Griffiths Family: Homemade bathing suit and how to pay for swimming lessons?

This challenge is asking families to attempt to stay within a social assistance budget for five days. Ontario Works benefits provide a maximum basic needs for a couple with any amount of children is $458.00; this sets the challenge budget at $75.00 per family, or $15 per day. A single parent would receive $344.00 per month, therefore, their challenge budget will be $60.00 or $12.00 per day.

The budget includes all food and drink, entertainment, some personal supplies and transportation costs. Each family will be given daily challenge cards which will reveal additional challenges to be completed before the end of each day. As the family completes the challenge, they will blog about their experience.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Homemade bathing suit and how to pay for swimming lessons?

I decided to remake last years bathing suit, I took an old gymnastics out fits elastic and made last years one piece into a bikini. I didn't want to spend my last $18 on two bathing suits so I borrowed a needle and thread to remake my daughters and am going to use some of the bigger shorts from last summer with underwear for my sons suit. I am quite good at sewing thanks to my mother, this is a skill that doesn't make me money but can save me from spending the funds I do have.

For women who do not have funds for sewing equipment but would like to learn or need a space to fix up some older clothing I believe they can use Women's places sewing/craft room which is another amazing resource we have for people to take advantage of. Sometimes the resources that are available are hard for me to use because I don't live in town and it would cost me more to go access them then to hand stitch or save up to purchase something for my house. If I was on a low income for an extended amount of time I would live in town so that resources and services would be easier for me to access and I know it would be nearly impossible to drive.

Swimming lessons made me think about having to pay for them, I have accessed funds through Triple Play in the past and am so blessed to have been approved. I find it difficult to pay for sports, even though there are funds available for children to take part in sports, people on low income would have trouble getting the children there during the winter. Packing meals, standing out in the cold waiting for a bus with two children and then the delay in getting back home for bedtime would be difficult. We have cold weather 8 months of the year...It might be nice to have heated bus shelters. My children are in swimming lessons and I pack a meal the day before, pick the kids up from school and go to the pool from 4:30-7:30 two times a week and if I had to cab or bus there they would not be in it.

Until tomorrow...

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Amber Griffiths
Anaiya 8
Jackson 4

Occupation: Finance Administrator / Assistant ED

My kids and I live in our own home, my son is attending JK 2 days per week and my daughter is now in grade 3. We try and stay active and participate in extracurricular activities as often as possible.

Average weekly budget for “basic needs”: $120

Family “splurge”:We like to splurge on skiing, it’s a very expensive sport and I can’t afford to go often.

The one item or service you purchase that you can’t live without: Gas, we are very active and our house, the kids school and my work are on 3 corners of town. Other than that it would probably be the phone, I’ve opted out of having a house phone to save money and have headsets in our house that run off of the Bluetooth from the cell phone.

What do you anticipate being the most difficult in the challenge? Gas, I have informed my work that I will probably work from home a day or two throughout the week of the challenge. My children have swimming lessons during the week and I generally run from Keewatin to Jaffrey Mellick to pick them up off the bus instead of the School (because it’s closer) and then pick up another child before heading to the pool from 4-7 with supper 2 times a week.

What do your children anticipate being most difficult?My children are worried that there won’t be enough groceries for them, my family and friends donate their grocery vouchers from the gas station to me and with mine I usually get between $40-$60 in groceries for $20. I won’t be spending as much on gas so that means I will have less grocery vouchers which will affect what I can buy.

Why did you decide to take the challenge? I decided to take the challenge because I thought it is a great way to raise awareness in our community of the challenges people face day to day. There are challenges that everyone faces every day, I struggle with my current budget and often have to opt out of opportunities because of the financial barrier. My life is all about my children, I would hope this challenge helps them along their journey of becoming humble adults, the gift of seeing people for who they are not what they have.