Anonymous wrote:I have found that most parents with babies or toddlers, rather do daycare or a sitter than ask nearby family or friends for favors.

Really? For full time care? That is one hell of a favor that isn't realistic for most people.

I have found that most parents with babies or toddlers, rather do daycare or a sitter than ask nearby family or friends for favors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 do you advise people to cut out childcare, medical expenses, car & appliance repair, car insurance, health insurance, and student loans?

I went to community college, then state school. I had kids later in life I lived in a crappy apartment. Guess what, there is always someone making less and saving more.

Or making less and not being able to save at all.

This whole thread is nuts. It is hard to DIY when you don’t own a house. You can’t own a house if you can’t save the money. My sister pulls together odd jobs and has no future earning potential. She pays next to nothing in rent but I know I’m her emergency plan.

Starting out, I had to drop out of college because my finances got screwed up in loans (long story) and I couldn’t get out of the debt hole for almost 10 years (and that includes living with roommates and only having a phone when needed). When my $1700 car needed a new clutch, that was a crisis I couldn’t afford. When it died, I could have lost my job if I didn’t have a miracle happen. I had a paycheck screwup (it went to the wrong office) and I didn’t have metro fare to go get it. So I walked everywhere (luckily I could walk 2 miles to work in the summer) and skipped food (not eating out, actual food, unless one of my friends shared) for 2 weeks while I waited for the check to come to the right office so I could cash it.

Friends of mine from growing up are working one underpaid job with a second job, relying on parents for child care. One is an emt, but isn’t in a position to ever buy a house. Emergencies do put them underwater.

Another family member was in a debt tailspin for medical bills. Hell, an er copay for me was unaffordable, so I didn’t pay and it stayed on my credit report (along with a hell of a lot of other bad things) for years.

In this thread, I really wonder how many people posting have ever been in any position where they ever experienced any of that.

Anonymous wrote:

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 do you advise people to cut out childcare, medical expenses, car & appliance repair, car insurance, health insurance, and student loans?

I went to community college, then state school. I had kids later in life I lived in a crappy apartment. Guess what, there is always someone making less and saving more.

Anonymous wrote:If all you make is the minimum wage or modestly higher it is tough to save anything. But, government employees on furlough are unlikely to only make the minimum wage.

Exactly.

Anonymous wrote:For me, I make $18/hr. thats about $2880/month (after taxes, it's more like $2500) if I work 40 hrs a week. I don't always get 40 hrs, so this is a rough estimate.

Rent: 1200
Food: 400
Utilities: $300
Phone: $100
Internet: $50
Car Insurance: $150
Health insurance: $200
Gas: $100

That comes out to about $2500.
No, I'm not going out to eat, getting fancy coffee, or getting my nails done. I'm paying bills. I don't feel poor... I feel comfortable but if there is any type of emergency, I'll be SOL.

There are a lot of luxuries on this list. Smartphone, car, living alone-none of which I chose when I felt I needed to save more. Get some roommates, live in the city and increase your income (bartending would earn you more) and save save save. This is not a social justice movement you are a victim in. This is budgeting 101. Don’t just marry some poor dude and spend all his money on these things you feel entitled to. You will never get more gratification than when you step away from the pack, ditch keeping up with the joneses and start taking control of your money. Now that’s some smugness you actually earn.

If all you make is the minimum wage or modestly higher it is tough to save anything. But, government employees on furlough are unlikely to only make the minimum wage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, I make $18/hr. thats about $2880/month (after taxes, it's more like $2500) if I work 40 hrs a week. I don't always get 40 hrs, so this is a rough estimate.

Rent: 1200
Food: 400
Utilities: $300
Phone: $100
Internet: $50
Car Insurance: $150
Health insurance: $200
Gas: $100

That comes out to about $2500.
No, I'm not going out to eat, getting fancy coffee, or getting my nails done. I'm paying bills. I don't feel poor... I feel comfortable but if there is any type of emergency, I'll be SOL.

I don’t get this. Why are you living in such a high COL area when you make such a low salary? You can get an $18/hour job literally anywhere in the country and you could cut your rent in half. That’s your problem here...it doesn’t make any sense.

