Lori Alexander 13: Transformed and Still Judgey

[Loveday]

30 minutes ago, Koala said:

They had the best sweaters for 9.99 each this year.  I stocked up on those.  I won't even consider buying jeans anywhere else, and they always have petite (I am only 5 ft.).

Walmart is the only place I can find jeans that both fit me (5ft 2 here, so yay for petites!) AND my skimpy wallet. I mean, a pair of well-made Lee jeans for less than $20? Yes, please.

Oh, wait...jeans.  We're going to hell for wearing jeans, aren't we? 

[feministxtian]

I get excited when I find the clearance rack at Ross or when the local thrift stores have 50% off days. I'm trying to revamp my wardrobe to a more professional look as a teacher...and I certainly don't have the cash to go buy out Macy's or Dillards or even Kohl's. 

That fracking bitch drives me INSANE! My sunglasses are usually from the 99 cent store...or I might get really crazy and buy a pair of Panama Jack's at walmart for a whole 15 bucks. 

My furniture? Some of it is hand-me-downs from my mother...some is from IKEA, and some is from when we had more money. The newest furniture we have is about 4-5 years old. I also live in a little one bedroom apartment...and I wouldn't trade my life for hers. 

[polecat]

3 hours ago, Koala said:

Bonus?  She got new carpet too (the special kind that: "never needs to be vacuumed!")

Well, you know, "tidy but not spotless" Lori hates vacuuming.

 

3 hours ago, Koala said:

I am beginning to think that many of Lori's posts are subtle digs at her own daughter.

I agree. I don't know if that daughter has recently displeased Queen Lori or if Queen Lori has never gotten along with her, but all I can say is, "Go Daughter! Do your thing!" I hope her mom's bitchiness isn't hurting her.

[Imrlgoddess]

If Lori could come clean & change the floorinf my house & have my decade old furniture recovered, I'd pay her plane ticket. I'd happily turn the bills over to her if she can find the holes in the budget to recover furniture & go on vacations that last more than a weekend. 

I'm a Walmart Jean wearer too, I'm hard on clothes so $20 every year or so works for me! I taught my daughter hit the clearance rack first then attack the general merch when shopping! She's a savvy little shopper. 

[louisa05]

I am a clearance shopper. I don't like paying full price for much of anything, especially when it comes to clothes and accessories. But I do not shop WalMart. The last pair of jeans I bought ended up about $24 at Kohl's--taking advantage of multiple discounts (% off credit card offers combined with Kohl's cash--not their constant "discounts"). And they last longer than a year. 

I have found that I can get nicer brands/higher quality than super discount places like WalMart by shopping more strategically. Just this week, I got a nice sweater at a J. Crew Outlet for $18 with tax--after Christmas means huge discounts on winter clothing. I got long sleeved tees for layering at a Gap Outlet for  $7.99 each. I own three winter coats and bought all of them off season and the most I paid for one was $32. 

There is one caution I would give to all of you bargain shoppers talking about sunglasses, though: 

Your sunglasses should protect your eyes from UV which can contribute to cataracts and other eye problems. They are not merely an accessory. Super cheap sunglasses often do not have the UV protection they say they have.  If you are buying sunglasses for 99 cents, please take them to your optometrist and have the UV protection tested to ensure it is actually 100%. Some will be fine, but many will not. As someone who may eventually lose vision and the daughter of someone with vision loss, I can assure you that your eyes are worth much much more than 99 cents. 

I have to wear sunglasses any time I am outside in daylight or even twilight and sometimes inside in certain types of lighting due to extreme light sensitivity (symptom of a genetic retinal condition). I have learned that it is one area where paying more is worth it. I don't want to risk not having UV protection and I find that polarized lenses (cheap ones usually lack that entirely) are easier to see with. Plus, cheap ones don't last long when you can't walk to the mail box or open the front door for someone without putting on a pair. 

 

[feministxtian]

4 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

Your sunglasses should protect your eyes from UV which can contribute to cataracts and other eye problems. They are not merely an accessory. Super cheap sunglasses often do not have the UV protection they say they have.  If you are buying sunglasses for 99 cents, please take them to your optometrist and have the UV protection tested to ensure it is actually 100%.

Don't have an optometrist...can't afford one. I've needed new glasses for years but shelling out a couple hundred bucks for the exam and new glasses just isn't in the budget. Any extra cash goes towards stocking up on groceries against the leaner times and trying to keep the cars running. My car has been sitting for the last two months...it needs a new power steering pump and that's 400 bucks I just don't have right now. My clothes shopping is just as sporadic. My job isn't continuous...I can teach for 8-9 weeks and then be off for a month or more. We pretty much live on hubby's SSDI (which sucks) and there ain't a lot of cash for extras. 

