It is privileged. As someone in the exact same privileged situation, I can tell you that *lots* or people have busted their asses and are still living in poverty, despite taking all the steps I took and more.
I worked hard, *and* got lucky. When you live in a society that is designed to insure a certain percentage of people will always be impoverished, being not impoverished is a privilege.
And some people that do that don't do anything to do any better! I watched my uneducated uncle work in a deli his entire lie as a trash man / clean up guy. I've also watched my dad with a 7th grade education to strive to ALWAYS do more and make more. He's owned many businesses and still a77 owns a couple passive income businesses (laundry mats) and retired to his 2000 acres that he has owned for over 35 years and is a commercial hunting lodge that makes him well over 100k a year for a few months out of the year
Sometimes it does- unfortunately, it often doesn’t in our society.
That said, without the hard work and sacrifice, I wouldn’t be where I am, that is 100% true, but it doesn’t negate the luck. I have known far too many hard working people who just got knocked down over and over, and the payoff never arrived, it was constant struggle all the way through.
This is why I never make assumptions about the lives people have led, or what advice I might have to offer them.
There for the grace of god go I, is another way I’ve heard it put.
Most people have some form of privilege. If the OP had loving parents, then they are more privileged than someone who also grew up poor and didn't have loving parents.
I think it is all subjective. Privilege can be conferred on others due to the perspective of the observer, regardless of the reality experienced by the observed.
Most of us are possibly better off in some ways and worse off in others, throw in genetic propensities and mental health issues and privilege becomes pure perception.
Thank you for actually acknowledging this. I mention it in convo sometimes but it seems like no one really wants to talk about it, which is fine but I start feeling crazy because of how serious it is in my head versus how people kinda laugh it off. It's...rough, I'm hopeful that this puts enough of us towards building alternative systems out of necessity, that there's a mild bright side and we move towards something more sustainable in the future. But I'm afraid I look around, and it seems like the worse stuff gets the worse we are to each other, not who or what is causing the problems.
It can always change, though. It's almost impossible to change the big stuff, which can feel overwhelming. But it's not too terribly hard to, like, make a point to check in on an elderly neighbor or take shifts with someone who's grieving or do skillshare classes at your neighborhood community center, just generally start operating under the assumption that we are largely the only ones coming to help us.
The person you're replying to is putting anarchism into plain language.
Building alternative systems, building survival programs, training organizers, networking and coordinating with other groups. These are all necessary steps to change these larger systems that create and maintain poverty.
There's also the slogan "solidarity, not charity". In practice, acts of solidarity can look almost identical to acts of charity. The difference is setting out to understand and change those systems together.
The idea of running skill shares includes talking about how the big picture has gotten this way, and how we can change it.
Don't be a liberal and do charity work to make yourself feel better. Be a radical and work to change the root problems.
I also grew up poor, and am looking at never retiring or living a very thrifty disabled retirement (working construction).
No I work my ass off and don’t believe in what was said. I can’t control someone who doesn’t believe in rugged individualism as I do.
Big welfare systems are meant to keep people poor for generations. When I owned a recruiting company, I would see an employee flourish in so many ways at a new job on his path to a living wage and suddenly they would stop working because they would lose their benefits.
It steals the dignity right out from under someone and their family and the next generation.
Gee if only the jobs you found had better benefits. I can assume things like childcare, medical for their children etc. That, and in my case educational benefits. Many of us climbed out of nothing with the help of the welfare state. Pat yourself on the back, but don’t lump everyone else in to the lazy category only to make Reddit points. Your opinion is narrow & lacks true knowledge of generational poverty in an American.
This is his additional comment: "More than anything, it makes me want to run for office. I understand the plight and struggles of the poor and what it takes to make it. I have deep empathy because I was there much of my life. Now I employ people. I believe it’s my calling."
And he's talking about how praying can lift you out of poverty and he's an anti choice crusader talking about single moms are a curse on society over on another sub.
It just blows my mind people can really be this self righteous, deluded, and convinced of their superiority.
It’s not possible. There aren’t solutions, just compromises. Can you fewer poor people? Absolutely. A goal of stopping f poverty full stop is silly and dreamy. Then when you do have a cure for poverty, there will still be relative poor… relative poverty..
Sure. But let’s say you’re at a level 5 out of 100 poverty and the solid economic policies get you to a 30.. the 80 level has much more than you, is that a success?
They would lose their benefits, so they would lose their health insurance, lose their housing, lose their childcare, and lose their food assistance, and they couldn't replace those things with the wage their employer was paying them. Someone who has a full-time job should be earning a living wage from day one. None of this "path to a living wage" BS.
What is a living wage? Where? How marketable is there position? How much does a maintenance person deserve at Taco Bell? Will they be poor enough to get highly subsidized health care? That’s the best case scenario? Are they tied to the dole forever?
Does the free market have a factor in your calculations?
If you are expecting someone to work full-time at the job, they should be earning a decent living in exchange for their labor, enough to pay for housing, food, health care, etc. in your area. That was the purpose behind the enactment of the minimum wage in the first place. It was intended to be the wages of a decent living. How can you even attempt to justify paying people sub-poverty wages? If the business can't afford to pay employees enough to live on, it needs a better business plan. There's no inherent right for anyone to own and profit from a business, especially at the expense of other people. Why would anyone work for a business that won't pay them enough to live on?
Edit to add FDR's own words on the matter:
"It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By 'business' I mean the whole of commerce as well as the whole of industry; by workers I mean all workers, the white-collar class as well as the men in overalls; and by living wages, I mean more than a bare subsistence level-I mean the wages of decent living."
Dammit, you're not supposed to give away the game 😅 I feel like anything that gets people out and interacting with their communities directly is a win here, I'm not trying to convert people so much as copy + paste the tennents of anarchism that I've *seen* resurrect communities, into a framework that's more palatable. In the end, I don't care if one more person calls themselves an anarchist. I care if one more person doesn't look at their elderly neighbor and think "well, that's her fault for not planning ahead" but instead thinks "it is all of our responsibility to make sure those we know are looked after"
I grew up poor in an abusive household. Dropped out of high school to work. Got a good job, made good money, could afford to move out and live on my own. Was able to save, too. Had a few great years.
Then I got diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 22. It took 2 years to scrape and crawl back to sanity. Got married, things were going well again. At age 25 I was doing fantastic again.... For a bit.
Then a close friend attempted s**c*d* by g*n and I was the one that had to physically fight them to get the g*n away.
Then at 26 I developed fibromyalgia & probable lupus and life truly fell apart. I had to quit work for a bit because falling asleep while at my desk and calling out due to severe pain/fatigue was not working.
It's been ups and downs, still struggling. Life's hits can keep coming no matter how safe you think you are. 😢
I feel like I'm finally on an upswing after my latest series of blows. 😁 My husband is sober and stable now, 3 weeks tomorrow.
Oh and just now getting finished with tying up problems caused by an ex-employer. (A bunch of people died, I was in the news, he got sued & investigated, it was a thing.)
This.
I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but... if you live in America, you are never more than one major medical event away from losing *everything.* Even if you have decent insurance. Even if you work hard. Even if you invested and saved. Even if you do the right thing for the right reasons.
I hope you're feeling better.
