THE LIFE OF LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.

HBO and The Shriver Report documentary Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life of Katrina Gilbert , Maria Shriver has teamed up with HBO to provide us a look at one of the "many" women who are struggling to make ends meat to support her and her children.

Ms. Gilbert, is one of many women today who are faced with struggling to make it in order to provide for herself and her children on the salary that she brings home.Although I wasn't fortunate to watch this documentary, I can relate to the struggles that Ms. Gilbert is going through. Being a single mother myself, I can tell you that it isn't easy having to raise a child(ren) by yourself on a salary that can barely pay the bills in today's society.

Yes, one may say, "Why doesn't she go out to get a better job to support her and her kids?" "Why doesn't she reach out for support, there is government assistance out there?" However, as a single mother, you are faced with having to either cut back on the hours of a full-time job to go on job searches and/or job interviews, and if you are not skilled enough to be able to apply for a better job, you have to go back to school to get a trade and that too cuts back on the money that is coming in. For a lot of people who do not know, it is not easy trying to get government assistance. You run into things, like...the kind of car is too much of an asset, your bills do not add to be more than income, or "you make too much money."

Now, how is that possible? You make too much money to receive assistance, but not enough money to pay your bills!

I myself would love to see the government provide more for those like Ms. Gilbert and the other single mother's who are trying to get out of poverty, and make a better life for themselves and their families. The way the system is set up now, it is hindering the able, and making the unable "lazy". I believe if the system was set up in a way that it would aid those who are desperately trying to get out of poverty and make a better life for their families, rather than to aid those who look at it as a free way of collecting a check, it would make a lot more people become responsible adults.

This documentary of Ms. Gilbert, only depicts half of what single mother's are going thru, but it has given you an idea on what it is like, what "we" go thru, and how hard it is.