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But, unless you have lousy job prospects or crushing debt, that's not being poor - it's being broke.
Being poor means not having any money or hope or a plan.
Due in part to dysfunctional family dynamics and in part to a series of bad decisions on my part, when I was about 20 I found myself homeless and jobless. I lived in a storage building in Texas - one with no AC I might add. I lived in this predicament for several months.
Got married, got pregnant, husband joined the military as a private. I worked at a convenience store and in a day care center. Eventually we dug our way out of poverty and he became an officer in the military. We got divorced and I began working to build a career. I eventually worked my way into real estate, excelled at it, met my current husband, and he and I have built a very good life together.
We both started out dirt poor but with a good work ethic. We both ended up with associate's degrees and solid, profitable careers and very little debt. Now we are headed toward retirement with a good nest egg in place. We've had adventurous, fun lives full of excitement and love (and kids and dogs) but we learned some very hard lessons early in our young adulthood which served us well.
Due in part to dysfunctional family dynamics and in part to a series of bad decisions on my part, when I was about 20 I found myself homeless and jobless. I lived in a storage building in Texas - one with no AC I might add. I lived in this predicament for several months.
Got married, got pregnant, husband joined the military as a private. I worked at a convenience store and in a day care center. Eventually we dug our way out of poverty and he became an officer in the military. We got divorced and I began working to build a career. I eventually worked my way into real estate, excelled at it, met my current husband, and he and I have built a very good life together.
We both started out dirt poor but with a good work ethic. We both ended up with associate's degrees and solid, profitable careers and very little debt. Now we are headed toward retirement with a good nest egg in place. We've had adventurous, fun lives full of excitement and love (and kids and dogs) but we learned some very hard lessons early in our young adulthood which served us well.
I didn't have kids, but I also learned some hard lessons in young adulthood that have set me up pretty well in my late 40s. I spent 6 years vacillating between semi-stable lower middle class and on the verge of being homeless. After the 3rd time of being the on the verge of homelessness, the switch flipped. I was never gonna be in that situation again if I could help it--and haven't been.
I didn't have kids, but I also learned some hard lessons in young adulthood that have set me up pretty well in my late 40s. I spent 6 years vacillating between semi-stable lower middle class and on the verge of being homeless. After the 3rd time of being the on the verge of homelessness, the switch flipped. I was never gonna be in that situation again if I could help it--and haven't been.
I know what you mean - my several years of poverty in my twenties had the same effect on me - NEVER AGAIN. And I meant it then and mean it now. Barring a worldwide financial crisis I should be fine - LOL.
I know what you mean - my several years of poverty in my twenties had the same effect on me - NEVER AGAIN. And I meant it then and mean it now. Barring a worldwide financial crisis I should be fine - LOL.
Yes, I think you have to make that NEVER AGAIN decision in your mind before you can turn things around. If you just stay helpless and hopeless, things typically don't turn around.
If you just stay helpless and hopeless, things typically don't turn around.
I learned a lot from those days. To make it with very little. To be frugal, reusing things, upcycling things. Shop at thrift stores (later, as I had a bit of money) and alike.
I think many people would consider me being poor. Can't afford a car or alike, for example. But I'm fine. I have a roof over my head, enough money to pay the bills and get (good) food, enough clothes and no debts!!! And a job I really like.
I started out middle class, had a Harley in high school in 78, a inboard ski boat and nice truck after that in the 80's. Rented where i worked and bought a weekend home in the mountains also in the 80's. Bought new vehicles every two or three years never borrowed a dime. Then at close to 50 got layed off from the only job I ever had in 2007. Lost 35% of savings in the market the same year and haven't worked since. Still driving the 40 year old truck have no debt but am pretty broke. I guess I did it backwards. Poor decisions over the years, financially and health wise are going to put me in a world of hurt pretty soon. I sure had a blast the first 50 years though.
I started out middle class, had a Harley in high school in 78, a inboard ski boat and nice truck after that in the 80's. Rented where i worked and bought a weekend home in the mountains also in the 80's. Bought new vehicles every two or three years never borrowed a dime. Then at close to 50 got laid off from the only job I ever had in 2007. Lost 35% of savings in the market the same year and haven't worked since. Still driving the 40 year old truck have no debt but am pretty broke. I guess I did it backwards. Poor decisions over the years, financially and health wise are going to put me in a world of hurt pretty soon. I sure had a blast the first 50 years though.
I have been warning young folks on these threads on CD all the time that many, many people are either burned out or booted out of good paying employment in their 50s. This idea that you'll be both willing and able to work at a good paying job until age 65 or 67 has got to go.
I learned a lot from those days. To make it with very little. To be frugal, reusing things, upcycling things. Shop at thrift stores (later, as I had a bit of money) and alike.
I was fairly frugal already, but I definitely did learn some new frugal skills from those experiences.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jessie_mel
I think many people would consider me being poor. Can't afford a car or alike, for example. But I'm fine. I have a roof over my head, enough money to pay the bills and get (good) food, enough clothes and no debts!!! And a job I really like.
So I am happy and that is IMHO all what counts.
I am a big advocate of frugality. It's essential, but too much frugality can be a trap. Sometimes people really do need to earn more, so they can save more and have more financial security, as well as live a little more.
It's great to be able to be happy living without a car, etc. if you're able to save a lot of money by doing it. But if you're living without those things with only minimal or no savings, then you're in trouble if there's a financial setback (job loss, etc.). And you wouldn't have any breathing room to cut spending because everything's already been cut.
I've seen this with an uber frugal person I know. She lost her laptop while travelling and she recently had her purse stolen. Having those two things happen means she won't be able to take time off for a 4 day weekend that she planned. I don't want to have to live life that close to the edge.
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