Young Woman Embarrassed Of Her Low-Income Family
NOBODY KNOWS HOW MUCH MONEY YOU EARN UNLESS YOU TELL THEM
Not every low-income family struggles financially because views about wants and needs fall on different levels and some manage their money just the same.
A happy low-income family may not have all the luxuries they desire but the bills are paid and they keep debt to a minimum or have none at all.
It’s always going to be an ongoing struggle but the low-income family that understands their financial health learns to manage with what they have.
You’re not alone when you feel the walls closing in on you because that’s a part of life, it happens.
Living With-In Your Means
Shopping may be at second-hand shops and their budget may be tight every month but they are content.
Buying food that is on sale, using coupons, reduced items or visiting the food bank is all part of living with-in your means.
We do what we have to do just to get by but that doesn’t mean we are not happy about life.
Some people aren’t though.
There are also people who are resentful and unhappy about their financial life but do nothing about it or are unable to do anything to change their situation.
When we were young we created a vision in our minds about how we wanted our lives to turn out.
Not all of us will see that vision come to life because we don’t really know what we want to do with our lives early on.
We live in a tough world but ultimately we are in charge of our happiness whether we have a fat bank account or not.
Low-Family Income As A New Immigrant To Canada
When I moved to Canada I had no job which meant I was earning no income for my wife and me.
I was in a new country and was starting over in my late 20’s which is not uncommon but tough.
I was a bit nervous like anyone else who lands in Canada without Canadian experience or education.
My savings weren’t going to last forever and I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and fast.
Thankfully my wife was working but it was then when I realized how financially vulnerable I really was.
All of my life I’ve earned a decent living in the UK which is why I bought a house so young but I was also thrifty with my money.
Related: Buying my first property was I too young?
When I sold my UK house, got married and prepared to move to Canada I was still able to find odd jobs to earn money while waiting for my permanent residence status.
The money I earned was more than enough to pay rent in a decent place, buy groceries and anything else I needed to save for.
Trying To Find A Job In Canada
When I arrived in Canada I struggled to find work.
I went to interview after interview and even though I have a University degree no one would hire me without Canadian work experience.
I didn’t have a credit score so I signed up as a secondary secured card-holder on my wife’s account to build credit.
I miraculously also got a Sears MasterCard which I cherished like gold as it was all my own.
I was glum about my career prospects and thought there had to be a better way to secure my future.
Not everyone has an opportunity to go back to school like I did but I wasn’t going to miss the chance to live my dream.
Related: Building Credit in Canada as a New Permanent Resident
About 8 months after I started school I took a full-time job earning $15 an hour which was more than minimum wage at the time bin 2008 but less than what I had ever earned.
I knew that I had to start somewhere and if I didn’t take the job I would have no money coming in.
I wouldn’t be embarrassed to work for minimum wage because I’d sling farm poo if I had to just to earn a living.
There were no services to help me because my wife was responsible for me financially for 3 years in which time I could not claim government assistance, so that gave me extra incentive.
Immigrant Services In Canada For Low-Income Family
Some people think that immigrants get all sorts of benefits when they move to Canada.
I received nothing but my motivation to become successful with what I chose to do with my life.
Things could be different today though for new immigrants as times have changed and new experiences have surfaced.
It was tough, I’m not going to lie and new immigrants need better services especially for those who don’t speak English well.
Although we had money saved up it made me realize just how tough it was for any low-income family or individual earner to get somewhat ahead without being tight with the money they earned.
Cost Of Living In Canada
I started to learn about the cost of living in Canada and although it took some time I got a handle on prices and how things worked.
I continue to learn even today, years later.
At first, I was used to pounds not dollars but it didn’t take me long to figure it all out even if I did look like a goof picking out my money.
Lots of people just stared at me but I didn’t care.
For a short, while my wife had to take the change from my hand as I didn’t understand what was what with Canadian coins apart from pennies.
Moving Up Starts With Your Motivation
What I’ve learned over the years is that some people are embarrassed if they come from a low-income family or too intimidated to say where they work because they don’t want to look like a failure.
