Breakfast, Lunch, and Work....

Breakfast this morning consists of yogurt, toast, jam, an orange and juice.  Really quick and easy.

I have to travel to Ignace today for a meeting with the Mary Berglund Health Centre.  I couldn't afford make up, hair styling products or transportation in my budget.  With my job, make up and hair products ware an absolute necessity.  I priced out the least expensive eye shadow, eye liner and mascara, and it came to about $12.  For my hair, I use a volumizing powder that costs about $13 and hair spray that I picked up at Zellers on sale a while ago for $1... but add in my blow dryer and my total hair and make up would have cost me a whopping $66!!  Even assuming that I already owned the blow dryer, spending $26 on hair and make up is half my week's budget!!  There is no way that I could afford what I consider to be employment requirements if I was living on social assistance.  It really made me think about how difficult it is to live on social assistance and to have the money to eat healthy enough to have the energy to work, to get to/from work and grocery shopping (without any public transportation) and to have the money to look professional and get a job.  With all of these costs, I didn't factor in the cost of work attire.  For my job, I need dress pants, shoes and shirts/sweaters.  Sometimes I even need suit jackets.  All of these items are completely unaffordable when buying them new, and living in a small place, the Salvation Army can't reasonably carry all of these items and sizes.  Thinking back to when I was living on my own in my last year of high school, I worked at a fast food restaurant where I was required to buy my uniform-- the chain's shirt, pants and black runners of my choosing.  These are costs a person needs to have money for before even getting the job.

I know that I'll be gone all day so I am making my lunch to bring with me.  My lunch consists of a peanut butter and jam sandwich and an orange. I am bringing water in my bottle with me.

I caved and made some coffee for the road, even though I couldn't afford to buy any coffee/tea this week. I feel guilty for having a coffee, but I really needed some this morning.