How to be poor.

[Alceste]

I've pretty much been poor for my entire adult life. I observe that being poor is a major source of stress for many people, whereas I'm fairly satisfied with my life, so I thought I'd share some tips. I'd love to hear the tips of others.

1. Do what you love.

This is the foundation of my general sense of satisfaction. Many if not most of us are dissuaded from pursuing our passions due to the materialistic leanings of our culture. We learn to overvalue careers that bring high remuneration and undervalue careers that bring happiness. Get to know yourself and what makes you happy. That's what you should be doing, with as much of your day as you can reasonably get away with.

2. Be flexible.

Be on the lookout for any opportunity to a) make a bit of extra money to help make ends meet, and b) reduce your cost of living. This might mean a part time job waiting tables, or it might mean starting a vegetable garden on your balcony. If you're going to be poor (hopefully because you're doing what you love), the cost of housing will be the biggest problem in your life. Learn to be comfortable with a wide variety of living arrangements. Room-mates, small apartments, sleeping in the back of a van, etc.

3. Learn to let go.

Let go of the hope that things are going to get better and better. They're not. Every generation has had it a little worse than the last ever since the unholy trinity of Reagan-Thatcher-Mulroney forever redistributed the bulk of our society's shared wealth to flow ever upwards. Your parents university education meant more than yours, their jobs were more secure than yours, their pensions will sustain them while yours will not, etc. We are at a turning point in human history due to climate change, peak oil, over-population and our resulting global credit over-extension. So, from now on, things will get ever-so-slightly worse every year, for just about everyone. Learn to be delighted that it's only slightly worse, rather than SUBSTANTIALLY worse (For example, civil war or famine).

That's all I've got for the moment, but I'd like to hear your ideas. Even a few of you who are no longer poor were poor at one point, and it would be interesting to hear where you found your little delights at the time.

 

[Willamena]

(Don't mind the following: just looking to debate.)

Many if not most of us are dissuaded from pursuing our passions due to the materialistic leanings of our culture. We learn to overvalue careers that bring high remuneration and undervalue careers that bring happiness. Get to know yourself and what makes you happy. That's what you should be doing, with as much of your day as you can reasonably get away with.

Okay, but what if having a career that brings high remuneration is that one thing that makes you happy. It's okay to contrast how to be poor with being happy, but one can make an art of being rich.

Be on the lookout for any opportunity to a) make a bit of extra money to help make ends meet, and b) reduce your cost of living. This might mean a part time job waiting tables, or it might mean starting a vegetable garden on your balcony. If you're going to be poor (hopefully because you're doing what you love), the cost of housing will be the biggest problem in your life. Learn to be comfortable with a wide variety of living arrangements. Room-mates, small apartments, sleeping in the back of a van, etc.

While I don't intend to wait tables in the near future, this is advice I will take to heart.

Let go of the hope that things are going to get better and better. They're not. Every generation has had it a little worse than the last ever since the unholy trinity of Reagan-Thatcher-Mulroney forever redistributed the bulk of our society's shared wealth to flow ever upwards.

Okay, hold it right there. While I fully understand that I may not advance in wealth because of my job, that is no reason to give up on The American Dream. It's still full, vibrant and alive. There is still, and will always be, the 6/49--so there. If Hurley on "Lost" can win it, despite (or perhaps because of) the numbers, then so can I.

Your parents university education meant more than yours, their jobs were more secure than yours, their pensions will sustain them while yours will not, etc. We are at a turning point in human history due to climate change, peak oil, over-population and our resulting global credit over-extension. So, from now on, things will get ever-so-slightly worse every year, for just about everyone. Learn to be delighted that it's only slightly worse, rather than SUBSTANTIALLY worse (For example, civil war or famine).

What is this "university education" thing you speak of? I'm just hoping old age pension doesn't die before I retire at age 65 (or get pushed back another 5 years).

It's sad to say that thanks to the recently departed (King Ralph), I will have a pension over and above that.

That's all I've got for the moment, but I'd like to hear your ideas. Even a few of you who are no longer poor were poor at one point, and it would be interesting to hear where you found your little delights at the time.

 

[savagewind]

I use rags. No paper towels.

 

[Willamena]

I use rags. No paper towels.

What about raggedy paper towels?j Would you use them?

 

[savagewind]

What about raggedy paper towels?j Would you use them?

If I find some used paper towels I will use them.

edit. We splurge on bathroom tissue. Sometimes we even buy facial tissue.

 

[Willamena]

We splurge on bathroom tissue. Sometimes we even buy facial tissue.

I hear you, brother! Amen!