This, most of us lived with 3-5 roommates and paid $500-650 or so rent including utilities. Your rent and utilities are very high as is your car insurance. Likewise, our unlimited cell phone is $50 a minute - you can half that. Again, its about choices, you can reduce your fixed expenses and have savings and more luxuries like eating out.

NP. I lived with roommates when I was starting out, and a lot of times it sucked, but I saved a lot of money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, I make $18/hr. thats about $2880/month (after taxes, it's more like $2500) if I work 40 hrs a week. I don't always get 40 hrs, so this is a rough estimate.

Rent: 1200
Food: 400
Utilities: $300
Phone: $100
Internet: $50
Car Insurance: $150
Health insurance: $200
Gas: $100

That comes out to about $2500.
No, I'm not going out to eat, getting fancy coffee, or getting my nails done. I'm paying bills. I don't feel poor... I feel comfortable but if there is any type of emergency, I'll be SOL.

You can’t afford to live alone. Your rent is too high. Also if you had a roommate you could share utilities and cable. I had a rooomate until I was married. And what car are you driving? In va dh and I pay $400 every 6 months combined. We have two 2008 camrys.

I have a Civic. And a roomate won't work in a 1 bedroom. I am trying to move to a studio in this building. Studios here are only $950 so I would be freeing up some extra cash.

A roommate would work in a 3-4 bedroom, no one is saying a studio or 1 bedroom.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Privledged people think you’re indulging in $1,000 iPhones and private schools and so they like to scold you. It makes them feel quite satisfied! Reality is your child care and health care and housing probably eat up your paycheck. Between repairs for cars and home maintenance and emergency health bills there just isn’t a lot left. And for those who are scolding people for having children? That’s disgusting.

Kids are a life choice so yes, its something to consider. If you have 2-3 kids and barely making it, its something you should have thought about with child care and other expenses. Home repairs, many you can DIY. There are lots of options in terms of savings. We DIY the majority of our house and saved a huge amount of money. Likewise, most people spend way more on their house, cars and other things than they can afford. Even here people suggest 4-5 times a salary when a house should be no more than 2-3 times your salary. So, yes, that may mean living in a 1000 square foot house. We live in a small house, under our means and don't get people who have the same income living in much more expensive houses and then complaining.

Do you not understand there are people working 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet. They don't want to come home and McGuyver the plumbing if they don't know what they're doing.

I've seen other threads on how to make it when you're poor and read this advice.
-Get a crockpot, eat lots of rice and beans
-Never eat fast food or at restaurants
-Put thermostat at 65
-Use cloth diapers
-Don't drive anywhere unnecessary to save gas
-Clip coupons
-Sell car and take public transportation


I notice that most people's "advice" on how to save money usually boils down to "Poor people don't deserve conveniences or nice things at all". It's really hard to imagine that someone is going to never eat out, take the bus to and from working 2 jobs, and come home to clip coupons, wash diapers and eat beans and rice in their cold house. And on top of that, any spare time they DO have will be devoted to DIYing whatever has broken at their house. That sounds miserable.

Do you not realize that most people who are money poor are also time poor? Most "poor" people are working poor. They work long hours and probably do deserve to get ice cream or whatever at the store without worrying about going a $ over the food budget.

Cloth diapers are a huge initial upfront cost if you don't do refolds so it may not be cost effective. Plus, if you don't have a washer/dryer, its near impossible.

Aldi's is often cheaper than shopping with coupons. I've done heavy coupon shopping and Aldi's is cheaper. Many of us are careful about the food budget as it can really add up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, I make $18/hr. thats about $2880/month (after taxes, it's more like $2500) if I work 40 hrs a week. I don't always get 40 hrs, so this is a rough estimate.

Rent: 1200
Food: 400
Utilities: $300
Phone: $100
Internet: $50
Car Insurance: $150
Health insurance: $200
Gas: $100

That comes out to about $2500.
No, I'm not going out to eat, getting fancy coffee, or getting my nails done. I'm paying bills. I don't feel poor... I feel comfortable but if there is any type of emergency, I'll be SOL.

I don’t get this. Why are you living in such a high COL area when you make such a low salary? You can get an $18/hour job literally anywhere in the country and you could cut your rent in half. That’s your problem here...it doesn’t make any sense.

