Planning a luxury vacation (while living in poverty)

[dairyfreelife]

Where does Abigail live? Bedford Springs is 20 mins from my hometown. I'll scream if we're from the same area

Somewhere near the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, which is actually the most expensive area of the state to live in honestly. It's within two hours of DC, so people commute because it's cheaper than the outskirts of DC in Virginia and Maryland. But the prices and insurance are more expensive there than in any other part of the state because of the increase in DC commuter populations.

[Hane]

True story of REAL poverty: Someone I know learned that a new family in church was up against it--the mom (a SAHM) was recovering from a mastectomy and receiving chemo, the dad was laid off from his job in IT, the kids had outgrown WIC eligibility, and both kids were on the autism spectrum. At Christmastime, she started leaving anonymous gifts for them in the collection basket, gift cards to Sears, where they could get toys, household goods, clothes, and auto care, and a supermarket chain, which had a gas station. Last year, the husband got up in church in tears to thank everybody (he thought it was a group, not a person). He now had a permanent job. He said that, as grateful as he was for the most recent gift, he was more grateful that it wasn't the only thing that was keeping food on their table and gas in their car.

THAT's poverty, Abigail.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Also - did you catch the part about how she got a mom of 11 to babysit her 5 kids - even though it left the poor woman with 4 kids under 5?

[Mela99]

True story of REAL poverty: Someone I know learned that a new family in church was up against it--the mom (a SAHM) was recovering from a mastectomy and receiving chemo, the dad was laid off from his job in IT, the kids had outgrown WIC eligibility, and both kids were on the autism spectrum. At Christmastime, she started leaving anonymous gifts for them in the collection basket, gift cards to Sears, where they could get toys, household goods, clothes, and auto care, and a supermarket chain, which had a gas station. Last year, the husband got up in church in tears to thank everybody (he thought it was a group, not a person). He now had a permanent job. He said that, as grateful as he was for the most recent gift, he was more grateful that it wasn't the only thing that was keeping food on their table and gas in their car.

THAT's poverty, Abigail.

That's such a nice story.

[onlyorganic]

Oh man she's the one who asked Jesus to pay off her student loan debt!

"It's so amazing. I never, ever saw a "grand plan", but step-by-step Jesus handed me the financial ability to pay off my student loans. Thanks to a new government plan the reduces your student loan payment based on income and family size, my gigantic $104,000 Sallie Mae loan will cost my family $40 a month for the next 20 years. Afterwards, all the remaining debt is forgiven. What a blessing!"

I had forgotten which blogger it was, thanks for the memory jog!

[Mama Mia]

:roll: Abby's at it again. Most recently she and her husband were gifted a stay in a luxury resort and a $150 gift card. Not bad for someone living in poverty. Of course, if they were living in real poverty she couldn't have afforded the gas to get there or the car to put it in.

In true Abigail fashion she didn't plan ahead for added expenses, and she took several posts to blog about their adventure. But lest you worry, her theme remained consistent: They are living in poverty, she is a Carmelite, and they are POOR ya'll!

abigails-alcove.blogspot.com/2013/06/second-honeymoon.html

God outdid himself...not the person who gifted them this vacation.

A warrior she says :roll:

Here's where it gets good:

abigails-alcove.blogspot.com/2013/06/living-carmelite-life-while-traveling.html

Catch that title? "Living the life of a Carmelite while traveling". Now excuse my ignorance, but do people who have taken a vow of poverty typically travel to luxury resorts?

Want to know what people living in true poverty would have done? Not taken the trip....perhaps even sold it at a reduced rate to someone who could afford it. Taken the $150 gift card and stocked up on food for your half dozen kids. You know - because you run out of groceries A LOT.

But they are poor ya'll. Really, really, poor.

Back when I had very little money I used to do an incredibly awesome job of finding cheap and free vacations. One way was to go to presentations for timeshares - they give you a free weekend as a prize, sometimes more than one - and often they will give restaurant certificates too.

Another way was a supermarket had some promotion where if you bought certain items you got points towards a hotel . Or if I had a credit card you would get free nights for opening the card and points towards nights for using it - which isn't bad if you pay off the card each month and use it for stuff you need to buy anyway .

You can't usually transfer these kind of things to someone else, and the gift certificates for food are usually for room service or specific restaurants - you can't use them at a grocery store.

We traveled a lot to close by places and would get a break.

I know Abigal has a lot of issues - but people can be poor and still take vacations.

