Women and Poverty (1989) - Combat Poverty Agency

These are examples of how two families spent their money in
early 1988.(32) Of course, this is only a snapshot of just one
week out of fifty-two and gives little idea of the complex
budgeting that frequently goes on in low income households
and the financial pressures that arise at different points in
time. They are useful, though, in providing a sense of the
priorities and s~dard ofliving among poor families.
Not surprisingly, shortages and deficits are common. In the
case of Joan and Tom, the deficit is over a tenth of their
weekly income - it is made up by short-term loans from
members oftheir family. In Rose's case,just £1.70 is left over
each week to cover shoes and clothes, entertainment, special
occasions, among other things. Among the most notable
features of these two cases are how little Rose spends on
food: just £20 a week for herself and a young child; and
Joan's £13 a week on tobacco. She regards cigarettes as
essential to her survival. Cigarettes are the lesser of two evils:
if she did not smoke she would probably be on tranquillisers
(which, ofcourse, she would get 'free' from the state).
Survival Strategies
Women. survive by using different strategies. One strategy is
reducing spending, mainly by cutting down onfood andfuel.
Spending on food is not a fixed cost among poor households
but varies according to the money available. Often food is the
only area where savings can be made. The man and the
, children are put first: they get the best and biggest share of
the food. For instance; when savings have to be made, the
woman may not take any meat herself ensuring that others get
some, or she may skip food at midday when the rest of the
family are out. Lone mothers are particularly likely to cut
back on their own food; it is more tempting for them to do so
because they do not have another adult for whom to prepare a
meal. Research, shows that, following a separation from their
partners, lone mothers used their greater control over their
money to cut down their eating.(33) But the lone mothers in
that study would not swap their situation to go back to their
husbands: they, might have had more money, but they also had
far less control over it.
_
Cutting down on food in this way affects women's nutrient
intake and in the long term their health. Research shows that
in a poorDublin suburb women eat less healthily than'men or
children.(34) Women's low iron, fibre and vitamin C intake,
because they eat little meat and nutritious foods, is particularly
worrying. In addition, they consume a lot of table sugl!!'
mainly in cups of tea; The fact that children do not share theIr
mothers' nutritional disadvantage shows that women sacrifice
their own food intake.
Cutting down on fuel is another way of saving. There are a
number of creative, but hard; strategies for this. One can, for
instance, put the children to bed early, sitting,on in the cold
until one's own early bed-time. Another way of saving on
food and fuel is to try and keep the children in bed until
lunch-time at the weekends - this can save'one meal in the
day.' Alternatively, extra layers of clothes can be worn. ' "
Borrowing isa second survival strategy, usually it is money
that is borrowed rather than goods. Weekly 'floats' - small
amounts of money paid back almost immediately - are very
common. Neighbours and family members help make up
weekly shonagesin income:
/ couldn't live without. my float. / get my mOney
from my husband on dole day -Thursday. / do my
, big shopping that day at the supermarket. That's the
,'day we have the best meal, usually with meat. From '
then on my main shopping is buying bread and milk
at the local shop. By Monday orTuesdayl'm out of
money. Then / borrow maybe £/0 from my sister ~
she can give it to me because she gets her money on '
a Tuesday. / pay back what / owe her on Thursday
so she can keep going.
. . " . i· J
Borrowing is more extensive than ~his" h?wever. Credit i~ a
constant necessity for poor people and deqt a constant reality.
To live on social welfare long termirneans having little or no
money put by, either in savings ~r forIemergencies. This
means that an'unexpected expense; even ajsmall one, can play
havOc with the family's complicated financial balance. So t~e
family, usually the woman, may beforceq to borrow fO!qUlte
small 'and routine expenses. For eXi1Tnple! up to two-thuds. of
all loans taken out from moneylenders :may be' forrounne
expenses, such as electricity and . other fuel bills, basic
' '
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