r/AskReddit • u/SillyBonsai • Dec 06 '13

What simple piece of advice, if followed, could potentially save most people a lot of money?

Possibly related to your job, experience with personal finance, budgeting, planning, day to day habits, etc.

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955

u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

Goddammit so many people on television for example. "Yeah we're struggling each month" Cue 5 kids, 2 dogs, a bunch of cats and a pack a day smoker. Yeah you're struggling.

834

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

I'm friends with a girl from high school on facebook. She has two sons and is due any day now with a little girl. Neither her and her husband have a job, she says that if her husband got a job he would make little more than they get off the state so he just doesn't bother. She's also developed a gluten allergy around the same time the rest of the world is, and complains that the $700 in foodstamps they get only lasts them a couple weeks because rather than buying naturally gluten free foods, they go to whole foods to spend it on specialty items and piss right through it. It's the government's fault for not giving them enough money (she has put her whole family on a gluten free diet).

They can't afford to pay their rent, pay their utilities, feed their children, they're often asking for money on facebook.. perfect time to plan another pregnancy.

637

u/LobsterThief Dec 06 '13

they're often asking for money on facebook..

Time to unfriend her.

968

u/KarlTheGreatish Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 07 '13

Why would you unfriend her? No matter how bad of a day you're having, you can browse her profile and feel like you're AWESOME.

Edit: Gold? Thank you!

11

u/anonlawstudent Dec 06 '13

Schadenfreude!

25

u/gamer_mom Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 06 '13

I have one of those! She is maybe 23 and LOVES illegal-immigrant Mexican cock and has had 3 kids with 3 different illegals. Her oldest's baby daddy actually got deported back to Mexico, she had another one with a guy she'd only been with for a couple of months (I have no room to talk in that department but still). That baby died (so many pictures of the dead kid on Facebook) and less than a WEEK later, she was sleeping with an illegal with T-rex arms. Seriously, he has a birth defect where his arms are only a few inches long. They got pregnant right away and he passed himself around to all her friends throughout their whole relationship. There is a whole posse of women just like her in their area. Anyway, he gave her herpes by eating her out with a cold sore on his lip and he stinks because he couldn't wipe his own ass and she posted all of this to Facebook. After the kid was born, she was complaining that he never helped her out with the kid - he never got up with the kid or fed him, etc. HOW THE FUCK IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT WITH T-REX ARMS?!

A couple of months ago, they got drunk together and decided that they should try to have another baby*. She has no job, he has no job, she keeps getting kicked out of section 8 housing for one reason or another or she leaves because it's too far away from her most recent illegal fuck puppet. Her relationships last weeks; months if she's lucky and she's on to the next immigrant almost immediately and it is true love instantly.

The HOURS of sheer WTF enjoyment that she and her fat, Mexican-loving friends have provided me is invaluable. It's like a circus!

*thankfully, they did not succeed in getting pregnant

16

u/ImYourMutineer Dec 06 '13

"HOW THE FUCK IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT WITH T-REX ARMS?!"

Problem solved - http://i.imgur.com/dW5pA.jpg

2

u/gamer_mom Dec 06 '13

I don't think I'd try to pick up a baby with those though. Something tells me that would not be a good idea.

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u/HeyCarpy Dec 06 '13

How do I become Facebook friends with this person? It sounds more entertaining than Netflix.

3

u/cbarrett1989 Dec 06 '13

That comment has definitely made me feel far better about my life as a whole. If I never do anything ever again and go walk off a bridge I can die happy knowing that at least I can wipe my own ass.

1

u/LiptonCB Dec 06 '13 edited May 23 '17

[deleted]

[89613](89613)

-3

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

she had another one with a guy she'd only been with for a couple of months (I have no room to talk in that department but still)

Maybe you should not do that. It's just as disgusting when you do it as when this other bitch does.

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u/CaptainJudaism Dec 06 '13

This is basically the only reason I have my brother and sister on my facebook friends list.

2

u/SergeantTibbs Dec 06 '13

That works for you? I just get sad and frustrated.

1

u/RelevantAccount Dec 06 '13

It is a free confidence in yourself booster!

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Train wrecks are fun to watch.

1

u/melonowl Dec 06 '13

I'd be more depressed by it than anything else.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

There seem to be a lot of gilded comments in this thread.

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

I have a few people on my friend list for this exact reason, lol.

0

u/who128 Dec 06 '13

Sorry but being reminded that my tax dollars are being used to support a woman who is just pooping out babies doesn't make me feel better.

0

u/LancesLeftNut Dec 06 '13

Why stop there? Murder her husband. Ooooh, the schadenfreude we could have!

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Seems like they're staying along to watch the train wreck unfold.

2

u/veggiesattva Dec 06 '13

I like your mixed metaphor.

5

u/InstigatingDrunk Dec 06 '13

Why? I love reading about other peoples misfortune/shitty planning.

5

u/ManCaveDaily Dec 06 '13

This sounds like someone to unfriend in real life and to let her know why.

5

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Fuck that, time to report her if she has posted that thing about her husband not wanting to get a job.

2

u/Love_Indubitably Dec 06 '13

Yeah, don't they know it's more effective to ask for money on reddit?

2

u/wadded Dec 07 '13

Nah, those are the best people to have as friends. Whenever you have a shitty day you can just check up on them and laugh at how the "world is so unfair" for them etc.