[CynicMom]

This reminds me of visitors to the Palace of Versailles, who lived in luxury but had little cabins in the backyard. They could pack a lunch and play at being charmingly rustic for an afternoon and then go back to their palace.

[Thefranks2009]

I'm kind of new here so... Who is this Abigail? And what is a Carmelite? I've never heard the term before.

[gustava]

I'm kind of new here so... Who is this Abigail? And what is a Carmelite? I've never heard the term before.

Darlin'...Google Carmelite. And read the thread....puhlease.

[Thefranks2009]

Sorry, I had a brain fart moment. It's been a loong day, lol.

[Koala]

According to Wikipedia, the order of Carmelites are supposed to abstain from meat except in cases of severe illness. I don't believe she does that, either.

Where does all of their money go? I assume her husband works?

Oh lots of things:

Cello rental for Abby

Expensive choc. and coffee drinks for Abby

Swim meets

$30 dollar toys (if her kids fall down or get a scratch)

Hobby Lobby crap (Hobby Lobby is a martyr you know) :roll:

Home remodel

Going out to eat

Trips they can't afford the gas or food for

Mini fridge (when she gave away their full size one-didn't fit into her kitchen remodel)

You know...the things most people in poverty spend their money on :evil-eye:

[Stephanie66]

Most people living in poverty likely don't have vacation time to go on vacay, even if they managed to get a trip together somehow. Two or three unpaid days off would be catastrophic.

There was a show a few years ago called "30 Days" in which Morgan Spurlock and his (then fiance, now wife) lived on minimum wage in Ohio. They weren't even technically "in poverty" as they both obtained full time jobs at above minimum wage. I don't recall them calling the experience "fun."

So she has no intention of paying back her student loans, then? I get that some people CAN'T, but she is perfectly capable of holding down a decent job. Talk about abusing a program that was intended for those who are doing their best, but falling short.

[DarkAnts]

Most people living in poverty likely don't have vacation time to go on vacay, even if they managed to get a trip together somehow. Two or three unpaid days off would be catastrophic.

There was a show a few years ago called "30 Days" in which Morgan Spurlock and his (then fiance, now wife) lived on minimum wage in Ohio. They weren't even technically "in poverty" as they both obtained full time jobs at above minimum wage. I don't recall them calling the experience "fun."

So she has no intention of paying back her student loans, then? I get that some people CAN'T, but she is perfectly capable of holding down a decent job. Talk about abusing a program that was intended for those who are doing their best, but falling short.

I would like to know how she came out of it with over 100k in student loans. Thats a lot of money to spend on a 4 year degree that you dont plan on using.

[Stephanie66]

Didn't she go to law school? Or start it and not finish? That would add up fast.

[Dysfundamental]

Yes, law school. $100K debt for a law degree (which is a post-graduate degree in the US) is not at all unusual.

[DarkAnts]

Yes, law school. $100K debt for a law degree (which is a post-graduate degree in the US) is not at all unusual.

That makes more sense. But why waste the space and resources when you are not going to use the degree? There are others who would like to go to law school and may actually help other people once they obtain their degree.

[snarkbillie]

$150.00 for 2 weeks of groceries for a family of 7? What are these people eating? I have a family of 7 and I can easily spend 250.00 a week on food. And we don't eat out.

Yeah. I spend at least $300 a week on groceries for my family and we don't eat out either. We do have food allergies though so a lot of our food is rather expensive. I see people say they spend $75 a week on groceries for a family my size and I just don't understand how that's possible.

[Stephanie66]

That makes more sense. But why waste the space and resources when you are not going to use the degree? There are others who would like to go to law school and may actually help other people once they obtain their degree.

I would think the Carmelites would approve of her working for legal aid or some place that doesn't pay well?

I understand she has five kids, so day care might be too expensive, but eventually, you would think she would want to go back to work at some point.

[Sola]

Sorry, I had a brain fart moment. It's been a loong day, lol.

Very basically, Carmalites are a religious order who take an extreme vow of poverty. Abigail 'follows' that ethos without actually being in the order (she's married with kids rather than living in the order).

I say 'follows' because she doesn't. She is highly irresponsible with money and has some very screwed up priorities. She spends $$$ on unnecessary things while bemoaning and celebrating her lot. Poverty to Abigail is her mantra. She goes around saying 'look at me! Look how poor we are! We only have beans to eat' while drinking a McDonalds coffee and buying expensive toys for her kids for no reason. To Abigail poverty is equal. To. Holy, but the only reason she is poor is because of the crap she buys. But that's OK, cos she's a Carmelite yo.

