Why is it hard for some privileged people to realize that saving is hard?

[Anonymous]

The PP who said “people find themselves there because of poor life choices” wins for saying the most ignorant, racist thing I could think of for this thread. Ignorant f*ck.

[Anonymous]

Trauma affects different people in different ways. And growing up in poverty is its own form of trauma. The “pulled myself up from my bootstraps” people do not recognize that something about their physiology, something about their own personal response to stress, helped them navigate their trauma. Think of it this way: if you talked to a rape survivor having a hard time, would you negatively compare her to someone who was coping better? People want to frame everything as strength vs. weakness- I’m strong and smart and they’re lazy and don’t take advantage of help. What an arrogant way to look at the world. I’ve met people from third world countries who clawed their way out of dire circumstances- does that mean that all of the children in their home country deserve to live in poverty because someone else managed to claw their way out and therefore proved that it is possible? This is the same circular individual nonsense that we always hear- people who don’t have insurance can use the emergency room, be responsible, etc. Well guess what- in the end, stuffing the emergency room with poor people had a hefty horrible cost, and dismissing the poor as lazy has just as dire a cost too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PP who said “people find themselves there because of poor life choices” wins for saying the most ignorant, racist thing I could think of for this thread. Ignorant f*ck.

DP. Do you not think that some people find themselves in these positions because of poor life choices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PP who said “people find themselves there because of poor life choices” wins for saying the most ignorant, racist thing I could think of for this thread. Ignorant f*ck.

That's ridiculous! Tons of people make poor life choices and it has nothing to do with race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trauma affects different people in different ways. And growing up in poverty is its own form of trauma. The “pulled myself up from my bootstraps” people do not recognize that something about their physiology, something about their own personal response to stress, helped them navigate their trauma. Think of it this way: if you talked to a rape survivor having a hard time, would you negatively compare her to someone who was coping better? People want to frame everything as strength vs. weakness- I’m strong and smart and they’re lazy and don’t take advantage of help. What an arrogant way to look at the world. I’ve met people from third world countries who clawed their way out of dire circumstances- does that mean that all of the children in their home country deserve to live in poverty because someone else managed to claw their way out and therefore proved that it is possible? This is the same circular individual nonsense that we always hear- people who don’t have insurance can use the emergency room, be responsible, etc. Well guess what- in the end, stuffing the emergency room with poor people had a hefty horrible cost, and dismissing the poor as lazy has just as dire a cost too!

This is the core belief that the majority of Americans have. It's also the reason why phrases like "Greatest country in the world", "Freedom", etc. are thrown around ad nauseam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The PP who said “people find themselves there because of poor life choices” wins for saying the most ignorant, racist thing I could think of for this thread. Ignorant f*ck.

That's ridiculous! Tons of people make poor life choices and it has nothing to do with race.

You have the privilege of a functioning brain.

Not everyone does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should reduce your expenses then because if that’s the case you’re only one emergency away from bankruptcy or total poverty. It’s simple math, people!

How nice of you to make this point. Wages for the 99% have been squeezed for the last 30 years. Thank you trickle down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trauma affects different people in different ways. And growing up in poverty is its own form of trauma. The “pulled myself up from my bootstraps” people do not recognize that something about their physiology, something about their own personal response to stress, helped them navigate their trauma. Think of it this way: if you talked to a rape survivor having a hard time, would you negatively compare her to someone who was coping better? People want to frame everything as strength vs. weakness- I’m strong and smart and they’re lazy and don’t take advantage of help. What an arrogant way to look at the world. I’ve met people from third world countries who clawed their way out of dire circumstances- does that mean that all of the children in their home country deserve to live in poverty because someone else managed to claw their way out and therefore proved that it is possible? This is the same circular individual nonsense that we always hear- people who don’t have insurance can use the emergency room, be responsible, etc. Well guess what- in the end, stuffing the emergency room with poor people had a hefty horrible cost, and dismissing the poor as lazy has just as dire a cost too!

+1000000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PP who said “people find themselves there because of poor life choices” wins for saying the most ignorant, racist thing I could think of for this thread. Ignorant f*ck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The PP who said “people find themselves there because of poor life choices” wins for saying the most ignorant, racist thing I could think of for this thread. Ignorant f*ck.

That's ridiculous! Tons of people make poor life choices and it has nothing to do with race.

Tell me with the generational racial disparities in wealth that it has nothing to do with race.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianthompson1/2018/02/18/the-racial-wealth-gap-addressing-americas-most-pressing-epidemic/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question was why do people of privilege find it so hard to understand how hard it is to save, and this thread demonstrated this perfectly.

Being working poor is really hard. It is time consuming in a way that many people don't seem to understand. Taking a low-wage hourly job or two puts you at the mercy of someone else making a schedule, with a week's notice. Or maybe you will only get 3 shifts when you were counting on 5 that week. Then you have to find child care for a random schedule, which is why people frequently ask family to help, or you have to pay a sitter, who may make a bit less than you do. Because you are hourly, you don't have health insurance, or a way to budget because random hours.

