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This is some truth to this. I have a friend like this. Always believed he didn't deserve anything. Always worked hard but got nowhere financially. For some people, getting out of struggle mode is very uncomfortable, psychologically and emotionally.
Apparently, believing that you are entitled to anything is bad, and believing that you are NOT entitled to anything is bad. Quite a hoot there alright!!!
The work-ethic gene has been discovered? What great news!
Now, if we could only isolate the gene for ridiculous foolishness.
.....and do what with it? Do scientists really have to isolate a gene, in order for you to believe it exists? Genetics or otherwise, there are those who will always have not, because they're sitting back whining, waiting for someone to hand it to them. They don't want to put out the hard work and sweat required to earn it on their own. Without constant support, provided by those who are WILLING to put out that effort, they would simply die off, or resort to stealing for their survival. Prisons are full of 'em....and those of us who work for a living are STILL supporting them.
My job (and health) are the only thing that separate me from losing it all to poverty, whether I am/was 25, 35 or 55. No "non market" support network whatsoever, and it's rather a new norm these days. "Markets" (i.e. rich folks making their profit maximization decisions) are 100% outside of our control or even knowledge, not speaking of working against our self-interests 24/7. Every middle class guy can become poor overnight and experience that air conditioned poverty Malumute (in the post above) knows so much about.
That's unfortunate and very likely unnecessary. It doesn't have to be that way. This introduces us to another forgotten concept known as savings.
There are whole blogs dedicated to the idea on teaching people how to live well and having fat savings on modest incomes. But the non savers will always put down anyone who says it's possible to save a decent portion of your income if you earn at least a middling income.
No, it doesn't. Even if everything came from thrift stores, spending money on jazzing yourself up merely as a costume to conceal one's poverty is a first degree violation of The Bootstrapper Code of Conduct. Fie on such peacockery!
Well, for someone who prides himself on these smug logical constructs based on nothing at all but some vague dislike of anyone who has done better than you, you sure made a misstep. One of my tenets for not being poor is being smart with money.
It's amazing how much interest you have to pay out monthly on, say, $30,000 of credit card debt, which is not an unusual occurrence nowadays. Right there, before you've paid your rent, bought your groceries, or anything else, you're already $450 in the hole, $5000 a year. That's the equivalent of about $8000-$9000 in annual pre-tax income right there depending on your state taxes, and you're not even paying down your balance in any significant way.
Or let's look at that daily cuppa from Starbucks before you walk into the office. Let's see: $4.00 x 5 days a week x 50 work weeks in a year = $800. That's about $1000-1100 in pretax income.
Or the daily lunch out during work. Let's be charitable and call it $6.00. $6.00 x 200 work days in a year = $1200. That's about $1800-2000 in pretax income.
So right there, some person making $40,000 a year who has a $30,000 credit card balance, buys his daily Starbucks and eats at McDonalds every day, has essentially frittered away the equivalent of close to $10,000-$12000 of his annual $40,000 salary before he pays his rent, makes a car payment, or buys the first sack of groceries.
And that doesn't even take into account those who burn through a pack of smokes every day or stop by the local pub for a couple of cold ones on the way home from work. Let's see, $6.00 for a pack of Marlboros (A bargain in most states) and $8 for the brews = $2,800, or roughly $4500-$5000 in pre-tax income.
When I was in my salad days and poor as a churchmouse, guess what? I brought my lunch from home. I ate leftovers. I did without cable television. I clipped coupons and only bought at sales. I read library books rather than buy them. I walked to work. I balanced my checkbook every week and lived by my budget. And I went out one night a week. Even when I freaking worked two jobs and endorsed one of my paychecks over to my mother, I managed to put back $100-$150 a month. All because I had the willpower to not blow money on things I did not need or could get without paying for them.
Sorry that doesn't fit your cute little narrative. People remain poor for a reason. One of those is not doing the things it takes to earn a better salary. The other is flinging away the money they earn.
That's unfortunate and very likely unnecessary. It doesn't have to be that way. This introduces us to another forgotten concept known as savings.
There are whole blogs dedicated to the idea on teaching people how to live well and having fat savings on modest incomes. But the non savers will always put down anyone who says it's possible to save a decent portion of your income if you earn at least a middling income.
You likely won't be interested in the above links, but perhaps a few other people will be.
??? The entire reason I'm a nonsaver is that I don't have a middling income; I have never made as muich as $20K in a single year. I once saved $4,000 on $16K income but the next year I was dpwn to $10K and didn't save anything after that.
Personally, I didn't think it was that great. Notice there was no mention of savings in that post???? One should not expect (or even want) their job to provide income for the rest of their lives. Convert as much wage income into investment income as possible....It can and has been done. But people would rather argue to the grave that doing anything other than what they've done is impossible than admit they could have done something(s) differently.
??? The entire reason I'm a nonsaver is that I don't have a middling income; I have never made as muich as $20K in a single year. I once saved $4,000 on $16K income but the next year I was dpwn to $10K and didn't save anything after that.
You need big boy skills and a grown ups job.
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