Benefits to being poor??

[crackerbrat]

So, I am NOT one to look on the bright side of things, but one of those "it builds character" or "makes you realize what's really important in life" epiphanies has struck me in my desperate, desperate poverty: because it forces you not to buy ANYTHING except what is most essential, you realize what really is the most essential. And then you get a sense that you don't even WANT to give your hard-earned (and I mean HARD-earned), precious money to these corporate fat cats and thus find it much easier to avoid buying crap you really don't need, even though I was never a compulsive buyer even before.

Anyone else felt this? Any other benefits to being poor?

[Tayl405]

I don't know about being POOR, but being tight on money has really taught me to look at my priorities.

[midtwenty]

Welcome to positive poorness, crackerbrat.

You're right on target. Ideally, being poor should inspire people to strive for better. To learn financial responsibility and the value of hard work. To feel the sense of accomplishment when you've sacrificed and worked hard and can finally begin to afford living comfortably, instead of stressed out about money all the time. The personal satisfaction in knowing that even when times are tough, you can still make it.

Unfortunately, too many people use their poorness as an excuse to lay around on their ass all day and moan about the unfairness of it all (*ahem!* my SISTERS for example).

[pisces2473]

Yeah, I agree with everyone--it definitely helps you put things in perspective, gets rid of instant gratification (having to wait til you've saved enough money to buy something), makes you do more with less--which is a really good thing b/c people buy too much crap they don't need, which just increases the consumer driven society we live in, which sucks. You appreciate things more, I think.

[Irish79]

Definitely! You learn what a luxury it is to have health insurance, reliable transportation, etc. All the things others take for granted become very valuable to you - and hopefully that's something that will stick with you even when your situation improves.

[pisces2473]

And when the situation does improve, hopefully you'll use your money for good things, rather than buying stupid crap just because it's what the "Joneses" have.

[Kitty]

When I was poor in college, I wouldn't have a lot of money to blow so I did a lot of creative stuff with my bf. I also had more free time..and that helped..but we could not afford to go out to dinner or do any typical date stuff very often.

[MonaLisa]

Being poor gets out-of-whack priorities inline REAL quickly. When you have to make tough choices, you're forced to realize what is really important, and what's trivial and unnecessary.

[midtwenty]

And when the situation does improve, hopefully you'll use your money for good things, rather than buying stupid crap just because it's what the "Joneses" have.

LOL.
The Joneses (at least, THIS Jones and her husband) only have anything because we were poor as shit for a long time. People just meeting us now think we're eating cream puffs for every meal and living on Easy Street. Pffft. Whatever! They didn't see the years of struggle that got us where we are now. And we're still both penny-pinching tightwads. And I LIKE it that way! Hell, honestly we still struggle. It's just not so damn HARD anymore.

[pisces2473]

LOL mid, I mean like people who start making a few more thousand a year and suddenly start living WAY beyond their means. And people who have to keep buying buying buying crap and don't do anything meaningful, like go for an effing walk in the woods.

[midtwenty]

LOL mid, I mean like people who start making a few more thousand a year and suddenly start living WAY beyond their means. And people who have to keep buying buying buying crap and don't do anything meaningful, like go for an effing walk in the woods.

;) Hee hee! I know what you meant. I just get the biggest kick out of that phrase.

People need to keep in mind that 90% of the time when you see someone driving an expensive car, living in a huge house, wearing designer clothes....those people are in debt up to their eyebrows and probably cry themselves to sleep every night wondering how in the hell they're going to pay off everything. MOST people who have tons of really nice stuff simply can't afford it. The bitterest irony is that they buy all that stuff to keep up appearances for the rest of us...and none of us give a hoot in hell.

[pisces2473]

I know...my parents never had a mortgage, but our house didn't belong in house beautiful. The roof was tight, the windows didn't let in drafts, etc...but we didn't have state of the art appliances, etc. They drove used cars, didn't have huge car payments. They didn't give a shit about what other people thought and those people were/are the ones who are still paying off cards/mortgages, etc b/c they HAD to have EVERYTHING new and shiny...and WHINE to my parents about it!!!! My parents just laugh.

[midtwenty]

I know...my parents never had a mortgage, but our house didn't belong in house beautiful. The roof was tight, the windows didn't let in drafts, etc...but we didn't have state of the art appliances, etc. They drove used cars, didn't have huge car payments. They didn't give a shit about what other people thought and those people were/are the ones who are still paying off cards/mortgages, etc b/c they HAD to have EVERYTHING new and shiny...and WHINE to my parents about it!!!! My parents just laugh.