As a homeless 18 year old it’s nice to see we can make it out the other side I’m outside tonight but maybe I’ll live in a neighbourhood just like you are and won’t forget where I come from just like you . It’s nice to see someone see the struggle and actually care . I look for work everyday am not on drugs just had to leave home . I really hope that you spread the message of the stuff you realize I think
It’s time that everyone to see it . Thk you for your story I
I hope you find your way. Clean up best you can and get a clean shave.. smile and make eye contact. I’ve coached people at the men’s shelter before and those were some of their toughest challenges.
And pray is you can. In your darkest moments of despair. 18 is a baby, you can break this cycle.
I know it . I pray every night before bed I go to church ⛪️ n Sundays . I’m clean thanks to gym showers lol I lol for work everyday :) i do temp jobs etc in waiting lists for help just will take time but I’ll get off the street outside tonight but I’m safe ish super cool u worked at a shelter
If you can get an address.. get to community college. Since you make so little over the year, as long as you graduated high school, the Pell grants and assistance will pay for most of school and books.. learn to be a plumbing apprentice and gain a skill nobody can ever take away from you.
It's crazy out here! I personally know people that were living great before, now have struggle meals bc the cost of everything has gone up. People having to use food banks to get by til the next payday bc they were living paycheck to paycheck before everything increased. Families now looking for free stuff to do bc they can't afford family outings. my neighbors opted for summer school for their kids just so they could have lunch to help cut costs.
Hell my husband questions when I spend $80 at the grocery store bc he doesn't see $80 of food and thinks i did something else. I can't make him understand $80 is nothing now especially if you're buying meat and vegetables. I came home bitching and moaning bc I couldn't get cauliflower one week bc the damn grocery store had it priced at $10! I wasn't paying $10 for cauliflower ain't no damn way. They dropped it to $5 the next week btw.
Unless you're filthy rich, I don't think anyone is safe, you may not struggle like some, but you'll feel it and see the differences and changes you have to make.
I had a great job, got a huge raise, then was fired 6 months later due to restructuring. Now everything scares me. I was finally getting ahead, now I have to be brave in front of my son while I try to play it smart with every dime I have left to my name.
You can be on top one minute, and lose it all just as quickly.
Exactly! And through no fault of your own, doing great, and then bam, the rug is pulled out from under you, and it's like, what do you do. Years ago, it may not have been so bad. It would still suck obviously, but like to have it happen now in the world we live in is terrifying! I worry every day, and my anxiety has gotten worse. My husband doesn't understand and says things always work out. I'm like, I'm glad you can think positive, but we struggled before when it happened. If it happened now, we would be royally screwed with absolutely no plan. Can't even have savings bc there isn't enough left over to save!
I hope your situation improves and things work out for you I know how you feel trying to be that strong person in front of your Child and not let them know how bad it is. It's gut wrenching when you sit down and think about it and think how it could affect your child. I spent many sleepless nights worrying as a single mother, so I fully understand.
I worry about my cats getting a major illness. Use to be $50 for euthanasia cost me $260. If one of them gets horribly sick I won’t be able to treat them. No we don’t have clinics around here that help poor cat owners. I do vet them but thousands of dollars just can’t. Cat food which I don’t skimp on is getting ridiculous. I can’t take any new ferals to an ongoing 30 year colony. I guess we are all getting punched in the gut.
Yes! A couple of years ago our dog got really sick out of nowhere, I rushed to the emergency vet, we had about 1800 in savings and my husband said use it. So they're asking what we want them to do and giving us cost breakdown and I said fix her! Do tests, find out what's wrong!
They basically did an exam and bloodwork and it was going to be 500. They came back to the room to give us the further cost breakdown, she told us it would be at least 10k, and upwards of 20k. I about passed out! I don't have 10k to pay for my child to be treated, how do you think I have it for my dog! I asked if there was any kind of payment plan and nope nothing. I asked if we could try medication first and see if she responds to it. I was told you can try, but she'll have to stay here to have iv antibiotics and that is going to run us around 4k that had to be paid then.
Had no choice but euthanasia, walked out paying 1k for that, the blood work, and cremation. They made sure to let me know they gave me a 650 discount bc they didn't charge for the emergency visit or for the medications and fluids they gave her while she was in the back. I just wanted to scream. I couldn't imagine what it would be now smdh.
And yes the cost of food is insane, if you want good quality you better be ready to give an arm and a leg. Idk what any of us will do if this keeps going on.
You did the correct humane thing. I may sound cruel but cats and dogs have relatively short lifespans. After words you would still have this burden to pay off and have to survive yourself. I had a cat I really loved. I had spent quite a bit on him.Then was told nothing could save him. My,last cat acted a bit odd yet something told me not to take him to vet as he really hated going to the vet. He passed not too long afterwards from cardiac arrest which is common in orange cats, hard to detect and untreatable.
No it doesn't sound cruel at all, it irks my every nerve when people say something like if you can't afford the cost you don't deserve to have pets. Like cmon I know you aren't paying thousands upfront when your family has an emergency and I don't say you don't deserve kids.
We've looked into pet insurance and it's just not feasible.
It’s coming from all directions. There are charts that show the price of a Big Mac, a hotel room, a rental car, a gallon of milk, cat food, dog food, potting soil… all up 50-100 percent.
Second paragraph, first part of first sentence. That’s what gets people angry. The hardest working person I’ve ever known used to work from 5 in the morning until midnight or 1 am , six days a week. Until he was 50 or so. Thankfully he’s gotten a bit of a break. But circumstances will probably never get him fully out of the lower bracket. You probably didn’t mean to make it seem like hard work is what’s stopping everyone from getting out of poverty but everyone hears it 24/7. Some people are just screwed in this life. Hopefully next life is better.
I get what you’re saying. Not my intent at all. It’s a grind.. luck is huge, who you meet is huge, your spouse is huge and your faith is huge. And even that hardworking guy may still be 10 times better than his family 60 years ago. That counts.
Oh definitely. I didn’t want to come off aggressive because hard work (for the most part) is key and unfortunately many give up. It’s just those few that never get out of the hole. And the hole just gets deeper. Thanks for being cool about it.
You aren't. I was solidly middle class until my husband passed away and I've been below the poverty level every since. Luckily I'm old and dead soon :)
Poor is a generational thing, people have suffered since the beginning. Some of us get out of it and others never do. Noone should ever go to sleep hungry yet its still the world's no 1 killer.
Im so happy for you honestly. My husband and i have worked our way up and were also comfortable middle class for about 10 years, and then he lost his very good paying job suddenly with no warning and we had to move a few months later. It’s like the rug got yanked out from under us and it’s much harder to be poor these days tbh- and while i still count myself luckier than many (we aren’t super old yet, and have friends that took us in) the stress and anxiety of paying bills and the unknown is wild. Going from not looking at how much groceries cost or being able to pay the electric on auto pay to now it’s every penny counts. It’s humbling.
More than anything, it makes me want to run for office. I understand the plight and struggles of the poor and what it takes to make it. I have deep empathy because I was there much of my life. Now I employ people. I believe it’s my calling.
I personally am not political however you’d have to be blind to not see that politics is all about making money - and things that don’t make money (programs for children/poor/education/aged) are the bottom of the list no matter which ideology you subscribe to- no one cares about anything but money and power.
I was feeling great and doing well and we just got the carpet ripped out from under us- husband laid off, I’m probably using a consulting job that pays for one of our vehicles. I will always hustle. Husband said he wanted a month off because he has some opportunities in the hopper and got severance, but it’s already half gone. I grew up with no money. Feel like he is living in the clouds. He never was poor- until you are, you don’t know the fear. I’m buying meat and some basics while I can.
