Gorny recommends that instead of getting desperate, make a plan. :), You wrote: “So great when our crap becomes the fertilizer for our change!!!”. Attention All Sugar Land Taxpayers, Tax Season Is Here. I prefer to DO those things to GET ME to much bigger goals. :). And a fairly good indication of how many out there really can relate at least on some level. And def. It’s all good–cuz it’s making all of us think harder, more carefully. Last word to all the doubters, it took us three years to figure out how not to be stupid–don’t give up on all those “lost” freeloaders you know….either they’ll get it one day or they won’t–hatin’ on them won’t help! It may sound psychobabble but if you are worried and concerned about not being [foo] that is where you are headed! Unbelievable that anyone would judge your dreams! I’d love to come back and let you know how it’s going :-), This is a very brave post to write! z-index: 1; I am sorry you have to go through, what you are going to realize you hit rock bottom. By the way, I didn’t paint ‘everyone’ as lazy etc. The only thing about this post that bothers me is that you want to take away the benefits that have gotten you where you are today. Out of 30-something comments, only one guy that simply doesn’t get it. Hey guys! .soapbox_disclosure_widget:hover #soapbox_disclosure_widget-details Thanks again for providing the arena where we could all start some serious growing, Mr. Money. impulsive, uneducated, superstitious, addictive personality. Very honest. It’s so, so, so stupid. I hope that mantra sticks in my head every day! My repugnant lifestyle is all I’ve ever know–lots of history there. Folks look down on us when we take food stamps yet don’t discuss the longterm effects of a huge pile of student loans…it’s a really rough, stick-to-it-no-matter-what road from barely-surviving to ‘making-it’ financially! Your post is inspirational. Poor people stay poor by not knowing the proper money management skills Knowing how to manage the money , you have can support your process of climbing out of poverty. So, watch me! Thanks so much Dana, Sally and Lime! We’re keeping our powder dry over here at Stephen J. Venuti, CPA, MST, LLC, … I love it!! I agree Mr. Money. The focus is entirely opposite. By now I can identify a, My husband (with my help!) Again I hope this is the end of your rainy days it is it nothing but blue skys ahead for you. Dreaming of paying bills on time and being more put together doesn’t sound very sexy or powerful. I am supportive of your desire to change your current situation – however – I just don’t buy into the “kids are expensive blah blah blah” excuses. New Strategy Posts for your Finances. Everyone likes a good rags to riches story, whether it be a fairytale like Aladdin, or real accounts of celebrities who used to be poor, or even homeless. But, none of that changes the fact that I believe her and her husband’s behavior has been dishonest, disingenuous, and repulsive for those of us who work and pay taxes into the system that she has pulled from for so long. We’re working on side-hussles and even getting some ‘kick-butt’ help from a ‘been-there-done-that’ accountability partner. Woot! We also have a hard time pay our bills at the same time each month. While parents in poor families spend money on the immediate needs of their children -like food and housing-, rich families spend their money in order to give their children access to means that ensure their well-being. A little manual labor never killed anyone. I can read your post with tongue in cheek intention. Luckily, I was able to get out of the hole thanks to a loan from my mom (nothing big, just $700 to pay off a credit card that was literally an albatross around my neck) and what I called my “austerity plan.” I moved to a smaller and cheaper apartment that was closer to work so I could walk or ride the bus (we get a free bus pass through my work). This site uses cookies to ensure you have the best experience. This is why the poor stay poor and the rich get richer! Go you! And for clarification–I won’t be going into debt for that ‘new’ car. Hi Elise, Julian Foster. Have you done the numbers on a family of 5, with each parent working full time for $10/hour? 4. I would guess that 6 children would be a handful on any budget. I know this is a problem and want others to realize they can’t get anywhere being so chaind by this financial attitude. *@cashflowmantra Hubby and I are working on plans right now. Money management is the process of how you budget, save, invest, and spend your money. Happiness is … *This IS the end of my rainy days Brian–thanks for your best wishes. And we’re not going to be having more that’s for sure! Good for you, I look forward to your progress. Elise, inimitable, nice one, I had to look that one up. Just have to do something different to get to a DIFFERENT place. Then you can have steps that’ll lead to the final goals! top: 20px; Sources: Tami Luhby, "Where poor kids stay poor," CNN Money, May 5, 2015. We were careful to stay on unemployment for as loooong as humanely possible, with, I’ve started a half dozen ‘work at home opportunity’s’–sinking hours and hours of time into pointless multi-level marketing schemes but then I, I’ve become a vicious second hand store and. } It’s my belief that when we buy those things that we don’t really need, we’re trying to compensate for something else that we don’t have, but want and is harder to achieve. I tweeted it the other day myself – LOVE IT. Tell readers what you thought by rating and reviewing this book. But how to convince those hooked in that it’s better to risk getting off? Defeatest attitudes is what has kept you where you are, and I applaud the fact that you are “coming out of the closet” so to speak to NOT have those attitudes anymore. Sure, you can blame the gov’t for keeping the paycheck coming, but if you had dignity at the time, and were not lazy, you most certainly would have hit the pavement and found a job…and made it work for the family. My hat is off to you for owning your part in being poor, and send