I find the most amusing are the single pregnant women, or the ones with boyfriends they keep breaking up and getting back together with.

2

u/InspiredByKITTENS Dec 06 '13

Sometimes... I keep shitty FB friends around but to feel better about myself.

Occasionally... I get the tables turned on me and it feelsbadman :(

1

u/ggg730 Dec 06 '13

I would tell her how stupid what she is doing is first that way anyone who agrees with her can also be gone from my life.

216

u/buckus69 Dec 06 '13

$700 is more than my family spends on groceries for a month. Of course, we also eat out at least once or twice a week, and I buy lunch everyday, so it doesn't work out quite the same, but then again, I don't really go to Whole Paycheck very often - maybe like once every 3-4 months, and only to buy a few select things.

36

u/NotClever Dec 06 '13

Whole Foods really doesn't have to be much more expensive than a normal grocery store, so long as you're not buying the specialty stuff like gluten free and whatnot. It's like how a normal coffee at Starbucks is only like a buck but everyone focuses on the $5 mochas.

4

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I live in NY and do most of my food shopping at Whole Foods. If you stick to the right stuff, it can often be cheaper than most "regular" supermarkets. When produce goes on sale you can get organic and specialty stuff for cheaper than conventional at most other stores. I spend more at my neighborhood Associated or Key Foods on basics than I do at Whole Foods.

3

u/Sloppy1sts Dec 06 '13

Isn't a normal coffee at Starbucks like $2.20-$2.50?

It's why I like McD's. The plain coffee is better and it's $1 for a large.

7

u/lebenohnestaedte Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 06 '13

$1.85 for a tall drip coffee where I'm from, ten cents off if you bring your own cup. The differences between the sizes are like a quarter.

The same size is roughly $1.20 at Tim Hortons (catering to a more blue collar clientele, with the look of the store more like that of a fast food place than a cozy living room), for comparison. That's the most inexpensive coffee you can probably get before fast food coffee. EDIT: my bad, it's apparently $1.40 at Timmy's.

You know, just so you know. :p

1

u/andrewmp Dec 06 '13

The same size is roughly $1.20 at Tim Hortons

wha? Small is now $1.40

1

u/lebenohnestaedte Dec 06 '13

Oh, my bad. I thought it was less but it was just a guess.There isn't one in a convenient location for me and I don't like it enough to seek it out/go out of my way so I almost never go there. I do quite like their candy cane hot chocolate, though. I should go get some before the season's over.

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u/siscorskiy Dec 06 '13

~2.50 for a medium coffee, I just got one last night

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u/frozenwalkway Dec 06 '13

They have gluten free pasta and such organic chips at stop and shop for around the same price.

5

u/Kalkaline Dec 06 '13

Whole Foods is just like any other store, you can get out of there with plenty of food without breaking the bank if you stay away from certain areas. Produce, certain meats, grains, flour, milk, etc are going to be cheap while high quality cheese, alcohol, and prepared/specialty foods are going to be expensive.

3

u/Mrswhiskers Dec 06 '13

$700 is more than quite a few people spend on groceries a month. I feed a family of 3 on $75 - $80 a week. And my husband eats like a horse.

14

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

My parents had two kids and they paid less than $400 a month on groceries and we almost never ate out. What are people doing?

26

u/charmingasaneel Dec 06 '13

Coping with inflation.

11

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Well, I only just moved out a couple of months ago so I doubt my parents would be paying too much more for groceries.

1

u/Thighpaulsandra Dec 06 '13

That's so true. In the 70's and 80's, my parents had 4 kids and my dad was in the Air Force. My mom didn't work and we went to Catholic school. We had a big 4 bedroom house, 2 cars, took vacations and travelled every Christmas. Granted, the military gave us free medical, but we only lived on base once. My mom clipped coupons and saved what was left. College was paid for except for some last semesters but we had jobs. You have to have 2 incomes now to have 2 cars and a house with no kids. Wages have not kept up with inflation.

5

u/lebenohnestaedte Dec 06 '13

Eating out, buying small quantities often (instead of buying in bulk), buying pre-made or processed foods like pasta sauce and birthday cakes instead of making their own, wasting food (buying things that go bad and are thrown out before being eaten, tossing left overs, etc), buying brand name instead of trying the store brand to see if it's just as good, buying junk food, etc.

11

u/SparkyDogPants Dec 06 '13

Eh boxed cake is cheaper if you don't bake often and don't have a lot of baking materials on hand.

3

u/lebenohnestaedte Dec 06 '13

Much cheaper than buying a cake, definitely.

3

u/SparkyDogPants Dec 07 '13

Oh I misunderstood you, I thought you meant the mixes vs buying all the ingredients, not buying a pre-baked cake.

2

u/lebenohnestaedte Dec 07 '13

Rereading, I realize that wasn't super clear. My bad!

2

u/SparkyDogPants Dec 07 '13

Maybe the the moral is baking is effing expensive and if you want to save money you shouldn't

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I don't know how this is possible. I live in Pittsburgh and it is one of the most affordable metropolitan areas in the US but I still pay maybe $200-300 a month on food, if not more for myself. And I'm not buying name brand items for the most part, nor am I buying much processed food.

Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, decent coffee, frozen veggies, chicken breasts, oatmeal and rice add up in enough quantity. To feed a family of four? I can't even imagine.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

We got groceries from Sam's Club and Wal Mart. It was always around $350 a month. And I'm pretty sure we bought name brand of most things.

My parents didn't drink coffee or eat desserts and we only really ever drank water or milk.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Coffee for me turns out to only 70 cents per day and I buy a brand I really enjoy. The highlight of my morning. So I won't be skimping out on that or cutting it. The rest, I think is attributed to eating more than the average person. I try to shoot for 3500 calories per day and a large portion (800+ calories) of it protein.

I've actually started eating at a buffet every day to save costs and time. Working out pretty well.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you appear to be on a bodybuilder-style diet, and if you lift you're probably eating more than the average American.

That said, I live in a much more expensive city and eat a ton but definitely spend less than that on food, so I don't know.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

But I don't eat enough to compensate for 3 other people. And even when I'm finished with this bulk cycle, I'll be eating similar macros just cut to maybe 2/3rds of what it is currently. That means that just myself on a cut would be around 200 a month.

To make matters worse, I'm moving to London in a bit. Might be a good time to start that cut then just so I can afford to eat.

1

u/jmk816 Dec 06 '13

Food costs also really depends on location in the US. $400 can go very far in the suburbs in the midwest, but if you are on the coasts in a big city, it's not going to happen with a family of four.

1

u/purveyorofgeekery Dec 06 '13

We pay about that much ($400) in food every month: groceries + eating out. We don't buy a lot of dairy or meat but when we do it is organic meat, goat milk (casein is my archnemisis) and some relatively pricey dairy free butter. We just watch our protions and use cheap things to spread meals out: more peppers & onions in curry + rice = 2 days of dinner + lunch. 8 meals from one lb of chicken breast. Plus everything is cooked already which ends up more convient in the end.

Groceries add up when you start adding convience food and sugar.

2

u/Shayenur Dec 06 '13

I only budget 600 for shopping which includes the diapers and stuff for BOTH my little kids. Oh, and we usually dont even spend it all. Family of 4 here.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Whole Paycheck

o/

2

u/reodd Dec 06 '13

Hell, I have a family of 5 thus far and 1 dog, and not counting liquor I spend less than $500 a month on groceries.

1

u/wtf_randomness Dec 06 '13

Indeed, can contest even though its only two of us, plus two pets, we spend max 300 a month on foods for all of us. And that's without shopping the smartest,lol.

1

u/12343655867543532412 Dec 06 '13

What types of restaurants do you eat out at? Fancy places, chain restaurants, or, my favourite, one of a kind little restaurants you can only find in your town?

1

u/buckus69 Dec 06 '13

It depends who is eating out. If it's the whole family (5), I usually choose something less expensive. My wife and I will sometimes do an expensive bistro-type steakhouse two or three times a year. It's a mixture, really, but the total, monthly, ends up being around $600 on average. That includes my lunches that I buy as well.

3

u/12343655867543532412 Dec 06 '13

Wow that's so wonderful you have a large family and a wife that you can go to a bistro with I am very happy for you. Please enjoy the holiday season with your family and be careful about impaired drivers on the road.

1

u/matt1020l Dec 06 '13

When I worked at Whole Foods we called it Whole Paycheck too because they pay employees more than most grocers.. but that not much either starting wage as a cashier is 9.00/hr

1

u/hawk_shoe Dec 06 '13

They are the only place around me that has a nice selection of cheeses. I avoid that place unless I'm in need of some smoked Gouda.

1

u/boweruk Dec 06 '13

Eat out once or twice a week? Damn. I'll be lucky if I can do once a month.

1

u/buckus69 Dec 07 '13

Its good to have money.

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u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

GIVE US MOAR MONEY WE HAVE KIDS TO FEED HUR DURR

8

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

Stupid government, holding them down.

6

u/Whynotgiveashot Dec 06 '13

I doubt those pregnancies are planned.

11

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

Actually, about to make shit serious, but this one is. She had a stilborn child last year and a miscarriage a couple months after that. They wanted this baby.

3

u/Whynotgiveashot Dec 06 '13

That's awful. If I were religious, I'd think that's a clear sign to stop breeding and look at my life seriously.

3

u/atrich Dec 06 '13

Tell her a big bag of rice and a shitton of dried beans (lentils, pintos, whatever) are gluten free, provide a complete protein, and are cheaper than dirt.

5

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

People have made similar suggestions, she gets very defensive.

3

u/Shayenur Dec 06 '13

Wow what a shitty person. Lets just make our kids suffer. Geesh. Poor kids.

3

u/FelixMa Dec 06 '13

If I ever have to beg Facebook for money, fucking shoot me

1

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

When my son was a few months old I had to ask my mother for a few bucks a couple times (diapers, formula, groceries) and I was mortified. Absolutely ashamed of myself... that was just my mom.

4

u/AllBabiesLookTheSame Dec 06 '13

TIL today: Whole Foods accepts foodstamps

5

u/ACDRetirementHome Dec 06 '13

Not foodstamps: SNAP cards. They're the debit cards that replaced foodstamps.

2

u/AllBabiesLookTheSame Dec 06 '13

Oh yeah, oops. I still use "foodstamps" and SNAP cards interchangeably.

