FINANCE MINISTER Audley Shaw's job of crafting and managing a national Budget is difficult.

But have you ever stopped to wonder how many ordinary Jamaicans, without technical guidance, consultants and expertise, manage when they are forced to weave fashionable wares from the shoestring salaries they earn?

Welcome to home economics; where ordinary Jamaicans break buckets of sweat to keep their families smiling despite the odds.

Reneeis a point-of-service clerk. She is part of a family of four, comprising herself, her husband and two children, all of whom live in a middle-income St Andrew community.

Like the national Budget, Renee's family budget has a serious hole - a gap she said gets filled only by the goodness of the Lord.

"It is the grace of God. That's the only thing that has been keeping us," Renee told The Gleaner.

With both spouses working, the family income stands at approximately $80,000 per month. At the same time, it's monthly expenses amount to more than $90,000.

Mortgage payment and car loans swallow a gigantic portion of this family's budget. The cost for food is also tremendous - at $15,000, which is nearly the same for what they spend for utilities.

Education and health get the smallest portion of the budget, which is already not enough to keep the family bubbly. The budget might have been higher if her daughter had passed the primary level or her son had reached school age.

Outstanding bills

"There are some bills that are outstanding, but we manage. It is not every bill that gets covered. Where we fall short here we pick up back here. It gets covered eventually so I have to thank God," Renee said.

Renee, like many Jamaicans, has already forgone the purchase of some goods and services. She told The Gleaner that the fashionable pedicure is one of those things she gave up very early to allow her family the extra income, after her husband lost his job.

"I was a girl who used to go andhave my toes done every other week - not so much my fingers but I love to see pretty toes. But because I was the only one who was working I had to give that up. I was so unhappy at first but it was a sacrifice I had to make," Renee said.

Entertainment, for example, is not a priority for Renee's family. Spending in this area comes only through Internet and cable television.

"We used to go to the movies but when he (her husband) lost his job we had to cut back because the pressure was on me," Renee said.

The deteriorating world financial condition has forced many local businesses to send home workers or to refuse to give wage increases. Prime Minister Bruce Golding has said that there could be a wage freeze in the public sector.

Minister of Finance Audley Shaw tabled a $457.7-billion Budget in Parliament on Tuesday and should tell the House on April 27 how he will fund the package.

Fears

Already, there are fears that the Government may increase taxes to pay for the spending, especially with less revenue expected to flow into the national coffers from tourism and bauxite.

Renee said she would not be in favour of increasing taxes now, noting that it would eat up additional portions of her family's disposable income.

"These are tough times, but I try not to worry. Worry does not solve anything. As a matter of fact, worry is a disease that adds medical expenses to your bills," Renee said.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com