Not everyone is comfortable talking about how much money they earn and where they earn it.
Mrs CBB and I rarely talk about personal finance or how much money we earn in the real world because we’re not comfortable doing so.
Some of our friends and family seem like they are rich because of the cars they drive and the clothes they wear but for all we know, they could be broke. Honestly, I don’t even care.
A person may be considered low-income if they work a minimum wage job but you don’t know what they have stashed away in the bank or invested.
Some people like to rent or they aren’t ready to buy a house yet because they don’t want the added expenses.
Some of the smartest savers don’t earn 6 figures or even half that amount to get where they are today.
Low-Income Family Living Is Often Not By Choice
Then there are people who live in low-income or subsidized housing many of which feel the wrath of those who judge them almost every day.
We have a friend who is a single mom and lives in subsidized housing with her 2 children but works in the healthcare field.
She earns $20 an hour but she is never guaranteed full-time work.
Although she continues to look for more work she makes ends meet and is smart with her money.
It’s hard for her because she has been accused of sitting on welfare doing nothing but collecting money when other people go to work just because of where she lives.
She’s been told to “Get off her lazy a$$ and get a job“.
Little do they know, she does work.
She does pay for her utilities but gets cheaper rent until she finds a stable job.
It’s not easy to get into housing either so she’s thankful for the help while she finds employment that will move her family into a permanent place.
I’m not here to argue whether someone should or shouldn’t get welfare as that’s not my job which I’m sure comes with pressures of its own.
Canadian Government Benefits
There are people who do work but are still considered a low-income family which entitles them to receive government benefits like our friend.
These benefits go a long way and certainly can make a difference.
Related: How to apply for Ontario Works Social Assistance
There are many services in Canada if you are a low-income family looking to get back to work, temporary income support or skills training through government benefits.
If you are a student who comes from a low-income family you can also benefit from the CanLearn grant program that is offered.
The low-income threshold for Ontario 2015-2016 for student grants for families with 2 people is $30,448 pre-tax income and in British Columbia, it’s $29,734.
There are also families who are considered a low-income family due to other circumstances such as disability, layoffs, retirement or spousal death where he/she was the bread-winner, and so on.
Sometimes things happen in life and if we can’t change them then we have to find ways to make the best of the situation.
Ontario Energy Rebate Program
The other day I posted an article on my Facebook page “465,000 people may miss start of Ontario’s low-income energy rebate” only to wake up to over 100 shares in the morning.
WOW, that was probably one of the fastest spreading posts I’ve ever shared on the CBB page that I took from an outside source.
One woman sent me a message to say that she was eligible for the energy rebate and was thankful for the post as she wasn’t aware.
She also mentioned that she was a bit embarrassed as one of her friends posted it to her timeline and said: “You should look into this I bet you qualify“.
I’m certain she is not the only one this has happened to and yes some people may get annoyed when you post personal stuff on social media even if your only intention is to help.
Sometimes it’s easier to send a private message.
She wanted to know if Mrs.CBB and I share our income with friends.
Not surprising she wanted to know how she could get over feeling embarrassed about how much money she earns even though she continues to look for more work.
It’s easy to get into a financial rut when you aren’t doing what you are passionate about especially when you see friends and family working their way up the career ladder.
Low-Income Family Life Should Not Define You
The only suggestion I could give to her apart from my story is that no one cares more about your money than you do.
That means that no matter what happens in your life if you stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about you.
Whether you offer up information about your financial situation or they come up with their own conclusions it will be the best motivation you can give yourself.
I didn’t care what I was doing as long as the money was coming in and I had a plan b on the go, which I did.
There are many people who become entrepreneurs to do what they love or start from the bottom to work their way up.
You may be part of a low-income family but that doesn’t mean you don’t have high potential to succeed if you really want to.
Discussion:
- Have you ever been the slightest bit embarrassed about being a low-income family earning less money than your family and friends?
- How do you deal with this and what advice would you give to any fans who find they are feeling this way.
Leave me your comments below.
-Mr.CBB
CBB Week At A Glance
This week flew by even though I had the day off this past Friday and Monday which was nice to spend with my family and catch up with a few things around the house.
