Beating Broke

Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective

  • Home
  • About
  • Melissa Recommends
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Powered by Genesis

A Tip for Your Food Bank Donation

September 19, 2022 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Tip for Your Food Bank Donation

We’re heading into the holiday season with the trio of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Not only does this time because more hectic for most people, but it’s also a time when people become more generous and think of donating to others. Of course, one excellent way to donate is to give non-perishable food, but consider this tip for your food bank donation.

What Is Food Insecurity?

Thanks to the pandemic and inflation, food insecurity has a strong presence in our country. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, “10.2 percent (13.5 million) U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2021.”

Due to increased demand, many food banks around the country report that they do not have enough food to give to those in need so now is an excellent time to give to a food bank.

My Experience with Food Insecurity

I have only been food insecure once in my life. I was in 7th grade, and my dad had been laid off 18 months prior. Despite actively searching for a job, he had trouble getting interviews, let alone a job.

Money in our family had always been tight, but after he was laid off, money became very tight. And then his unemployment checks ended. No job was on the horizon, and I remember the panic my mom felt. Feeding our family of four was a challenge.

A Tip for Your Food Bank Donation

That Thanksgiving, someone anonymously left us a basket filled with food. Inside was a large turkey and many canned goods. We were delighted to have that basket. For a few weeks, if we stretched the contents, we wouldn’t have to worry about where our next meal would come from.

During that time, we were always grateful for any food we received. However, most of the non-perishable food that people donated was unbranded. Of course, there is nothing wrong with off-label food, but we hadn’t eaten that way before, so the food wasn’t quite as good to my taste buds. It made me feel “poor.”

Tip for Your Food Bank Donation

But in that Thanksgiving basket, I found an item that made me feel like life was back to normal. Inside the basket were several boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, which had been my favorite before my dad had gotten laid off. I’d eaten that at least twice a week. While I was grateful for the unbranded mac & cheese we received from food banks, having the real thing, the branded mac & cheese I had loved, made me so happy! I don’t remember how the turkey tasted that year, but I still cherish how good the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese tasted.

Final Thoughts

If you choose to give to a food bank this year, I suggest that you not buy all generic foods. True, they are the most economical choice, and you can donate more food for less money when you buy off-brand. However, I promise you, some child is missing his old favorite food that is now out of financial reach for his family. So, if you buy some name-brand food to mix in with the generics, you will delight the children of the family who receive the food, I promise.

Read More

Temporary Health Insurance Options

The Irrationality of Seeking the Lowest Gas Price

Don’t Make the Cost of Gas Your Scapegoat

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: Children, Giving, Married Money Tagged With: donations, food, food bank, food insecurity, Giving

Should You Give Financial Support to In-Laws?

December 7, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Financial Support to In-Laws

Watching a loved one struggle financially can be painful.  If you have the money, you may want to step in and give them financial assistance.  However, before doing that, carefully consider.  As Dave Ramsey is fond of saying, “The borrower is slave to the lender.”  The last thing you want to do is have a family member see you as a master.  Nothing ruins relationships faster.  The situation gets even more complicated when you consider giving financial support to in-laws.

Reasons Not to Give Financial Support to In-Laws

There are two main reasons why you should decline giving financial support to in-laws.

Can Affect the Parent-Child Relationship

As mentioned above, one family member giving money to another family member, especially in the form of a loan, more often than not puts strain on the relationship.  That strain gets stronger when a child gives money to a parent.  There’s something about the imbalance of the child being in a better position than the parent that causes strain and embarrassment to both parties.

As much as you may want to help your parents or in-laws, doing so may not be worth the risk you’re taking to the quality of your relationship.

Can Affect the Spousal Relationship

When you’re married and discussing giving financial support to in-laws or your own parents, you’re adding another layer of complexity.  The last thing you want is to give money to your parents only to find out that your spouse resents giving money to her in-laws.  She may feel that the money you’re giving to your parents could be better used for your own family or your children.  This feeling is likely to fester if you’re routinely giving financial support to in-laws.

Remember, money issues are the leading cause of divorce.  If you feel lending your in-laws or parents money will cause financial strain, look at other options.  Try to find other ways to help your parents get back on their feet without risking both the parent-child relationship and the spousal relationship.  After all, if you end up divorcing over this type of issue, you’ll be even less likely to be able to help your parents after an expensive divorce.

Give a Gift Instead

Financial Support for In-Laws
Photo by Esther Ann on Unsplash

If you are financially secure and your spouse is onboard with the plan, why not consider giving your in laws a financial gift?  If your in-laws fall on hard times because of job loss or a health issues, give them a set sum once rather than letting them borrow the money.