[polecat]

For those bargain shoppers who like their clothing a bit on the quirkier side (although there are some pretty ones, too), I suggest CowCow dresses. Suuuuper duper affordable and in many sizes. Flattering, too.

[Loveday]

I can't afford expensive sunglasses, either. Having said that, though, I do have a pair of Ray Bans, only because my husband found some on clearance at the Navy Exchange where we live, for less than $25.   I don't wear them too often, though, because they were originally priced at over $150, and I just can't bring myself to wear them every day. I have a couple pairs of cute, Vera Bradley-looking sunglasses I found at my local Kroger for $1.25 each on clearance. That's a lot more my speed (they did have a 100% UV protection sticker on them, no idea if they really do). 

And I do have to add that while I'd much rather shop for my clothes anywhere else but Walmart, they do sell a few items that are as nice in quality as pricier brands. The rest of my clothes mostly come from the thrift store. Buy used, save the difference. 

[louisa05]

20 minutes ago, feministxtian said:

Don't have an optometrist...can't afford one. I've needed new glasses for years but shelling out a couple hundred bucks for the exam and new glasses just isn't in the budget. Any extra cash goes towards stocking up on groceries against the leaner times and trying to keep the cars running. My car has been sitting for the last two months...it needs a new power steering pump and that's 400 bucks I just don't have right now. My clothes shopping is just as sporadic. My job isn't continuous...I can teach for 8-9 weeks and then be off for a month or more. We pretty much live on hubby's SSDI (which sucks) and there ain't a lot of cash for extras. 

Most offices will probably check sunglasses for free. 

My husband and I lived on his wage of $11 an hour for an entire year. We currently live on under $40,000 for two people and a rabbit. I am not suggesting people avoid cheap sunglasses because I am rolling in cash over here. I do, however, believe that if that if the money can be found, it is better to sacrifice other things in the name of protecting vision. 

[Koala]

I like some of Cato's tops.  I'm a happy camper when I can get those on sale (usually less than $15).  I do buy cheap sunglasses (anything over $5 makes me flinch).

 

[feministxtian]

2 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

My husband and I lived on his wage of $11 an hour for an entire year. We currently live on under $40,000 for two people and a rabbit. I am not suggesting people avoid cheap sunglasses because I am rolling in cash over here. I do, however, believe that if that if the money can be found, it is better to sacrifice other things in the name of protecting vision. 

that's double what we make. we survive on an average monthly income of 1325.00. The only reason I have internet is because I do need it when I work and as a contractor (self-employed) it's tax deductible. 

Now...enough of the pissing contest. Truth is we're broke-ass as hell...under the poverty line for a family of 2. 

[Koala]

2 hours ago, polecat said:

I agree. I don't know if that daughter has recently displeased Queen Lori or if Queen Lori has never gotten along with her, but all I can say is, "Go Daughter! Do your thing!" I hope her mom's bitchiness isn't hurting her.

I think there has always been something there.  Lori once even claimed that she was "raised by someone else for the first 2 years of her life".

Quote

Someone else raised her the first two years of her life while I worked as a teacher

To hear Lori tell it, you would think she actually lived with and was raised by someone other than Lori and Ken, but nope, Grandma kept her during the day while Lori worked.  That = being raised by someone else in Lori's book.

It took Lori sabotaging her birth control and conceiving baby #2 for her to be able to stay at home.  Apparently, according to Ken's Horse of Truth, 2 babies= sahm. 

Lori picked on her for her weight, and Ken did the same, but honestly, I am wondering if Lori hasn't always been jealous of her.  When Ken was here, he referred to their oldest as their most liberal thinker (or something like that).   Seeing her daughter out wearing what she wants, furthering her career, and partying with friends can't be easy for her.

Even now, her daughter appears to live the kind of life she wants (with the exception of her infertility struggles), and I bet that makes Lori seethe a little bit.  Lori likes to see people suffer, and she likes to control them.

How many posts has Lori made on yoga pants, and yet her daughter totally ignores her silly little rants.  To say nothing of Lori's constant babbling about modesty.  Every picture her daughter posts seems to be a giant smack in the face to The Godly Mentor.  She talks about other women's daughters selling thongs, meanwhile, her own daughter is on Instagram posting pictures that would be considered "Christian risque" (<----Ken's words) by most.

I think that's why we see all of the digs....Lori is furious that she can't control the daughter who "was raised by someone else". 

