Living is Expensive

These days, good jobs are impossible to find and food is getting costly. Over the next little while I am going to be posting money saving tips and recipes.

Luckily, there is help for some. My husband and I are currently receiving money from Ontario Works (aka welfare, to some). But not only are we receiving OW, we have the ability to use our local food bank, and get help for further education and eventually an actual career. Hubby just applied to two seperate colleges and will be applying for financial aid so that he can become a police officer. We are not abusing the system but rather we are at a point in our lives where there is no other choice.

Some people however, can not get this help for various reasons. This, breaks my heart. Our system seems backwards to me. We are a young couple, so jobs should abound (they don't). But for those who are more experienced in life, it is harder to find a job. A lot of factories have closed where we live, and now only hire students or through temp agencies. However, many temp agencies will not help those who need it because there are not enough jobs out there or they are too close to retirement age. Because some of these older unemployed people still own a house, the food banks will not help them. So now, bills start to fall behind.. houses are lost.. and so are the people. I have seen all walks of life go through our food banks, alcoholics, drug addicts, students who decided to drop out of school and won't bother to look for a job. Yet just because when you were employed, you bought a house - you do not qualify for help. I get it, they want you to sell your house and use that money to get set up. But a house is more than a box that you live in. A house is something that you put blood, sweat and tears into. It is an investment not only of your bank account, but of your heart. It's where you raise a family (if you are lucky), it is where you make your garden, it's that furnace that you have to fix with your bare hands four times each winter and though you curse it, you secretly love it.

I am very lucky to have the parents that I do, for they have raised me to be very resourceful. I can whip up a good budget in five minutes, tell you where to get the best deals, and cook dinner for a family that will last all week long and cost a minimal amount. I have my parents to thank for this and for so much more. Because of this, I want to share my knowledge with all of you.

Stay tuned.