Feeding the family on low wage or benefits ?

[Herr Tubthumper]

My wife has become an expert at Corn Beef Hash. Very economical and with various vegetables extremely neutricious. The kids love it.

We got a variation of it, whilst in Cornwall.

And it's quick to prepare.

I reckon I could knock it up.

Extremely what?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

There is plenty of nice and healthy meals you can cook on a low budget, it's normally because they are to lazy to learn to cook or make an effort.

It is more often because they do not actually have the knowledge to be able to cope with doing something more creative. It might be hard to credit, but some people live on takeaways because they do not actually know how to cook, and ignorance on nutritional and cooking matters often goes alongside poverty. It's too easy to condemn people. if you don't know something, you don't know it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Another good thing is to make use of your leftovers. I always mahe sure i do a bit extra on a sunday so i can have bubble n squeek on monday. Love it. I'll happily fry up the few new potatoes that we didn't eat the day before too.

I love bubble and squeak!

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

All these people on benefits sat at home doing f*ck all, grow your own veg, it costs next to nothing to grow and I brew my own bitter,lager and cider that works out at only 40p a pint.
Problem is that some, not all but some people on benefits just get up halfway through the day watch Jeremy Kyle till 3pm and when the kids get home bung in the microwave a monosodiumglutimate burger from Iceland and let the kids drink Coke and play computer games all night.
Makes you wonder how much of the Child Benefit and Income support goes on fags and booze.
Plus where do they get the money for their mobiles

I had it pointed out to me some time ago that having a pay as you go mobile phone and PUTTING CREDIT ON IT WHEN YOU CAN AFFORD IT is a lot cheaper than having a landline.

It's too easy to jump to conclusions. I can remember seeing a documentary about homeless on TV a while ago, talking to someone who was street homeless in Brighton, and who was drinking. He said that people assumed he was homeless because he was drinking. They never came to the conclusion that he might have taken to drink because he was homeless.

 

[BigGully]

Blimey so as a single mum you should give up broadband/sky, not run a car, not have any luxuries but still go to work full time and then spend the few minutes you have after rushing in from work cooking. So how do you get access to the rest of the world, who incidently are now all on email/internet. How do you get to work if you are not in a large town location if you dont have a car. How do you find the will to live in the first place? Often these people are put in a situation through no fault of their own. It wasnt the life they planned.
Going back to the original post, yes parents should feed their kids better, those on benefits and also those who are not. I do mostly cook from fresh and include plenty of fruit/veg but will also use the freezer occasionally just to give myself a break. I work and couldnt live without the car - its a necessity for work, not a luxury. Its not fun or easy being in this situation but you do what you can for your kids. I dont smoke and have had to give up watching the Albion as just cant afford it anymore, so please try not to judge people who are all in different situations and circumstances. By the way, this isnt meant as a poor me post! lol. I am happy with my lot, my girls are brilliant and we are all happy and healthy, and I can always come on here to find out about the Albion! I think its best to refrain from judging others until you have lived their life.

But you say you ARE working so no judgement relevant.

But if you are in receipt of benefits then those contributing their taxes towards that will judge you, why shouldnt we, those that work are being judged every day by customers, bosses, bank managers, work colleagues etc etc. thats why its called work and not 'A Hobby' !!!

Sometimes it can be just as hard working than not ... it really can.

 

[beorhthelm]

As a student, I used to buy value pasta, tuna, chicken, spices, cheap fIsh, tinned tomatoes ad finitum. Cheap and cheerful.

this is the odd thing whenever this issue comes up, students seem to do ok often on lower budgets. now i didnt have to as i have some decent part time work, but my sister used to survive on £10p/w food budget, and shes a big girl. pasta, rice, market produce and a few own brand economy tinned goods. its not difficult, but you do need a bit of time. most unemployed tend to have a lot of this. i do have sympathy for the single mums though as often the time isnt there or they just want the quick fixes to make somthing in their life easier. i hope they try to do the fresh food (cheaper) route when time permits. problem is for too many families, 1 or 2 parents, they've got into the flavour of the processed foods. its a shame because for the sake of a couple of quid a month a stock of herbs would give much better flavour.

