Being Poor (1 Viewer)

[Optimus Prime]

Came across this and wanted to share - it's some sobering stuff.

I've certainly had times in my life when money was tight.

But it was tight in the sense of I can't go out to restaurants for awhile or I can't go on the weekend trip with my friends.

Or I have to pay this bill or that bill a week or two or three late.

There've been a few times when I was really only spending on gas money

And even in these times there was a light at the end of the tunnel, usually just until the next payday.

There was never an issue of not eating or not having a roof over my head.

I've been blessed enough never to have to deal with any of these and my heart goes out to anyone who does
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Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.

Being poor is having to keep buying $800 cars because they’re what you can afford, and then having the cars break down on you, because there’s not an $800 car in America that’s worth a damn.

Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.

Being poor is knowing your kid goes to friends’ houses but never has friends over to yours.

Being poor is going to the restroom before you get in the school lunch line so your friends will be ahead of you and won’t hear you say “I get free lunch” when you get to the cashier.

Being poor is living next to the freeway.

Being poor is coming back to the car with your children in the back seat, clutching that box of Raisin Bran you just bought and trying to think of a way to make the kids understand that the box has to last.

Being poor is wondering if your well-off sibling is lying when he says he doesn’t mind when you ask for help.

Being poor is off-brand toys.

Being poor is a heater in only one room of the house.

Being poor is knowing you can’t leave $5 on the coffee table when your friends are around.

Being poor is hoping your kids don’t have a growth spurt.

Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually stupid.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually lazy.

Being poor is a six-hour wait in an emergency room with a sick child asleep on your lap.

Being poor is never buying anything someone else hasn’t bought first.

Being poor is picking the 10 cent ramen instead of the 12 cent ramen because that’s two extra packages for every dollar...................


Being Poor | Whatever

 

[Laclife]

3 world country poor is way worst

 

[SaintInBucLand]

I've had to deal with quite a few of those in my life, but they were mostly during my middle childhood or early 20s. I'm in a place now in my life that is better than any other time, because I have found balance between spending lots of time with my children and enjoying what I am doing.

I had a bit of a flashback at the beginning of my son's school year last year when we went to buy clothing. I didn't want him to experience what I had to my first year of high school, so I bought him some name brand tennis shoes and a couple pairs of name brand jeans.

 

[gwballin]

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.

While a number of the items listed applied to my family growing up, this one reminds me of a particular moment that nearly 30 years later I am ashamed of myself for.

It was christmas, I was 4 and my mom had to explain why we could have a christmas tree. My little brother and I nagged and complained to no end. I wouldn't wish the look on my mom's face on anyone, ever.

 

[Optimus Prime]

3 world country poor is way worst

Yeah I know - America has the richest poor people in the world.

But if the above was my day to day reality knowing that would give me exactly zero comfort.

 

[soupcan dan]

being poor is finding a quarter and searching a 50 ft radius in case more fell out.



oooooooh, i've been there.

 

[Optimus Prime]

There are a lot more in the comments section.

This one made my heart hurt
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Being poor is rejoicing the fact you miscarried

 

[City Champ]

Growing up poor is spending the rest of your life trying to escape (and never realizing that you have).

There is little I fear more than being as poor as I once was.

 

[Laclife]

If you got a loving family your not poor your the richest man on earth. Now if your tring to keep up with the kardashians yeah you are poor. Go work them fields all day for 2 dollars a hour then you can say you're poor. Life's a struggle unless your a 1% then you got rich people problems like mr Benson

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

If you got a loving family your not poor your the richest man on earth. Now if your tring to keep up with the kardashians yeah you are poor. Go work them fields all day for 2 dollars a hour then you can say you're poor. Life's a struggle unless your a 1% then you got rich people problems like mr Benson

You're 0 for 2 on this thread
Good luck finding some empathy before the next pitch

 

[mikeran]

Being poor is getting $900 per month in food stamps.
Being poor is getting $1150 per month in welfare.
Being poor is not knowing the daddy's that fathered your 6 kids.
Being poor is waking up, chilling, hanging with friends until your kids get home from school, as opposed to waking up, catching the bus to spend the day filling out job applications.

I understand that there are always exceptions, but most people that are truly poor are that way because they choose, or they've never been taught better. Either way, the fastest way out of poverty involves getting up off that ***. If your couch is the best investment you've ever made, you've just figured out the bulk of the issue.

 

[mikeran]

If you got a loving family your not poor your the richest man on earth. Now if your tring to keep up with the kardashians yeah you are poor. Go work them fields all day for 2 dollars a hour then you can say you're poor. Life's a struggle unless your a 1% then you got rich people problems like mr Benson

I've remained silent as I've read several of your posts. Apparently, you are THAT guy. Hopefully, you know which one I'm talking about.

 

[MLU]

Being poor is getting $900 per month in food stamps.
Being poor is getting $1150 per month in welfare.
Being poor is not knowing the daddy's that fathered your 6 kids.
Being poor is waking up, chilling, hanging with friends until your kids get home from school, as opposed to waking up, catching the bus to spend the day filling out job applications.

I understand that there are always exceptions, but most people that are truly poor are that way because they choose, or they've never been taught better. Either way, the fastest way out of poverty involves getting up off that ***. If your couch is the best investment you've ever made, you've just figured out the bulk of the issue.

99% of the people on this forum are poor. 98% refuse to admit it.

 

[MamaSaint]

Being poor is getting $900 per month in food stamps.
Being poor is getting $1150 per month in welfare.
Being poor is not knowing the daddy's that fathered your 6 kids.
Being poor is waking up, chilling, hanging with friends until your kids get home from school, as opposed to waking up, catching the bus to spend the day filling out job applications.

I understand that there are always exceptions, but most people that are truly poor are that way because they choose, or they've never been taught better. Either way, the fastest way out of poverty involves getting up off that ***. If your couch is the best investment you've ever made, you've just figured out the bulk of the issue.

I take great exception to this post. I knew the daddies of all my four children. I had been married to both of them. All were scumbags who paid ZERO in child support. I worked 60 hour weeks many times so my kids could wear "decent" clothes to school. They all were on the free school lunch program, but it's all they knew from kindergarten & our parish had a high number participating so it was no big deal. The only advantage I could find to being a poor single mother was a tax advantage. That Earned Income Credit made it possible to provide some things my children wouldn't have had otherwise. There are more of "me's" than your hypothetical welfare queens.

It is a sad state of affairs how the poor have been demonized. Most of the poor are the "working poor."

Jan

 

[saintmdterps]

Admonishing congress, even Obama said "Try to get by with a family while working for minimum wage" Most of the poor are working poor, stuck in a cycle of rinse, wash, repeat and kept down by a social system with very limited economic mobility.

I have never been poor in the sense of the OP's post. All of my past financial woes have been my fault and mine alone. I have never been lonely or alone except by choice. These things, for which I am extremely grateful, make me feel like the wealthiest man in the world.