What's it like to be poor?

[Happy Extinction]

http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/003704.html


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 stealing meat from the store, frying it up before your mom gets home and then telling her she doesn't have make dinner tonight because you're not hungry anyway.

Being poor is Goodwill underwear.

Being poor is not enough space for everyone who lives with you.

Being poor is feeling the glued soles tear off your supermarket shoes when you run around the playground.

Being poor is your kid's school being the one with the 15-year-old textbooks and no air conditioning.

Being poor is thinking $8 an hour is a really good deal.

Being poor is relying on people who don't give a damn about you.

Being poor is an overnight shift under florescent lights.

Being poor is finding the letter your mom wrote to your dad, begging him for the child support.

Being poor is a bathtub you have to empty into the toilet.

Being poor is stopping the car to take a lamp from a stranger's trash.

Being poor is making lunch for your kid when a cockroach skitters over the bread, and you looking over to see if your kid saw.

Being poor is believing a GED actually makes a goddamned difference.

Being poor is people angry at you just for walking around in the mall.

Being poor is not taking the job because you can't find someone you trust to watch your kids.

Being poor is the police busting into the apartment right next to yours.

Being poor is not talking to that girl because she'll probably just laugh at your clothes.

Being poor is hoping you'll be invited for dinner.

Being poor is a sidewalk with lots of brown glass on it.

Being poor is people thinking they know something about you by the way you talk.

Being poor is needing that 35-cent raise.

Being poor is your kid's teacher assuming you don't have any books in your home.

Being poor is six dollars short on the utility bill and no way to close the gap.

Being poor is crying when you drop the mac and cheese on the floor.

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 is having to live with choices you didn't know you made when you were 14 years old.

Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.

Being poor is knowing you're being judged.

Being poor is a box of crayons and a $1 coloring book from a community center Santa.

Being poor is checking the coin return slot of every soda machine you go by.

Being poor is deciding that it's all right to base a relationship on shelter.

Being poor is knowing you really shouldn't spend that buck on a Lotto ticket.

Being poor is hoping the register lady will spot you the dime.

Being poor is feeling helpless when your child makes the same mistakes you did, and won't listen to you beg them against doing so.

Being poor is a cough that doesn't go away.

Being poor is making sure you don't spill on the couch, just in case you have to give it back before the lease is up.

Being poor is a $200 paycheck advance from a company that takes $250 when the paycheck comes in.

Being poor is four years of night classes for an Associates of Art degree.

Being poor is a lumpy futon bed.

Being poor is knowing where the shelter is.

Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.

Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.

Being poor is seeing how few options you have.

Being poor is running in place.

Being poor is people wondering why you didn't leave.

[The Waiting Hurts]

That sounds about right to me. I'm sure some here will disagree.

[E. Blackadder]

Being rich is having a million frequent flier miles, and nobody you really want to see.

Being rich is getting angry with your kids for producing all the crap you end up seeing on TV.

Being rich is having to keep buying $80,000 cars because that's what your neighbors can afford, and then having the cars break down on you, because Jaguars are ####.

Being rich is helping your dentist's kids get hummers while they're at college.

Being rich is knowing your kid only sees his friends at your place, as they toke up.

Being rich is never daring to go to the school restroom.

Being rich is needing to drive for 30 minutes before you can get to the freeway.

Being rich is coming back to the car with your children clutching all the candy they could grab in the checkout line. and thinking how much more money the Dentist is going to make now.

Being rich is having to say you don't mind being asked for help by your sibling all the time.

Being rich is on-brand toys that never get used twice.

Being rich is a theater in only one room of the house.

Being rich is knowing you still can't leave $5 on the coffee table when your friends and maid come over.

Being rich is hoping your kids have an ethical growth spurt.

Being rich is telling your mom she doesn't have to make dinner tonight -- because she can't cook worth a ####.

Being rich is knowing that Goodwill underwear is chic.

Being rich is having too much space for everyone who lives with you.

Being rich is feeling your hamstrings tear off when you run around the playground.

Being rich is your kids's school being the one with the upscale drug dealers and teachers who don't have to be crappy -- but are.

Being rich is thinking $8 an hour is a good deal, but who works for that little?

Being rich is relying on people who would benefit from your death.

Being rich is living behind locked gates and not daring to walk because of all the bums.

Being rich is finding that your parents enjoy making love, but not to each other.

Being rich is a bathroom that you don't dare use.

Being rich is having poor people turn up their noses at your trash.

Being rich is not knowing how to make lunch to your kids.

Being rich is believing a million actually makes a goddamned difference.

Being rich is people angry at you just for bringing your nanny into the mall.

Being rich is not being able to trust someone to watch your kids and not kidnap them.

Being rich is the police shooting you and taking your mansion for a dime bag under the new laws.