It is more often because they do not actually have the knowledge to be able to cope with doing something more creative. It might be hard to credit, but some people live on takeaways because they do not actually know how to cook, and ignorance on nutritional and cooking matters often goes alongside poverty. It's too easy to condemn people. if you don't know something, you don't know it.

which is related. cooking basic stuff is very simple, people with no education at all do it to survive all over the world. people go to takeaway for convienence and laziness. their parents or grandparents didnt, two generations ago the only takeaway was the chippy and that was a luxury. i remember in the 80s takeaway was a luxury, one afforded to give mum an evening off. now it seems common place. we could blame education, but thats a copout. people just need to decide what their prioties are, many apparently chose to watch X factor instead of cooking for 20 min.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

It is more often because they do not actually have the knowledge to be able to cope with doing something more creative. It might be hard to credit, but some people live on takeaways because they do not actually know how to cook, and ignorance on nutritional and cooking matters often goes alongside poverty. It's too easy to condemn people. if you don't know something, you don't know it.

It's not that hard though.. If they really cared about their and their kids health they could read a book, look online or even ask for some cooking advice.

 

[looney]

Where out of interest?



I'd love to do this but wouldn't know where to start. I just don't do the countryside so I wouldn't have a clue. Where would you even go to find a blackberry?

Just start at the green stuff thats not concrete and go deeper into it.

 

[bazbha]

I've always said that benefits shouldn't be paid in cash as it should not be an option to buy alcohol & cigarettes. Why should I pay for someone else to get drunk when I can barely afford to drink myself despite working hard as I pay so much tax? No problem paying for people to have food & shelter obviously. However I feel that if there was a system where benefits couldn't be spent on "beer & fags" a lot more people might suddenly want to work for a living"!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Blimey so as a single mum you should give up broadband/sky, not run a car, not have any luxuries but still go to work full time and then spend the few minutes you have after rushing in from work cooking. So how do you get access to the rest of the world, who incidently are now all on email/internet. How do you get to work if you are not in a large town location if you dont have a car. How do you find the will to live in the first place? Often these people are put in a situation through no fault of their own. It wasnt the life they planned.

How does not having SKY TV shut you off from the rest of the world? We managed before it was born.

 

[oldalbiongirl]

How does not having SKY TV shut you off from the rest of the world? We managed before it was born.

Im talking generally about cutting off today's communication from low income households. Not just Sky TV. Its expected for a lot of jobs etc these days that you will be able to go home and access the internet etc, so things like broadband are a necessity. In my job, I am certainly expected to do additional work at home which I couldnt do without the internet. We managed lots of things in the past, but its a different world now and people shouldnt be alienated from today's communication just because they are on a low income. This just makes the situation a whole lot worse.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Im talking generally about cutting off today's communication from low income households. Not just Sky TV. Its expected for a lot of jobs etc these days that you will be able to go home and access the internet etc, so things like broadband are a necessity. In my job, I am certainly expected to do additional work at home which I couldnt do without the internet. We managed lots of things in the past, but its a different world now and people shouldnt be alienated from today's communication just because they are on a low income. This just makes the situation a whole lot worse.

I agree that it is a different world now. I do believe that the internet is a basic necessity and should be available to all.

However, there are luxuries tied in with that. I have little sympathy for those with luxuries that they can ill afford. I know someone who always complains about being skint, yet pays £50/60 a month for the benefit of SKY. I am sure he is not an isolated case. How often do you see council house tower blocks plastered in satelite dishes?

Wasn't Brighton supposed to be the first free internet city? Nothing has happened as far as I can tell.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Im talking generally about cutting off today's communication from low income households. Not just Sky TV. Its expected for a lot of jobs etc these days that you will be able to go home and access the internet etc, so things like broadband are a necessity. In my job, I am certainly expected to do additional work at home which I couldnt do without the internet. We managed lots of things in the past, but its a different world now and people shouldnt be alienated from today's communication just because they are on a low income. This just makes the situation a whole lot worse.

