How to Live on a Low Income: A Little Wisdom and Some Good Advice for Surviving Tough Times

By Anne Blondeau

This book offers hope to those whose limited income bars them from some of the simple pleasures in life. Informative and easy to read, it will help them through everyday struggles and beyond. The authors encouraging tone combined with a healthy dose of honesty makes the book real to the people who read it. This book could change the way you live your life in a considerable, meaningful, and lasting way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491808023

Anne Blondeau

Anne Blondeau knows firsthand the challenges that come with living on a low income. Years of employment in various fields of human services have broadened her perspective. Now semiretired, Anne continues to live on the Canadian prairies where she was born and raised.

Book preview

CONTENTS

Who Should Read This?

Introduction

Section One

Chapter 1   Adding to Income

Chapter 2   Budget Challenges

Chapter 3   Managing Income

Section Two

Chapter 4   Understanding Nutrition

Chapter 5   Buying Groceries

Chapter 6   Other Purchases

Chapter 7   Self-Sufficiency: Savings and Nutrition

Chapter 8   Where to Shop

Chapter 9   About Food Banks

Section Three

Chapter 10   Something (Out of Little)

Chapter 11   Some Final Words

Reference Section

For Taylor Jade, Kylee Shay-Ann, Teagan Aimée, Hunter Stanley James, Ryder Wayne, Emmalee Jaye, and Griffin Ryan

Love, Gramma

I would like to thank Jessica Gartner and Lawrence Blondeau for their input and encouragement and Sharon Hassard for her input and preliminary copyedit. Special thanks to Stan & Amy, Jason, Linda, and Connie for their love and support.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS?

This book will help anyone exposed to financial hardship. This includes people living on social services, seniors receiving an income supplement, and anyone living on a fixed income for a disability. Those who earn minimum wage and have family to support and single parents who find it impossible to make ends meet will benefit from reading this book. People who are ill and have no insurance and people who are unemployed (with or without employment insurance) could also use this information. Students could, too.

I wrote this book because I can relate to the experiences of the many people struggling to survive on a low income. I know firsthand that food shortages are the worst part of low-income living, especially in severe situations. The lack of small rewards now and then can be equally disheartening. To have a little more than the simplest of daily living essentials is just as important as having a healthy serving of food on our plates at every meal.

Those who have known hardship in the past and are now forced to confront it once more may learn something new by reading what I have put together. Sometimes a fresh view based on another’s perspective can be helpful. If you are an old hand at making your way through tough times, then you could probably add to what I have written.

INTRODUCTION

To anyone who knows me well, it should be no surprise that I stress the importance of nutrition throughout this book. I lived most of my childhood in poverty and have never kept this a secret. It was, however, the years between my tenth and thirteen birthdays that were by far the worst. There were little ones with bloated abdomens and sad eyes, sometimes for weeks on end. I will never forget the sights and sounds of children wanting to be fed when there was nothing to give them.

I grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan (in Canada) in the 1950’s and 1960’s. My dad had been an iron worker for as long as I can remember and my mother did not work outside the home. Stay-at-home moms were common in those days, not to mention by the time I was nine, the number of children in our family had grown to seven. Even though my dad earned union wages, our needs were often neglected. We couldn’t rely on him to have steady income because once a work project finished, there was no guarantee that another job would be immediate. My dad also liked to have occasional drinks with his friends. Unfortunately, there were times when this happened more often than not, especially when he worked out of town. The money he wired back to mom was never enough.

In April 1963, we received an eviction notice from our landlord for rent arrears. It was our third eviction within eight years. This time, the only place that my dad could find for us was an old two-story house on the outskirts of a rundown neighborhood. We lived there for three years. By the end of the second year, my mother had two more children.

In those three years, as a result of hardships, past and present, my parent’s marriage began to fail. My dad went through longer than usual periods of unemployment and eventually refused to accept out-of-town work. He was afraid that my mother would leave him if he had. Our family had no outside support to compensate for this loss of income with the exception of our monthly family allowance from the government (all families with children received this support and still do).

This very small allowance paid for only the most basic food items. We were lucky to have them. Because my dad was capable of work but not willing to take what was available, we didn’t qualify for assistance of any kind. At the time, welfare was administered by the city and regulations were very strict, and there were no food banks.

Years later, while making my way through single parenthood and dealing with my own financial difficulties, I found strength in those memories. They gave me the courage I needed to look for (and secure) odd jobs over the years (as needs arose) to supplement my income.

Therefore, in July 2011, when I put together a rough outline for this book, I started by noting ways to supplement one’s income before looking at ways to manage it. It seemed like the right thing to do. It wasn’t long before I decided to include social programs because of the positive effect they can have. My book was in the making.

Today, two years later, I proudly hold in my hands a copy of How to Live on a Low Income. Anyone who can relate to the title will benefit from this book. It contains so much information that even if you do not have the time to read it from start to finish, you will walk away with valuable advice. Check out the table of contents and decide which sections will be most useful to you.

For instance, if you want information on income and money management, read section one. If you want information on shopping, finding ways to save on purchases, or where to shop, go to section two. Section three is special to me, so I hope that everyone will read it. These final two chapters are the backbone of what it means to survive on a low income. In reading, you will understand why.

The following is an outline of each chapter in all three sections. Feel free to pick and choose what you would like to read and in the order that you prefer.

Section One

Adding to Income: I begin this chapter with a brief outline of social programs and then discuss employment and self-employment in more detail. The point I make is that social programs and employment/self-employment each have the potential to add to an existing income and should not be underestimated. Please Note: I do not intend this chapter to discount or discredit the efforts that so many of you have already made to improve your financial situation. Think of it as a review—just in case you’ve missed something.

Budget Challenges: I do not provide a standard budget for anyone to follow. Instead, I provide sample budgets as a means to illustrate some of the difficulties that low-income individuals will have to face. I encourage you to read through upcoming chapters for information that could offset some of these difficulties.

Managing Income: In this chapter, I prioritize general expenses. I make suggestions that could help reduce the cost of living. I also cover what you can do when managing debt is impossible. Finally, I explain that small rewards could have positive effects, and therefore may be well worth the expense.

Section Two

Understanding Nutrition: This short chapter addresses nutrition. I provide just enough information for the reader to appreciate the value of food in all food groups. I point out that good health starts here and why. Memories from my childhood and single parenting days resurface.

Buying Groceries: This chapter lists affordable grocery selections for each food group, as well as some basic shopping and utilizing tips. I reinforce the benefits of good nutrition.

Other Purchases; Self-Sufficiency; Where to Shop; and, Food Banks: The combination of these four brief chapters brings together more information on how to cut costs, reduce waste, cost-share, and other ways to meet nutritional needs.

Section Three

Something (Out Of Little): This chapter is dear to my heart