need to upgrade. I didn't upgrade until the 3rd bun was in the oven. 2ND question how did they figure out they couldn't afford it?
 Estimated car payment between 550 and 700 a month that's estimated if between a length of 60 to 72 months at an interest rate of .09 to 3.99 percent add on registration at 400 a year car insurance at around 1200 a year oil changes at 160 a year and tire changes at around 500 a year. Thats alot of dough. Oh and if they lose their job whose going to pay for it. Falls back to social programs. Yeah you may not paying it directly but indirectly where they save on free food free utilities and free mortgage payments they can afford a car payment that could of been used to pay other bills.


 Just to give you an idea how expensive this van is with the same amount of money they could of bought 3 2012 town and country vans complete with DVD players. 5 decent 7000 dollar cars. We're talking 2010 Hyundai Elantra Mazda 3s and 6s and enough left over to register all of them.
2 complete lifted 2010 and newer trucks with new tires. 7 Recreational vehicles (ATV Boats Watercraft snowmobiles) complete with trailors. 22 caribbean cruises or all inclusive Mexico resorts. I mean take your pick. I've got more.
So without anything further I nominate this contestant I will name "We have to keep up with the neighbors"

Some times it falls into your lap part2

I just have a little update on my part 1. In that post I talked about a person or family who relied very heavily on a good paying job in the oil industry. When the price of gas went down they lost their income and almost. EVERYTHING brand new that they had. What was foolish of them was that they did put everything on credit amounting to thousands of dollars in payments. There was a brand new house a brand new 35000 dollar car and a near new ATV they were trying to get rid of to save their credit. I also brought up the fact that the reason this bothers me so much is that as soon as the reality of poor shines through these families get to go on social welfare. Wether through church or government and in some cases keep everything they have.
When I first brought up this story I started snooping around and realized that this person does not go to the same church as me so more than likely she would be asking other organizations to help her through right? At one point it did get so bad that she was looking into moving to a trailer park. So where is she now? Still in her 9 bedroom 1 acre property where She rides her horse and ATV every day. Obviously something happened. One day she is desperate to move and now no sign. House is off the market. She had to have some type of support that made up her 2000 dollar house payment and food maybe even some feed for her horse. Not from the Mormon church though right?
I find it ironic that I found this the other day.

(The airow is hers)
This is a Facebook feed from someone around her area asking who the bishop was because they needed to contact him imediately.
 Wait how does she know the bishop?
This again proves my point! Fast offerings are no longer for just the poor they're for the poor decisions makers. Those of us that count our pennies avoid eating out buy good used vehicles we need limiting our vacations chosing to buy smaller houses to save are paying into a fund  to help those who go on vacations ride their horse and atvs and buy pricey brand new cars? Wow what a great system.

So to prove my point one last time I am going to write a play. You can chose what part you want to act.

Opening scene: Brother Johnson is helping his 12 year old son colect fast offerings.
And action

(Doorbell rings)

Brother Jenson opens the door.

Brother Jenson: "Well hellow brother Johnson what brings you and your son Timmy here?"

Brother Johnson: "We are collecting fast offerings and wondering if you would be willing to contribute."

Timmy hands the fast offering envelope over to brother Jensen.

Brother Jenson: "well I could sure use blessings right now"

B.Johnson: "Did you ever get your van fixed?"

B. Jenson:"We did. It took a while. It seemed every time I turned around I had another medical bill that needs to be taken care of. We were down to my one car for over a month."

B. Johnson "Wow I'm sorry to hear that do you know EJ?
He hasn't been around much lately. In fact he just returned from Hawaii a couple weeks ago."

B. Jenson:"Yeah didn't he just move into that new sub devision. Big house in a cul-de-sac right? Boy I do envy his New truck. Wish I could get one of those. I saw him a couple weeks ago up in the mountains. He was showing me his new side by side ATV."

B.Johnson:"Right. Well he's been struggling too. He just got injured and is on short term disability. I just found out today his horse is sick. So not only are medical bills stacking up vet bills are too."

B.Jenson:"Poor guy"

B Johnson:"Yeah between you and me if it wasn't for fast offerings he wouldn't be able to pay his mortgage the next couple of months. My wife will be over their today helping them with a food order."

Timmy:"Whats that on your arm?"

B. Jenson:"Oh I've been donating plasma to help our situation. Sometimes I can barely afford a can of formula."

B Johnson: "Sorry to hear that. Will you be attending our elders quarum outing? EJ is going to bring his jet skis and boat. We are asking that everyone pitch in 20 bucks to help him out."

B.Jenson: "I'll try. Every last penny is going to food right now. We had to raid my daughters penny bank to buy milk last week.

we'll here's a few bucks for my donation."

B. Johnson: "Thank you brother jenson the lord will bless you and as always remember if you need anything let us know."

Ok. I might of exaggerated a "little" but alot of these scenarios have truth including some ignorance of leaders I have had.

Not in every situation but some out there. B.Jenson is in fact alot of what happened to me. I did raid my daughters piggy bank. I use to donate plasma and buy formula with it while members and non members asked their bishops for help. That's not a joke.

Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow is Fast Sunday! If we spend too much and provide not for our future our bishop will simply pat us on our back pay our bills and send us to that wonderful grocery store the bishops storehouse where everything is free. A person with a smiling face will fill our cart with sustainable goods and treats send us on our way where once again we can Eat....Drink....and be Merry.

can I put a patent pending on that!!