 

[Alceste]

(Don't mind the following: just looking to debate.)


Okay, but what if having a career that brings high remuneration is that one thing that makes you happy. It's okay to contrast how to be poor with being happy, but one can make an art of being rich.

If that is what makes you happy and you are already rich, then great. If you are not rich but you believe that you can only be happy if you are rich, you probably need to do some soul searching.

Okay, hold it right there. While I fully understand that I may not advance in wealth because of my job, that is no reason to give up on The American Dream. It's still full, vibrant and alive. There is still, and will always be, the 6/49--so there. If Hurley on "Lost" can win it, despite (or perhaps because of) the numbers, then so can I.

Most people who win the lottery don't end up any happier than they were before, so again, if this is your answer to how to find happiness, you probably need to do some soul searching.

What is this "university education" thing you speak of? I'm just hoping old age pension doesn't die before I retire at age 65 (or get pushed back another 5 years).

It's sad to say that thanks to the recently departed (King Ralph), I will have a pension over and above that.

You'll probably be OK.

 

[Willamena]

You'll probably be OK.

I don't know about that. Ralph died, and now we have Alison. Is there anything right in the world for public civil servants anymore?

I suppose there's always chocolate.

 

[Quintessence]

What do you consider "poor?"

Seems to me if you have regular access to the internet, you can't possibly be that poor? >_>

(unless you're the homeless bum who strategically camps out near the local public library which has computer terminals)

 

[dust1n]

What do you consider "poor?"

Seems to me if you have regular access to the internet, you can't possibly be that poor? >_>

(unless you're the homeless bum who strategically camps out near the local public library which has computer terminals)

Why is that? Internet is like fifty bucks a month...

 

[Penumbra]

What do you consider "poor?"

Seems to me if you have regular access to the internet, you can't possibly be that poor? >_>

(unless you're the homeless bum who strategically camps out near the local public library which has computer terminals)

There's a guy on the forum that does do exactly that on purpose.

 

[Alceste]

What do you consider "poor?"

Seems to me if you have regular access to the internet, you can't possibly be that poor? >_>

(unless you're the homeless bum who strategically camps out near the local public library which has computer terminals)

I mean I haven't got any money.

What do people usually mean by "poor" in your part of the world?

 

[oldbadger]

Why is that? Internet is like fifty bucks a month...

Hi....!

Wot! $50 a month? That's about £32+ a month!
We get all our internet access for £10 per month. And if we lived in a tent it would work just as well......... it's just a mobile 'dongle' that plugs into my our netbook. And we got the netbook off ebay for £51 including delivery.

Brats are the problem. Must have the right labelled trainers, jeans, etc, need to download 70 gigs a month, need the right holidays....... still never happy. Poor things!

 

[dust1n]

Hi....!

Wot! $50 a month? That's about £32+ a month!
We get all our internet access for £10 per month. And if we lived in a tent it would work just as well......... it's just a mobile 'dongle' that plugs into my our netbook. And we got the netbook off ebay for £51 including delivery.

Brats are the problem. Must have the right labelled trainers, jeans, etc, need to download 70 gigs a month, need the right holidays....... still never happy. Poor things!

Not only that, but the rest of the world's internets are much faster than ours as well. Especially in Europe.

 

[oldbadger]

I mean I haven't got any money.

What do people usually mean by "poor" in your part of the world?

Hi....!
Thanks to Mrs B we have got a little bit of money. Ten years ago she agreed that we could sell the family home, pay the mortgage off, give lump sums to my two kids and buy 'outright' a tiny miniature bungalow just down the road. By tiny I mean less total floor space than many lounges. Our lounge is 12' x 7'! We did all this just before the crash hit.

Poor...... This winter many of our neighbours have been wearing their coats indoors, because gas/electric is so costly. Things are going to get worse.

Rich peole on this RF site have shown real upset about a slightly increased tax bill. I have friends who are wealthy, but who are really unhappy about their financial status. Poor is not being content.

 

[Rakhel]

Hi....!

Wot! $50 a month? That's about £32+ a month!
We get all our internet access for £10 per month. And if we lived in a tent it would work just as well......... it's just a mobile 'dongle' that plugs into my our netbook. And we got the netbook off ebay for £51 including delivery.

Brats are the problem. Must have the right labelled trainers, jeans, etc, need to download 70 gigs a month, need the right holidays....... still never happy. Poor things!