Being rich is not talking to that girl because she'll only want your money.

Being rich is having to invite others for dinner.

Being rich is a sidewalk with nobody on it.

Being rich is people wanting to know the dirt about everything you do.

Being rich is needing that 35-hour work week.

Being rich is your kid's teacher resenting you for voting against hiking your taxes.

Being rich is wondering whether to sell the bentley or the Matisse when the t-bills go the wrong way.

Being rich is crying when you didn't make EVP before the age of 40.

Being rich is everyone assuming you don't have to work.

Being rich is people surprised to discover you're actually a person with wants, and needs.

Being rich is people surprised to discover you're not actually a boor.

Being rich is paying your doctor personally because he won't deal with insurance companies.

Being rich is never buying anything unless it's fashionable.

Being rich is not knowing what ramen is.

Being rich is having to toe the line lest your parents disown you.

Being rich is getting tired of people wanting you to die.

Being rich is knowing you're being resented.

Being rich is a gift card from mom.

Being rich is checking your "six" every time you venture out of the high-rent district.

Being rich is deciding that it's all right to base a relationship on bloodlines.

Being rich is knowing that lotto wouldn't change your life anyway. :D

Being rich is knowing that if you fish out the exact change the register lady will say she already rang it up.

Being rich is feeling helpless when your child makes the mistakes you avoided.

Being rich is a lonliness that doesn't go away.

Being rich is making sure you don't spill on the couch, because that's one of a thousand things you have to not do to be rich.

Being rich is a tax hike that takes away $200 from your paycheck -- and you're not supposed to notice.

Being rich is paying someone to take your tests, because anything less than Magna Cum Laude just won't cut it.

Being rich is sleeping in bed alone, or with someone you've paid.

Being rich is being hit up to support the shelter -- and the bums still harass you.

Being rich is people wondering how they can be like you.

Being rich is knowing how little fun it really is.

Being rich is seeing how few realistic options you have.

Being rich is falling behing.

Being rich is people wondering out loud how long you will stay.

[SamTheEagle]

You have to buy the right 800 dollar car. My wife's Honda cost about that much, and it got her through college and is still going strong with 150,000 miles on it.

[Moe Szyslak]

Being poor is living next to the freeway.


I know some poor people that have built some pretty big houses overlooking the freeway. :shake:

[SamTheEagle]

I know some poor people that have built some pretty big houses overlooking the freeway. :shake:

I have a sneaking suspicious that the person who wrote what was quoted in the first post isn't all that poor.

[Moe Szyslak]

I have a sneaking suspicious that the person who wrote what was quoted in the first post isn't all that poor.That doesn't change the fact that building a huge house next to a freeway is really stupid.

[SamTheEagle]

That doesn't change the fact that building a huge house next to a freeway is really stupid.

Especially when eminent domain comes knocking on your door.

[Moe Szyslak]

Especially when eminent domain comes knocking on your door.I would pray for that day if I lived there.

[SamTheEagle]

I would pray for that day if I lived there.

Touche. I live in a house that isn't quite overlooking the freeway, but I can see the highway from my backyard. It's convenient, because the exit ramp dumps right onto my street, and my house is 6 houses up from the exit. It gets rather noisy though.

[Traci]

That doesn't change the fact that building a huge house next to a freeway is really stupid.

I was in Detroit a couple of years ago and I noticed several VERY large (extravagant even) homes built not on freeways, but on tiny little lots on very busy 4-6 lane roads right next to business districts.

I asked why on earth anyone would spend half a million+ dollars on a house and put it THERE???

I was told: They are probably from the Middle East - where it is fashionable to put prominent houses in prominent places so that more people can see them.

Anybody know if this is actually true?

[tommie frazier]

I was told: They are probably from the Middle East - where it is fashionable to put prominent houses in prominent places so that more people can see them.

Anybody know if this is actually true?
there are a lot of ME folks in that area, so I would believe it as possible.

[MG]

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.

Actually, it is Frosted Flakes or Cocoa Krispies you are clutching. Raisin Bran is relatively expensive for what you get compared to other cereals (mostly the sugary kind). I grew up in a lower middle income (emphasis on "lower") family, and we kids were not allowed to pick Raisin Bran very often because of the cost difference.

[glenn]

<top your story>
We had those 5 gallon bags of puffed wheat with all the powdered milk you could drink. Regular milk was too expensive. Blech.
</is this bragging? >

[MNBridge]

Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere. (I would have to believe this is the exception NOT the rule)

Being poor is having to live with choices you didn't know you made when you were 14 years old. (Those 14 year olds were warned)

Being poor is seeing how few options you have. (C'mon!!!)

Being poor is stealing meat from the store, frying it up before your mom gets home and then telling her she doesn't have make dinner tonight because you're not hungry anyway. (So stealing is OK?)

