How to be poor.

[Revoltingest]

True story for Revoltingest: My federal taxes for this year (not including provincial taxes) more than a unionized electrician working a 40 hour week would gross in a year in Alberta, and I still don't mind.

This is so very very sad....that I must be the one to break it to you.....oh, this is hard....
Remember that brain issue...the one with the removing of things & the transplanting of things....
Well, they removed your part that would mind. Worse yet...they mistakenly gave it to me during
the procedure. Now I rage uncontrollably against taxes fueled by double the gray matter.
Worse yet, back when we compared tax rates, mine were just as high...but at least it goes towards
a good cause, eg, killing brownish foreigners, blowing up their cities, & giving away money as pennance.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

You're all crazy.

This is true.

I have been poor, and not BC artist poor, I mean diagnosed-with-malnutrition-and-put-in-a-wheelchair-maybe-for-life poor (really). The fact that you own a computer and can afford electricity makes you rich, trust me.

I do have electricity and my work requires a computer yet I use the free internet at the library and have no cable TV.

The biggest difference, financially speaking, between myself and all you povs is strictly a slight increase in expendable wealth.

Expendable "wealth" amounts to about $20/month. I get movies to watch from the library as well.

 

[Alceste]

This is so very very sad....that I must be the one to break it to you.....oh, this is hard....
Remember that brain issue...the one with the removing of things & the transplanting of things....
Well, they removed your part that would mind. Worse yet...they mistakenly gave it to me during
the procedure. Now I rage uncontrollably against taxes fueled by double the gray matter.
Worse yet, back when we compared tax rates, mine were just as high...but at least it goes towards
a good cause, eg, killing brownish foreigners, blowing up their cities, & giving away money as pennance.

Yeah, a big part of Canadians not moaning about taxes is the fact that we get good value for our dollars, generally speaking. Probably has something to do with having many different political parties watching each other like hawks for any slip-ups. We also get health care, so...

 

[dust1n]

You're all crazy. I have been poor, and not BC artist poor, I mean diagnosed-with-malnutrition-and-put-in-a-wheelchair-maybe-for-life poor (really). The fact that you own a computer and can afford electricity makes you rich, trust me. The biggest difference, financially speaking, between myself and all you povs is strictly a slight increase in expendable wealth.

Just to make the distinction, since it hasn't been made...

Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money.[1] Absolute poverty or destitution refers to the deprivation of basic human needs, which commonly includes food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care and education. Relative poverty is defined contextually as economic inequality in the location or society in which people live.[2][3]

Poverty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[oldbadger]

This is so very very sad....that I must be the one to break it to you.....oh, this is hard....
Remember that brain issue...the one with the removing of things & the transplanting of things....
Well, they removed your part that would mind. Worse yet...they mistakenly gave it to me during
the procedure. Now I rage uncontrollably against taxes fueled by double the gray matter.
Worse yet, back when we compared tax rates, mine were just as high...but at least it goes towards
a good cause, eg, killing brownish foreigners, blowing up their cities, & giving away money as pennance.

So......... basically speaking....... would you say you're completely satisfied with your country's taxation and foreign policies?

 

[savagewind]

Make your own laundry soap.

Making Homemade Laundry Soap

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Make your own laundry soap.

Making Homemade Laundry Soap

Yeah! We do this too! I put in a few drops of orange or lemon essential oil for a citrus scent.

White vinegar is a great fabric softener, too.

We used to make our own cleaning supplies out of necessity. But even though our income has increased, we still do it because there's less waste, it's friendlier to the environment, and it's SO much cheaper than other detergents.

AND, I make our own bar soap to add to the "pioneer woman" persona I've adopted D)...I make soap out of leftover rendered animal fat like bacon grease or beef tallow. I just save leftover animal fat from drippings after cooking in a small container in the freezer. Once I have about 2 cups of fat, I heat it to liquid form, put some lye in cold water and after it reacts and heats let it cool to about 110 degrees, mix the two substances together and VOILA! bar soap...