However, I would caution against regularly giving them money.  Most people fall on hard times at least once in their lives.  However, if your in-laws regularly request money, likely something in their financial lifestyle needs to be adjusted so that they can be self-sufficient.

Final Thoughts

Giving financial support to in-laws is a risky proposition and not recommended to maintain healthy relationships.  However, if your in-laws fall on hard times, you might instead consider giving them a one-time gift.

Read More

How to Handle Financially Toxic Parents

How to Save More Money Every Month

The Best Spacing of Children for Your Finances

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: Giving, Married Money Tagged With: divorce, family, family finances, family relationships, Giving

How to Handle Someone Who Gives Too Many Gifts

September 28, 2020 By MelissaB 8 Comments

First world problems, right?  How can you complain about someone who gives too many gifts?

Believe it or not, that’s something I’ve struggled with during the holiday season.  I have one relative who, simply put, is buying too many gifts for me, my husband and my kids.

Handle Someone Who Gives Too Many Gifts

How to Handle Someone Who Gives Too Many Gifts

If this relative was independently wealthy, that would be one thing, but I know that she’s also trying to save money for some home repairs and a trip of a lifetime to Europe.  I wish she would buy each of us just one gift and put the rest of the money in her vacation fund.

Do you also have problems with someone in your life who buys too many presents?

If so, there are things you can do.  (Though you’ll probably want to implement most of these suggestions AFTER this holiday season.)

 

Set a Gift Giving Limit

Most people buy gifts because they want to be nice, and they want to do something special for you.  However, people can overstep their bounds.  This year between all of my relatives who like to give gifts to our kids, the kids are getting more than enough presents.  Combined with the gifts my husband and I were going to give, my kids were going to have way too many gifts.

I set aside some of the gifts I was going to give; I’ll use them next year.  I also had my mom set aside some of her gifts for birthdays.  I’ve also asked some of the relatives to set a limit of one or two gifts in future years so that our children are not drowning in presents.

Accept and Be Appreciative

Another idea is to simply accept the many gifts and be appreciative.  After all, as Trent Hamm, guest blogger on The Christian Science Monitor, points out, “These gifts are given out of love.”  Hamm, who struggles with his family members giving his kids too many gifts, explains, “People give our kids gifts because they love them so much and it’s their way of expressing it.  For me, telling them  not to do so is akin to saying, ‘Please don’t express your love and caring for our children.’”

Handle Someone Who Gives Too Many Gifts
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

If someone like a grandparent routinely goes overboard with the gift giving, you can reduce the number of presents that you get your kids and save money.  You can just reap the benefits of saving money, or you can take the cash that you saved by not buying so many gifts and instead give the cash as a present to the prodigious gift giver.  Everything comes full circle this way.

Direct the Giver’s Generosity

I remember when I was little, my mom’s friend wanted to get me a Christmas present.  She got me Green Eggs and Ham since I was a prolific reader, but  I was well beyond that book.  Too often, people try to be generous by giving a present, but the gift they give is not necessarily what the recipient needs or wants.

You can direct the gift giver’s generosity by steering her to a wish list.  You could create it on Amazon, and then you would be able to keep track of what has been bought, and you could also have some say in the plethora of presents coming into your house.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to handle someone who gives too many gifts requires tact and patience.  While the situation may be frustrating now, the time will likely come when that person, especially if it is a grandparent, will be gone, and you’ll wish you had this problem.  Be grateful, and use one of the suggestions above to try to stem the tide of gifts, even if that person isn’t willing to change.

Read More

How to Turn Unwanted Christmas Gifts Into Cash

5 Best Subscription Gifts for Kids

Easy Ways to Earn, Make, and Give Free or Cheap Gifts

Do you struggle with well-meaning relatives buying too many gifts?  If so, how do you handle the situation?

 

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: Giving, ShareMe Tagged With: family, family relationships, gifts, Giving, holidays

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Improve Your Credit Score

Money Blogs

  • Celebrating Financial Freedom
  • Christian PF
  • Dual Income No Kids
  • Financial Panther
  • Gajizmo.com
  • Lazy Man and Money
  • Make Money Your Way
  • Money Talks News
  • My Personal Finance Journey
  • Personal Profitability
  • PF Blogs
  • Reach Financial Independence
  • So Over Debt
  • The Savvy Scot
  • Yes, I am Cheap

Categories

Disclaimer

Please note that Beating Broke has financial relationships with some of the merchants mentioned here. Beating Broke may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize the links located throughout the content on this site and generate sales for the said merchant.

Visit Our Advertisers

Need to change careers? Consider an Accounting Certificate Program from WTI.