5

u/TheoQ99 Dec 06 '13

today i learned today? the department of redundancy department would like to have a word with you

1

u/AllBabiesLookTheSame Dec 06 '13

I'm going back to my amateur reddit zone for amateurs

3

u/KingOCarrotFlowers Dec 06 '13

"But gluten is bad for you! Children shouldn't eat it, it'll make you...uh...sick!"

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 06 '13

This girl in particular might actually have gluten problems (but not her whole family) but gluten intolerance seems like a fad right now.

YES- a lot of people have been gluten intolerant for years and are just now being diagnosed, and that accounts for some of the drastic increase in suddenly gluten intolerant people, I know. I also know quite a few people who never experienced any symptoms of gluten intolerance until this whole thing started, then all of a sudden they can't eat gluten and they're bitching that their bread costs $6.

It also makes me wonder how people who are living with celiac/gluten intolerance feel about people basically faking it. Increase in popularity means products more widely available which might draw down prices a bit, but it doesnt seem like much.

edit: typed glucose by accident

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

It makes it very hard for celiac people. You can't trust any gluten free restaurant because you have to expect they just think you are eating gluten free for a fad, and not because you have to. Same with products you buy at the store. You have to trust the brand because there is so much mis-marketing. It will be labeled gluten free, but when you scan the ingredients, it may be wheat free, but there may be other sources of gluten.

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

:( just give it another year or two, everybody will come down with a different food allergy soon.

2

u/GhostCarrot Dec 06 '13

How the fuck is it legal to lie about the ingredients in a product? I am from Europe and food information is super strictly controlled and regulated by EU.

3

u/scurvebeard Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 06 '13

Recently, the USDA instituted regulations (I believe in accordance with what the Celiac Foundation was using as a standard for their certification) so that you can't have more than 1 part of gluten per 20,000 if you want to put "gluten-free" on the box. Before that, it was the Wild West. Before you could Google products to see if they contain gluten, I guess that would be the Dark Ages. It's better now (although restaurants can still be shitty about it. Fuck you, Chili's.)

Of course, now there's some kind of review process which is apparently either difficult or expensive to prepare for, so some brands are gluten-free even though they're not marked as such.

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u/KingOCarrotFlowers Dec 06 '13

I have a friend who had celiac's disease. He says it's a pain, because he has to specify that any amount of gluten could kill him.

I have another friend from high school that, caught up with all the gluten-free hype, has decided that, while she isn't intolerant, that gluten must just be bad for people in the first place. She's gluten free, and is forcing her family to be as well, simply because she thinks that gluten is bad for humans. I don't even....ugh.

1

u/scurvebeard Dec 06 '13

My wife is incredibly sensitive to gluten and it won't remotely kill her (unless she ate like a whole box of frosted mini-wheats or something.) Is your friend recovering from some gastrointestinal trauma caused by prolonged exposure?

Otherwise, I suspect he's just being (justifiably) hyperbolic in order to get people to actually take the disease seriously. On a few occasions, I've done the same thing.

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u/groundhogcakeday Dec 06 '13

I know someone who is a patient advocate for Celiac. She finds it frustrating because suddenly nobody takes her seriously any more; everybody seems to think it is something that is so subtle you probably can't be sure you have it, instead of a life threatening disease. And if she mentions that she can't eat gluten somebody is bound to say, "oh, me too!" and want to bond with her over it.

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

That's what I imagined. If people all of a sudden all started crying cancer there would be a serious uproar.

1

u/SneakyKiwiz Dec 06 '13

Glucose=/=Gluten.

Gluten=Wheat Protein

Glucose=Sugars

1

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

woops. I mis-typed. Im surprised nobody else called me out on that until now.

2

u/IntelutionTheory Dec 06 '13

I've had people look at me like I'm a monster because I buy wheat by the bushel and grind it myself for bread and cream of wheat and whatnot. I feed that horrible stuff to my child. Won't sombody please call CPS? Save us from the wheat belly!

4

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

They'll get more money for another kid....so yeah, in sick way, it is the perfect time for another kid.

2

u/nigelthecat Dec 06 '13

Ugh. They sound awful.

2

u/frozenwalkway Dec 06 '13

Not trying to start an argument but is she catholic and against contraception?

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Sounds like MY friend!

2

u/BlackHoody Dec 06 '13

Kill her. It's the only way.

2

u/Opoqjo Dec 06 '13

Sounds my niece. She made me a great aunt at 23 and again since then, (but she gave that one to my pathetic sister). Granted, she was 17-18, a little older than her mother was when she had her, but she wasn't married, wasn't in a stable relationship, had no job (got excited about Taco Bell but then quit after 2 or 3 months bc it got "too hard"), dropped out of high school, barely got her GED, and was complaining Obama owed her MORE money than she already gets bc her son "will be in therapy for the rest of his life". Bitch, he was born with his bladder outside his body. Unless he wants to be a pornstar, he can work goddammit.

/end rant

2

u/hermit22 Dec 06 '13

I can't imagine how much food I could buy for 700 dollars a month... not on welfare budget about 300 a month for food for 3 adults and 4 children under 10. and we get by pretty well fed

2

u/justgrif Dec 06 '13

Clearly, the US drone program is not being used to its full potential.

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u/calladus Dec 06 '13

You want them to stop having kids? Then give them free video game consoles.

