I must say that I enjoyed reading this book and that it really hit home with me. My mother is a Walmartian and has has other jobs similar to the ones that Barbara tried. The big advantages for Barbara were that she had money to fall back on and to help her get started, she didn't have any children to support, and she knew that her stint in poverty would only last for 3 months. I find it funny that in her last attempt that she wasn't even able to make it the 3 months she had planned.

This book was interesting in that Barbara would have been unable to make it in the world she bravely tried to enter. But now that she has tried a lower class life and has written the book, what has changed? Has it gotten easier for people to make ends meet? Have housing conditions gotten better for those that are less fortunate? I understand the concept behind the book, but what has if fixed or changed?

I wonder if the people at Walmart or Merry Maids have read the book and have found anything that has maybe made them better employers?

Randy- I don't know that the book has fixed or changed anything. I do think it makes readers more aware of other job and living conditions. Maybe, in time, this awareness will lead to changes.

I agree with what you are saying, Kristi! This past weekend, I chaperoned with my daughter's choral group. We were supposed to be coming back in to Hickory Sunday night. As we were nearing Rock Hill, our bus slid, thus we found hotels very quickly! It really hit home with me from the reading in Nickled and Dimed. The desk clerks at the hotel I was in were Indian and there were Hispanics that were working as maids (although one was male). I wanted to tell them how sorry I was that I was even staying in the hotel!! I tend to feel guilty over the plights of others, because I am not sure of the best way to try and help them.

random acts of kindness. that is the answer to many things. once i was in the grocery store and an elderly woman in front of me was counting out pennies to pay for her sad little pile. before i knew it i reached into my wallet, handed the clerk $25 and put the other money back in the elderly woman's hand. she stammered "why honey?" and i said "it's a gift. you deserve it. and it is my pleasure."

my husband and i agree if we win the lottery we are going to all the low income grocery stores we can find and hand out $100 bills. what a rush!

Randy, you said in class last time that your mom had acturally done pretty well at Wal-Mart. Could you explain? Since reading this, I haven't wanted to shop there. My mother had an accident there about 4 years ago. She and my dad were looking a vacuum cleaners and the clerk went to get one off the top shelf. He knocked them all down and they feel on my mom. She was knocked out and an ambulance had to be called. She had a broken nose, etc. My mom was 77 at the time. Can you believe the clerk said , "Well, I told her to duck"? Anyway, other employees and customers were wonderful and stayed with her until the medics arrived. Accidents happen but what was amazing to me was how the home office didn't want to pay any medical bills, etc ( This is from the person who almost tripped on her own purse the other night! ha ha).

Erica...the reason why I think my mom has done well at Wal-mart is because she never graduated from high school. She had her first child when she was 15 or 16 years old. She has worked very hard during her life to care for and support 6 children. My mother is very intelligent, she has just made some very poor choices (which she continues to do now), but I am happy that she made the one to have me and my family. But, back to Wal-Mart...they have not held her not having a high school diploma or GED against her. As a matter of fact, she has recently become a department manager. They pay her I think close to $10.00/hour...which is pretty good for a woman who never graduated from high school. Also, she has pretty good benefits such as health insurance, dental, eye, a 401K, and some sort of a stock/profit sharing plan.

I hate to hear about your mother, and although my mother works there...I have still done my fair share of complaining to them. Thank goodness for my mother that she has a different last name than I do, so they can't make the connection. Keep after Wal-mart...they are a large corporation out to make money...so of course they are going to stall, hesitate, and even make excuses not to pay if they don't have to.

Erica, They never paid anything???? That is horrible. They certainly should have.

Somewhat related: My son bought a bike (with his birthday money) from Dick's Sporting Goods store a few years ago. When he rode it shortly after that, the front wheel came off and he smashed into the pavement, face first. Dick's sporting goods gave him enough money to buy a new bike...They didn't ask us to prove anything...and it didn't happen in their store. But they assumed negligence and did the right thing.

I am disappointed in Wal-Mart after hearing this. They should have just done the right thing.

Back to Randy's first comment on anything changing. I didn't understand why she did not try to get changes made at the maid's job. She knew they weren't getting paid the first and last half-hour. She knew they were not getting paid for the hard labor they did but the company was charging the clients. She could have used her writing skills and written an editorial to the newspaper or a letter to the head of the company. She could have done something if she cared as much as she said she did. How could she walk away and not make a scene when she had nothing to lose?

Randy, your story about your mom makes me feel a little better about wal-mart and the way they treat their employees! Good for your mom!!!

Randy, first of all, I am glad that your mother had you too because you are a wonderful assest to the education field.

There is a teacher assistant at my school that works part-time at Wal-Mart and enjoys it. She even says at times that she can make more working at Wal-Mart than being a TA (which I can possibly believe knowing the salary they get). I think it depends on the person and how dedicated they are in wanting to get ahead. I don't know if there will ever be any changes, but we can certainly be compassionate to wait staff, salesclerks, and others after reading this book. I have always tried to leave a good tip at restuarants--now I will try to do a little bit better when I can.

Kim

Randy, after reading Nicked and Dimed I would ask those same questions. What really changed after her planned 3 month adventure?
It was great that she went into these various working situations and adverse living situations and had the ability to put words on paper and enlighten the public but, she could not begin to feel the full impact of what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck unless she truly lived that type of life.

Well, I think one change goes back to what Kim said in her post?

The reactions of her readers counts as a change.

Her part in the change was writing this book and making us think. She made a difference by doing all that she DID do.

The rest is up to us, as readers.

A little more suffering won't force us and other readers to do more.

Who are the readers of this book? Who was the intended audience? I know that I am more aware of the suffering of others, but I would never have went to the book store or to the library and picked this book up off the shelf. I had never heard of it until Dr. Turner assigned it to us.

This book has really opened my eyes...I went to McGuffy's last night for dinner and my waitress was a very pregnant lady. She looked miserable and like she was due at any moment. You could tell she was tired and really needed to be home resting. She was very pleasant and efficient, but boy did I feel sorry for her. I didn't even complain when she brought lemon in my drink. I made sure that I gave her a larger tip, but that doesn't mean much as we all know, that it couldn't have been enough to really make a difference.

Randy

OMG

Randy,
You really tipped a waitress after they brough lemon in your drink??? YOU really have been CHANGED by this book.

See, that's all the proof I need. The world is a better place because of this book!

Randy- I'm surprised you had not heard of the book before this class. I did hear of it about a year and a half ago on the TODAY show. Since then I wanted to read it but just did not find the time. I'm glad Dr. Turner required it so I was forced to find the time.

It seems as though I may be one of the only ones with this opinion but I really did like this book. I found it interesting, informative, and easy to read. No, I didn't like all of the comments Barb made but it didn't take away from what I though of the book.

I agree when some of you say "Barb is a snob." To a degree she sure seems like one but I have to go back to my point I've made in class so many times- she lives what she knows. Yes her eyes are opened by her experiences but it doesn't mean she is going to be able to change her own life as she knows it.

I have a friend from college- the nicest, kindest person you could imagine. On one hand, by talking to her you would not know just how much money she comes from. On the other hand when she talks about shopping she doesn't always mean at Valley Hills Mall but Paris for the day. The thing is is that this is the way she grew up. Yes, she will shop where the rest of us do but she doesn't think twice about places you and I would never dream of. Does this make her a snob? No. Do I think others in this situation could be? Perhaps. You don't know until you get to know someone and find out what make them who they are.