2012Coleman wrote:
Ya - try saving up that 20K mortgage down payment on you 15 dollar an hour job after all your bills, and oh yea - when they pull SNAP benefits out from under you.
$5000 a month would be around $4000 a month take home pay. Rent of $1000.00. Food an overly generous $1000.00. Insurance, gas, utilities, inexpensive car payment etc. $1000.00 That leaves you $1000 a month. You would have your down payment in less than 2 years. And I bet if someone was actually motivated they could cut those expenses by a third. And that is only each person working 40 hour a week when there are 168 hours in that week. How about working some overtime, a part time job, a side hussle or any number of things to make some extra cash?
But I do agree saving $20,000 for a down payment is difficult to impossible for people who spend willy nilly, take vacations, never miss a night out and complain that life isn't fair. Got $20 bucks in your pocket, forget eating hamburgers at home, lets go out and put steak dinners on the credit card, we can still make the minimum payment.
And when did SNAP benefits become a budgeting tool? Somehow, myself, my brothers and sisters and as far as I know all my friends have somehow managed to navigate life's ups and downs without taking a penny of government assistance. And no, we were not born into wealth, none of us had anything but middle class upbringing and public school education. Our parents worked middle class jobs and worked extra nights and weekends if necessary. If you can't feed your family on $1000 a month you probably should have kept your rascal wrapped or your legs crossed, if you know what I mean.
If someone has a mental or physical issue that doesn't allow them full access to jobs and careers I am highly in favor of public assistance and it should be much more than is given today. But if someone's financial problems can be traced to life choices I take a pretty hard line, that being "you made your bed, so lie in it and if you don't like it get off your arse and change it".