Being poor is believing a GED actually makes a goddamned difference. (Yeah that's hardly fair why should a college graduate make more than someone with a GED!!! C'mon they don't just give those things away)

And working hard for 1 month / year will not make up for the fact that you decided to drop out of high school and had a child.

Many of the poor things look to me like reasons one is poor.

[HangerAngler]

Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere. (I would have to believe this is the exception NOT the rule)

Being poor is having to live with choices you didn't know you made when you were 14 years old. (Those 14 year olds were warned)

And working hard for 1 month / year will not make up for the fact that you decided to drop out of high school and had a child.

Many of the poor things look to me like reasons one is poor.

It sounds like you would have noticed the same thing I did when watching CNN's coverage of Katrina at some point where they mentioned the people that were too poor to pay bus fare or have a few extra days of food/water on hand, and then they showed a person holding up their child to the camera...and the 3-yr-old kid is wearing a G-Unit t-shirt. Those t-shirts aren't cheap. They cost as much as 5 or more boxes of generic cereal.

[Quasi]

I was in Detroit a couple of years ago and I noticed several VERY large (extravagant even) homes built not on freeways, but on tiny little lots on very busy 4-6 lane roads right next to business districts.

I asked why on earth anyone would spend half a million+ dollars on a house and put it THERE???

I was told: They are probably from the Middle East - where it is fashionable to put prominent houses in prominent places so that more people can see them.

Anybody know if this is actually true?

Around my town there are tons of VERY large and extravagant homes built on tiny lots on very busy roads....some right on freeways. The reason around here is that builders have run out of places to put houses within a reasonable commute to the city.....and they make more money on big extravagant houses.

[Harry]

That sounds about right to me. I'm sure some here will disagree.

Nice prediction, although fairly obvious.

[JoseBagg]

Being poor in this country is avoidalbe.

I was poor once.

[Traci]

<top your story>
We had those 5 gallon bags of puffed wheat with all the powdered milk you could drink. Regular milk was too expensive. Blech.
</is this bragging? >

My mom used to mix the powdered milk and pour it into regular milk cartons so we wouldn't see that it was powdered.

It sounds like you would have noticed the same thing I did when watching CNN's coverage of Katrina at some point where they mentioned the people that were too poor to pay bus fare or have a few extra days of food/water on hand, and then they showed a person holding up their child to the camera...and the 3-yr-old kid is wearing a G-Unit t-shirt. Those t-shirts aren't cheap. They cost as much as 5 or more boxes of generic cereal.

Sometimes they don't cost anything because they come out of a hand-me-down box at the church. And well-made clothing lasts longer - making better hand-me-downs.

I'm all about taking responsibility for one's destiny - and it frustrates me to no end when people willingly make choices that screw up their lives - but I don't think you can judge someone based on the clothes their kid is wearing.

[The Drunken Actuary]

If I were poor I'd go down to the Astrodome and pretend I was from NO so I could live the life of luxury that all those refugees are getting.

[fallout]

If I were poor I'd go down to the Astrodome and pretend I was from NO so I could live the life of luxury that all those refugees are getting.


Do they have Backs there? Cause if not, I don't think you would go.

[Harry]

Do they have Backs there? Cause if not, I don't think you would go.

Most people have backs.

[Moe Szyslak]

I was in Detroit a couple of years ago and I noticed several VERY large (extravagant even) homes built not on freeways, but on tiny little lots on very busy 4-6 lane roads right next to business districts.

I asked why on earth anyone would spend half a million+ dollars on a house and put it THERE???

I was told: They are probably from the Middle East - where it is fashionable to put prominent houses in prominent places so that more people can see them.

Anybody know if this is actually true?I could see that, but there are entire neighborhoods of houses worth 3-4 times the median home value just sitting within a half mile of the freeway and the ME population here just isnt that strong.

[HangerAngler]

Sometimes they don't cost anything because they come out of a hand-me-down box at the church. And well-made clothing lasts longer - making better hand-me-downs.

I'm all about taking responsibility for one's destiny - and it frustrates me to no end when people willingly make choices that screw up their lives - but I don't think you can judge someone based on the clothes their kid is wearing.

G-Unit clothing hasn't been out long enough for it to be coming through hand-me-down boxes at churches. If I knew you in real life I would challenge you to go to 10 churches, Salvation Army's, or Goodwill stores of your choosing and find a G-Unit t-shirt for a wager of $50.

[Harry]

G-Unit clothing hasn't been out long enough for it to be coming through hand-me-down boxes at churches. If I knew you in real life I would challenge you to go to 10 churches, Salvation Army's, or Goodwill stores of your choosing and find a G-Unit t-shirt for a wager of $50.

