The point is you have to START. Success is a HABIT. at some point you have to choose to do something beneficial to your long term goals. Even if it is only $5 a week. Skip a trip to 7-11, exercise some self control and self discipline.

Don't buy that pair of $200 air jordans. Go to wal mart and put that other $180 into something productive. How are your talking about "dignity" when people are blowing money on shoes and drugs, when their kids have no food to eat ?

We have a client in Waianae that uses some of the same arguments that you just did, DEMANDING her expectation of "dignity." This is the same woman that stands (pimps) her skinny 9 year old child on the corner near pizza hut and makes him hold a sign "hungry, need food."  People feel horrible and give the kid money. She promptly collects it as she needs to support her daily drug habit. Meanwhile the kid is sitting at our place not having eaten all day. Don't you preach to me about "dignity." My mom would kick her ass.