you tons of courage as you climb up and out! But we’re 100% caught up on our bills, have a BIG PLAN (instead of just a big dream) for a better future and are well on our way to building it. 1 Star - I hated it 2 Stars - I didn't like it 3 Stars - It was OK 4 Stars - I liked it 5 Stars - … Dream of filing your taxes on time. Maybe we can get an updated post in a year and see if some of the goals have changed. ;-). You have clearly recognized your mistakes and are on the path to redemption. How about we start a little smaller. It was good moments and deserves every penny and every hard work. I will be working in the future to travel with again and to feel no more POOR !!! How to Stay Poor: a guide to remaining broke. I hope she still reads this blog so we can find out ;). As long as you are working hard and paying your bills and getting yourself out of the hole you have dug (and many good people are in that same hole) then you buy all the matching china you want, from whatever store you want. Just remember, you CAN do anything you set your mind to! I just WOKE UP and realized that I have become lazy. Elise, I’m glad you guys are making the decision to change your spending habits! Going for Mt.E together! - For insurance: USAA This is a poverty trap where their lack of money prevents them from ever getting training/capital to work in higher paying jobs. And…can’t say that I disagree with your solution F. Could be a quick cure for a lot of lazy folks out there ;-). Speaking of this site, I’m all for J.Money and his attitude towards being frugal, and most of all, his willingness to help others. yep–our plan exactly. I know I’m not meant to be wallowing around in way-too-comfy poverty forever. You are on the right track and I believe you will realize your dreams. When you need extra money, side jobs like babysitting are a great way to go! } }. ), incredibly happy family (NO drama or trauma in this Mama’s life anymore) so I’m struggling against the temptation to just ‘stop here’. :-) Good luck! I hope this is your “rock bottom” and from here you do nothing but climb your way out of debt and dispair. (And we’ve been here for years!). poor mindset believing money is the root of all evil. -your favorite roller derby queen. Skip the lattes (make them at home) and bring lunch from home. And having the internet as a tool to share everything around is a HUGE help now too! .soapbox_disclosure_widget #soapbox_disclosure_widget-details { My financial situation is much better than yours…and yet I still have crap habits (#1-will not draft or stick to a budget!) I cannot begin to tell you how THRILLED I am that we will NEVER AGAIN be back in that truly sticky (I hate gov. love the post and the message and the recognition of issues! Best of luck to you, Elise! *Yep, travel mug has got to be where it’s at Viviana! Desiring something better is not a bad thing, but lusting after it is. go for it! Gotta have a reason to do the tough stuff. I’ve got to experience the good stuff of being responsible so I can find new motivations as we go. So therefore–something is seriously wrong on a LOT of fronts. I’m all about organizing and simplicity on my blog–this fits so great with my purpose. I hope you find encouragement from all of us who have been in similar situations and whittled our way out. You go. Just don’t. It seems counter-intuitive, but keeping everything to … I must really love scraping the bottom of the barrel to have spent so much time down here! Because, certainly, that’s what successful people do. Being able to sit back and watch “all those kids you have” can be the most rewarding part of the day and a well deserved reward at that. Fontane: You make some really good points–as usual I agree with you more than I disagree. I wrote a blog post a few days ago about the difference between “right now wants” and “far away wants.” Those lattes and dresses (even thrift store ones), while you might “want” them right now… how badly do you really want them when you compare them to the achievement of having money in your account all the time? assistance even MORE now) place of depending on food stamps and free health care. Thanks for checking up on me…what great accountability ‘putting it all out there’ has been. Rate it * You Rated it * 0. Don’t buy an expensive car. That first month was tough, all of the deposits and paying my regular bills had me end up with about $100 for food/gas/”luxuries” (like toilet paper, haha). Your email address will not be published. I love this quote, and I’m going to share it with a few people today and point them to your website, Elise. These families are known as “the working poor”, where least one member is working but the household still lives on less than $2 per person per day. Elise, just wondering, if kids are so expensive, why have so many at your income? The biggest victory of the welfare rights movement, Eubanks tells us, was a court ruling that redefined welfare as personal property, not charity. Any updates on wether you’ve changed your bad habits? Instead of climbing out of the hell-hole we just keep making a playground out of this stinky-bottom-of-the-barrel. - For banking: USAA font-size: 25px; Wondering what he’d do? Thanks Jenna…especially for the reminder that it’s sexy to pay down those debts! [email protected] twentytwomonths.blogspot.com. } I wish my parents would have been aware enough to stop the cycle of “waste” as you guys have. I used that gov’t money (around $3k worth). I am attempting to highlight that anyone can get used to stinky s**t if they sit in it long enough. - For investing automatically: Acorns I think that this will strike a chord with a lot of people. ;-). I as well, love organizing things, and that’s how I was finally able to make a budget after so many years. I just got some information and we decided to freeze them. You are very brave for putting this out there. Their paper clearly illustrates that many poor people stay poor not because of their talent/motivation, but because they are in low-paying jobs that they must work to survive. loser friends, fear of failure, fear of success. Although possibly I was just so mentally challenged I couldn’t figure out birth control for awhile there. 