[AVENues]

Very basically, Carmalites are a religious order who take an extreme vow of poverty. Abigail 'follows' that ethos without actually being in the order (she's married with kids rather than living in the order).

I say 'follows' because she doesn't. She is highly irresponsible with money and has some very screwed up priorities. She spends $$$ on unnecessary things while bemoaning and celebrating her lot. Poverty to Abigail is her mantra. She goes around saying 'look at me! Look how poor we are! We only have beans to eat' while drinking a McDonalds coffee and buying expensive toys for her kids for no reason. To Abigail poverty is equal. To. Holy, but the only reason she is poor is because of the crap she buys. But that's OK, cos she's a Carmelite yo.

Pfffft, this seems to be a day where I see people all over claiming they are something when indeed, they freaking AREN'T. They. Just. Aren't and they demand respect from other people and want to be credited as... nice folks or whatever it is that they are after just by saying, oh, I am a - whatwuzdat - mighty carmelite and you are not.

Bitterday... :disgust:

[Koala]

Just in case anyone's wondering, she's back to being poor. She thanks god for it though:

This is week eight of having no working dryer. Eight weeks of hanging clothes to dry outside on the clothes line. I passed through the honeymoon phase of clothes lines. The last five days were rough. We had a hurricane pass through our town, which meant five days of solidly raining weather. Everyone ran out of clean clothes. Jon went to work today in an Orange Polo Shirt and causal day isn't until Friday.

Even before the mighty rain fest, things were getting rough. A bird pooped on my husband's work pants while they dried. I kept bringing in random bugs and spiders with the clean wash. I forgot to bring clothes in before a rain storm and watch while a half day's worth of work went south in a 15 minute shower. I started to think "Yeah, this is why no one does this anymore. It totally sucks to be poor."

Don't look now Abigail, but you still aren't poor. Further, you have a law degree- get a job.

So much of my approach to housekeeping is "rushing through the mundane stuff to get to the good stuff." It's shocking to find that sometimes housework "is the good stuff." Thank you God for my broken dryer!

I'm poor! Thank god I'm poor! :roll:

My grandmother didn't have a dryer until I was grown. I never once heard her complain.

[singsingsing]

Oh my gosh!!! She has to hang her clothes to dry?!?! How horrific. How utterly horrific. I can't even imagine. Poverty is truly shocking. No working dryer... God save her.

[Tish Cook]

I am actually very disappointed that she dismantled her comments section......because the stories about the trip and the poverty and the oatmeal and granola bars had me seething.

Try shopping with your kids at the Dollar store for food Abigail.....

Live a life where your children do not see the inside of a mall until they are teenagers, or a Target or Walmart for that matter...

Try and decide if you are going to pay the electric bill or fill your child's asthma medication presciption a few months in a row.

Go to bed hungry yourself several nights a week because you have given your portion of the food to your children so they have a little extra.

Poor my ASS...... you delusional self centered nut case.

Whew I feel better now

[Anny Nym]

This is week eight of having no working dryer. Eight weeks of hanging clothes to dry outside on the clothes line. I passed through the honeymoon phase of clothes lines. The last five days were rough. We had a hurricane pass through our town, which meant five days of solidly raining weather. Everyone ran out of clean clothes. Jon went to work today in an Orange Polo Shirt and causal day isn't until Friday.

Even before the mighty rain fest, things were getting rough. A bird pooped on my husband's work pants while they dried. I kept bringing in random bugs and spiders with the clean wash. I forgot to bring clothes in before a rain storm and watch while a half day's worth of work went south in a 15 minute shower. I started to think "Yeah, this is why no one does this anymore. It totally sucks to be poor."

.... So much of my approach to housekeeping is "rushing through the mundane stuff to get to the good stuff." It's shocking to find that sometimes housework "is the good stuff." Thank you God for my broken dryer!

I´ve never, never in my entire life, heard anyone WHINING THAT MUCH about letting clothes dry. Again, a exhibit of an "prudent homemaker" we have here.... :shrug:

How about let your clothes dry INSIDE while hurricane season? (And don´t try to tell, you have no space - there´s always a spot for a foldable clothes dryer. Also: 1. Bird pooped on fresh clothes: WASH IT OUT. You´ll survive it. 2. Bugs in laundry? Well, just put them outside. They run away anyway... 3. Overlooked rain? Let them dry again - it´s just water.

[tinuviel]

When I lived in Germany I only knew one person with a clothes dryer. I'll have to go tell them that they're horribly deprived and marvel at their ability to have enough clean clothes EVEN IN THE RAIN. Abigail is quite the whiner...