At a recent media fundraiser, I was asked how a parent in southern California could best tell a child why he or she would have to go to bed hungry. My answer (which was met with some silence) was that in southern California, there is absolutely no reason for any child to go to bed hungry, and that parents should do whatever it takes, legally, to make sure that didn't happen.That means going to your local church and other available community resources for temporary assistance, getting some part-time, even menial, work in the evening for some extra income, going to "big box" stores with friends or relatives to pool your resources and buy cheaply in bulk....I could go on and on.I remember one point in my own family's life when we went through every pocket of every jacket and pair of pants, every drawer, and every little "box-like" entity in the house to pool together enough money to go to McDonald's with our son. I remember crying in the mall one day, because we didn't have enough cash for a second pair of shoes for him. I remember being angry and scared, and I remember hunkering down with my husband to figure out how to solve the problem. I've been there.
Dave Ramsey
is in print and on just about every television program, giving good advice on what to do about your financial situation. Check him out.
