I grew up poor, married too young, 2 girls and divorced. Got into a relationship, had my son, lost my job, done it all.
I learned after my marriage- no one was going to take care of me or my girls. It was up to me. So I left being shy and the lack of confidence behind and started over. Best thing that happened to me.
The old- pick yourself up by the bootstraps and move on- or suck it up and move on, don't sweat the small stuff. Yepper- been there, done that.
Now I tell someone who may be down on their luck and are looking for the easy way out- if I was down to my last dollar, it's up to me to earn the next 2. I didn't take handouts but learned coupons, thrift stores, etc. were the way to go.
Now, I can afford some things easier than others. Yes, I have a big house, a new car and lots of "stuff" but I earned it by working hard and I don't apologize for having it. I am still sympathetic to other's needs. Sometimes someone needs a little pick-me-up for a bad situation they have no control over. I send a little something their way because I know how it feels to be scraping to makes ends meet. I prefer to do it quietly and just knowing I bring a smile is good enough.
But, with the real estate market suffering and jobs disappearing, I may have to tighten the belt even more. I did try exchanging name brand Oreos for generic, but it was a bad experience, so I guess I will have to bite the bullet and save the 50 cents somewhere else. Can't mess with the Oreos. :)
barb