This, most of us lived with 3-5 roommates and paid $500-650 or so rent including utilities. Your rent and utilities are very high as is your car insurance. Likewise, our unlimited cell phone is $50 a minute - you can half that. Again, its about choices, you can reduce your fixed expenses and have savings and more luxuries like eating out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Privledged people think you’re indulging in $1,000 iPhones and private schools and so they like to scold you. It makes them feel quite satisfied! Reality is your child care and health care and housing probably eat up your paycheck. Between repairs for cars and home maintenance and emergency health bills there just isn’t a lot left. And for those who are scolding people for having children? That’s disgusting.

Kids are a life choice so yes, its something to consider. If you have 2-3 kids and barely making it, its something you should have thought about with child care and other expenses. Home repairs, many you can DIY. There are lots of options in terms of savings. We DIY the majority of our house and saved a huge amount of money. Likewise, most people spend way more on their house, cars and other things than they can afford. Even here people suggest 4-5 times a salary when a house should be no more than 2-3 times your salary. So, yes, that may mean living in a 1000 square foot house. We live in a small house, under our means and don't get people who have the same income living in much more expensive houses and then complaining.

Do you not understand there are people working 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet. They don't want to come home and McGuyver the plumbing if they don't know what they're doing.

I've seen other threads on how to make it when you're poor and read this advice.
-Get a crockpot, eat lots of rice and beans
-Never eat fast food or at restaurants
-Put thermostat at 65
-Use cloth diapers
-Don't drive anywhere unnecessary to save gas
-Clip coupons
-Sell car and take public transportation


I notice that most people's "advice" on how to save money usually boils down to "Poor people don't deserve conveniences or nice things at all". It's really hard to imagine that someone is going to never eat out, take the bus to and from working 2 jobs, and come home to clip coupons, wash diapers and eat beans and rice in their cold house. And on top of that, any spare time they DO have will be devoted to DIYing whatever has broken at their house. That sounds miserable.

Do you not realize that most people who are money poor are also time poor? Most "poor" people are working poor. They work long hours and probably do deserve to get ice cream or whatever at the store without worrying about going a $ over the food budget.

It's not a matter of whether someone "deserves" certain luxuries or conveniences; it is a question of whether they can afford them. If doing those things will leave you paycheck to paycheck without the means to deal with an unexpected expense or life difficulty, then it isn't the greatest idea to indulge. No one said exercising restraint was easy or there weren't times things would suck, but the prevalent mindset that such sacrifices are impossible contributes to many people being in quite the hole.

Anonymous wrote:For me, I make $18/hr. thats about $2880/month (after taxes, it's more like $2500) if I work 40 hrs a week. I don't always get 40 hrs, so this is a rough estimate.

Rent: 1200
Food: 400
Utilities: $300
Phone: $100
Internet: $50
Car Insurance: $150
Health insurance: $200
Gas: $100

That comes out to about $2500.
No, I'm not going out to eat, getting fancy coffee, or getting my nails done. I'm paying bills. I don't feel poor... I feel comfortable but if there is any type of emergency, I'll be SOL.

I don’t get this. Why are you living in such a high COL area when you make such a low salary? You can get an $18/hour job literally anywhere in the country and you could cut your rent in half. That’s your problem here...it doesn’t make any sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, I make $18/hr. thats about $2880/month (after taxes, it's more like $2500) if I work 40 hrs a week. I don't always get 40 hrs, so this is a rough estimate.

Rent: 1200
Food: 400
Utilities: $300
Phone: $100
Internet: $50
Car Insurance: $150
Health insurance: $200
Gas: $100

That comes out to about $2500.
No, I'm not going out to eat, getting fancy coffee, or getting my nails done. I'm paying bills. I don't feel poor... I feel comfortable but if there is any type of emergency, I'll be SOL.

You can’t afford to live alone. Your rent is too high. Also if you had a roommate you could share utilities and cable. I had a rooomate until I was married. And what car are you driving? In va dh and I pay $400 every 6 months combined. We have two 2008 camrys.

I have a Civic. And a roomate won't work in a 1 bedroom. I am trying to move to a studio in this building. Studios here are only $950 so I would be freeing up some extra cash.

You can’t afford a studio either. You need a 2 or 3 bedroom and 1-2 roommates. Could even rent a 4 bedroom house with 3 roommates.