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As I mentioned above–it is an entire post in itself! messed up inner and outer. Not cut, just try to control ourselves. Hola! I am pleased that you have recognized your dilemma and am wondering your plans to climb out. Ha, ha Sam. It is not the government’s responsibility to be spending taxpayer money to encourage people to work so they don’t use/abuse the ‘system.’ Just my opinion and I’m likely in the minority on this website. HAH! As long as they don’t kill off your savings like they do main characters in Game of Thrones!!! I suggest you get the Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn out from the library. Being broke tends to make us feel helpless, and in some cases, it can lead to recklessness and poor decision-making. Know that it is very appreciated. Help break the cycle of poverty with your Dayton car donation. For your info: it’s 6 kids total–from 2 different marriages, blended into one family with only 3 toddlers at home…the other 3 live with their other parents. There is such a big market for kitch junk that you could make some real money. Today I have a good job (though thanks to the govt maybe not much longer) a comfortable savings account and a small retirement account. Considering I was open and honest about all my crap the least you could do is own up to your comment. It’s about modeling and imitating those who have proven how to get results. All Rights Reserved. Go for it! For a lot of people it is a necessity for a time, so that they can become the productive citizens that they want to be. :) You’re freakin’ DOING IT – that’s so great!! { It’s going to take us working 3 or 4 jobs between us to get out of this hole for sure…especially when you count full-time college for my hubby as taking up full-time hours. Sorry, I’m with F. One of the reasons you claim you are staying poor forever is #8 – consuming for the sake of consuming. Thanks Julian–great story. I never used many of the ideas but I loved having a support group of sorts that thought pinching pennies was worthwhile. If you talk about Game of Thrones, you’ll get into it. Hard habit to break but I support you in refraining from seeking them out on weekends:) wasted at least a year of time wondering what career to go into next after getting laid off from his last job. Thanks for your straight talk–we need it! I was just going to buy lunch today, when I thought about this post. how to get rich; how to stay poor Posted on 5 April, 2016 There are about 200 countries in the world, 25 of them are very rich defined as having an average wealth per person of over US $100,000 a year. No more stupid extravagant purchases–only bills and growing up and out of this hole. It seems simple but at least getting your high school diploma is a great start to not being poor. Wow — lots of great discussions going on here! :). I really feel your pain, Mrs. Adams. Best wishes. Agni. I think I’m going to review our budget today, thanks for the inspiration. Woohoo! - Benjamin Franklin, .soapbox_disclosure_widget { Can’t afford childcare and rent and food and transportation let alone clothes or utilities. Good for you if you want to better your life, but maybe say “Thank you” to assistance instead of taking it away from all those after you. My new blog is all about living our dream as frugally as possible http://ElisePhotini.com : homesteading on a shoestring budget and we meet as hubby-n-wife regularly to go over our progress. Politics Sports Science Podcasts Video ABC News Feb. 1, 2016, at 4:36 PM. Rocking post, Elise! Now it’s time to get moving! Dream of being more put together and organized. "A personal finance blog that won't put you to sleep." :-D I’m quite sure that my life won’t be the same after this ;-0. .soapbox_disclosure_widget p { Soon, the gov’t will not be able to support you anymore and you’ll have to break all those bad habits and actually earn your living and stop making your way on the backs of the taxpayers. You’ve come a long way baby! 2. I think it’s very brave of you, Elise, to actually own up to what is making you and your family poor. Don’t be afraid to budget, you’re in control. Inshala it will be better someday. It’s not the governments fault, or anyone else. I think it’s great she’s received so much encouragement, but I find it odd that everyone easily overlooks that she basically admits having done everything in her power to NOT be productive for this country and NOT contribute to the “system.” How is that ever acceptable? Poor and happy, but sometimes terrified. .disclosure { Congrats!! Perhaps you actually enjoy being “poor” ie the pleasure of not paying the bills and doing manual labor outweighs the pain of working over time, spending less etc otherwise you would be rich? Wow! Not a cool thing for you to wish on anyone — but, if it makes you feel better, I was born and raised poorer than the majority of Americans will ever know. (Despair quickly ensues which breeds despicable, stupid choices in the morally weak–me included.). Thanks for the honest post! Painting a picture of all people on government assistance as lazy, bilking thieves does nothing to support anyone. My husband has finished his nursing pre-reqs, has a full-time job AND has arranged his schedule so I can push the blogging/speaking side-gigs I’ve built in the past year. Whatever YOUR big is…not someone else’s. *I’d love to hear your ‘sexy as all get out’ dreams Heather…or anyone else, for that matter. assistance junkie! How I’ve learned to stay poor forever: We don’t pay our bills on time very often. So can you. You can do it! How to stay poor 11.17.2009. Not just for her family’s sake, but so that she may know the wonderful feeling of rising up from the lowest of canyons. Rich, poor, married, single, healthy, or not – those aren’t the things that make us happy. —————— First I was only getting 500 but now after me workingin my free hours I make 2000.