tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7373309710888796550.post8271353338747944945..comments2024-03-28T14:12:27.461-04:00Comments on A Mom Walks into a Barre: Should You Fire Your Maid? And Other Lessons from the Era-HouseAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06141946094101529553noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7373309710888796550.post-21448122823274106782016-05-28T07:57:23.728-04:002016-05-28T07:57:23.728-04:00That's great that he's thinking about thes...That's great that he's thinking about these things! They are tough issues. Here in the US, there is talk of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. In some parts of the country, that is an extremely generous sum! And it's just the starting wage, so it would only go up from there. It's certainly nice to pay generously, but we also have to balance the burden it might place on small business owners. The issue is complicated by the fact that many minimum wage jobs, which used to be done by teenagers after school to give them a start in the workforce, are now being done by immigrants trying to support families. The minimum wage was really not designed to be a self- or family-supporting wage. It's just that--the MINIMUM! So I can see both sides of the issue. Some people get very emotional about it--'we need to pay people a living wage! It's not fair!' But if labor laws make it impossible for small businesses to stay afloat, then the jobs are lost and local economies suffer. So it's tough. No easy answers, I'm afraid.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06141946094101529553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7373309710888796550.post-60024515859310078062016-05-28T07:48:30.975-04:002016-05-28T07:48:30.975-04:00Madame, thanks for your comments! It's nice to...Madame, thanks for your comments! It's nice to know people are still reading. :) Yeah, I don't know what the solution is, other than voting with our dollars/euros. Learning more about this issue has changed our purchasing habits. Like you, I am frugal by nature, but sometimes that led me to buy cheap stuff. But I'm also really working on de-cluttering our house, so i realize how much stuff I bought just because it was cheap/on sale. Now I'd rather buy quality and pay more once. As my husband says, 'buy quality, cry once. Buy cheap, cry over and over!' <br /><br />As for fitness, yes, so much is available free! Youtube is indeed a treasure trove. I still love my favorites, but I certainly have enough material to last me a very long time.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06141946094101529553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7373309710888796550.post-1400189666076679572016-05-28T05:18:37.850-04:002016-05-28T05:18:37.850-04:00I just had a long conversation on this topic with ...I just had a long conversation on this topic with my 12-year-old son. He's very fashion conscious and socially conscious. He had some really good things to say, like how he thinks that the rich should invest more of their money into social justice, and creating well-paid jobs is a very good investment. He even told me all about how he would create jobs in a poor country and pay his workers very well, according to German standards. <br />I think it's important that we educate our children. They may be the generation that turns things around. Who knows?Ruth https://www.blogger.com/profile/01646553469435371466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7373309710888796550.post-71564947358006618942016-05-27T08:45:04.272-04:002016-05-27T08:45:04.272-04:00I couldn't agree more, Stephanie.
We are one o...I couldn't agree more, Stephanie.<br />We are one of those families that have a limited lower-end budget. My favorite shops are family flea-markets, where I can pick up good clothes for a fraction of the price. It's getting harder as my kids grow older, but I still pick up stuff for them at the local charity shop every now and then.<br />As you, I have no idea what we can do to help force the industry into treating their workers with dignity and into paying them a fair salary for the work they do. No westerner would want to work the way those people who produce our beloved cheap stuff do, so it's time the customer put some pressure on the manufacturers (not the Bangladeshi employees). But how can we do that?<br /><br />I'm frugal by nature and probably very bad for our western economy! haha!<br />I completely agree with extending the life of the stuff we buy, reusing, mending, fixing and passing on, instead of discarding and always buying something new. <br />How about organizing seasonal clothes swaps? Bring all the stuff you can't use any more and are ok with just giving away, and walk out with as little or as much as you need. The only rule would be that you need to bring things that are in good condition that others may be able to use. Any "leftovers" could go to a reputable charity. That was one idea the pastor's wife (back in the UK) had. <br /><br />I haven't bought a single fitness DVD in over a year. I sold a pile of them to help pay for school books last summer, and then decided to ride out this temporary financial crunch using what I have and love and whatever I can find on youtube and other websites. It's amazing what all is out there to be used for free! I've discovered several instructors that make workouts I enjoy. I don't need to buy any more DVDs! This is not to say I will never buy another workout, just that going without buying for a while has forced me to value what I have and make good use of it, and make good use of the things that are available free of charge.<br /><br />Back to the original topic, I think Jesus taught the way to end the sort of injustice that goes on on this beautiful earth of his. Sadly, the world doesn't want to practice it: love your neighbor (even the one who lives in Bangladesh) as you love yourself. As an employer, would you want to be treated that way? No? Then don't treat your employees that way either! Ruth https://www.blogger.com/profile/01646553469435371466noreply@blogger.com