[Elspode]

Mari and Stephen are surviving. And who the hell said anyone was giving up...or should give up? The issue isn't whether they will survive, at present. The issue is if they should shut up and like it, as I've been reading it.

Check back in a few years and see if Mari is still online, or if Stephen is still living independently and indoors. At this point, though, I would expect the opinon to go something like, "See, toldya you should have saved up."

Sorry, but I see some very judgemental points of view being thrown out here, mostly by people who aren't in these circumstances. Speaking from the point of view as regards my son, the only way he is living above his means is due to things either provided outright or subsidized by me. He's luckier than Mari in this way. And trust me...my kid *wants* to earn more. But he's incapable of doing so. Utterly incapable. Anyone who wants to drop by and look at his humble possessions and learn how he got them and see what he does to maintain his "lifestyle" is more than welcome to check it out. In fact, more than welcome to *try* it for awhile.

And, Bri...your current income, with tutition, child support/ADC/etc...is $15k? If not, how long did you have to subsist at that $15k level? Just curious, as that's a couple of thousand more than my kid makes right now with disability, food stamps and his job, after taxes and child support are taken out.