Zach and Whitney Bates - part 4

[Melissa1977]

On 2/12/2017 at 6:20 PM, nausicaa said:

I agree on your pay estimates, but this just further fuels my bewilderment at how they afford their lives. Michael and Brandon are the only couple whose lifestyle seems to fit their income. I still don't understand how Chad and Erin and Zach and Whit afford all of their clothing, decor, and trips, even with an extra 10k a year. 

I realize I'm a broken record on this, but I just don't get it. 

 

I think Chad and Erin have an almost frugal life. Erin's clothes are obviously from cheap stores or outlets (she is not wearing trendy, but a bit out of season). Not critizicing at all, but clearly she's not spending much on her wardrobe. And probably her beauty products are cheap brands, too. Paine's house is little and in the countryside, not really expensive, plus Chad has built some furniture by himself or has repaired old pieces. The kids wear nice clothes, but it's easy nowadays to buy cheap nice clothes for toddlers. And not to forget there are two adults actually working.

[Seculardaisy]

I think Chad and Erin are the most frugal, hands down. I think Zach and Whit shop new more frequently and honestly that is totally okay.

[Bazinga]

On 12/2/2017 at 9:25 AM, jacduggar said:

Chad and Erin make a little more sense to me because Chad salvages like 80% of their decor, and Erin still buys clothes at consignment stores. She also wears a ton of repeat outfits and stuff. I can’t imagine rent on that tiny little house being too terribly high, either. 

 

Whit and Zach are a huge mystery to me. Either the PD pays wayyyy more than other police departments do, or they are not living by that “debt free commitment”. Alyssa and John too. We know Alyssa gets some stuff free but that girl is never wearing the same thing twice. Neither are her kids. I don’t get it at all. 

Maybe that is why Whitney is working too. They got a taste of the finer things in life and they need more $$$ to keep it flowing.

[crazysnark]

Talking heads of Zach leads me to assume Whitney was always high maintenance. When they first got married he said she had tubs full of shoes and she is constantly adding more. 

[Seculardaisy]

5 hours ago, crazysnark said:

Talking heads of Zach leads me to assume Whitney was always high maintenance. When they first got married he said she had tubs full of shoes and she is constantly adding more. 

John said that about Alyssa in their newlywed game episode as well.

[ophelia]

On 4.12.2017 at 7:25 AM, just_ordinary said:

And what everyone seems to gloss over- she didn’t only do most of the childcare. She most definitely did a lot of the „training“ too. One comes with the other. There are so many stories of older children that had to discipline the younger ones- I really don’t get why Michael or Jana have such a large fan base. The only hope I have for their future children is that maybe they have become softer over the years, just like most parents get more relaxed with every child.

Jana and Michael probably had to do a lot of the horrible training their parents believe in. These girls were forced into this roles as sister moms and I'm pretty sure they would have suffered a lot if they refused to be the main caregiver for their younger siblings. It is a fucked up situation. I cannot give them a pass for probably abusing their little siblings, but at the same time I can't blame them since they are also victims of their parents horrible beliefs.

[imokit]

I can give them a pass for potentially being what I would call physically abusive to their siblings as teenagers.  Providing that this means excessive corporal punishment approved by their parents.

Teenagers with no ability to get out of the situation or do anything to improve it, should not be held accountable for doing what their parents tell them to do or have told them is a good thing to do to.  They are as much victims in this scenario as the little ones they're hitting.

 

Now though - they don't get a pass.  Jana & Michael are adults, they can leave and they've had some level of access to the world and opportunity to see that there are people who do other things. 

They don't get a pass now, the same way their siblings with kids don't get passes.

[elliha]

17 hours ago, crazysnark said:

Talking heads of Zach leads me to assume Whitney was always high maintenance. When they first got married he said she had tubs full of shoes and she is constantly adding more. 

My husband used to say that too but then I proved that I actually owned less pairs of shoes than him... How many pairs of steel toed shoes does one two legged man need? 

[QuiverDance]

I have far too many shoes. I am wearing a pair of pretty expensive Boota today that I seriously forgot I even had until I moved last month and found them new in the box.  I am working hard to pare down to only essentials and only “good”’stuff. 