It's called social exclusion. I donate to the Rowntree Foundation which works to ensure very low income families are able to gain access to telecomunications and IT services amongst other things.

 

[BigGully]

Im talking generally about cutting off today's communication from low income households. Not just Sky TV. Its expected for a lot of jobs etc these days that you will be able to go home and access the internet etc, so things like broadband are a necessity. In my job, I am certainly expected to do additional work at home which I couldnt do without the internet. We managed lots of things in the past, but its a different world now and people shouldnt be alienated from today's communication just because they are on a low income. This just makes the situation a whole lot worse.

I am not so sure, there is a conundrum.

Those that feel they are unable to get a job without broadband, should also have the necessary skills to apply and research any future job opportunity without it, at the most it is an inconvenience and if a job is then secured broadband can be made available to that person.

Those that feel they do not possess the necessary skills needed to manually reference most things without broadband are unlikely to possess the skills that would secure a job that needed it anyway.

It remains a choice that has financial implications.

 

[BigGully]

It's called social exclusion. I donate to the Rowntree Foundation which works to ensure very low income families are able to gain access to telecomunications and IT services amongst other things.

Good on ya and all that, but your just offering facebook and twitter to the disenfranchised ....

 

[Chicken Runner61]

Blimey so as a single mum you should give up broadband/sky, not run a car, not have any luxuries but still go to work full time and then spend the few minutes you have after rushing in from work cooking. So how do you get access to the rest of the world, who incidently are now all on email/internet. How do you get to work if you are not in a large town location if you dont have a car. How do you find the will to live in the first place? Often these people are put in a situation through no fault of their own. It wasnt the life they planned.
Going back to the original post, yes parents should feed their kids better, those on benefits and also those who are not. I do mostly cook from fresh and include plenty of fruit/veg but will also use the freezer occasionally just to give myself a break. I work and couldnt live without the car - its a necessity for work, not a luxury. Its not fun or easy being in this situation but you do what you can for your kids. I dont smoke and have had to give up watching the Albion as just cant afford it anymore, so please try not to judge people who are all in different situations and circumstances. By the way, this isnt meant as a poor me post! lol. I am happy with my lot, my girls are brilliant and we are all happy and healthy, and I can always come on here to find out about the Albion! I think its best to refrain from judging others until you have lived their life.

s

Anyone that works and brings up kids is a hero in my eyes and on the other side any woman or man who stays at home to be there for their kids is too, its the ones that don't work and don't look after their kids and expect sky, fags alcohol and to run a car I don't want my taxes going to.

When my dad was in the army both he and his brother gave up their rations so their mum and sisters could eat, we have no concept of what being poor is like today in comparison to 50-100 years ago. Some people in this country think they are poor if they cant afford Sky

 

[Notters]

Where out of interest?
I'd love to do this but wouldn't know where to start. I just don't do the countryside so I wouldn't have a clue. Where would you even go to find a blackberry?

A forager never divulges his exact locations, but today's lot came from a spot just off the road between Poynings and Upper Beeding. I have another good spot just east of Lewes. A lot of country lanes in Sussex will provide you with copious quantities of blackberries.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

It's not that hard though.. If they really cared about their and their kids health they could read a book, look online or even ask for some cooking advice.

if we are talking about people who really are at the "bottom" - chaotic or dysfunctional families - they may not realise the link between nutrition and health unless it is spelt out to them repeatedly in words of one syllable, they may not realise they can do things to affect their kid's health, in some cases they may not care enough anyway, they may not be able to read very well, or if they can they may not make the connection about cookery books and so on, and they probably do not have internet access.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I am not so sure, there is a conundrum.

Those that feel they are unable to get a job without broadband, should also have the necessary skills to apply and research any future job opportunity without it, at the most it is an inconvenience and if a job is then secured broadband can be made available to that person.

Those that feel they do not possess the necessary skills needed to manually reference most things without broadband are unlikely to possess the skills that would secure a job that needed it anyway.

It remains a choice that has financial implications.

Give up your job and try finding a new one without access to the internet. I can assure you the internet is an absolute necessity for finding a job. 99.9% of jobs are only advertised online.