We managed to go see Santa 3 times this week but our son is so scared of him that he just cries. Santa knows our son by name now!
If we don’t get a happy shot we’ll settle for the screaming toddler look.
I’m sure next year will be a better year as he understands a bit more.
Other than that we put the Christmas tree up finally.
Our son keeps taking the ornaments off but that is expected.
The tree is as plastic as they come so we’re not too worried about if he decides to bash anything but right now he’s been fairly gentle with it.
I’m more concerned if it falls on him so we’re always keeping a watchful eye on him.
In my final weeks before the holidays and I’m counting down the days.
No snow either, I love it!
Chat to you all next week and I hope you enjoy this edition of the Saturday Weekend Review!
-MR.CBB
Published This Week
Just in case you’ve missed any of my blog posts this week I will share them all below.
If you want to share a story via a Fan Question only please ensure that there are minimum of 500 words and lots of details…we love details!
Right now CBB is posting Tuesday (Grocery Game Challenge), Thursday (Personal Finance Post), Saturday (Personal Finance and Weekly Wrap-Up and a recipe on Sunday!
- Why live a frugal life if you’re always going to be in debt?
- How we downsized our food costs by 41% to fit our budget
- Turkey chunks in teriyaki sauce
FAN Budget Brags
Submit your Deal or Brag:
Saving money while grocery shopping is essential in the CBB family and that’s why we share our grocery shops every week in The Grocery Game Challenge 2015.
What I love the most is when my fans share their amazing shops with me whether it be groceries or other deals they find at a garage sale, online or freebies!!!
If you have a brag that you want me to share email me at canadianbudgetbinder@yahoo.(ca) < remove brackets) or fill out my contact form by Friday each week to have your brag considered for the Saturday post.
Hi Mr.CBB and Fans!
We were given this Grillpro Stainless BBQ for free which I’m thrilled to share with all of you.
They are several hundred dollars to purchase brand new which means we saved ourselves some cash. The BBQ has 4 burners, a side burner and a rotisserie.
We replaced the 4 burners and the regulator hose at a cost of around $100 and now we have a super BBQ for less than the cost of a cheap BBQ.
-Colleen K.
Making A Difference (MAD)
Note: If you are a personal finance blogger (anywhere around the world) and would like your blog to be MAD featured simply drop me an email and I’ll explain the process to you.
This is my way of giving back to the personal finance community through networking and sharing knowledge with my fans.
Today it is my pleasure to share with you to Femme Frugality a blog I’ve followed for many years.
Hi, CBB crew!
I’m Femme, the writer behind Femme Frugality.
When I started a personal finance blog over four years ago, I had no idea I’d still be doing it today.
I had decided to go back to school, and as a result, our household lost an income.
I was forced to find all these crazy ways to make our money work.
I tried telling all my friends about them, but they weren’t overly interested. So I went to the internet.
I told myself it was because I wanted to help people.
I had all this knowledge and wanted someone else to benefit.
In all reality, like most human beings, I probably just wanted someone to listen.
Mr CBB was one of the first people to listen, in fact.
He invited me to guest post on his blog, giving me a boost of confidence during those early days when you’re trying to decide if this is all worth it.
Fast forward four-ish years and I’m still here doing it.
And I’m loving it.
I’ve helped people save a ton of money on their weddings, identify errors on their credit scores, figure out how to apply for and win scholarships, and managed to dole out a little hope along the way.
Our family has gone from low-income to middle, and I’ve done my best to document that journey.
The biggest thing I’m excited about right now is the Frugality Challenge.
As our income went up, I realized we were spending a little more for the sake of convenience.
In an effort to bring frugality back into our lives, I started a challenge where readers could make smart money decisions right alongside me.
We earned points for doing awesome money things, like saving, paying off debt, and cooking our own food.
We DIY where applicable. We budget and track our expenses.
It grew to a point where I had to redact myself from the competition, as we got a sponsor and started having prizes.
I needed to administer. I still find such joy in watching other people compete to do positive things with their money.
Thank you for listening.