[louisa05]

19 minutes ago, feministxtian said:

that's double what we make. we survive on an average monthly income of 1325.00. The only reason I have internet is because I do need it when I work and as a contractor (self-employed) it's tax deductible. 

Now...enough of the pissing contest. Truth is we're broke-ass as hell...under the poverty line for a family of 2. 

I was not trying to have a pissing contest. But we are substantially under 40 most years (hard to say an exact number because husband works overtime up to 15 hours a week some seasons and none others and I can bring home $1800 some months and $125 others--and I make $0 in June and July). I was simply saying that protecting vision is a choice that I will make regardless of income. If it is at all possible to find the money for quality vision care and quality sunglasses, then I will forego other things. And I think people who belittle that or people who have extra cash but just want things like sunglasses to be one more bargain item should know that it can be huge mistake. I have seen family members lose vision to three different retinal conditions. I have one of those conditions and risk factors for another. Vision loss is not a minor inconvenience.

I currently have leaky snow boots living in the Midwest because I chose to spend Christmas money on quality sunglasses this week instead. And I also enjoy random strangers telling me on a regular basis to take off my sunglasses because it is cloudy or rainy or winter without knowing I have an underlying condition. If they are told, most will immediately claim that their minor nearsightedness is the exact same thing. Trust me, it is not. 

 

[usmcmom]

3 hours ago, Koala said:

They had the best sweaters for 9.99 each this year.  I stocked up on those.  I won't even consider buying jeans anywhere else, and they always have petite (I am only 5 ft.).

Um....I think you might be me. 

i stocked up on some great cardigans there last spring and again in the fall. I also buy my pants there but I am a whopping 5'2". 

[ViolaSebastian]

Quote

“Let them know that God notices the folly and vanity of proud women, even of their dress. The punishments threatened answered the sin. Loathsome diseases often are the just punishment of pride.

You know, between Lori and me, one of us hasn't had intestinal parasites...

[SilverBeach]

7 hours ago, AlwaysDiscerning said:

Only $1,500! How do you raise a family of six on 30K (like Laine) if you spend $1,500 on just upholstering! I can't stand these women. There was also her "favorite things" posts where she talks about the expensive and really unnecessary things she likes. We are just "passing through" yet Lori sure loves her things. And Lori doesn't exactly live in a modest house either. How easy it is for her to talk. 

Lori is full of shit, wouldn't know modesty if it ran her over. 

[lawfulevil]

Hey Ken, next time you decide to "punish" Lori, how about making her spend some time ACTUALLY LIVING BY all her own rules? No fancy house. No expensive cars or clothes or accessories. No domestic help. A very limited grocery budget. Submit to your husband no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT.

I think a WEEK in a no-frills 1 bedroom apartment with a super-economy rental car and $50/week for food and gas would make Lori very, very sorry. And that would still be fucking easy street, because if she were like many of her readers, she'd have actual problems, like...

-Either young children of her own (childcare is quite expensive!) , grandchildren to watch while her kids worked, or a job. Sitting around making big salads and saying mean shit on the Internet isn't a marketable skill.

-A real poor person car wouldn't be as reliable/nice/clean as even your CRUDDIEST rental car. Realistically if Lori were forced to survive on only her income given only her job skills, she'd have a bike- and not a nice bike. A banged up rusty Schwinn with chain problems, and you better pray nobody steals it, because a good bike lock costs more than the bike did (cheap bike locks barely count as locks).

-Constant worry- about money, about what might happen, about problems you have never even considered because you can solve them with a phone call. Flat tire? You might lose your job. Catch the flu? You'll PROBABLY lose your job.

-Laundromats. Don't leave, or your clothes may not be there when you get back.

-Either a tiny apartment fridge, the closest grocery store is 10+ miles away, or both. Both is entirely possible.

-Unexpected bill? You probably can't just put it on a credit card. If you're in good health, time to sell plasma. If not, things get considerably gnarlier.

-Anything you get as a present that's nicer than what some smug fucker thinks poor people are allowed to have will get you shat on, even if realistically you're not getting more for your gifted items than it'd cost to replace them, and even if they're things you sort of need to exist- like pants.

-Keeping in contact with friends is HARD when you're poor. You can't afford to go out. You can hardly afford just to get to their place and hang out. If you had any free time, that is, which you don't. So your friends will mostly be people you work with, who are mostly equally struggling.

-A constant juggling of which bill is the most overdue to prevent the utilities from being shut off. Or the most important utilities from being shut off, anyway. Most or all of your food money may have to go to heating some months.

-But don't worry, you still probably won't be super skinny. Cheap food that's shelf-stable and easy to prepare with the limited kitchen tools you can afford is either time-consuming or terrible for you.

