If the government wants some advice on how to balance the budget, why not ask the experts?

No, not the usual suspects with their big words and paychecks to match, I am talking about the REAL budget-balancing people of the U.S.

Let’s start with the single parent, not receiving child support, not choosing to go on welfare, working two jobs — or one while going to school.

They can tell you how to stretch meals by adding vegetables to macaroni and cheese, breadcrumbs to hamburger meat, and how many types of jelly you can put on a PB&J to make it seem like a different lunch each day.

Thrift shop clothes must take the place of designer jeans, and a converter box on the television gets you all the stations needed to enjoy a few good shows per week.

College students learn how to cram seven people into a one-bedroom apartment and eat Ramen noodles and frozen pizza in order to be able to afford an education. They ride bikes around campus.

Senior citizens can help with making smart choices.

They are the ones that often have to choose between medication and dinner. Of course they can ‘have’ Medicare coverage if they want to spend $178 per month of their Social Security checks, many of which are under $900. Medicare is not free to those over 65! Elders must decide how long they can tolerate the hot, or cold weather before they turn on the heat or air.

Sometimes they cannot afford either, and have to use fans and space heaters. Some die.

These are the retirees that paid into Social Security, Medicare, and 401k’s while they were able to work for fifty or more years. Of course now, because of mismanagement of the system, they are trying to live on an income below the poverty level. Which is the ultimate irony because the Social Security system was set up to remove elderly from extreme poverty during the depression years.

Then there is the average family trying to get by, unable to save for a rainy day because while prices continue to rise, paychecks remain the same.

They, the people who the politicians represent, have to live with life’s minimums.

People live in fear that they are one lost paycheck away from foreclosure, eviction, and homelessness. And the sad truth is, many are. Yet the banks and private companies got millions in bailout help.

So keep listening to the special interest groups and paying committees to set up more committees to investigate problems. In other words continue the useless spending, OR take a realistic look at who is really suffering in this economy while the government argues over billions of misspent dollars.

Many citizens would enjoy living on the $174K per year the representatives are given.

Let those who know how to budget explain how not to spend $50 on a wrench, or how not to take a town car to attend expensive luncheons and needless meetings.

Wealthy people can make a mistake or two with their money and stay afloat.

The poor and average guy can’t say “oops”; grab a low tax, capitol gain, or bailout life jacket. They sink quickly like a rock.

Let them explain real sacrifice and budgets to you.