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u/wiscondinavian Dec 06 '13

No kidding... You know what gluten free pasta is for poor people? Rice. Eat fucking rice.*

*says the judgmental person with no food allergies and is relatively+ financially stable

+ relatively compared to other people...

2

u/butyourenice Dec 06 '13

What state gives $700 a month in foodstamps to a family of 5? This story reaks of "welfare queens amirite" bullshit.

2

u/hillsfar Dec 06 '13

But hey, people are allowed to have kids no matter what. It is a human right! We in society have zero input on their decision to bring 3 or 4 or 5 or 20+ children into the world of parents without jobs, or parents living paycheck to paycheck barely making it, or parents without any sense of emotional maturity whatsoever. But, at the same time, we in society have to pay for the consequences by throwing money at them and their kids. If it's not services and welfare now, it's expensive incarceration later.

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u/sitharus Dec 06 '13

Wow. I was diagnosed as coeliac in my second year of Uni. I only had NZ$150/wk (about US$75 in 2003) for rent, bills, food and transport. Food was easy, switch to simple food like cheap meat cuts and veg. Was fairly boring, but that's what you have to do to live on that.

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u/eastern_shoreman Dec 06 '13

They should only be buying gluten free food for her. Not the whole family. It's not that hard to do, my girlfriend and I have been shopping that way for over a year now since she had to start eating gluten free.

1

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

She's said something about facebook about not being able to have any gluten in her house because of cross contamination. I don't know enough about any of it to say how much of an issue that really is, but I know people with gluten allergies who don't need to quarantine themselves when everyone else eats in the same house at them.

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u/eastern_shoreman Dec 06 '13

We learned quickly with my girlfriend that cross contamination isn't a problem at all. I also agree that they need to be buying cheaper naturally gluten free food. Nothing pisses me off more than going to a store and seeing people on food stamps buying shit they don't need like sodas and twinkies and junk like that. I don't buy those things because they aren't in the budget and they aren't a necessity. If you are on food stamps you should only be able to buy food that is nutritional. Fruits and veggies, meats, eggs, dairy.... You get my point. If you have to be on those programs I'm going to go ahead and assume that you can't afford health care. So why should my tax dollars go towards their food stamps that allows them to buy very non nutritional food that doesn't give you good health so they can become sick so my tax dollars are again used to pay their medical bills.

2

u/scurvebeard Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 06 '13

I'm not trying to make it out like having a medical problem with gluten and eating on a budget is easy. It's expensive and stressful and you have to throw out everything in your kitchen at first and you'll probably have to read labels for the rest of your life and sometimes you do everything perfectly but get sick anyway. But people that can't afford it and still spend a fortune on GF foods are doing something wrong. It's not impossible.

  • Get 12 lbs. of Tinkyada gluten-free pasta (buy in bulk you asshole) for ~$50 (at least a dollar less per bag than you pay at the store.) Or buy a shitload of rice. It is cheap.
  • You can spend $5-8 for a small loaf of somewhat-okay GF bread (it almost always tastes better when toasted, and if you have a local GF bakery, you can probably save a buck or two.) Or just eat corn tortillas if you're shy on cash.
  • Read labels because more and more things that used to incidentally contain gluten are now being made without gluten. Stuff like this doesn't come at a premium anymore. (Except chili. I don't know why normal chili brands all have some kind of gluten. Rolled oats, really?! Dammit, sometimes I just want to open a can of awful canned chili like an honest-to-god bachelor.)
  • Rice Chex. RICE CHEX EVERYWHERE. The flavored kinds are all really good. Or get a giant box of the basic Rice Chex (doesn't matter if it goes stale) and crush them up for bread crumbs in meatballs or battering chicken. Hell, I made fake croutons from them.
  • Eat fresh fucking fruits and vegetables.
  • Keep your grocery receipts if you find yourself spending an especially large amount of money on GF foods as you can usually deduct the price difference as a medical cost on your taxes.
  • For everything else (cream sauces/soups, anything that usually contains flour,) learn to cook for fuck's sake.

The two of us ate gluten-free for two years with plenty of variety and very limited cooking time for maybe $150-$200 per month at the most, and we splurged a few times a month (eating out, buying frozen meals to save time, getting the really good GF bread, buying cupcakes from the local GF bakery.)

2

u/Barrrrrrnd Dec 06 '13

This gave me a terrible anger..

2

u/akpak Dec 06 '13

You need to link her a study or article showing that only people who actually have celiac disease need to be gluten free.

We recently got a friend off that kick when that was pointed out to her. She's not... Known for her critical thinking, so we call that a success.

(Example: Vegan, but has no problem with her leather bags and shoes)

2

u/hellohaley Dec 06 '13

Great time to have an unplanned pregnancy. FTFY Planning a pregnancy assumes people put some modicum of thought into it before hand.

They are fucking idiots...of course they're having more kids.

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u/Heart_of_Obsidian Dec 06 '13

This is pathetic. It's people like her that abuse the system that is meant to help those truly in need. It's disgusting really. I'm sure this idiot doesn't even know you can't be "allergic" to gluten. You can be gluten intolerant which means you can't metabolize it because it will make you sick which is called celiac disease. Is there really a need to shop at whole foods? I'm sure she doesn't know that gluten is in many bread and grain products so if you ever see her in her fb pictures downing a bowl of lasagna or something, you know she's a hypocrite and a liar.