I hate to say it but nothing will change until ppl far more well off than me are as hungry as I am rn. I don't know if I'll still be alive by then, but maybe that's okay, it sucks seeing everyone suffer (I'm used to it by this point, suffering is just the norm 🥹🥹🥹)
You aren't safe. The economy could crash. If I had money I would be prepping and learning more survival stuff. Learn camping too. Inflation has squashed us all and what's to keep the prices from going up like the Weimer Republic? The politicians don't give a damn about the middle class or upper middle class either. You're just vassals instead of serfs. If you depend on a job, to have all that, you are really not rich. Even passive income they could wipe away with a stockmarket crash. Help the poor as you can as one guy below says and also focus on COMMUNITY too if times get bad in future.
Lots of truth there. I own some businesses and I can see the consumers shift and demand wain.
I do believe we can bounce back as a country. Liberal policies aren’t it.
I know some people who had huge businesses and lost them, one was from consumers changing tastes of 15 years ago. I hope things get better. Something needs to change though. Hope your businesses succeed.
At least you can't have things vaporized by one guy behind a desk who has a bad hair day. My entire life got thrown off track by one bad boss of husband's.
What I’ve seen work is working for a big company, learning whatever business it is then after 3-4 years, conceptualize and build a similar business in the background.
I'm in the same circumstance as you, and I'm absolutely terrified of being poor again. I save as much money as I can, but even so, I know that in America, you're only 1 bad day away from ruin
Nobody's safe. I was making 55k per year until I got hit with major health issues. Now I'm unemployed with no income, unable to walk for more than an hour a day, definitely not two in a row, living off what savings I had that are quickly drying up. What do I do? Go until I have no more money, then quietly die I guess.
We were doing well and lost almost everything because of a bad business choice. I have known other very successful people who lost it all. Poor health, an accident, a bad business decision, lost business. It can all fail.
Both my parents came from a very poor family. My dad is from a small town in Pennsylvania. There were some nights he had a can of spaghetti o’s to split with his siblings and he said the meatballs had to be split among 5 of them and sometimes there would only be one in the can. My mom is from the Philippines and was from a very poor area and a very large family. She said she often went door to door asking for work so that she could eat.
My parents worked hard to give me and my 2 siblings a better life and it took a while. Once we were in high school my dad was making very good money and we lived more comfortably.
I moved out at 18 with my now husband who was 19 at the time. Both sets of parents didn’t believe in helping out. We are 39 & 40 now with two teenagers. There were times we lived check to check. I remember at times digging through the couch cousins looking for loose change so we could order off the dollar menu (back then there were actually $1 items on the dollar menu). Sometimes we went to my parents house for dinner so we didn’t starve. This was before we had kids.
We make a good living now. I was at Walmart and this lady was trying to pay and her card wasn’t going through. She was buying cans of formula and other liquid formula types of stuff. There was one person in front of me and the lady was in front of her. The lady kept having the cashier take some stuff off and then tried swiping again. And again. And again. The lady in front of me was being so mean and rude because it was holding up the line.
After another attempt she looked like she was about to break down crying. English isn’t her first language and I’m not sure if she understood what the cashier said. I heard him say that she had to pay the tax on the items she didn’t pay for. She was using either WIC or food stamps (I’m not sure which one) and I heard him tell her that it pays for the items but she is responsible to pay for the tax.
She couldn’t even afford to pay the tax on formula she needed. I cut in and offered to pay. I told the cashier to add on the stuff she took off. She was so grateful and got a bit teary eyed. I told her she didn’t need to thank me I was happy to help. The lady in front of me started clapping and said thank god now we can get out of here already. Unbelievably rude.
My dad was third-world poor. He literally owned only two shirts as a kid, but fortune smiled on him. Today, he will give cash to any stranger on the street who looks like they could use it. He tips waiters hundreds of dollars just to see their faces light up. He hires people even if he doesn't need them just to give them a job.
If seeing poor people hurts your heart, you can do the same. If you don't want to give money directly, you can donate to a cause, volunteer your time at a soup kitchen, etc. The worst thing you can do is sit there and complain to Reddit when you are doing nothing in your power to make a difference.
I could live comfortably for the rest of my life on the cost of the average priced home in your neighborhood. I’d be confidently safe if that much was in my bank acct (after taxes!)
As for being safe: I was safe… until chronic illnesses got a whole lot worse and threw a massive wrench in everything. Things happened. Then more things happened. Then some more curveballs. Then that safety… well, it doesn’t always hold up as well as you’d hoped it would because there were a few too many complications and curveballs.
So, how do you know you’re safe? Have enough safeguards so you think you’ll be safe even in a catastrophe where you both can’t work and have loads of medical expenses beyond what’s paid for by insurance each year… then add in things you can’t predict going wrong. Lots and lots of cash is pretty much the only real safety net you can be sure of, and these days, inflation is higher than interest and you don’t always get the returns you hope for with investments. Whatever you’re told your investment generate income will be, cut it in half for planning for anything that isn’t guaranteed. Expect 6% returns… calculate it at 3%. If you can accumulate enough cash to cover your expenses through however many decades of inflation you survive after you stop working, even with terrible interest and dividends… you’ll be safe.
A house you can sell for a profit and move somewhere to a less expensive house and lower COL can be a good backup plan… as long as the housing market doesn’t screw you, which it very much can. But whatever the housing market does… pay off your house! Owning your home outright, regardless of its value, brings a component of safety nothing else can.
And don’t think you’re any better than people with less - it doesn’t actually require bad or irresponsible choices to end up in major financial trouble. Sometimes life just gets dumped upside down and you have to figure it out the best you can and that doesn’t always look pretty.
And know how much you actually need. What and need are two very different numbers. If you can, make sure you never drop below the amount of cash you’d need with low interest rates to be safe. Fun only comes from what you’ve got that’s above the safety number.
Shit I get it. I lost my father at 18 and had to support 7 people off the bat. Life is a series of losses and how you can recover. You just can’t give up. Lots of ways to make life worthwhile with a focus on family and health.
Shit I'm in my 30's and I don't know if it's just cause I grew up in a dirt poor community but I and all the people I know are struggling. I'm glad some people make it out. Good for you, try to keep at it. I'll be struggling along until I stop getting bad luck after bad luck.
Still paying off my care credit after my cat passed away. And my predatory student loans, interest so high my payment mostly goes towards interest and not principal so I'm trapped paying them for the rest of my life it seems.
My boss cut my hours significantly for no reason this month but I'm an independent contractor so can't do shit about it. This led to my only credit card getting maxed out and it just closed. (The max wasn't that high anyway cause I have low credit but it was all I had dammit and I tried to keep it in good grace for many years just for it to end this way 😞)
I have two houses my SO and I have to pay for (we are moving but currently lease isn't up yet at one but it couldn't be helped 😞 we got a place in cheaper town so we are doing long distance as she covers bills at the new place and I cover bills at the old place) and so far Im still $600 short on rent that I'm desperately applying for jobs so I can get more work but not hearing anything back from anywhere.
Meanwhile my car tires fucked but I can't replace them so hoping they dont blow up on me one day. (I drive a lot for my work) I haven't gotten groceries in 2 weeks and have been eating ramen noodles and water.
