Sometimes it takes speaking to others to realize how lucky we are.
Last week, one of our writers talked to mothers about how they scrimp and save to make ends meet every month. Some had binders full of coupons and knew the different strategies for using them to buy basic foods to feed their children. One talked about trying to limit the number of slices of bread and glasses of milk her children could have so that they would have enough to make it through the week.
Yes, they didn’t have enough bread and milk.
For those of us who have never had to live this kind of lifestyle, it’s an eye-opener. And it makes us feel fortunate. We always seem to find work and pay our bills every month, and while we can’t enjoy the spas of Whistler or the best restaurants of Vancouver, we don’t suffer, either. We can have as much bread and milk as our tummies allow.
As the start of the school year nears, my daughters and I are talking about fall and Christmas and how to limit our spending this holiday season. We have decided to buy, between the three of us, only three gifts for each person, and nothing lavish. They will be things like a book, a sweater and a mascara. The idea is that, by doing this, we might have enough left over to go on a short road trip together next spring. We learned long ago that it’s the adventures that makes us bond over shared laughter and fun. We have always enjoyed travelling as a family, either to ski or to try to surf or visit another culture and walk through its streets together.
This kind of discussion – about making choices between gifts or travel – does not at all reflect the real financial troubles that some others face, and it makes me realize how lucky we are if we have parents who pushed us to get a post-secondary education. Education is the key to some level of prosperity, and for many, the only way out of menial, minimum-wage jobs that can lead to severe struggle. People with Bachelor’s degrees earn on average 30 per cent more than high school grads, StatsCan reports, while those with higher education earn even more.
If we are thinking about helping others this year, perhaps the best way would be to donate toward a school’s bursary for graduating students. That way, we provide the children a way out of the financial stress they endured growing up, and they’ll earn enough to buy as much bread and milk as they want.
And hopefully, they will also pay it forward, helping other students later.