-Damn right you'll be submitting. You can't afford to live even this marginal life alone, and if you piss off your SO in any way they may throw your ass out on the street.

I'd say a month in those circumstances would drastically improve her shitty attitude but it'd probably just kill her.

Spoiler

These are all just the problems I've had at some point in my life. I'm aware that there are many, many, many other problems you can have- I was fortunate to be young with good teeth and still-middling credit.

[EmiGirl]

I'd love to see lorken do a 30 challenge where they had to live off of a minimum wage salary where only Ken got paid. 

[Hisey]

She and Ken went on a SEVEN WEEK vacation last summer? Seven weeks? Who goes on vacation for seven weeks? Lori is the one who complains about the poor not working hard enough, and yet she sits on her butt in a (probably free) vacation home for seven weeks in the summer.  (I'm not even sure what she is vacationing from, her own life in San Diego seems pretty cushy).

I have never taken a vacation that long, it seems like an incredible luxury. I just returned home from six days out of state, and even that was very costly, with all the expenses (two hotel rooms, boarding the dogs, rental car, etc). 

For that matter, how fortunate she is to have the freedom to plan on 2 weeks and just decide to make it 7. My own life is so impossibly complicated with kid stuff and work stuff that we could never just say "Oh, let's stay another five weeks and laze around." 

[quiversR4hunting]

7 minutes ago, Hisey said:

She and Ken went on a SEVEN WEEK vacation last summer? Seven weeks? Who goes on vacation for seven weeks? 

When I read that I thought the same thing. 

I know one person in her 40s that goes to FL for a month in the winter. Leaves her kids with family and her husband so the kids stay in school. Even her month (which I can't fathom) she is staying at a family owned condo.

[Free Jana Duggar]

Hey, did anyone catch Lori's newest fb doodle about how to sit by and let your husband beat your child.

I admit we did spank on occasion, but it was with a hand on the butt and only after repeated warnings. There is no way I would let my husband just wail on my child though.

[polecat]

2 hours ago, usmcmom said:

but I am a whopping 5'2". 

All of you petite people are making me feel like a hulking giant. I am not even really tall, either, lol.

[Showtunesgirl]

39 minutes ago, Hisey said:

She and Ken went on a SEVEN WEEK vacation last summer? Seven weeks? Who goes on vacation for seven weeks? Lori is the one who complains about the poor not working hard enough, and yet she sits on her butt in a (probably free) vacation home for seven weeks in the summer.  (I'm not even sure what she is vacationing from, her own life in San Diego seems pretty cushy).

I have never taken a vacation that long, it seems like an incredible luxury. I just returned home from six days out of state, and even that was very costly, with all the expenses (two hotel rooms, boarding the dogs, rental car, etc). 

For that matter, how fortunate she is to have the freedom to plan on 2 weeks and just decide to make it 7. My own life is so impossibly complicated with kid stuff and work stuff that we could never just say "Oh, let's stay another five weeks and laze around." 

This. I have nowhere near the amount of responsibilities as most people (being that I'm single and have no pets) and even I can't fathom an unintended 7 week vacation. An intentional Europe/Asia backpacking trip college kids take during summer, sure, that's understandable. But a random, spur of the moment let's-extend-our-vacation-by-over-a-month, no way!

 

[Koala]

1 hour ago, Free Jana Duggar said:

Hey, did anyone catch Lori's newest fb doodle about how to sit by and let your husband beat your child.

Yes, I saw it.  

When Ken was here, he admitted to leaving a bruise on one of the children, and Lori tells a story of a time he pushed on of the boys down.  He also wrote of having the boys play through sports injuries in order to prepare them for war. <--- Yes, he actually said that.

I honestly think Lori likes to encourage people to hurt their children/let them be hurt.  No matter how horrific the story she's presented with, she always seems cool with child abuse (sometimes encouraging the parents to take it even further).

She is sadistic. 

[SweetFellowshipper]

2 hours ago, Free Jana Duggar said:

Hey, did anyone catch Lori's newest fb doodle about how to sit by and let your husband beat your child.

I admit we did spank on occasion, but it was with a hand on the butt and only after repeated warnings. There is no way I would let my husband just wail on my child though.

I think it's about verbal abuse too...That post we were all talking about (OK I admit to going on husband's FB to look at Lori's page to see what everyone was talking about since I'm blocked...He's gonna be like "wtf?" when he sees it) a couple pages back where the woman said her husband yelled and screamed at the kids "all day," Lori & co didn't seem to think it was a problem and some other posters said that was verbal abuse if true.