My dad keeps wanting to retire but everyone basically depends on him for money so he can't retire, cause he got a good job back when I was like 1, he had no experience for the job but they hired him easy and he has worked there his whole life and makes decent money, the only one in our family to make decent money but my parents are divorced and my mom however was a homemaker and then had crappy jobs so when they divorced she is kinda screwed and has nothing and now works 3 shit jobs to survive. I can't even help support her if wanted to and she is getting to the point she should be retiring and it just breaks my heart. And my dad is basically broke helping everyone else when they need help, plus my step mom likes to spend money (just had him build a new house and they got a new car and my dad confided in me he is worried about paying the bills for that house when he does retire) I hate seeing my parents stress when they should be relaxing and having fun in their golden years.
I feel like a failure, me and my brothers do too. They got good jobs but the money just doesn't cut it. One works for a medical examiners office and the other a university (in IT not professor but he has a friggin bachelor's in english) and I worked at hospital for a long time and then a veterinarian office (I needed something I was more passionate in cause I was getting so numb and depressed about life being this way and almost killed myself so had to make a change) yet all of us are struggling to make ends meet.
It's like nothing ever happens that helps me get more money, but so many things that require spending money.
Even applying for jobs now you need experience to do anything?? Like I was just trying to find a job I could hopefully start quick and saw a cutting the grass lawn service job and omg they needed 2 yr experience. I'm like, I'm a 30 yr old person that has done my yard my whole life, and what I don't know I can learn. I'm not some young 18 yr old that's going to do a shit job. I take pride in my work and I like others knowing they can trust me to do a good job. But I can't even have that opportunity. I saw another job and was excited because I had experience! But then I needed to live in the fucking zip codes listed and I literally lived one zipcode over from one of them. I was so pissed. Lots of shitty $11-$13 hr jobs but I can't survive on that. No wonder there are so many friggin homeless people. I'm not far away from that myself if I can't get something else soon 😔 anyway vent over. That's why I'm up at 2am on the verge of a break down not able to sleep. The anxiety is real. I'm tired of my life feeling like everything is a few days from falling apart and idk how I've kept it from falling apart already.
Save cash, nobody is safe unless you’re a millionaire.
I feel grateful also, I might not have grocery money till next week and am living off ramen till then but I own a home and car which are paid in a safe neighborhood. I work in healthcare so I don’t really worry about having a job. Life is good. We have to count our blessings.
I grew up poor also ,6 kids Mom & Dad both worked ,this was early 60's. I wore hand me down from my sister middle child me. I accept that. I was the first to graduate, and only my youngest brother did also.
I wasn't an A student and was told to get married to become a housewife. Took me until 27 to learn a trade took me another 3 years to move to bigger and better things by accident.Learn a medical trade but never dreamed I was smart enough to become a scrub tech .All on the job learning . Went to collage to pick up classes to help me with anatomy.
Kids today don't have that opportunity unless they live in big cities.
Anyhow, I am retired. Yes, I live on SS, and my husband work's part time .Thank you, Jesus, for both. Our house isn't paid off yet, so that hurts ,but the mortgage is cheaper than rent. Just this month, my car insurance went up, and my electric went up. Groceries have been on the rise again . I feel blessed and heartbroken at the same time. I usually have to give my grandson money every month. He has two kids and has serious health issues ,his wife works, but they are still on the rolls for help, food stamps, rent assistance, and utilities.
I also give as much as I can do others in need because our needs are met.I don't know how those who are worse off survive.
i live in a third world country. i make the same question as you. my parents and i were basically kicked out of the house we lived in. my mother was pregnant and my father was an alcoholic (he is better now). 18 years later, i'm in a situation where the same thing can happen to me, but sometimes i don't allow myself to suffer because i have a roof over my head, a bed and water. difficult times, you can never know exactly what the next mile will be like
i have decent habits. i work, i'm at college and i help my parents too. sometimes you do everything right and still run into some big shit. then, only consistency is what remains. but maintaining that "consistency" is a difficult thing when you have to deal with barriers like mental disorders and a world that goes from bad to worse.
although, thanks for reminding me to stay consistent. stay safe 🌸
I grew up in a family that had to watch every penny, and it lit the fire under my ass to NOT do what they did. I watch this sub for opportunities to tell people that, no matter how bad it seems you can pull yourself up.
I tell everyone who will listen that college isn't as expensive as they say it is. Most of the cost of a local CC or public university is room and board. You're going to be paying room and board for the next four years anyway, so you might as well be in school while you do it. Cover part of the cost with loans and \\just make sure you get a marketable, competitive degree so those loans will be paid in a year. Not too long from now, you could be living a very different life.
Broken communities and rugged individualism will leave people falling through the cracks. It’s okay to enjoy yourself though stranger. At least you’re not taunting others who struggle or exploiting them.
Everyone’s costs nearly doubled over the last couple years. Some things have tripled or quadrupled. No ones wages doubled though. Everyone is struggling
This post is wack. Like riding your sports car through the hood like I feel so bad for those people walking in the 100-degree heat.
You should get a life!
The whole point of having means is that you can do more creative and productive things than being on Reddit or Fb; you can volunteer Etc. to actually help or make a difference in another's life.
You can invest to add value to the securing of your future. Hell you can pay financial advisors to help you with all that; then travel for god's sake!
I feel bad for you that this post is the best you can do.
I'd say in spite of everything, you apparently busted your ass for nothing.
Do you only feed yourself? That's about how much we have to spend on our family of 4. We usually don't have enough to make it til next check so we have to get creative. It's tough.
"When I go to the grocery store.. pre 2020 my grocery bill was 150 a week and now it’s closer to 275.. organic this and that.. whatever."
Interesting point. I agree with you on this. What does this tell you?
Damn. 275 a WEEK for groceries? What are you eating? Even if I bought all organic, it would be a fraction of that. But yeah, it's rough out here. Always be grateful for what you have.
Unless you can somehow figure out a way to prevent idiots from having kids, the crisis won’t stop.
Think of how many people you know who had a child early or out of wedlock or before they have savings.
It’s insane how many people have one or more kids before they are emotionally or financially ready, and the poor kids have zero chance to have a great life.
You aren’t safe. Never stop hustling.
Tis true. Amen
But also take a breath. It’s okay to enjoy your new privileged life. Also major kudos to you for staying humble and kind.
It’s surreal even after 15 years of getting out of the dumps. Thank you.
It always will be.
It's not a privileged life! They obviously worked their ass off got education or whatever to improve their life! It's called hard work not privilege
It is privileged. As someone in the exact same privileged situation, I can tell you that *lots* or people have busted their asses and are still living in poverty, despite taking all the steps I took and more. I worked hard, *and* got lucky. When you live in a society that is designed to insure a certain percentage of people will always be impoverished, being not impoverished is a privilege.
Well said.
That’s a winning attitude. And true words.
This. For sure.
Look at it however you want, can't change your mind nor do I want to! I'm guessing you think social security is an entitlement also???
I’m guessing you’re trying to derail any discussion with such a stupid response
Not at all! Privilege is something you're born with, ie. Silver spoon. Hard work and sacrifice pays off
Privilege is also having access to things that allow your hard work and sacrifice to pay off. Some folks work hard all their lives and still struggle.