I knew a woman on the dole, as you call it(brit language. Don't you just love it:hearts: )who had 3 teenagers, 2 girls and 1 boy. They demanded designer everything and the mom barely got $400 a month.
I kept telling her that those kids don't need that. Second hand works too. And sometimes you luck out and find designer in second hand that still have the tag attached. She couldn't do it. So every month, she was asking someone for help.
I was raised on secondhand so I do understand the value of the dollar, my finances still suck but I can never see myself buying $70 jeans. I still choke when I have to buy $20 shoes.
Internet, we used to have one of those thingamajigs that stick out of the laptop. now we have a mifi. still only paying $40 a month for it.

 

[oldbadger]

Not only that, but the rest of the world's internets are much faster than ours as well. Especially in Europe.

Now I think of it, one of my wife's bosses is Canadian,and he was surprised that all we use is a netbook and dongle, and he mentioned how he could not cope with such a slow system, so I got it out of Mrs B's Jeep and brought it in to show him. He could not believe how fast it was.

Everybody who is anybody here (we are nobodies!!) has an ipod and can do anything with it, anywhere, in seconds. They pay about £45 per month for such a service. The kids have these. One kid just wrote a question into his ipod, translated it into cantonese, and explained that he could probably communicate with anybody, anywhere in the world, so long as he had a signal. Spoilt brats!

 

[oldbadger]

I knew a woman on the dole, as you call it(brit language. Don't you just love it:hearts: )who had 3 teenagers, 2 girls and 1 boy. They demanded designer everything and the mom barely got $400 a month.
I kept telling her that those kids don't need that. Second hand works too. And sometimes you luck out and find designer in second hand that still have the tag attached. She couldn't do it. So every month, she was asking someone for help.
I was raised on secondhand so I do understand the value of the dollar, my finances still suck but I can never see myself buying $70 jeans. I still choke when I have to buy $20 shoes.
Internet, we used to have one of those thingamajigs that stick out of the laptop. now we have a mifi. still only paying $40 a month for it.

I've never heard of a mifi!

Oh..... kids here...... and their demands! So demanding, so stuck up, so..... lost.

When I retired in 2009, an old detective mate who runs a cleaning company told me that I should work the carpet-cleaning machine for him, part-time, which I do, Tuesdays to Fridays. In the summer I clean loads of carpets at the university after the students leave. On average they are the dirtiest, laziest, most spoilt brats in the world. Some are so lazy that they don't bother to take their furniture, or electrical gear with them when they leave. I have seen flats with computers, flat-screen tells, etc, just deserted, and full of filth. So somebody has got money to waste.

We love trawling the charity shops! But my daughter, who is now 39 and runs a pilates school in rich Bayswater, would not be seen dead in one. Sad! She was like your mate's kids, designer labels or nothing.

 

[dust1n]

Now I think of it, one of my wife's bosses is Canadian,and he was surprised that all we use is a netbook and dongle, and he mentioned how he could not cope with such a slow system, so I got it out of Mrs B's Jeep and brought it in to show him. He could not believe how fast it was.

Everybody who is anybody here (we are nobodies!!) has an ipod and can do anything with it, anywhere, in seconds. They pay about £45 per month for such a service. The kids have these. One kid just wrote a question into his ipod, translated it into cantonese, and explained that he could probably communicate with anybody, anywhere in the world, so long as he had a signal. Spoilt brats!

Ha. I wouldn't be able to use a netbook. I got to have a modem and a 50 ft Ethernet cord so I can keep a desktop going. I need the hard drive space, and all the buttons for recording music and stuff. And a huge screen. That helps.

I like don't like small and mobile. I like big and functional. Also cheaper and less invasive.

 

[Alceste]

I've never heard of a mifi!

Oh..... kids here...... and their demands! So demanding, so stuck up, so..... lost.

When I retired in 2009, an old detective mate who runs a cleaning company told me that I should work the carpet-cleaning machine for him, part-time, which I do, Tuesdays to Fridays. In the summer I clean loads of carpets at the university after the students leave. On average they are the dirtiest, laziest, most spoilt brats in the world. Some are so lazy that they don't bother to take their furniture, or electrical gear with them when they leave. I have seen flats with computers, flat-screen tells, etc, just deserted, and full of filth. So somebody has got money to waste.

We love trawling the charity shops! But my daughter, who is now 39 and runs a pilates school in rich Bayswater, would not be seen dead in one. Sad! She was like your mate's kids, designer labels or nothing.

That's another good tip - charity shops! I can't begin to tell you how liberating it is not to own any clothes that cost more than five bucks. Doesn't matter if you spill coffee on it, snag it, if it shrinks or pills... just pack it off back to the charity shop and get a new one.

I haven't bought anything but thrift shop clothes for years. Dishes too. Doesn't matter if you break a 50 cent wine glass - even if it is hand blown.