If you want to stop by or chat in Mr CBB’s comments, I’d love to fulfill my end of the bargain and do my best to help.
Top Recipe
Food and grocery shopping is a BIG part of CBB because food is a large part of the budget which people struggle the most with.
If you are someone who would rather buy convenience meals or products consider cooking homemade meals or baking from scratch.
Not only will you save money but you will be proud of what you accomplished and you’ll see that from the smiles on those you feed.
If you don’t already know I have a second Facebook page called The Free Recipe Depot where I share recipes from other Food Bloggers from around the world.
I also share recipes on the blog once a week on Sundays either made by my in-house home blog cook Nicola Don or myself.
This is a fun, interactive blog where we talk about everything that happens in our world.
This week our Top Recipe Pick goes to Amy over at Chew it Out Loud for these Buttery Jam-Filled Thumbprint Cookies.
These cookies are nostalgic for Mrs CBB as her grandmother used to make them and every few years she will whip up a batch for Christmas.
My favourite is the mint jelly filled thumbprint crusted with chopped pecans.
Some of our favourite holiday cookies on the blog are inexpensive to make and are traditions in our house.
Although we haven’t been able to make them all over the past year since our son was born we plan to continue so we create traditions of our own.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
- Holiday Snowballs
- Festive Coconut Balls
- No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
Top DIY Project
This week Mrs.CBB and I were talking about crafts that we could do with our son starting next year. We plan to set up a craft table for him so we can invite him to use his hands and creative side.
This is important since he won’t be going to daycare and we want him to be semi-prepared for when he goes to elementary school.
I came across this lovely blog called The Frugal Navy Wife who has a post sharing 10 Easy Kids Christmas Crafts which we loved.
As a stay at home mom of 4 who home-schools I’m sure Danielle has to come up with many ideas to keep the creative juices flowing which we plan to do.
If you are looking for some frugal crafts for your kids to work on working with Popsicle sticks is the way to go plus you can typically find them at the Dollar store.
Editor’s Pick
Every week I will pick a blog post of the week from around the web that I found interesting and want to share with you and an Editor’s top blog post pick.
Editor’s pick (That’s me Mr.CBB) goes to Sam over at Financial Samurai who shared a post detailing Income Profiles of Financially Free People. What does it take to be financially free?
Work Ethic is one and as you read down the list you’ll clearly see that all it really takes is motivation to be the best you can be while swimming through the waters which can be rough at times but they can also be calm and glorious.
No ever said freedom came easy, especially when it comes to money. A great read.
How people find CBB
Every week I get thousands of people to visit the Canadian Budget Binder because they did a search online and found my blog.
Any spelling errors below are because I share with you the exact way they typed their search engine query to land on my blog.
- Scrooge Gift– That’s easy… give nothing at all!
- Is telling the clerk that an item came from the 50% off bin considered stealing?– No, that’s lying. If you stuffed the product under your shirt and walked out, that’s stealing.
- Best date square recipe ever- You got that right… 🙂
- Why don’t Canadians like free food?– I’m not Canadian and I love free food. My wife is Canadian and she isn’t opposed to it. Honestly, I haven’t heard of anyone who doesn’t like free food.
- Having a Dollarama birthday party– Sounds good to me!
That’s all for this week friends but be back here next Saturday to enjoy the next edition in the Saturday Weekend Review Series.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my daily blog post by entering your email address on the home page and verifying the subscription email once it is sent to you.
Note***If you don’t verify the subscription via the email I send you right after you subscribe you won’t get my daily blog post*** I’d hate to not have you here so please click “Subscribe” in the email.
-Mr.CBB
Related Articles:
- The Saturday Weekend Review # 146: Should I Spend $35,000 to Renovate My House or Move
- The Saturday Weekend Review #147: A Huge Water Bill Could Come Your Way If You Don’t Do This
- The Saturday Weekend Review #148: Stealing Outdoor Christmas Decorations Is the New Money High
- The Saturday Weekend Review #149: Would You Take Free Money If You Didn’t Need It?
- The Saturday Weekend Review #150: Should You Give Your Daycare Provider A Christmas Bonus?