And some people that do that don't do anything to do any better! I watched my uneducated uncle work in a deli his entire lie as a trash man / clean up guy. I've also watched my dad with a 7th grade education to strive to ALWAYS do more and make more. He's owned many businesses and still a77 owns a couple passive income businesses (laundry mats) and retired to his 2000 acres that he has owned for over 35 years and is a commercial hunting lodge that makes him well over 100k a year for a few months out of the year
Sometimes it does- unfortunately, it often doesn’t in our society. That said, without the hard work and sacrifice, I wouldn’t be where I am, that is 100% true, but it doesn’t negate the luck. I have known far too many hard working people who just got knocked down over and over, and the payoff never arrived, it was constant struggle all the way through. This is why I never make assumptions about the lives people have led, or what advice I might have to offer them. There for the grace of god go I, is another way I’ve heard it put.
Two things can be true
Most people have some form of privilege. If the OP had loving parents, then they are more privileged than someone who also grew up poor and didn't have loving parents.
I think it is all subjective. Privilege can be conferred on others due to the perspective of the observer, regardless of the reality experienced by the observed. Most of us are possibly better off in some ways and worse off in others, throw in genetic propensities and mental health issues and privilege becomes pure perception.
Thank you for actually acknowledging this. I mention it in convo sometimes but it seems like no one really wants to talk about it, which is fine but I start feeling crazy because of how serious it is in my head versus how people kinda laugh it off. It's...rough, I'm hopeful that this puts enough of us towards building alternative systems out of necessity, that there's a mild bright side and we move towards something more sustainable in the future. But I'm afraid I look around, and it seems like the worse stuff gets the worse we are to each other, not who or what is causing the problems. It can always change, though. It's almost impossible to change the big stuff, which can feel overwhelming. But it's not too terribly hard to, like, make a point to check in on an elderly neighbor or take shifts with someone who's grieving or do skillshare classes at your neighborhood community center, just generally start operating under the assumption that we are largely the only ones coming to help us.
It’s incumbent upon us to reach out to elderly, volunteer, raise and donate money.
The person you're replying to is putting anarchism into plain language. Building alternative systems, building survival programs, training organizers, networking and coordinating with other groups. These are all necessary steps to change these larger systems that create and maintain poverty. There's also the slogan "solidarity, not charity". In practice, acts of solidarity can look almost identical to acts of charity. The difference is setting out to understand and change those systems together. The idea of running skill shares includes talking about how the big picture has gotten this way, and how we can change it. Don't be a liberal and do charity work to make yourself feel better. Be a radical and work to change the root problems. I also grew up poor, and am looking at never retiring or living a very thrifty disabled retirement (working construction).
No I work my ass off and don’t believe in what was said. I can’t control someone who doesn’t believe in rugged individualism as I do. Big welfare systems are meant to keep people poor for generations. When I owned a recruiting company, I would see an employee flourish in so many ways at a new job on his path to a living wage and suddenly they would stop working because they would lose their benefits. It steals the dignity right out from under someone and their family and the next generation.
Gee if only the jobs you found had better benefits. I can assume things like childcare, medical for their children etc. That, and in my case educational benefits. Many of us climbed out of nothing with the help of the welfare state. Pat yourself on the back, but don’t lump everyone else in to the lazy category only to make Reddit points. Your opinion is narrow & lacks true knowledge of generational poverty in an American.
This is his additional comment: "More than anything, it makes me want to run for office. I understand the plight and struggles of the poor and what it takes to make it. I have deep empathy because I was there much of my life. Now I employ people. I believe it’s my calling." And he's talking about how praying can lift you out of poverty and he's an anti choice crusader talking about single moms are a curse on society over on another sub. It just blows my mind people can really be this self righteous, deluded, and convinced of their superiority.
So you don't want to eliminate poverty?
It’s not possible. There aren’t solutions, just compromises. Can you fewer poor people? Absolutely. A goal of stopping f poverty full stop is silly and dreamy. Then when you do have a cure for poverty, there will still be relative poor… relative poverty..
The less poor everyone is, the more free we all are. Everyone gets better education and democracies function better.
Sure. But let’s say you’re at a level 5 out of 100 poverty and the solid economic policies get you to a 30.. the 80 level has much more than you, is that a success?
They would lose their benefits, so they would lose their health insurance, lose their housing, lose their childcare, and lose their food assistance, and they couldn't replace those things with the wage their employer was paying them. Someone who has a full-time job should be earning a living wage from day one. None of this "path to a living wage" BS.
What is a living wage? Where? How marketable is there position? How much does a maintenance person deserve at Taco Bell? Will they be poor enough to get highly subsidized health care? That’s the best case scenario? Are they tied to the dole forever? Does the free market have a factor in your calculations?
If you are expecting someone to work full-time at the job, they should be earning a decent living in exchange for their labor, enough to pay for housing, food, health care, etc. in your area. That was the purpose behind the enactment of the minimum wage in the first place. It was intended to be the wages of a decent living. How can you even attempt to justify paying people sub-poverty wages? If the business can't afford to pay employees enough to live on, it needs a better business plan. There's no inherent right for anyone to own and profit from a business, especially at the expense of other people. Why would anyone work for a business that won't pay them enough to live on? Edit to add FDR's own words on the matter: "It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By 'business' I mean the whole of commerce as well as the whole of industry; by workers I mean all workers, the white-collar class as well as the men in overalls; and by living wages, I mean more than a bare subsistence level-I mean the wages of decent living."
Dammit, you're not supposed to give away the game 😅 I feel like anything that gets people out and interacting with their communities directly is a win here, I'm not trying to convert people so much as copy + paste the tennents of anarchism that I've *seen* resurrect communities, into a framework that's more palatable. In the end, I don't care if one more person calls themselves an anarchist. I care if one more person doesn't look at their elderly neighbor and think "well, that's her fault for not planning ahead" but instead thinks "it is all of our responsibility to make sure those we know are looked after"
I grew up poor in an abusive household. Dropped out of high school to work. Got a good job, made good money, could afford to move out and live on my own. Was able to save, too. Had a few great years. Then I got diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 22. It took 2 years to scrape and crawl back to sanity. Got married, things were going well again. At age 25 I was doing fantastic again.... For a bit. Then a close friend attempted s**c*d* by g*n and I was the one that had to physically fight them to get the g*n away. Then at 26 I developed fibromyalgia & probable lupus and life truly fell apart. I had to quit work for a bit because falling asleep while at my desk and calling out due to severe pain/fatigue was not working. It's been ups and downs, still struggling. Life's hits can keep coming no matter how safe you think you are. 😢
I’m sorry you’ve been through all of that. It’s not the end for you I am sure. You sure have been through it.
I feel like I'm finally on an upswing after my latest series of blows. 😁 My husband is sober and stable now, 3 weeks tomorrow. Oh and just now getting finished with tying up problems caused by an ex-employer. (A bunch of people died, I was in the news, he got sued & investigated, it was a thing.)
That’s a great attitude to have
This. I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but... if you live in America, you are never more than one major medical event away from losing *everything.* Even if you have decent insurance. Even if you work hard. Even if you invested and saved. Even if you do the right thing for the right reasons. I hope you're feeling better.
As a homeless 18 year old it’s nice to see we can make it out the other side I’m outside tonight but maybe I’ll live in a neighbourhood just like you are and won’t forget where I come from just like you . It’s nice to see someone see the struggle and actually care . I look for work everyday am not on drugs just had to leave home . I really hope that you spread the message of the stuff you realize I think It’s time that everyone to see it . Thk you for your story I
I hope you find your way. Clean up best you can and get a clean shave.. smile and make eye contact. I’ve coached people at the men’s shelter before and those were some of their toughest challenges. And pray is you can. In your darkest moments of despair. 18 is a baby, you can break this cycle.
