Beating poverty requires planning

Being poor is a condition no one wants, but it's common because people have little or no control over events.

Proverbs says, "God must love the poor because he made so many of them."

It is a quotation repeated by men like Abraham Lincoln and Will Rogers.

With our failing economy, many more people are facing poverty. Most don't know how to cope. Rather than develop a poor me attitude, they need to meet it as a challenge.

They must plan on ways to stretch a tiny income to cover bare necessities - food, clothing and shelter.

It's not easy.

Every penny counts so planning is essential.

Plan meals for nutrition and low cost. Avoid canned and prepared foods. Basic foods like dry beans, rice, rolled oats, potatoes and pasta are best buys - nutritious and satisfying.

Fresh vegetables and fruits fill the need for vitamins and minerals, especially when choosing best buys like carrots, broccoli, cabbage and the like.

Steer clear of steaks and high-priced cuts of meat. The cheapest cuts are just as nutritious and fully as tasty when properly prepared. Chicken is a best buy with savor, economy and nutrition.

Thrift stores with quality used clothing abound for all members of a family. Sewing can make new wardrobes out of old and remnant counters hold great buys to make new clothes.

Shelter is tougher. Landlords must collect enough rent to pay taxes, upkeep and still have a bit extra for themselves. Low rent properties are scarce and often undesireable. When faced with these choices, we lived in a mobile home that provided comfortable, though crowded, shelter.

We were poor, but we didn't lack for anything critical so it wasn't poverty, which most generally is a state of mind.