Today is a fifth Friday. Everyone, who pays their rent weekly, is scrambling to come up with the money to pay their rent today. I understand this situation because I am living it.
If I had the cash I could buy phones, laptops, and notebooks galore today!
It is the poorest among us who live in cheap residence motels, boarding houses, and trailer parks, where the rent is collected on a weekly basis. These are our working poor, elderly, and disabled citizens. Most of them live a basic stripped down life. They can least aford the extra week of rent every three months.
In my home, a one room motel room with a small kitchen area, paying an extra week of rent means we have fewer dollars to spend on food. We have managed to make it through this month on less than 150$. Our staples are cheese, rice, eggs, potatoes, pinto beans, and ham left over from Christmas. I divided our ham, and froze it, so we would have a little meat each week.
Truthfully, I miss being able to walk into a grocery and afford to purchase whatever I am hungry for. I enjoyed attempting new foods and recipes. Now, I only fix what I am certain we will enoy, so that we don't waste any food.
My situation is not unique. In fact, I believe that Americans are suffering on a scale that we don't comprehend. When I read a story about new unemployment claims going down, I find myself wondering if the figures have been manipulated. The reality that I see every day, is not getting better.
Is it possible that the "recovery" is located in the stratosphere, a location that I can't see from way down here?