I know it . I pray every night before bed I go to church ⛪️ n Sundays . I’m clean thanks to gym showers lol I lol for work everyday :) i do temp jobs etc in waiting lists for help just will take time but I’ll get off the street outside tonight but I’m safe ish super cool u worked at a shelter
If you can get an address.. get to community college. Since you make so little over the year, as long as you graduated high school, the Pell grants and assistance will pay for most of school and books.. learn to be a plumbing apprentice and gain a skill nobody can ever take away from you.
I’m in bc Canada can I do that here
I’d love to do a trade I have done roofing and applied to tons today
I believe there is financial aid there as well.
I’m in Canada does that work here ??
It's crazy out here! I personally know people that were living great before, now have struggle meals bc the cost of everything has gone up. People having to use food banks to get by til the next payday bc they were living paycheck to paycheck before everything increased. Families now looking for free stuff to do bc they can't afford family outings. my neighbors opted for summer school for their kids just so they could have lunch to help cut costs. Hell my husband questions when I spend $80 at the grocery store bc he doesn't see $80 of food and thinks i did something else. I can't make him understand $80 is nothing now especially if you're buying meat and vegetables. I came home bitching and moaning bc I couldn't get cauliflower one week bc the damn grocery store had it priced at $10! I wasn't paying $10 for cauliflower ain't no damn way. They dropped it to $5 the next week btw. Unless you're filthy rich, I don't think anyone is safe, you may not struggle like some, but you'll feel it and see the differences and changes you have to make.
I had a great job, got a huge raise, then was fired 6 months later due to restructuring. Now everything scares me. I was finally getting ahead, now I have to be brave in front of my son while I try to play it smart with every dime I have left to my name. You can be on top one minute, and lose it all just as quickly.
My grandma used to say that “money is like water, it falls through your hands”.
Exactly! And through no fault of your own, doing great, and then bam, the rug is pulled out from under you, and it's like, what do you do. Years ago, it may not have been so bad. It would still suck obviously, but like to have it happen now in the world we live in is terrifying! I worry every day, and my anxiety has gotten worse. My husband doesn't understand and says things always work out. I'm like, I'm glad you can think positive, but we struggled before when it happened. If it happened now, we would be royally screwed with absolutely no plan. Can't even have savings bc there isn't enough left over to save! I hope your situation improves and things work out for you I know how you feel trying to be that strong person in front of your Child and not let them know how bad it is. It's gut wrenching when you sit down and think about it and think how it could affect your child. I spent many sleepless nights worrying as a single mother, so I fully understand.
Great breakdown… you realize your money is worthless.. it’s a terrible feeling. We’ve been played.
I worry about my cats getting a major illness. Use to be $50 for euthanasia cost me $260. If one of them gets horribly sick I won’t be able to treat them. No we don’t have clinics around here that help poor cat owners. I do vet them but thousands of dollars just can’t. Cat food which I don’t skimp on is getting ridiculous. I can’t take any new ferals to an ongoing 30 year colony. I guess we are all getting punched in the gut.
Yes! A couple of years ago our dog got really sick out of nowhere, I rushed to the emergency vet, we had about 1800 in savings and my husband said use it. So they're asking what we want them to do and giving us cost breakdown and I said fix her! Do tests, find out what's wrong! They basically did an exam and bloodwork and it was going to be 500. They came back to the room to give us the further cost breakdown, she told us it would be at least 10k, and upwards of 20k. I about passed out! I don't have 10k to pay for my child to be treated, how do you think I have it for my dog! I asked if there was any kind of payment plan and nope nothing. I asked if we could try medication first and see if she responds to it. I was told you can try, but she'll have to stay here to have iv antibiotics and that is going to run us around 4k that had to be paid then. Had no choice but euthanasia, walked out paying 1k for that, the blood work, and cremation. They made sure to let me know they gave me a 650 discount bc they didn't charge for the emergency visit or for the medications and fluids they gave her while she was in the back. I just wanted to scream. I couldn't imagine what it would be now smdh. And yes the cost of food is insane, if you want good quality you better be ready to give an arm and a leg. Idk what any of us will do if this keeps going on.
You did the correct humane thing. I may sound cruel but cats and dogs have relatively short lifespans. After words you would still have this burden to pay off and have to survive yourself. I had a cat I really loved. I had spent quite a bit on him.Then was told nothing could save him. My,last cat acted a bit odd yet something told me not to take him to vet as he really hated going to the vet. He passed not too long afterwards from cardiac arrest which is common in orange cats, hard to detect and untreatable.
No it doesn't sound cruel at all, it irks my every nerve when people say something like if you can't afford the cost you don't deserve to have pets. Like cmon I know you aren't paying thousands upfront when your family has an emergency and I don't say you don't deserve kids. We've looked into pet insurance and it's just not feasible.
It’s coming from all directions. There are charts that show the price of a Big Mac, a hotel room, a rental car, a gallon of milk, cat food, dog food, potting soil… all up 50-100 percent.
Mmmhmmm and more and more every day
Being the receipt to your husband next time if it's an issue
Second paragraph, first part of first sentence. That’s what gets people angry. The hardest working person I’ve ever known used to work from 5 in the morning until midnight or 1 am , six days a week. Until he was 50 or so. Thankfully he’s gotten a bit of a break. But circumstances will probably never get him fully out of the lower bracket. You probably didn’t mean to make it seem like hard work is what’s stopping everyone from getting out of poverty but everyone hears it 24/7. Some people are just screwed in this life. Hopefully next life is better.
I get what you’re saying. Not my intent at all. It’s a grind.. luck is huge, who you meet is huge, your spouse is huge and your faith is huge. And even that hardworking guy may still be 10 times better than his family 60 years ago. That counts.
Oh definitely. I didn’t want to come off aggressive because hard work (for the most part) is key and unfortunately many give up. It’s just those few that never get out of the hole. And the hole just gets deeper. Thanks for being cool about it.
Totally get what you’re saying. No worries
I grew up poor, got out of it, then fell back into it. Homeless again. The noose had just loosened, and one second to breathe was not enough.
Happy cake day for you and I promise you’re not alone there. Same situation for me :(
You aren't. I was solidly middle class until my husband passed away and I've been below the poverty level every since. Luckily I'm old and dead soon :)
I’m sorry for your loss.
Poor is a generational thing, people have suffered since the beginning. Some of us get out of it and others never do. Noone should ever go to sleep hungry yet its still the world's no 1 killer.
Im so happy for you honestly. My husband and i have worked our way up and were also comfortable middle class for about 10 years, and then he lost his very good paying job suddenly with no warning and we had to move a few months later. It’s like the rug got yanked out from under us and it’s much harder to be poor these days tbh- and while i still count myself luckier than many (we aren’t super old yet, and have friends that took us in) the stress and anxiety of paying bills and the unknown is wild. Going from not looking at how much groceries cost or being able to pay the electric on auto pay to now it’s every penny counts. It’s humbling.
More than anything, it makes me want to run for office. I understand the plight and struggles of the poor and what it takes to make it. I have deep empathy because I was there much of my life. Now I employ people. I believe it’s my calling.
I personally am not political however you’d have to be blind to not see that politics is all about making money - and things that don’t make money (programs for children/poor/education/aged) are the bottom of the list no matter which ideology you subscribe to- no one cares about anything but money and power.