Well, after about two weeks of curing that is. But 2 cups of animal fat gets me 6 or 7 bars of luxurious soap. :bounce

Again, once done out of necessity, then became habit, then became a virtue of trying to be friendlier to the planet. Now it's the fact I can make the soap (and laundry detergent, hand soap, dish soap, etc.) scented however I want.

 

[Wirey]

Make your own laundry soap.

Making Homemade Laundry Soap

Make something better:

Copper Moonshine Stills & Moonshine Still Kits

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Make something better:

Copper Moonshine Stills & Moonshine Still Kits

LOL we have friends who have taken up the art of beverage distillation. That's some MEGA-STRONG stuff they make, too.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Make your own laundry soap.

Making Homemade Laundry Soap

Stop using soap.

 

[Revoltingest]

So......... basically speaking....... would you say you're completely satisfied with your country's taxation and foreign policies?

Not quite.....I have some changes I'd like to see.

 

[BHSU_Student]

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.

I am living with my parents at the moment. I am about to turn 29. I worked really hard all my life and have exceptional credentials... Just no career or job as of yet.

I am actually quite fine. Worried yes, but I am not homeless or living on the streets, so I am thankful for that. Doing what I love is partially the reason why I have no career or job at the moment. So I am not sure if that is great advice. I could have already had a career, but decided to pursue something I was passionate about instead. Oh wait, the title of this thread is how to be poor, so nvm... I am doing a great job at that.

 

[Reptillian]

I am living with my parents at the moment. I am about to turn 29. I worked really hard all my life and have exceptional credentials... Just no career or job as of yet.

I am actually quite fine. Worried yes, but I am not homeless or living on the streets, so I am thankful for that. Doing what I love is partially the reason why I have no career or job at the moment. So I am not sure if that is great advice. I could have already had a career, but decided to pursue something I was passionate about instead. Oh wait, the title of this thread is how to be poor, so nvm...

Black Hills State University...you should get out of South Dakota! (Me too, I should take my own advice) Unless you're in customer service, food service, medicine, or are one of the deranged meth addicts that these industries cater too; then South Dakota has little to offer.

 

[BHSU_Student]

Black Hills State University...you should get out of South Dakota! (Me too, I should take my own advice) Unless you're in customer service, food service, medicine, or are one of the deranged meth addicts that these industries cater too; then South Dakota has little to offer.

Believe me, I am trying, lol. My plan now is to go to graduate school in Arizona so I can find job placement there after I graduate.

 

[dust1n]

Come to Texas. Like, endless jobs.

 

[Alceste]

I am living with my parents at the moment. I am about to turn 29. I worked really hard all my life and have exceptional credentials... Just no career or job as of yet.

I am actually quite fine. Worried yes, but I am not homeless or living on the streets, so I am thankful for that. Doing what I love is partially the reason why I have no career or job at the moment. So I am not sure if that is great advice. I could have already had a career, but decided to pursue something I was passionate about instead. Oh wait, the title of this thread is how to be poor, so nvm... I am doing a great job at that.

If you do what you love and you're poor all your life, you'll have fewer regrets than if you try to get rich doing something you hate. So the old folks say.

 

[Wirey]

If you do what you love and you're poor all your life, you'll have fewer regrets than if you try to get rich doing something you hate. So the old folks say.

Old folks also spend a lot of time crapping in their pants. You can spend our life one of two ways: Poor with problems, or rich with problems. Pick.

 

[Alceste]

Old folks also spend a lot of time crapping in their pants. You can spend our life one of two ways: Poor with problems, or rich with problems. Pick.

Ok, I pick rich. Where's my money?

 

[Wirey]

Ok, I pick rich. Where's my money?

In Fort Mac. C'mon, find out what life is like when you can't get the smell of new car and leather out of your nostrils.

 

[Alceste]

In Fort Mac. C'mon, find out what life is like when you can't get the smell of new car and leather out of your nostrils.

I just can't bring myself to join that particular feeding frenzy, even on the fringes. They'd take away my license to complain about the tar sands.

I'll put you rich Albertans on my touring schedule. How's that?