Two Days Till Payday

Yes, I totally agree, @Holly Saunders. The onus should definitely be on the parents. Unfortunately, many of today's parents weren't taught these same much needed skills, so are unable to pass them on to their children. I was on the college track in school as well, but had some friends who weren't, and I signed up for a few optional classes they took, such as one that taught how to balance a checkbook. I guess the assumption was that someone who went to college would have someone to balance his/her checkbook? I think things like that are basic skills that are not only necessary, but also build confidence and teach self-reliance.

I was in school right at the time a transition was occurring, and a few of the 'shop' teachers didn't like having girls in their classes. I took mechanical drawing, but the teacher was a nightmare, and I learned nothing. He would yell at us if we asked questions in class. Each class period was stressful and the teacher was abusive. He was on permanent crutch type aids and would trip kids in the hallway with them. The sheet metal teacher was a dream. He was very supportive of having girls in the class, and that was the only shop class I enjoyed.

I think society is headed in the wrong direction, and we need to review all of the curricula and ensure that children are being taught relevant subjects that work not only for the employment sector, but also to help them to become balanced, well rounded, productive members of society. I'm not one to push government oversight of parental roles, but in at least some, if not many cases these days, the parents are either unwilling or unable to perform the task of teaching their children necessary skills. If the schools don't do it, in some cases, no one will.

 

I think we all have had what a co-worker used to call "soup days" prior to payday. I have used Dawn dish soap to wash my hair. I keep a bag of pennies I can take to the store if I need gas in my car. And the good stand by of adding rice or pasta to meals to stretch the food dollar.

 

Ah yes, the old rice and pasta trick. I knew I'd left something out. I also supplement with mashed potatoes sometimes, they don't usually affect taste too much since they're also a bland food, and go well with most dishes. I laughed about using Dawn to wash your hair. Detergents are detergents, and our shampoos are pretty much the same thing, other than being differently scented, so I'm sure there's no harm in that.

 

I used to use washing up liquid to wash my hair too when I was a teen...*fairy*...but it ended up giving me dandruff..*ugh*

 

Who remembers SOS as my father called it. Good old tuna fish gravy over toast. I have filled many a tummy with that dish. Then there is always pinto beans and rice with cornbread. I'm still asked to fix potatoe soup by one of my grandsons. We use to buy potatoes and onions by 50 pound bags. If we could afford it, chicken and dumplings was living high on the hog.

 

I've had a lot 'two days before payday.' My mother was born during the depression years and we spent a lot of time with our grandparents while she searched for work or was working. We were very poor and I learned what foods I really hated when I was little, spinach was the worst vegetable ever!

Simple meals like plain spaghetti with butter, salt and pepper was a regular meal for us and still today one of my 'two days...' meal. Another meal was fried mackerel patties with mashed potatoes or home fries sided with creamed corn. Ingredients were very inexpensive and made quick and easy meals. Refried beans spread on tortillas toasted on the gas stove made a tasty snack with Kool-aid. Of course, beans and cornbread especially good during the winter months.

 

We were a family of six when I was younger. My mother worked but even more then tan now women were paid far less than their male counterparts. We existed on a can of tuna mixed with macaroni,mayo and onion or mac and cheese. I still like mac salad much to my surprise.

 

Oh, oh, you don't do that thing - mixing water to your gas tank. It happened to my husband's cousin that his car's gas tank was left open and it rained. That water in the gas tank ruined the power of the car like it was coughing all the time. But anyway, it may be better to just walk instead of using the car if you are short on gas.

What we do to stretch the budget is to lessen the quality of what we buy. With butter, we just get the margarine which is way cheaper. With soda, we would be content with water. No more fresh fruits for today, no dessert. But other than those stretching, the most I can remember is going to church on foot - we walk in the early morning to save on fare.

 

Cory, that was a joke, of course, I wouldn't put water in a gas tank. I've never known anyone to do that. I was just putting a little humor into a serious subject. You've put out some good ideas though.

 

Yvonne your bags of chicken feed bread brought back memories for me. In fact my brother and I were talking about that just the other day. Our dad was a saw mill worker but spent most of his $ on alcohol. This was up on the Oregon coast. He didn't drink at home but spent time in the bars and then went out to eat Chinese food and maybe bring home a couple little boxes with a bit of sweet and sour spare ribs or fried shrimp inside. We were lucky if we each got a bite or 2. Not a great way to raise 5 kids. Anyway, back to the old bread products. People would line up in their cars out back to get the best of the big bags of "chicken feed" for $1 a bag. This was back in the early and mid 50s. So we'd often start going through it before we got home. Lots of the stuff was hard or had mold on it but we didn't care. We did pick off the mold and if it was too bad, toss the whole thing. No food stamps in those days. I remember I was always looking for a maple bar (and to this day I still love them) and my mom would take the stuff that was too hard and sprinkle a little water on it and then put it in a hot oven (in our wood cookstove/heater) and it would soften it and get it pretty nice really. Occasionally there would be a whole pie in there, just dumped in but we were careful and could pull it out without making too big of a mess. My older brother was just talking about those pies and cakes recently. Anyway, I'm glad now I have plenty of $ for anything I need and actually, too much food. It's hard to eat in moderation when you spent your formative years hungry.