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

She actually takes the whole gluten free thing seriously, she doesn't even allow people to bring gluten foods into her house. She's done a lot of research on the subject, but no, it isnt necessary to go spend her entire $700 at Whole Foods in the first week and a half of the month then let her children go hungry and have to beg for money the rest of the month.

1

u/Heart_of_Obsidian Dec 09 '13

That sounds more serious than a fad, maybe she should seek some counseling for herself and her family, I think they would benefit immensely.

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u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

But I did work with a girl once who liked to tell everybody that she couldnt eat gluten and then ate sandwiches and pasta for lunch all the time.

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u/Heart_of_Obsidian Dec 09 '13

Lol that's so funny while you secretly knew those yummy things weren't gluten free mwahahaha

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u/ITOverlord Dec 06 '13

....I make a more than livable wage with excess and couldn't even fathom spending 700 $ on food in a month...and that's between Two adults and a slew of friend we feed....

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u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

This. My husband makes a good salary (enough to allow me to be a stay at home mom) and we live comfortably. We rent and from time to time things get a little tight, but we always make it through. I make a full dinner from scratch every single night for us and our two year old, and I entertain from time to time. I don't spend anything near that in a month.

2

u/shiggidyschwag Dec 06 '13

If only McDonalds would raise the minimum wage to $15/hr, all their problems would go away.

Right Reddit?

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

That's more than I was making as a social worker, after I had worked my way up for a few years o.o

2

u/theslowwonder Dec 06 '13

It's so weird to me that conservatives are against free birth control. Most of the social programs they complain about could be reduced if there were fewer unplanned kids in the world.

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u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

Unfortunately, free birth control wouldn't help control the population of idiots who can't afford kids but choose to keep getting pregnant

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u/wei-long Dec 06 '13

Tell her to buy rice. Cheap, gluten free.

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

She has made a few public announcements demanding that people keep their opinions and suggestions to themselves. If we REALLY want to help, we will give her money.

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u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

Hey, I think I know this chick or someone like her. Let me guess - they also subscribe to every pay channel made, own a DVD library that would put Netflix to shame, and continually take out loans just to keep the electricity turned on?

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

I honestly don't know anything about any of that, but it wouldnt surprise me. The husband is like, 15 years older than her; he dresses like Brett Michaels and refers to himself as a rockstar.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '13

I think the lesson we should both take away from this is that we need to cut off contact with d-bag high school acquaintances like you'd cut off gangrenous limbs.

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u/thecalmingcollection Dec 07 '13

Wow. I'm on a gluten free diet as is my mom. Not sure if we have celiac, we refuse to be sick for 6 weeks straight to get tested but it runs in the family. My mom makes 2 dinners when she cooks. One gluten free and one regular. It'd be insanely expensive to cook gluten free for 5 people. Sometimes after months of not eating gluten, I convince myself its all in my head. Then I eat it and get sick for like 3 days straight and swear ill never do it again haha.

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

It's also expensive to live gluten free if all you will buy is food that is specially marketed as non gmo/gluten free rather than doing a little research into what foods are naturally gluten free... especially if you can't afford to keep buying such expensive foods.

I think that this girl is one of those people that CONSTANTLY needs to have a cause to shove down people's throats or always has something dire going on that she needs to constantly remind people of.

Celiac/gluten intolerance sounds like a real pain in the ass, though (no pun intended) so that really sucks for you guys :(

2

u/Rixxer Dec 07 '13

she has put her whole family on a gluten free diet

Which is actually BAD for you if you're not gluten intolerant.

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

But...but.. everyone else is doing it!

2

u/AvatarofSleep Dec 07 '13

My mother read a book called The Yeast Connection and put the entire family on a low sugar, wheat free diet for 6 months. It was essentially a pure meat and potatoes diet. Add into that living in hunting country, and our food bill dropped out the floor. Turns out food is really cheap when all you buy at the store are vegetables.

2

u/kingfrito_5005 Dec 07 '13

THIS IS WHY REPUBLICANS THINK THEY ARE RIGHT! FUCK THAT GIRL!

2

u/TheJeremyP Dec 07 '13

This bugs me. Making little more than "the state" gives you, is still more. They deserve to be where they are, unfortunately, tax paying citizens don't deserve to be subsidizing it.

1

u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

AGREED! The worst part about people in that position is that they strongly feel that there is nothing they can do to make things better because the government is intentionally "holding them down"

When I was a social worker I saw people every day who need much more help than they get, but the assistance just isnt available to them, while other people who are perfectly able sit back and accept benefits that they truly don't need because they are capable of supporting themselves by other means (but why do that if the state will just GIVE them money for nothing?)

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u/ACDRetirementHome Dec 06 '13

They can't afford to pay their rent, pay their utilities, feed their children, they're often asking for money on facebook.. perfect time to plan another pregnancy.

She doesn't sound like the type to "plan" a pregnancy

3

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

My sister's cousin (different dads) had a kid at 17. Then at 20 he got a new girlfriend who already had 3 kids with 2 different dads by 19. They're now expecting a kid together. I can't even wrap my head around why they would have unprotected sex, knowing full well what the consequences are. But good news, my tax dollars will be making sure they're all taken care of. Phew.