[BeccaGrim]

I have always found Michael to be somewhat off putting, too.  I think that she was in charge most of the time of the kids and the house.  I think when she met her husband it was very much "He is MINE." And when she baby hogs its "This is MY turn."  Maybe years away from her family will help with that. 

[Carm_88]

I have a lot of shoes too. I always say that I will get rid of some of them, but then I see them and I wonder how I could have thought to do such a thing. 

[crazysnark]

I also do not feel sympathy towards Michael being infertile. I hate to say it but I am actually happy that she is. She always said she liked the way her parents were before they got "soft on crime" and plans on being very strict with her children. In addition to that she said she wanted to have as many kids as she could when her and Brandon got married. So yes I am very happy that Michael and creepy Brandon will not be able to be baby hoarders.

[Feministe9000]

1 hour ago, crazysnark said:

I also do not feel sympathy towards Michael being infertile. I hate to say it but I am actually happy that she is. She always said she liked the way her parents were before they got "soft on crime" and plans on being very strict with her children. In addition to that she said she wanted to have as many kids as she could when her and Brandon got married. So yes I am very happy that Michael and creepy Brandon will not be able to be baby hoarders.

See, this is a tough one. I agree with you about "creepy Brandon" and Michaela's approach to raising her siblings/children/future children.

But then again, this is ALL she has, and I find myself genuinely pitying her for that lack of purpose she must feel, no matter how much she prays about it and talks about Brandon being "amazing" and "best hubby ever" blah blah blah. No amount of gushing and praying will get rid of that doubting feeling hidden away in her heart now.....no matter how much she tries to cover it with Jesus Jesus Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!

I agree with a few above posters about her possessiveness being a bit of a red flag, but then again, being raised in a family with that many siblings, many of whom you raised from infancy, no doubt you would probably develop a real complex about things/people/babies that were YOURS and YOURS ONLY.
Still, I sort of felt embarrassed for Michaela when she freaked out at Tori touching Brandon on the arm that one time when they were courting, she behaved like a bratty little girl, not a 25/26 year old woman.
 

And maybe, Michaela has internalized these feelings/situations/struggles, being the oldest girl, things were THE most difficult for her, by far. Look at the ease with which her siblings hug friends and hold hands with their boyfriends/girlfriends.
Zach was saved by Whitney, in my opinion. Before her, he and Michaela were both strange, awkward, but also clearly (being the oldest in that family) heavily burdened young people, who had witnessed the fever pitch of their parents zealotry, and then being expected to court and (semi) thrust into the world, while also expected to act relatable and endearing and NORMAL for their newly aired Bringing up Bates show.

With Michaela, Brandon is there to reinforce everything Daddy said over the years, ringing in her head....that is very sad.

 

I'm conflicted when it comes to Michaela, if that isn't obvious.

[Hisey]

4 hours ago, crazysnark said:

I also do not feel sympathy towards Michael being infertile. I hate to say it but I am actually happy that she is. She always said she liked the way her parents were before they got "soft on crime" and plans on being very strict with her children. In addition to that she said she wanted to have as many kids as she could when her and Brandon got married. So yes I am very happy that Michael and creepy Brandon will not be able to be baby hoarders.

Maybe by the time a baby comes, it will be such a miracle that she won't be able to bear getting out the PVC.

I see what you mean, though, and it greatly lessens my sympathy for her, too.

[ColeJo]

In other news, Zach and Whitney are homeowners. Good for them.

[just_ordinary]

Wasn’t she supposed to sell houses?? 

I am very happy that they are able to invest in a house. It seems as they are doing well financial. This and probably more space is good as they will likely have more children soon (even though I think if a Bate‘s offspring is going to take some control on that issue it’s them- just think they are not done yet). From what I see the house looks lovely! Love the brick wall and the windows. 

[Kangaroo]

3 hours ago, just_ordinary said:

Wasn’t she supposed to sell houses?? 

I am very happy that they are able to invest in a house. It seems as they are doing well financial. This and probably more space is good as they will likely have more children soon (even though I think if a Bate‘s offspring is going to take some control on that issue it’s them- just think they are not done yet). From what I see the house looks lovely! Love the brick wall and the windows. 