OK, so one 3 year old was wearing a $15 t-shirt. Wow.

[fallout]

OK, so one 3 year old was wearing a $15 t-shirt. Wow.

$15 buys > 5 days of water at .50 a gallon.

[The Drunken Actuary]

Do they have Backs there? Cause if not, I don't think you would go.From what I've seen on TV there's plenty of Blacks down there.

[Titania]

OK, so one 3 year old was wearing a $15 t-shirt. Wow.
Greedy 3-year old...should be wearing a rag or nothing at all!

How DARE these people clothe themselves!

[fallout]

Greedy 3-year old...should be wearing a rag or nothing at all!

How DARE these people clothe themselves!


The point is that these people have been called "too poor" to have 5 days of food and water stocked. $15 T-shirts does not compute with that too poor reasoning.

[ClashCityRocker]

Being poor is an overnight shift under florescent lights. I have alot of poor friends then. We call them investment bankers.

[Titania]

The point is that these people have been called "too poor" to have 5 days of food and water stocked. $15 T-shirts does not compute with that too poor reasoning.
Unless it was purchased for a buck at the Salvation Army store.

[Harry]

The point is that these people have been called "too poor" to have 5 days of food and water stocked. $15 T-shirts does not compute with that too poor reasoning.

Do you have 5 days of water stocked for your family?

[Uncle Rico]

Do you have 5 days of water stocked for your family?


I do, I actually have a one month supply of food and water, I also have 72 hour kits for each member of my family.

[fallout]

Do you have 5 days of water stocked for your family?


I actually do. Water cooler guy came this week. But that is beside the point. If a storm was coming to hit me and the powers that be tell me to stock up, I would spend a few bucks to be sure.

[fallout]

Unless it was purchased for a buck at the Salvation Army store.


I didn't set the price, someone else did. "OK, so one 3 year old was wearing a $15 t-shirt. Wow."

[The Waiting Hurts]

Nice prediction, although fairly obvious.There's always one in the crowd.

G-Unit clothing hasn't been out long enough for it to be coming through hand-me-down boxes at churches. If I knew you in real life I would challenge you to go to 10 churches, Salvation Army's, or Goodwill stores of your choosing and find a G-Unit t-shirt for a wager of $50.What's the time frame for a brand of clothing to be out to show up in a collection bin? I think two years is more than enough time to see an item in a donation bin. I'll take that bet if it's open to the public.

[Harry]

There's always one in the crowd.

What's the time frame for a brand of clothing to be out to show up in a collection bin? I think two years is more than enough time to see an item in a donation bin. I'll take that bet if it's open to the public.

There are lot more than one around here. Not a lot of compassionate conservatives on this board.

[E. Blackadder]

There are lot more than one around here. Not a lot of compassionate conservatives on this board.
:bighug: now goes to persephone. not to Harry. I can't imagine trying to live on an under $1/day food budget, even when I went to college.

[persephone_ashes]

<top your story>
We had those 5 gallon bags of puffed wheat with all the powdered milk you could drink. Regular milk was too expensive. Blech.
</is this bragging? >

when i went to college i had a $25 food and expense budget per month. i'd get boxes of plain pasta and eat 5 meals off of them. lots of generic bag cereal and splurging would be buying bread or cheap canned/frozen vegetables.

i remember people broke into our dorm and took just food (left a roommates VCR and everything) and i cried when they took my bread...

[Harry]

when i went to college i had a $25 food and expense budget per month. i'd get boxes of plain pasta and eat 5 meals off of them. lots of generic bag cereal and splurging would be buying bread or cheap canned/frozen vegetables.

i remember people broke into our dorm and took just food (left a roommates VCR and everything) and i cried when they took my bread...

Yeah, things must have been tough during the Great Depression.

[glenn]

Yeah, things must have been tough during the Great Depression.
Uh, dude. I don't think she's kidding.

[persephone_ashes]

Uh, dude. I don't think she's kidding.

no, i'm not, but i figured he didn't really give a *(@#. so i didn't see a point in pointing that out to him...

[yankeetripper]

I do, I actually have a one month supply of food and water, I also have 72 hour kits for each member of my family.

I'm coming to your place next disater, glad someone is prepared.

Just a silly question here, if you had this supply in NO and it suddenly was under 10 ft of water, would it still be good? The point I'm making is even the best prepared people can still be caught off gaurd by a natural disaster.

I'll admit we are not as prepared as we should be, we keep a few things out in the detached garage but if big earthquake hits and both our home and garage are leveled and a danger to re-enter, guess we've out of luck.

[Uncle Rico]

I'm coming to your place next disater, glad someone is prepared.

Just a silly question here, if you had this supply in NO and it suddenly was under 10 ft of water, would it still be good? The point I'm making is even the best prepared people can still be caught off gaurd by a natural disaster.