That’s the disheartening part. I’d be part of the machine lol
I was feeling great and doing well and we just got the carpet ripped out from under us- husband laid off, I’m probably using a consulting job that pays for one of our vehicles. I will always hustle. Husband said he wanted a month off because he has some opportunities in the hopper and got severance, but it’s already half gone. I grew up with no money. Feel like he is living in the clouds. He never was poor- until you are, you don’t know the fear. I’m buying meat and some basics while I can.
I hate to say it but nothing will change until ppl far more well off than me are as hungry as I am rn. I don't know if I'll still be alive by then, but maybe that's okay, it sucks seeing everyone suffer (I'm used to it by this point, suffering is just the norm 🥹🥹🥹)
None of us are ever safe.
You aren't safe. The economy could crash. If I had money I would be prepping and learning more survival stuff. Learn camping too. Inflation has squashed us all and what's to keep the prices from going up like the Weimer Republic? The politicians don't give a damn about the middle class or upper middle class either. You're just vassals instead of serfs. If you depend on a job, to have all that, you are really not rich. Even passive income they could wipe away with a stockmarket crash. Help the poor as you can as one guy below says and also focus on COMMUNITY too if times get bad in future.
Lots of truth there. I own some businesses and I can see the consumers shift and demand wain. I do believe we can bounce back as a country. Liberal policies aren’t it.
I know some people who had huge businesses and lost them, one was from consumers changing tastes of 15 years ago. I hope things get better. Something needs to change though. Hope your businesses succeed.
I’ve never worked for anyone in my life. I’m unhireable
You're better off. Jobs can be dead end. Bosses mercurial.
It’s all soul crushing to some extent but something about fighting it on my own gives me the will to continue.
At least you can't have things vaporized by one guy behind a desk who has a bad hair day. My entire life got thrown off track by one bad boss of husband's.
What I’ve seen work is working for a big company, learning whatever business it is then after 3-4 years, conceptualize and build a similar business in the background.
I'm in the same circumstance as you, and I'm absolutely terrified of being poor again. I save as much money as I can, but even so, I know that in America, you're only 1 bad day away from ruin
Nobody's safe. I was making 55k per year until I got hit with major health issues. Now I'm unemployed with no income, unable to walk for more than an hour a day, definitely not two in a row, living off what savings I had that are quickly drying up. What do I do? Go until I have no more money, then quietly die I guess.
We were doing well and lost almost everything because of a bad business choice. I have known other very successful people who lost it all. Poor health, an accident, a bad business decision, lost business. It can all fail.
Life comes at your non stop. It is relentless.
My husband got an old job back and it is $40,000 more a year than his current job. I hope things will get better. Life is relentless you are right!
Both my parents came from a very poor family. My dad is from a small town in Pennsylvania. There were some nights he had a can of spaghetti o’s to split with his siblings and he said the meatballs had to be split among 5 of them and sometimes there would only be one in the can. My mom is from the Philippines and was from a very poor area and a very large family. She said she often went door to door asking for work so that she could eat. My parents worked hard to give me and my 2 siblings a better life and it took a while. Once we were in high school my dad was making very good money and we lived more comfortably. I moved out at 18 with my now husband who was 19 at the time. Both sets of parents didn’t believe in helping out. We are 39 & 40 now with two teenagers. There were times we lived check to check. I remember at times digging through the couch cousins looking for loose change so we could order off the dollar menu (back then there were actually $1 items on the dollar menu). Sometimes we went to my parents house for dinner so we didn’t starve. This was before we had kids. We make a good living now. I was at Walmart and this lady was trying to pay and her card wasn’t going through. She was buying cans of formula and other liquid formula types of stuff. There was one person in front of me and the lady was in front of her. The lady kept having the cashier take some stuff off and then tried swiping again. And again. And again. The lady in front of me was being so mean and rude because it was holding up the line. After another attempt she looked like she was about to break down crying. English isn’t her first language and I’m not sure if she understood what the cashier said. I heard him say that she had to pay the tax on the items she didn’t pay for. She was using either WIC or food stamps (I’m not sure which one) and I heard him tell her that it pays for the items but she is responsible to pay for the tax. She couldn’t even afford to pay the tax on formula she needed. I cut in and offered to pay. I told the cashier to add on the stuff she took off. She was so grateful and got a bit teary eyed. I told her she didn’t need to thank me I was happy to help. The lady in front of me started clapping and said thank god now we can get out of here already. Unbelievably rude.
Donate to food pantries. More and more people rely on them so you can help :-)
My dad was third-world poor. He literally owned only two shirts as a kid, but fortune smiled on him. Today, he will give cash to any stranger on the street who looks like they could use it. He tips waiters hundreds of dollars just to see their faces light up. He hires people even if he doesn't need them just to give them a job. If seeing poor people hurts your heart, you can do the same. If you don't want to give money directly, you can donate to a cause, volunteer your time at a soup kitchen, etc. The worst thing you can do is sit there and complain to Reddit when you are doing nothing in your power to make a difference.
I could live comfortably for the rest of my life on the cost of the average priced home in your neighborhood. I’d be confidently safe if that much was in my bank acct (after taxes!) As for being safe: I was safe… until chronic illnesses got a whole lot worse and threw a massive wrench in everything. Things happened. Then more things happened. Then some more curveballs. Then that safety… well, it doesn’t always hold up as well as you’d hoped it would because there were a few too many complications and curveballs. So, how do you know you’re safe? Have enough safeguards so you think you’ll be safe even in a catastrophe where you both can’t work and have loads of medical expenses beyond what’s paid for by insurance each year… then add in things you can’t predict going wrong. Lots and lots of cash is pretty much the only real safety net you can be sure of, and these days, inflation is higher than interest and you don’t always get the returns you hope for with investments. Whatever you’re told your investment generate income will be, cut it in half for planning for anything that isn’t guaranteed. Expect 6% returns… calculate it at 3%. If you can accumulate enough cash to cover your expenses through however many decades of inflation you survive after you stop working, even with terrible interest and dividends… you’ll be safe. A house you can sell for a profit and move somewhere to a less expensive house and lower COL can be a good backup plan… as long as the housing market doesn’t screw you, which it very much can. But whatever the housing market does… pay off your house! Owning your home outright, regardless of its value, brings a component of safety nothing else can. And don’t think you’re any better than people with less - it doesn’t actually require bad or irresponsible choices to end up in major financial trouble. Sometimes life just gets dumped upside down and you have to figure it out the best you can and that doesn’t always look pretty. And know how much you actually need. What and need are two very different numbers. If you can, make sure you never drop below the amount of cash you’d need with low interest rates to be safe. Fun only comes from what you’ve got that’s above the safety number.
Shit I get it. I lost my father at 18 and had to support 7 people off the bat. Life is a series of losses and how you can recover. You just can’t give up. Lots of ways to make life worthwhile with a focus on family and health.