Maybe her job allowed her to find a great house they might not have otherwise seen. I guess that's a perk of being an estate agent!

Definitely agree that buying and renovating is a great move for them. Even if they do plan to have a hoard of children, they can build suitable accommodation and features that suit them sooner rather than later. (I hope Chad and Erin take note!)

[LillyP]

There are definitely perks to being a realtor, like getting first hand knowledge of homes going for sale, or getting a foreclosure or short sale list ahead of others. It doesn't surprise me they bought a house, because honestly I think they've just gotten a taste of mainstream life and are enjoying going out and getting the things they want.

[Feministe9000]

15 minutes ago, LillyP said:

There are definitely perks to being a realtor, like getting first hand knowledge of homes going for sale, or getting a foreclosure or short sale list ahead of others. It doesn't surprise me they bought a house, because honestly I think they've just gotten a taste of mainstream life and are enjoying going out and getting the things they want.

Agreed. And why the hell not? They both are striving for better circumstances for their children than what they came from, and I respect that.

[ColeJo]

I wonder if they got a mortgage instead of buying the house outright. The IBLP opposes taking on any debt, but it is likely they are not following that entity anymore as much. May, just maybe Whitney got to learn that a mortgage is not bad.

With Zach being in law enforcement may help getting a good mortgage. My dad utilized the VA loan for a mortgage.

[llg1234]

8 hours ago, ColeJo said:

I wonder if they got a mortgage instead of buying the house outright. The IBLP opposes taking on any debt, but it is likely they are not following that entity anymore as much. May, just maybe Whitney got to learn that a mortgage is not bad.

With Zach being in law enforcement may help getting a good mortgage. My dad utilized the VA loan for a mortgage.

They paid $101k for the house so unless they've really been saving up for the past few years I'm guessing they got a loan. That or UP pays them more than we thought.

[ScorpiousMalfoy]

I hate shopping for shoes. I have big feet and nothing ever seems to fit me. I started buying sport shoes in he men's department few years ago. It makes me almost phisically sick to go shoe shopping. My mother forces me to go sometimes BC she cannot look at my old, destroyed sneakers etc. Once I find comfy shoes I wear them untill they are completely annihilated lol. I also hate high heels but noone ever minds seeing me in flats bc I'm almost 6ft, so no pressure for those!

 

Good for Zach and Whit for buying a house. I have a soft spot for them - they are such a "pretty " fundie couple, even more so than Jinger and Jeremy

[snarkysuki1724]

On 12/5/2017 at 3:45 PM, Feministe9000 said:

Still, I sort of felt embarrassed for Michaela when she freaked out at Tori touching Brandon on the arm that one time when they were courting, she behaved like a bratty little girl, not a 25/26 year old woman.
 

When did this happen?  I'd love to see the episode, I'm having surgery in 10 days and need distraction. 

[Feministe9000]

6 minutes ago, snarkysuki1724 said:

When did this happen?  I'd love to see the episode, I'm having surgery in 10 days and need distraction. 

I would need to go back and look for the episode, but it would have been whatever season BUB showed Brandon and Michaela courting, and they were at a birthday party/event with the whole family.  It was very cringe-worthy to watch, at least in my opinion.

I felt embarrassed for her and sort of sorry for her too, given how she was raised......yikes.

 

[VineHeart137]

1 hour ago, snarkysuki1724 said:

When did this happen?  I'd love to see the episode, I'm having surgery in 10 days and need distraction. 

It was season 1 episode 9 of BUB. The episode is called "Michaella and Brandon."

On the one hand, I can see how people could find Michael's reaction to be cringeworthy, and she admitted that she just didn't want any other girl touching him. (She said something along the lines of "If I can't touch him then she can't either!") On the other hand Brandon was clearly uncomfortable with Tori grabbing on him and pulling him to go slide with her. She was being obnoxious. I'm guessing he didn't feel it was proper for him to have that sort of contact with Tori (or any of Michael's other teenaged sisters) which is why he kept insisting that he wanted to hang out with the little kids instead.