I'll admit we are not as prepared as we should be, we keep a few things out in the detached garage but if big earthquake hits and both our home and garage are leveled and a danger to re-enter, guess we've out of luck.

The one month of food water would be floating in the New Lake. That is where the 72 hour kits come into play. Each one has a dry change of clothes, water for 3 days, some yummy candy and some flat out disgusting EMR's. We have have card games for the kiddies in case we spent a few nights in a shelter.

If I were in New Orleans, I probably would have been shot for being so prepared.

[Incredible Hulctuary]

The one month of food water would be floating in the New Lake. That is where the 72 hour kits come into play. Each one has a dry change of clothes, water for 3 days, some yummy candy and some flat out disgusting EMR's.Are you sure the containers of food and water are waterproof? And that they float?

The only (nearly) sure way to survive the aftermath of a massive citywide flood is to NOT BE THERE.

[HangerAngler]

There's always one in the crowd.

What's the time frame for a brand of clothing to be out to show up in a collection bin? I think two years is more than enough time to see an item in a donation bin. I'll take that bet if it's open to the public.

I don't know you in real life, so I am not trusting a bet with you. Regardless, go to 10 such stores and see if it works out. List them here before you go to the first one. Remember, you are looking for a child-size G-Unit t-shirt.

[snafu]

when i went to college i had a $25 food and expense budget per month. i'd get boxes of plain pasta and eat 5 meals off of them. lots of generic bag cereal and splurging would be buying bread or cheap canned/frozen vegetables.

i remember people broke into our dorm and took just food (left a roommates VCR and everything) and i cried when they took my bread...

Being poor is when you consider a job in food service that includes one meal per shift as having pretty good benefits.

In college, myself and several friends pretty much lived off of our one free pizza per shift. Between the three of us we covered just about all seven days of the week. Sounds pretty good until you've eaten pizza for a month straight.

[SamTheEagle]

Sounds pretty good until you've eaten pizza for a month straight.

If you don't think that is awesome, I don't believe you actually went to college.

[HangerAngler]

Do you have 5 days of water stocked for your family?

I don't. I have about 2.5 days of water stocked at all times. I also keep a backpack packed in a closet that can be grabbed to go at any time. It has:
-water filter
-rope
-bungee cords
-toilet paper
-$5
-first aid kits (2)
-additional water containers
-medicines
-plastic bags
-paper towels
-flashlights w/batteries
-tent
-socks/underwear
-hygiene items
-Leatherman

It is really just the starting point for when I pack for camping trips, but it is ready nonetheless.

[Titania]

when i went to college i had a $25 food and expense budget per month. i'd get boxes of plain pasta and eat 5 meals off of them. lots of generic bag cereal and splurging would be buying bread or cheap canned/frozen vegetables.

i remember people broke into our dorm and took just food (left a roommates VCR and everything) and i cried when they took my bread...
And then you went home and your mom cooked you all your favorite foods, and then everything was OK.

[HangerAngler]

Being poor is when you consider a job in food service that includes one meal per shift as having pretty good benefits.

In college, myself and several friends pretty much lived off of our one free pizza per shift. Between the three of us we covered just about all seven days of the week. Sounds pretty good until you've eaten pizza for a month straight.

That is also being thrifty. The summer between graduating high school and going to college I lived in an apartment with a friend of mine, and we both worked at a hospital food service. Each evening there the cooks would prepare to throw away whatever hadn't been sold in the cafeteria, so we would take it home. Sometimes we would get a plate of hot dogs, sometimes a tray of baked ziti. We ate very well and very cheap.

[HangerAngler]

And then you went home and your mom cooked you all your favorite foods, and then everything was OK.

Being poor is not having any favorite foods.

I just made that up. It could get added to the original list.

[Uncle Rico]

Are you sure the containers of food and water are waterproof? And that they float?

The only (nearly) sure way to survive the aftermath of a massive citywide flood is to NOT BE THERE.


I have no idea if the stuff floats, If I were told to evacuate, I would be ready to leave my home with the important documents within an hour. My month supply of food and water would stay at my home, my 72 hour kits are in a back pack ready to go.

I do not live in a flood zone, so flooding is not my number one concern. I do live in an area where it would not be unreasonable to expect power outages for a few days during the winter.

If I moved to a different part of the country, I wold re-evaluate my emergency essentials.

[Titania]

Being poor is not having any favorite foods.

I just made that up. It could get added to the original list.
It could.

My point was that being poor while you're in college isn't comparable to living in a state of poverty that pervades your entire existance...you family, your friends, your neighbors, everyone you KNOW is in the same boat as you.