Of course they laugh. And like my own parents, I'm betting yours are now well set-up for retirement because they planned for it and thought beyond whatever new gadget they could buy next. We had a nice home, because my mom bought stuff at garage sales and fixed it up, or shopped at outlet stores or whatever. My dad is very handy around the house and did a lot of renovations along the years. But they always drove used cars, always bought generic brand groceries and/or planted a garden every year (canned a lot of the produce for winter consumption)...they were SMART about it. And now they have a nice, shiny, brand-new home to enjoy in their retirement and plenty of money set aside in investments, savings and mutual funds to see them through.

Struggle in the beginning...reap the rewards later. That's the formula.

[pisces2473]

Yup, they are all set for retirement. Of course they worry whether or not it's enough, but they just make do without a lot of things, and can be generous with those who really need help (ahem, me, lol). They don't need a lot of new stuff, and that's because they have good self-images. I think that's what is wrong with people--they feel shitty about themselves and think they need to buy stuff to make them look/feel better. THAT happened b/c advertising in the past 50 years started preying upon people's insecurities/weaknesses, which fed the consumption. You have to be stronger than the ads.

I'm struggling now. I put every bit of change and one dollar bill I have in my wallet into a piggy bank. I have about $70--I started doing this in January. It's amazing.

[mishl982]

Benefits to being poor? Your friends will pay for things for you, lol.

Well, I didn't mean it in that way. Sometimes it can show you how much your friends care about you and want you around. I have a friend who is having money trouble and whenever we ask her to go out, she has to turn us down because she can't afford to pay cover or pay for a beer or whatnot. Usually me or my roommate will spot her a few bucks because we want to hang out with her so much that money is not an issue for us to see her.

I do agree with everyone else on how money makes you realize what you're really spending money on. Trips to starbucks aren't so important anymore. You learn to be creative and make things homemade or you learn that you don't really need a new pair of shoes.

[shimmer728]

I've learned how to be very creative with my paychecks--i.e., I've learned exactly how far I can stretch them.

[crackerbrat]

Ah yes, I remembered another one: you learn the glory of bargaining. The idea of finding the best deal on something or haggling with cell phone providers was previously a total pain to me and not worth it, but now it's like, WHAT? You mean I was paying you this exorbitant amount for nothing?? Not anymore, loser!

[Sesamebabe]

I think being poor is a good because you realize that if you can survive during that, you can really survive and bounce back from anything. You always learn how to live within your means - whether it is $40 a week or $400 a week, you somhow get by. It also made me appreciate so much more things I have now, not worry about brand names and to always be on the lookout for a good bargain. BUT, there were some backlashes of being poor - my parents always used to buy generic EVERYTHING and there are just some things that can't be generic (one ply toilet paper and cheerios just to name two) because they just don't cut it! Also, I NEVER eat spaghetti anymore because when your poor, that's what you eat for weeks because it is cheap and fills you up. It think I was scarred from it or something lol....

I am really proud of my parents because even though times were hard, I still had a great childhood and I also had to work hard for everything I got. The importance was always put on personal integrity and education, so I have a deep appreciation for those things in my life. No one likes to be pooor, but it is how you handle being poor that makes all the difference...

[SunDevil]

I think everyone should be really poor for 6 months. When you go to the grocery store and know that you can't spend more than $20 for food for the week, it puts things in perspective.

I also use to ride my bike a lot more because gas was too expensive. I can have lots of fun doing free stuff.

But, now that I am making money, I still live at the level of someone making minimum wage, even though I make more than that. I am trying to save enough money so I will never be poor again.

[k.monster]

Being poor means learning about all the super cool free / cheap stuff in your town. My local zoo has a cheap day ($1.50 if you ride public transit), I take my monster dog on long hikes, free concerts, etc.

[shinyleaf]

Well this poor baby does need a new pair of shoes!

I've been poor for so long, that I had a mid-poor life crisis last year when I became very resentful of people my age with half my education driving new cars and shopping every week and going on holidays to *gasp* warm places. :green:
BUT,,,, here's where I made the lemonade: I will never be able to wean myself out of this tightwad mindset, and will thereby never live beyond my means. When I do go out every 6 months and buy some new clothes, for example (I'm not even kidding, every 6 months!!!) I do NOT feel guilty, because I"ve been so good at restricting myself. A little clothing anorexic I am.
Next year after I'm done school I expect to pull in 40-50K. I have to admit that I salivate a bit at the thought, and will probably have to curb my shopping instincts like Pavlov's dog on a tight leash.

[stonemonkey]

I've recently learnt to appreciate how sweet life is in western countries. Drinkable water comes straight to your house via a tap! Most people in the world don't have that luxury.

[Deadend]

Nevermind.... we wash our cars with said drinkable water, and at that don't even notice the absurdity.

Anyways, I really like this thread, some good points. The first of all is how much of a credit based society we really do live in. Not being in debt means you're doing very very well.

