Have you ever been really poor? (best, old, money)

[fumbling]

I got into serious debt in my mid-30s and my debt payments totaled to be more than my take home pay so I felt very poor ... and would have lost it all (home, possibly family) but me and my wife and kid pulled together to get through the tough times ... we bought clothes and sports things for our kid at neighborhood garage sales ... I worked 4 jobs around the clock to pay everything off in a few years even though at the time I thought I'd be in debt the rest of my life but cutting expenses to the bare necessities and increasing income helped get out of debt in a few years but it was such a horrible feeling thinking I'd never be out of debt ... had I been sick even one day or the car needed repairs (drove Hondas at the time, thank goodness for reliable cars) or anything went wrong during that time I possibly could have lost everything if interest rates on the loans went up because I missed one payment ... now I have no debt and can save all my take home pay and tell everyone I know to stay away from debt and save/invest as much as possible ... these days I do like treating family out to nice places to eat from time to time but when I'm by myself I find it very hard to spend more than $1 or $2 for lunch or dinner ...

[deckdoc]

cannot say I ever thought of myself as poor~ did have a period when I was pretty broke, but all I had to do is remember back to a visit to Hong Kong while I was in service and remember the cardboard boxes that refugee families lived in there.

Always maintained a roof over my head so always figured I was not poor compared to what I'd witnessed elsewhere.

[s1alker]

I have lived on $9 per hour for the past 11 years.

-No car
-No friends
-$450/month rented room
-$35/month smartphone for phone and internet
-For food I basically live off the local Subway and convenience store which is in walking distance.

I have a very low stress lifestyle and usually average 32 hours a week at a dead end easy job.

[augiedogie]

I was pretty poor when I was in college. No car, lived in an apartment I shared with 3 other guys, but it was really just small bedrooms, and a kitchen. Not very warm in winter. I walked everywhere. Breakfast was Raisin Bran, lunch=peanut butter and jelly and for dinner, at least during the week, I worked at the campus food service, so we got a free dinner before the evening dinner rush. Then I would really chow down. Fortunately, my poor stage only lasted a year.

[gwgirl80]

Originally Posted by laughandlove

So I ask: Have you ever been poor? How poor and if you aren't anymore, how did you move up?

My Mother who I believe suffers from mental illness helped me hit my lowest of all lows in 2002. I was in college, my family moved out of state. During that time I was still her dependent for the 2002-2003 financial aid year so I needed her to sign my financial aid papers and provide needed paperwork. I tried to explain to the financial aid office she refused to sign anything, she even told them on the phone but they didn't care. I managed to finish out that last semester saving what I could from my work study. Well my step father knew I was going to be homeless once that semester ended so he told me if I could get to New York he would let me stay until August when I was supposed to go back to school. He thought my Mother would file the needed papers for me and my college career would resume. I knew I was not going back to school, there was no way I could come up with tuition, room and board by August so I just planned to get a job and move on with life in New York. Well my Mother kicked me out the first week of my summer break because I chose to get a job to help save for my own place since I knew I had to get out by August, she assumed my little income would affect her food stamps and Medicaid. So with a new job starting in week and $60 to my name she was able to get a friend to rent me an apartment for $300 a month. When I moved into the apartment I had an air mattress, a few books from school and my computer. I struggled with only making $150 a week working 40 hrs, after the job decided to pay us "contract" pay. While looking for a new job I managed to get a cheaper studio with electric included. I discovered thrift stores and managed to buy clothes for interviews and finally got a job at Macy's. While working there I was rescued by a customer who was the CEO of a not for profit and I worked for her full time and Macy's part time. I managed to keep my monthly expenses under $600 a month and saved every penny after that. That money along with my 401k went into investments in property that I rehabbed on my own. Then with my fiancé who I met in 2008 we pooled our money and created a successful business. We still are frugal, no new cars for us, no cable, used boat, basic house in the first ring suburbs. Our employees and tenants always comment about how "poor" they are yet they have better things than we do.

[plantress]

All I want to say is that it seems always harder to keep up, let alone get ahead.

[~skywalker~]

Originally Posted by jasper12

I had flip flops, sweat pants, a t shirt, and a sweatshirt...not a lot of interview attire.

There were no possibilities for you to get some clothes for free? Family, Friends?

Here in Germany in every (larger) town there is at least one charity shop (don't know if that is the right word), where people who need can get clothes for free. I know from a shop here where I live, where everyone who wants get 1 bag of clothes for free, every bag more would be 1€ each.

Was there no such place where you lived?

--
~skywalker~

[luvmyhoss]

I had people randomly drop clothes and food off at the door in my much younger days.
I would have 25 cents in my pocket for weeks. Walked everywhere.

[~skywalker~]

Originally Posted by luvmyhoss

I had people randomly drop clothes and food off at the door in my much younger days.
I would have 25 cents in my pocket for weeks. Walked everywhere.

That's sad. I can't imagine how that must feel. When was that happening (you said "much younger days")?

--
~skywalker~

[luvmyhoss]

Originally Posted by ~skywalker~

That's sad. I can't imagine how that must feel. When was that happening (you said "much younger days")?

--
~skywalker~

I didn't feel poor, though! I had enough to survive and that's enough. 18 and I was married
to a nonambitious person.