I was "poor" when I was 18 - 20...I lived off government cheese and free day-old bread from the local bakery, ramen noodles, blah blah blah.

However, I at least knew that if I had an emergency, my parents would bail me out.

[Quasi]

...My point was that being poor while you're in college isn't comparable to living in a state of poverty that pervades your entire existance...you family, your friends, your neighbors, everyone you KNOW is in the same boat as you......

Another big difference between being poor in college and really being poor is that a college student pretty much knows that it is just a short-term problem (because he/she won't be poor after graduation). Knowing a problem is short-term makes a huge difference. It's much easier to put up with something when you know it is only temporary.

[Titania]

Another big difference between being poor in college and really being poor is that a college student pretty much knows that it is just a short-term problem (because he/she won't be poor after graduation). Knowing a problem is short-term makes a huge difference. It's much easier to put up with something when you know it is only temporary.
Another good point.

[snafu]

Another big difference between being poor in college and really being poor is that a college student pretty much knows that it is just a short-term problem (because he/she won't be poor after graduation). Knowing a problem is short-term makes a huge difference. It's much easier to put up with something when you know it is only temporary.

Or maybe some people broke the cycle.

While we weren't nearly as poor as many of those in NO, my family background is pretty impoverished. I fought my way out. My half-sister didn't and keeps having to move back in with my step-mother and father (who live in a pretty damn poor house way in the sticks). In one generation, I now make more that both sets of parents, my half-sister, and all four stepsiblings. And this is not because of some priviledge but from hard work and the vision to see a way out.

I had friends in college that were dirt poor and made it through. One friend had an academic scolarship for tuition and books but still had to cover living expenses. He was homeless for most of his college years. At one point he was living in whichever library was open all night and showering at the campus gymnasium. IMO this qualifies as poor. But again, he had the vision to see a way out.

Don't minimize the conditions of the many in NO who are impoverished - their life conditions are crap and many don't have the skills to ever find a way out. But also don't minimize the poverty that some people went through to break the cycle and move the next generation up a notch on the economic ladder.

[snafu]

If you don't think that is awesome, I don't believe you actually went to college.

And you have obviously never actually had pizza for a month or two running :lol:

P.S. no beer, too expensive.

[JohnGalt]

Being poor is having to wake up by 2:00 PM to cash your welfare check because the bank only stays open until 4:30.

[fallout]

I don't. I have about 2.5 days of water stocked at all times. I also keep a backpack packed in a closet that can be grabbed to go at any time. It has:
-water filter
-rope
.....
-Leatherman

It is really just the starting point for when I pack for camping trips, but it is ready nonetheless.

Tell us more about this "Leather man" you have.

[HangerAngler]

Tell us more about this "Leather man" you have.

It is a superhero made of leather that can unite dead cow carcasses into a giant leather force and fend off perils including, but not limited to, snakes, sandstorms, paintballs, ninjas, monkeys, and even Griffin's one-lined-witticisms.

[Traci]

I don't know you in real life, so I am not trusting a bet with you. Regardless, go to 10 such stores and see if it works out. List them here before you go to the first one. Remember, you are looking for a child-size G-Unit t-shirt.

A friend of mine has a daughter a year older than mine. When our girls were small - she LOVED to shop at Baby Gap, Gymboree, and other specialty kid's shops.

Now I'm WAY too cheap to spend that kind of money on my kid's clothes -- but I got all of her hand-me-downs. So within 6-12 months, my kid was wearing whatever she had bought last season. Kids do grow fast you know.

Point is - There are lots of ways to get clothing for your kid -- even good quality clothing and not pay retail price for it.

[tommie frazier]

A friend of mine has a daughter a year older than mine. When our girls were small - she LOVED to shop at Baby Gap, Gymboree, and other specialty kid's shops.

Now I'm WAY too cheap to spend that kind of money on my kid's clothes -- but I got all of her hand-me-downs. So within 6-12 months, my kid was wearing whatever she had bought last season. Kids do grow fast you know.

Point is - There are lots of ways to get clothing for your kid -- even good quality clothing and not pay retail price for it.

I used to shop all the time at baby gap, but only the clearnacs stuff. I found it (at clearance prices) to be cheaper and better stuff than stuff from target. it still cost some though, but like $5/item for a 2 year old.

[Traci]

I used to shop all the time at baby gap, but only the clearnacs stuff. I found it (at clearance prices) to be cheaper and better stuff than stuff from target. it still cost some though, but like $5/item for a 2 year old.

Yeah -- and I'll do that too. But my friend would shop the latest fashions -- $30-40+ per item for her 2-yo -- NO WAY I'd do that.

I did get a couple of pairs of Baby Gap tennis shoes from her -- I washed them in oxy-clean, they were like new -- Both my girls wore them, plus a neighbor's kid, then my niece, than another neighbor's kid. I just kept washing them and giving them away - they're still in good shape.