This leads to the need for social services, whether that be reduced lunches, medical care, or an unemployment check because the factory closed and half the town is out of work too.

It takes time to figure out how to get medical care, and time to figure out how to fill out forms to get social services. It is complicated and confusing. Being poor has long-term impacts, like not knowing how to apply for college or the aid that they can likely receive because of a low family income, or skipping the health insurance options because that does cost extra, and maybe it's worth taking the risk of not having it.

This was my childhood, followed by me putting myself through college (I arranged my classes at a big ten school around my work schedule for one of my jobs and not the other way around. I ate an apple around 3p, and then ate whatever pizza was messed up at the restaurant that night) Saving just wasn't an option. There was nothing to save.

My husband is furloughed, and I run a consulting firm. We do have savings, and are fine. But I won't be the one scolding Americans who are $600 away from catastrophe at any moment.

You quote things you have never experienced if someone actually took the time to help you get to college, etc. Not everyone had that kind of help or support. If your husband is a fed and you run a consulting firm, you have plenty of money and none of this is an issue and maybe its time you gave back a little.

Np: or, maybe, they have drive and ambition and figured it out for themselves because they wanted a better life - don’t belittle their achievements because you can’t imagine anyone being able to do that on their own.

Even though most claim they do it on their own, there is usually a teacher, pastor, neighbor, someone who gives them enough advice to help them.

JFC - you just can’t let it go - yes, some have guidance, but not all. Some people just have “it,” whatever “it” is that allows them to succeed despite crippling hurdles and you not acknowledging that is as awful as those saying the working poor should just work harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are mean about this because they believe in the "just world" hypothesis. Trying to convince them with hard luck stories accomplishes nothing.

It's pretty well documented that people have a limited amount of willpower. Being poor sucks yours up a great deal. The cognitive stress compounds the bad choices.

I just finished reading "Fat Nation," which applied the same cognitive understandings to the obesity crisis. Basically, criticizing the working poor for not saving is like asking an obese person why they just don't eat less and move more.

Agreed. And a lot of people believe only their "hard work" results in their good positions in life, so anyone at a disadvantage must be "doing something wrong".

+1

Same reason why, when someone years that someone has lung cancer, if that person ever smoked. They need to know a reason to blame the person. If the person didn't smoke, the cognitive dissonance for the person asking is almost too much to handle.

[Anonymous]

https://lifehacker.com/the-difference-between-being-middle-class-and-poor-1832057673

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The privilege from some of these posters is astonishing. Some of you literally have NO IDEA that people are not struggling because they are getting their nails or hair done or buying Starbucks every day, but because basic costs like housing and healthcare have gone up greatly and incomes haven't followed.

Or perhaps it's because these costs have increased, incomes have not followed, and yet people think they "deserve" to live as before. If your income is not keeping up with your basic costs, you reduce those costs or you hustle more.

Of course there are exceptions; it's not that simple for people with hundreds of thousands in medical bills because they have a horrible disease, etc., or for the 25 year old widow with 3 kids who suddenly lost her husband in a car crash. But we're talking in generalizations here and these extenuating circumstances are not what are keeping most people from getting ahead.

Saving is supposed to be hard. No one is saying it's easy. But hard doesn't equal impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I didn't read through the whole thread because after a few pages I see you are getting alot of shade and shaming on this. Just want to say I agree with you. These people do not know what its like to be poor or live on a razors edge. Its very self righteous of them. Yes, there are people who are poor and make bad financial decisions. And yes, they could cut out some luxuries for sure. But cutting out a starbucks a couple times a week is not going to give you 6 months of living expenses. Get a grip people! Also, when you are that on the edge, you are often one step away from crisis and any savings you have get eaten up on a regular basis. ie. you manage to scrimp together $1000 in savings. Yay. Then you have a medical problem and need some testing done that's only partially covered by your insurance, your car breaks down or needs regular maintenance, etc. etc.

I agree with you. Privileged people can be completely tone deaf and simply have no frame of reference to understand. Not everyone can just go get a loan to cover their expenses like our supreme dumbass commerce secretary Wilbur Ross suggests

This sort of thinking right here is why people can't build emergency funds. No, cutting out Starbucks won't give you 6 months of emergency savings overnight, but keep doing it and it sure will. And you know what happens when you start consciously thinking about every $1-$2 expense like Starbucks? You end up cutting other little things here and there. And then over time, you have savings.

And then you have a medical emergency that cuts out that savings and guess what, you start over! You do the same thing you did before to scrimp that $1000 together until you need $1000 for the next emergency. But you don't never try to save to begin with because you might have that emergency one day that will use up the savings.