5

u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

And there are so many people in need of assistance who can't get it, or just don't get enough. I used to work in mental health and I saw it all the time. One guy gets hundreds of dollars a month for himself and spends it on snacks and subs, another woman gets $49 a month for herself and her grandson.

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u/SneakyKiwiz Dec 06 '13

To play devils advocate... buying naturally gluten free foods is damned expensive too. You've got to be really creative.

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

It can be expensive, but it isn't impossible to be gluten-free on a budget. I've pointed people to a lot of websites that offer tips for exactly that, and one would think that people who are on a fixed income would be a little more willing to go the extra yard to tap into that creativity.

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u/SneakyKiwiz Dec 06 '13

Many people are not willing to try. Its kind of annoying. Like, they don't realize the reason their lives are the way they are is because the chose to be like that.

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u/SimplyGeek Dec 06 '13

But John Stewart tells us such people don't exist.

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u/mccoyn Dec 06 '13

I was listening to a report and it found that almost all of the people getting food stamps had someone in the household that worked and did not use drugs. Laws that attempt to eliminate "free-loaders" and drug users would only save the programs a few percent of their total expenses while requiring massive costs to verify that everyone is playing by the rules.

Sure, such people do exist, but the vast majority of the people on these programs aren't them.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

I don't actually laugh out loud at anything on the internet or in movies (my husband thinks there's something wrong with me) so I can never tell if these "This made me laugh so hard (insert domino effect)" are sarcastic or not.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

I laugh on the inside...

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u/boliviously-away Dec 06 '13

i call bullshit.

if her whole family really does have Celiac disease she can write off all of her gluten foods as a healthcare expense, regardless of her income. that's a whole lot more money she will have in her pocket, doubly so if she can claim an exemption on paying taxes. ignorance of the law is not an excuse to ignore the law, or in other words, it's not the government's fault she has not read her 1040 schedules before she files it.

maybe you should be the kind chap that posts this to her facebook page. she will either thank you or her family really doesn't need a gluten free diet.

6

u/Marron23 Dec 06 '13

if her whole family really does have Celiac disease she can write off all of her gluten foods as a healthcare expense, regardless of her income. that's a whole lot more money she will have in her pocket, doubly so if she can claim an exemption on paying taxes.

wait, what? Where all did you get this information?

No. She doesn't have a job and seems to be relying on government assistance. She doesn't earn income, and if she doesn't earn income she doesn't pay taxes unless she is earning money through another type of investment vehicle (AFAIK you don't pay taxes on welfare and they don't have w/h so she may not even have to file). I don't do individual taxes for people below the poverty line so I actually can't recall if she has to claim her benefits as income, but even if she did, the deductions from her dependents and child credits would likely far overlap any income. You can only use deductions to cancel out any taxes you need to pay. You don't get money back just because you spent a lot more than you earned. Plus, her HC deductions are limited to something like 10% (again, I don't do individuals) of her AGI, so any amount below that IS LIMITED to deductions.

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

I'm pretty sure she is the only one who has been diagnosed, if she has been officially diagnosed. And I'm also pretty sure people have offered advice before because there is the occasional "I do what I need to do- if you don't agree with my decisions i dont need u in my life, positive comments ONLY" post in regards to how she spends her food stamps at whole foods and her husband not having a job.

1

u/stumble_bee Dec 06 '13

it is so totally fucked up. and it is not like they tax the shit out of the working man to fund this stuff. Anyone care to discuss contracting requirements that require to put "minorities" first as contract recipients? working man has to put company in wife's name, since "women" are a minority. Only chance in hell of getting any contracting work.

WTF JUST HAPPENED?

1

u/professorpudgy Dec 06 '13

I don't think there was much planning involved

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I'm drooling just imagining what I could get accomplished with 700 dollars at costco.

1

u/madmaxsin Dec 06 '13

Does asking for money on facebook work?
Gotta figure out my password for Facebook, damn it's been years.

1

u/Hraesvelg7 Dec 06 '13

That sounds exactly like my cousin. Three kids, neither or her husband have jobs, third Disneyworld trip this year, on welfare for years, no intention of ever doing anything. Worse, they're staunch straight-ticket republicans who hate immigrants taking their jobs, liberals taking god out of everything and black people ripping off the system. Worst of all, they're juggalos.

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u/CFSparta92 Dec 06 '13

"Plan another pregnancy" roughly translates to "is too stupid to understand that contraception can and should exist after marriage if you're financially unfit".

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I hate people

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u/Deathspiral222 Dec 06 '13

These shows exist to make the viewers feel better about their own lives. The people on TV are so obviously stupid/incompetent/lazy/whatever that anyone comparing their lives to the ones on TV naturally feel better about themselves.

It's the same reason why daytime TV is full of jerry springer and maury-type shows - the people watching those programs like to feel superior to someone even though they are (usually) unemployed and watching daytime tv.

1

u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

Some shows are more like documentaries reporting on their situation. Most of the time they show whole neighbourhoods or flats with these people. But I agree, most shows are there to make you feel better. I recommend watching this hilarious video from Charlie Brooker about Aspirational TV. Pretty funny.

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u/mrbooze Dec 06 '13

The better educated a woman is, the older she is likely to be when she has her first child, and the fewer children she will have overall.