[The Waiting Hurts]

I don't know you in real life, so I am not trusting a bet with you. Regardless, go to 10 such stores and see if it works out. List them here before you go to the first one. Remember, you are looking for a child-size G-Unit t-shirt.Why do I have to list the store before I go? Currently, I know of 4 off the top of my head, one of which I frequently donate clothing to, that I can find that sort of clothing not to mention street vendors that sell knock offs. Men's, Women's, and children you name the "urban hip-hop" branding and I'm sure I can find it, after all you're not talking about YSL. I guess you're gonna tell me now that you know for sure that it was an original G-unit shirt and not a bootleg.

[HangerAngler]

Why do I have to list the store before I go? Currently, I know of 4 off the top of my head, one of which I frequently donate clothing to, that I can find that sort of clothing not to mention street vendors that sell knock offs. Men's, Women's, and children you name the "urban hip-hop" branding and I'm sure I can find it, after all you're not talking about YSL. I guess you're gonna tell me now that you know for sure that it was an original G-unit shirt and not a bootleg.

The reason to list the store first is so one doesn't go to 16 stores instead of just 10.

I actually have a YSL suit that I got from a Salvation Army store.

It doesn't matter whether it was an original G-unit shirt or a bootleg, especially considering that you said "you name the "urban hip-hop" branding and I'm sure I can find it."

As an aside [unfortunately], do you disagree with my intended point that being dirt poor and spending $15 on t-shirts for 3-yr-old children is likely to be indicative of the type of spending behavior that contributes to the 'poor' status? Or do you think it is more likely that someone that is poor and wears trendy clothing obtained all their trendy clothing via the thrifty methods that we are all aware of?

[Me Too]

As an aside [unfortunately], do you disagree with my intended point that being dirt poor and spending $15 on t-shirts for 3-yr-old children is likely to be indicative of the type of spending behavior that contributes to the 'poor' status? Or do you think it is more likely that someone that is poor and wears trendy clothing obtained all their trendy clothing via the thrifty methods that we are all aware of?Given your proposed bet, your point seemed to be that option A was the only possibility and that option B didn't actually exist. Apparently you have at least come to acknowledge the possibility of option B and the fact that you were jumping to conclusions about the G-unit shirt you saw. <Now, where did I put that "Jump to conclusions" mat. I knew it would come in handy one day. Even if it is just a protoytpe.>

[HangerAngler]

Given your proposed bet, your point seemed to be that option A was the only possibility and that option B didn't actually exist. Apparently you have at least come to acknowledge the possibility of option B and the fact that you were jumping to conclusions about the G-unit shirt you saw. <Now, where did I put that "Jump to conclusions" mat. I knew it would come in handy one day. Even if it is just a protoytpe.>

Yes, I did jump to a conclusion. I also acknowledge the myriad of other possibilities. No one even pointed out that that t-shirt could have been a gift from a relative, the prize of some drawing at a community event, homemade, or given to the child by some other family in the crisis nearby that had a spare shirt to give.

My proposed bet was aimed at showing that the likelihood of Option A was much higher than Option B.

[Incredible Hulctuary]

As an aside [unfortunately], do you disagree with my intended point that being dirt poor and spending $15 on t-shirts for 3-yr-old children is likely to be indicative of the type of spending behavior that contributes to the 'poor' status? Or do you think it is more likely that someone that is poor and wears trendy clothing obtained all their trendy clothing via the thrifty methods that we are all aware of?Most poor people are incredibly skilled at finding bargains and stretching small amounts of money. That's how they survive on amounts so small that you can't imagine how they live. Their poverty is usually the result of low income (which may or may not be caused by their own actions or inactions), not overexpenditure.

Granted, some of the poor (and middle class) do let their sense of thrift go out the window when they receive a windfall, and when they blow through the money they're even poorer than before.

[The Waiting Hurts]

The reason to list the store first is so one doesn't go to 16 stores instead of just 10.Why is it that hard for you to believe that these items can be easily obtained at a thrift store? I always see these sorts of brands at the two stores I frequent when I drop off clothing. Both stores being in two completely opposite sections of the city. I would attribute the fact that these items are so easily available to the fact that "hip hop" branded clothing come and go very quickly. These labels are considered old after it's been on the market for 2 years or whenever the newest hottest freshest rapper comes along with a new label; whichever comes first.