Shit I'm in my 30's and I don't know if it's just cause I grew up in a dirt poor community but I and all the people I know are struggling. I'm glad some people make it out. Good for you, try to keep at it. I'll be struggling along until I stop getting bad luck after bad luck. Still paying off my care credit after my cat passed away. And my predatory student loans, interest so high my payment mostly goes towards interest and not principal so I'm trapped paying them for the rest of my life it seems. My boss cut my hours significantly for no reason this month but I'm an independent contractor so can't do shit about it. This led to my only credit card getting maxed out and it just closed. (The max wasn't that high anyway cause I have low credit but it was all I had dammit and I tried to keep it in good grace for many years just for it to end this way 😞) I have two houses my SO and I have to pay for (we are moving but currently lease isn't up yet at one but it couldn't be helped 😞 we got a place in cheaper town so we are doing long distance as she covers bills at the new place and I cover bills at the old place) and so far Im still $600 short on rent that I'm desperately applying for jobs so I can get more work but not hearing anything back from anywhere. Meanwhile my car tires fucked but I can't replace them so hoping they dont blow up on me one day. (I drive a lot for my work) I haven't gotten groceries in 2 weeks and have been eating ramen noodles and water. My dad keeps wanting to retire but everyone basically depends on him for money so he can't retire, cause he got a good job back when I was like 1, he had no experience for the job but they hired him easy and he has worked there his whole life and makes decent money, the only one in our family to make decent money but my parents are divorced and my mom however was a homemaker and then had crappy jobs so when they divorced she is kinda screwed and has nothing and now works 3 shit jobs to survive. I can't even help support her if wanted to and she is getting to the point she should be retiring and it just breaks my heart. And my dad is basically broke helping everyone else when they need help, plus my step mom likes to spend money (just had him build a new house and they got a new car and my dad confided in me he is worried about paying the bills for that house when he does retire) I hate seeing my parents stress when they should be relaxing and having fun in their golden years. I feel like a failure, me and my brothers do too. They got good jobs but the money just doesn't cut it. One works for a medical examiners office and the other a university (in IT not professor but he has a friggin bachelor's in english) and I worked at hospital for a long time and then a veterinarian office (I needed something I was more passionate in cause I was getting so numb and depressed about life being this way and almost killed myself so had to make a change) yet all of us are struggling to make ends meet. It's like nothing ever happens that helps me get more money, but so many things that require spending money. Even applying for jobs now you need experience to do anything?? Like I was just trying to find a job I could hopefully start quick and saw a cutting the grass lawn service job and omg they needed 2 yr experience. I'm like, I'm a 30 yr old person that has done my yard my whole life, and what I don't know I can learn. I'm not some young 18 yr old that's going to do a shit job. I take pride in my work and I like others knowing they can trust me to do a good job. But I can't even have that opportunity. I saw another job and was excited because I had experience! But then I needed to live in the fucking zip codes listed and I literally lived one zipcode over from one of them. I was so pissed. Lots of shitty $11-$13 hr jobs but I can't survive on that. No wonder there are so many friggin homeless people. I'm not far away from that myself if I can't get something else soon 😔 anyway vent over. That's why I'm up at 2am on the verge of a break down not able to sleep. The anxiety is real. I'm tired of my life feeling like everything is a few days from falling apart and idk how I've kept it from falling apart already.
Nothing is certain. Outcomes change in 2 seconds.
Save cash, nobody is safe unless you’re a millionaire. I feel grateful also, I might not have grocery money till next week and am living off ramen till then but I own a home and car which are paid in a safe neighborhood. I work in healthcare so I don’t really worry about having a job. Life is good. We have to count our blessings.
I grew up poor also ,6 kids Mom & Dad both worked ,this was early 60's. I wore hand me down from my sister middle child me. I accept that. I was the first to graduate, and only my youngest brother did also. I wasn't an A student and was told to get married to become a housewife. Took me until 27 to learn a trade took me another 3 years to move to bigger and better things by accident.Learn a medical trade but never dreamed I was smart enough to become a scrub tech .All on the job learning . Went to collage to pick up classes to help me with anatomy. Kids today don't have that opportunity unless they live in big cities. Anyhow, I am retired. Yes, I live on SS, and my husband work's part time .Thank you, Jesus, for both. Our house isn't paid off yet, so that hurts ,but the mortgage is cheaper than rent. Just this month, my car insurance went up, and my electric went up. Groceries have been on the rise again . I feel blessed and heartbroken at the same time. I usually have to give my grandson money every month. He has two kids and has serious health issues ,his wife works, but they are still on the rolls for help, food stamps, rent assistance, and utilities. I also give as much as I can do others in need because our needs are met.I don't know how those who are worse off survive.
Elon Musk has 65 billion dollars, though...
Let's all get together and rob him.
I'm game! 😆
i live in a third world country. i make the same question as you. my parents and i were basically kicked out of the house we lived in. my mother was pregnant and my father was an alcoholic (he is better now). 18 years later, i'm in a situation where the same thing can happen to me, but sometimes i don't allow myself to suffer because i have a roof over my head, a bed and water. difficult times, you can never know exactly what the next mile will be like
Can’t argue with that. Create decent habits and consistency and you’ll be alright.
i have decent habits. i work, i'm at college and i help my parents too. sometimes you do everything right and still run into some big shit. then, only consistency is what remains. but maintaining that "consistency" is a difficult thing when you have to deal with barriers like mental disorders and a world that goes from bad to worse. although, thanks for reminding me to stay consistent. stay safe 🌸
You’re not……
I grew up in a family that had to watch every penny, and it lit the fire under my ass to NOT do what they did. I watch this sub for opportunities to tell people that, no matter how bad it seems you can pull yourself up. I tell everyone who will listen that college isn't as expensive as they say it is. Most of the cost of a local CC or public university is room and board. You're going to be paying room and board for the next four years anyway, so you might as well be in school while you do it. Cover part of the cost with loans and \\just make sure you get a marketable, competitive degree so those loans will be paid in a year. Not too long from now, you could be living a very different life.
Broken communities and rugged individualism will leave people falling through the cracks. It’s okay to enjoy yourself though stranger. At least you’re not taunting others who struggle or exploiting them.
Everyone’s costs nearly doubled over the last couple years. Some things have tripled or quadrupled. No ones wages doubled though. Everyone is struggling
This post is wack. Like riding your sports car through the hood like I feel so bad for those people walking in the 100-degree heat. You should get a life! The whole point of having means is that you can do more creative and productive things than being on Reddit or Fb; you can volunteer Etc. to actually help or make a difference in another's life. You can invest to add value to the securing of your future. Hell you can pay financial advisors to help you with all that; then travel for god's sake! I feel bad for you that this post is the best you can do. I'd say in spite of everything, you apparently busted your ass for nothing.
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Whats the forum?
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What forum is that? Ecconomic collapse?
Country has turned into a joke bro. It do be like that right now but hang in there
Do you only feed yourself? That's about how much we have to spend on our family of 4. We usually don't have enough to make it til next check so we have to get creative. It's tough.
"When I go to the grocery store.. pre 2020 my grocery bill was 150 a week and now it’s closer to 275.. organic this and that.. whatever." Interesting point. I agree with you on this. What does this tell you?
Inflation, money printing, and a little bit of Kroger being opportunistic
Help others. You got rich can you help us now? Thx.
Don’t feel bad, this isn’t new, it’s been going on for generations. It’s part of life, there will always be struggles.
Damn. 275 a WEEK for groceries? What are you eating? Even if I bought all organic, it would be a fraction of that. But yeah, it's rough out here. Always be grateful for what you have.
Unless you can somehow figure out a way to prevent idiots from having kids, the crisis won’t stop. Think of how many people you know who had a child early or out of wedlock or before they have savings. It’s insane how many people have one or more kids before they are emotionally or financially ready, and the poor kids have zero chance to have a great life.
I lived thru the 70s and 80s. This is nothing in comparison.