Being tight on cash means being forced into being more economical and therefor more resourceful. I grew up in a paycheque to paycheque home. It's a natural consequence. Now as a student with NO paycheque i save money by learning how to do more things myself. How to maintain my car myself, how to cook decent meals, where to find salvageable old stereo equipment and furniture.

In general we are indeed an afluent and therefor wasteful society. I remember a friend of mine talking about a grandfather that visited from India. The man thought the local dump was simply AMAZING and loaded with GREAT STUFF!

[pisces2473]

Deadend, my grandfather was a dump picker too. He was born and raised in Connecticut. He grew up during the Depression (as did most of our g-parents) so he knew how to make do. I think that's something that we are lacking--we haven't really had it tough, like they did...so we don't know the true value of something new; most of us haven't had to repair something a million times just because there wasn't enough money. I'm not saying that we need to have it tough, but we should learn how to do more with less, so that in the event we are forced to do it, we'd be okay. Plus, if we live simply, others will be able to simply live.

[MonaLisa]

I think that's something that we are lacking--we haven't really had it tough, like they did...so we don't know the true value of something new; most of us haven't had to repair something a million times just because there wasn't enough money. I'm not saying that we need to have it tough, but we should learn how to do more with less, so that in the event we are forced to do it, we'd be okay. Plus, if we live simply, others will be able to simply live.

Maybe I am doing something wrong because I know exactly what it is to live like this. :(

[pisces2473]

Aww, I'm sorry to make you feel badly! I meant the average 20 something in the US...there hasn't been a deep nationwide depression in our lifetime, the way it was in the 1930s...where EVERYONE was making do with next to nothing. I do know many situations similar to yours, but they aren't widespread.

Do you know what I'm saying? I hope I didn't offend you.

[MonaLisa]

No, I know. But sometimes I do feel like a depression era person, because I stick away evey extra cent when I have it and live cheap, so that I know I won't ever not have a safety net. I'm just used to making do.

[crackerbrat]

BUT, there were some backlashes of being poor - ... I NEVER eat spaghetti anymore because when your poor, that's what you eat for weeks because it is cheap and fills you up. It think I was scarred from it or something lol....

So true!! In college, I ate Campbells soup for dinner for a whole semester, and now can't stand even thinking about the stuff. ;-)

There are a lot of other backlashes to being poor, but that would be another thread and is way too obvious. ;-) However, I would like to say that, while poverty helps you become smart with frugal living, that's about all it does; it doesn't make you enlightened in any other way, including being smart about money as a whole. For instance, my grandfather, whose family was so poor that the Depression really made no difference, really has a "poor" perspective about money that I think played a role in his not being able to get much of it. For instance, he has the good ol' American idea that if you just work hard, you'll make a ton of money, as opposed to the truth that the real richos know: you have to play the system.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say as briefly as possible (and thus without supporting documentation) is that being poor isn't just bad because you don't get stuff you want, but it limits your entire life and perspective on life.

[crackerbrat]

I think everyone should be really poor for 6 months.

Yes!! Especially a certain president that I shall not name!!!!

Seriously, I don't want to get into a political argument, but when I hear richos whine about giving away half of their income because they surely rightfully deserve and earned it, I'm like, you have NO idea what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck, do you.

I also think that working a shitty job like McDonalds is in order for anyone whose family makes over six figures.

[ugarachel82]

This whole thread is really subjective because poor is such a relative term. How is everyone defining the word "poor"? One could be technical and say that anyone who reads this site regularly from their home computer is not really poor. If I were poor, why would I be spending money on a computer instead of putting it toward essential stuff. Or has a computer become an essential item by today's standards? I was just wondering what the standard of poverty was by the people that subscribe to these boards.

[mishl982]

Ooh I thought of another one, you can decline offers to do things you don't want to do because you're poor, LOL. If I don't want to go out with certain people, I tell them I'm trying to save money (which is true), but if I really wanted to go out, I would make ends meet or just go out and not drink or something.

[NoDirection]

This is a great topic and perfect timing for me, as I've been thinking a lot about this. First, I think ugarachel82 makes a good point. Being poor in America is not the same as being poor in most other countries. The problem is that when you're poor in America you're made to feel left out. Like you must be participating in this cycle of mass production and consumption and all the debt that follows. Of course that's what the credit card companies and department stores want you to think. Everywhere you look there's something being marketed to you. We're not seen as human beings, but consumers to be exploited. So, as Americans we're never really that poor. We just need to have some perspective. Visit a third world country and you'll realize you're just living more simply and basic than the rest of America. So, we can all decide our own priorities in life and reject these superficial notions of happiness and "doing well". It's all just stuff anyway.

[pisces2473]

I've said this before and I'll say it again--read "Affluenza." It's a GREAT book that discusses many of the things we've been talking about on this thread.