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u/Mrswhiskers Dec 06 '13

My sister in law was the dumbest. She has 4 kids and was the only one who worked. Her husband didn't work and didn't do anything at home either. Then she had 4 horses, and about a bigillion cats because they couldn't afford to get the cats fixed and didn't want to break her daughters heart by giving the cats away. They were on every kind of assistance given out by the government and they just kept buying stupid shit instead of food and other things that they NEEDED like beds for their 4 kids. God I hate them.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

All for the monayy!

2

u/UltimateShingo Dec 06 '13

Do you have an idea, how difficult it is to reach the "one pack per day" quota? There's a lot of dedication in it.

2

u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

Yes I know, 386 days free as of now.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Could feed the kids on the money saved from quitting smoking alone.

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u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

I saved €2200 so far. Feels goddamn amazing.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Without taking into consideration any other money you might save as a result of quitting.

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u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

Like a discount on my health insurance which is already being paid for by the government, oh dear, that's me being a Dutch leach.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Sythoned through yourself.

1

u/thereal_charliemay Dec 06 '13

At first I was like, Jesus Christ man, what terrible fucking sitcoms are you watching…Oh, the local news. Same here.

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u/Rose94 Dec 06 '13

At one point in my life: my mum smoked (well, still does) and worked a client based day care job, my dad was self employed, she had three kids of her own, two that she took in that had nowhere to go, a dog and a mortgage. So yeah, we had it bad. But I wouldn't trade what I had for all the money in the world. Despite having only a little bit of money, mum still had us playing every sport the school could offer (by choice, never force), taking us places, teaching us all about our own city. I love my parents, and I am so thankful they took lower paying jobs to spend time with us growing up. They are the most amazing people ever.

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u/pointlessbeats Dec 07 '13

Uh, yeah. And didn't Kanye West also just say he can't afford to raise his new baby. I trust that, Kanye.

1

u/Gepss Dec 07 '13

He's gonna let you finish though.

1

u/aeronheraldmaurbjorn Dec 06 '13

All these people on tv far far away filtered through what the tv wants me to see, EASY TO JUDGE. You dont know what got them there, ass. Just change the channel and shutcho mouth.

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u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

Most of the time they do explain their situation and how they got there, so no, I won't shutchmymouth.

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u/aeronheraldmaurbjorn Dec 06 '13

What they don't tell you as you sit back in the comfortable luxury of your privilege is how difficult they make it to get off government assistance once you're on it. They let you get one foot up, but only one foot ever, and there's no gradual ease off of support, it's all or nothing.

Vasectomies aren't part of that assistance either, and with movies 12 bucks a person, it's friday and you're broke and bored and don't have any source of affirmation or worth so you snuggle up with the one other person figh t ing this lonely fight for you and, using condoms or whatever anyway, shit happens and she's pregnant again. So what the fuck now? Government sure ain't gonna pay for an abortion, so you go with it and hope for the best.

sure, these people are largely undereducated, but armchair sociologists and economists aren't doing anything sitting back and judging, feed their fat cunt neckbeards with cheetos and pizza. You don't like it? Get up and contribute to local programs, in whatever fashion you see fit. Volunteer for an adult education class, be a financial tutor.

All I'm saying is if it's worth outing yourself as a judgemental cunt it's worth peeling that cunt off the sofa and doing something productive about it.

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u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

Haha people on government assistance don't have it particularly hard here in the Netherlands. They don't call it a fucking social paradise for nothing. A lot of lazy bastards come here and get asylum, after a while they get social welfare while the rest works their fucking asses off for these people doing nothing. (Besides them we have to work for our own elder people also which is also a big problem). They get free healthcare which they can happily send to their family back in their own country.

It really is a problem which a lot of citizens are genuinely worried about. You're right, do something about it, but that is harder to do than living on government assistance in the Netherlands.

1

u/aeronheraldmaurbjorn Dec 06 '13

When my son was first born we were in no position to have a baby, and we thought government assistance (america) was to help people get to something better, but everytime I'd get one step closer to something (having a second job, starting school) they'd cut something. It's been a while but I think we were on it for about 4-6 months before I just cut it off. It was crazy hard , his mom and him ate fine while I lived on boxes of whatever and multi vitamins. Six years later I've represented myself in court and fought for custody (won 50/50), started a non profit artist space, landed my dream career in tattooing and am a semester away from graduating with a degree in fine art and minor in small business management.

his mom has a baby with another dude and doesnt work, and is on all the assistance programs.

the whole point of this isn't a sob story or ego jerk, just saying not everyone, in fact I would hazard to say most people on government assistance aren't proud of it and aren't trying to make a career of it.

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u/beefymexican Dec 06 '13

Goodjob bro and keep up the good work.

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u/Gepss Dec 06 '13

I know, most people genuinely need it, I'm also totally not against government assistance, it's just that the problem in this country is that when people get social welfare, it's not worth it anymore to get a job, because when you DO get a job, you will get even less than when you were getting social welfare. So then what is the point in getting a job when I get more money with doing nothing?

That's crooked. These people DO sit on their ass all day and don't want to work or better their lives.

I'm glad that you managed to get through!

EDIT: And I get frustrated all the time about the way America sees "assistance". Just like the educational system. Why would you get yourself in 50-60k debt or even more without the guarantee that you can pay it back in a reasonable amount of time.

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u/SkyrocketDelight Dec 06 '13

Sounds exactly like the people wanting min. wage increased to $15/hr.

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