As an aside [unfortunately], do you disagree with my intended point that being dirt poor and spending $15 on t-shirts for 3-yr-old children is likely to be indicative of the type of spending behavior that contributes to the 'poor' status? Or do you think it is more likely that someone that is poor and wears trendy clothing obtained all their trendy clothing via the thrifty methods that we are all aware of?Fortunatly, it doesn't bother me much if someone makes $15 a week and chooses to spend that on a trendy t-shirt for a 3 yo. That's their business. It's obviously a stupid thing to do and yes that type of spending is contributing to their 'poor' status. Personally, I don't think any kid, of rich or poor parents, needs a clothing item that cost more than $5; maybe a coat in the winter. I don't plan on spending a lot of money of clothing for a child. If I can get enough friends to save their kids clothes, I won't have to buy any at all.

[O. Hannah]

Being me meant....

-You had a job mowing several lawns, packing groceries etc. for money to go to movies, buy most of your clothes etc.

-You helped your parents clean a bank at night after hours so you could have enough money to take a vacation.

-Picking beans, cauliflour and corn from the garden(s) and freezing what you couldn't eat for the winter.

-Shopping at Aldi's, Farm&Fleet and using coupons by the stack.(especially on bonus coupon day)

-taking in 2-4 kids for babysitting money to supplement what dad made.

-Going to school with your best friend who's dad was an alchoholic who couldnt keep a job and his mom worked as a receptionist to make the bare minimum payments. Yeah, he got the reduced price lunches...I didn't...but seriously, I'm not complaining about reduced lunches...they are needed for just this case. (Not realizing the full situation until a decade or more later)

-Going to a cheap state college when you could have gotten into MIT because your family could only afford the bare minimum.

-Working 60-70 hour weeks in the summer to cover a semester while your friends goofed off.

-Having friends that got MRE's for Christmas from their estranged father....while your other friends went to Cancun on spring break....meanwhile...my MRE friend and I worked...but I could but Pizza on Friday nights while he barely covered rent or worked food service.

-Living in a house with many other people in a bad neighborhood and not owning a car to save up money for my first house.

Seriously, it sickens me to hear someone ***** about not spilling on the couch because the bought it on credit...when my couch as a college student was pulled from the goddam garbage. 50-cent or whichever rapper wrote that garbage should acknowledge that being poor is often the result of not getting an education, having a crap load of kids at an early age and substance abuse. But hey, he likes to portray it like poor just happens.

:slug:

[The Waiting Hurts]

Being me meant....
50-cent or whomever the cocksuckker rapper wrote that garbage should acknowledge that being poor is often the result of not getting an education, having a crap load of kids at an early age and substance abuse. But hey, he likes to portray it like poor just happens.

What a dumb mother fuker.Wow. I'm not quite sure I can even follow the bolded part.

[E. Blackadder]

If you insert a "was who" in the right place, it makes a lot of sense. I've been known to omit the occasional word, myself. And I think it was from the heart.

[Listerine]

50 Cent, or whatever caulk sucker wrote that garbage, should acknowledge that being poor is often the result of...

As with all matters involving groups of people, and as anyone connected to actuarians should know, the soundness of OH's statement it hinges on the definition of "often".

[Griffin 8]

Looks like O'Hannum wants to get himself banned before 11/20/2005.

[The Waiting Hurts]

If you insert a "was who" in the right place, it makes a lot of sense.Ahh. I see.
Can you translate the rest for me?

50-cent or whomever the cocksuckker rapper [was who] wrote that garbage...Is "that garbage" referring to the music or is it refering to the article that Happy E posted?

Thanks!

[Uncle Ronny]

Looks like O'Hannum wants to get himself banned before 11/20/2005.Man, what a sweet meltdown, eh? Can you even remember one of that magnitude?

[Listerine]

Appropos of approximately nothing, I got a G-Unit shirt at Marshall's.

Analogously the the G-Unit shirt issue, usually people who invest in automobiles rather than real estate have been criticized for this choice. In this case, people who may have made the otherwise prudent choice of NOT investing in a car, or even investing in real estate rather than a car, are being generalized about (not necessarily in this thread, but definitely in other places) and condemned for not having invested in a car. :-(

[E. Blackadder]

Ahh. I see.
Can you translate the rest for me?

Is "that garbage" referring to the music or is it refering to the article that Happy E posted?

Thanks!
From context, it's clear that the referrent is Happy's article. Which, BTW, is quite sick-making. Especially that bit about the cockroach and the sandwich.

[The Waiting Hurts]

From context, it's clear that the referrent is Happy's article. Which, BTW, is quite sick-making. Especially that bit about the cockroach and the sandwich.Thanks!

[Rockhound]

Being poor is not talking to that girl because she'll probably just laugh at your clothes.

No, that's being an actuary.

[Harry]

No, that's being an actuary.

:lolup:

[Gal Friday]

Appropos of approximately nothing, I got a G-Unit shirt at Marshall's.

Also, they sell knock-offs of all the "in" brands at flea markets and such for virtually nothing. The kid could have been wearing a knock-off...