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You cannot afford anything you you like, even though you work harder than most and deserve more!
Being poor is like a vicious cycle, it's extremley hard to get out of, despite what people say.
It's hard to get out of, but with strict budgeting and a plan it can be done. Often times, it's poor people who are constantly going out to bars, smoking weed, not keeping a budget, etc though.
If you are in a third world country you are 100% correct for being perpetually stuck in a cycle of being poor because of the system. However, people in the USA or other first world equivalent country complaining about "bootstrapping" being BS because they are poor at skills such as long term planning and correctly applying basic mathematics into their life.
In the USA statistically it takes 4 generations to get to a median income level if that family started off at the lowest income level in the US. In other words, if you are immortal it would take you 160 years to get out of the cycle of poverty. However, this is referring to people who put in just the "average" amount of effort. This of it this way: Should a person who has average skills in Football be entitled to an NFL career? Of course not because if you are average you do not deserve to play in the NFL. So why is it hard for people to understand if you are putting in average effort if you are poor, you will get horrible results.
I was part of the poorest group of Americans while growing up. It took me just 1 year to get out of that group when the average person would require 160 years. This is because I chose to put in extraordinary effort vs others in my group. And even when I made good money I chose to live with my parents (at the cost of my social/dating life) so I could save up money to invest money/buy a really nice place. That's very rare because most people who have enough money to move out of their parents house immediately do so. However, I chose to do the rare thing and it has paid off exponentially. I'm far ahead most people financially because I made that sacrifice early on. You have to develop a mindset of an investor/saver and maintain it for life. And it doesn't mean you you have to count every sheet of toilet paper you use. You can spend lavishly in many areas and still be a saver. Its called being a sensible saver.
Here is just one example from my life. I paid $20 for a haircut ($15 + $ 5 tip) and got a cut every 2 weeks. This was when I was making good money so if I turned off my brain like most people I wouldn't even register this as a "significant expense." However, one day I asked my self "I wonder if I can cut my hair to the same level of quality and in the same amount of time as my barber?" Even though my haircut is complicated, I was very confident I could cut it like my barber after watching him do it 5-6 times. So I bought a barber cutting set for $17 at Walmart. The first time it took me an hour and 10 minutes. After doing it a few times it took me only 45 minutes. In comparison, it took me about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get my hair cut at the barber (the drive, the wait and the cut combined). So not only did I start saving $20/week but I also freed up 30 minutes of time every 2 week for life!!
If all that sounds amazing then your going to love the best part. I started this at 25. So I will invest that money and only start spending it at 65. Assuming I invest in an S&P index fund which has a track record of NEVER losing money if you leave the money in for 20+ years I will have made $205,254. That's calculated by assuming a rate of return of 9% (SP 500 has a historical average of 9.8%). Also, out of that $205K only $20K was the amount from the haircuts. Now imagine how much money I will make when I combine every other sensible savings that I invest. This isn't even counting my real investments that I make.
I hope this gives an idea to the "anti bootstrappers" how that idea doesn't hold any water. That simple idea from above can make someone 6 figures and gives them hundreds of hours of free time. So imagine how much bootstrappers make when they invest 5 and 6 figures into the real investments they make throughout their life. If your in the USA stuck being poor chances are you are only putting in average effort. Also, please don't confuse effort with just working "really hard." You have to work smart AND hard to get out of poverty.
You cannot afford anything you you like, even though you work harder than most and deserve more!
Being poor is like a vicious cycle, it's extremley hard to get out of, despite what people say.
Being poor sucks.
You may or may not necessarily work harder than anyone else.
You may or may not necessarily deserve more. The world owes you nothing.
As a first step, work smarter, not harder. Do the best with what you've got.
Is this thread where a millionaire complainning about being poor?
No shortage of those here if you peruse this subforum and the political subforum. Tons of relatively wealthy people whining about their taxes going up.
No shortage of those here if you peruse this subforum and the political subforum. Tons of relatively wealthy people whining about their taxes going up.
income is one equation .expenses increasing is another . do you not think that the most profitable business's watch their expenses or negotiate the lowest prices ? of course they do , regardless of how much they make in profits .
every dollar i have to give the govt so they can squander it is a dollar i can't enjoy or give to others to enjoy.
half this country pays no income taxes at all ... they don't earn enough .. you pay income taxes because you earn more then them . in their eyes you should be happy you pay taxes since you earn so much .
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