Poor people w iphones

lady dixneuf · November 2013

I know this has come up in the past.

This blog post is awesome. Scroll down to get to the actual post past the notes

https://fozmeadows.tumblr.com/post/66916915720/seananmcguire-cumbersome-cucumber

BabyCarryingVessel · November 2013

Interesting, makes me think differently. I'm guilty of judging others for their purchasing choices when I know they're hurting financially, but if we're all honest, we judge others. It's human nature.

My sister went through a phase in her life where money was tight and she couldn't afford groceries. I would give her money from time to time to help out during the really rough times. When I learned she financed new furniture, pieces of artwork and other household "pretties", yeah, I was taken aback. A gift is a gift, though. But, I'm a human, I'm not perfect and I judged her, but in my own head. Thanks for sharing. Puts things in a different perspective.

lady dixneuf · November 2013

I think the point is multi-fold:

1. just bc someone is poor does not mean they must suffer endlessly and get NO nice things until they are out of poverty.

2. The money spent on something like a phone, purse, etc. while hefty, is a one-time expenditure and most certainly won't catapult them out of their financial situation. It's not like, oh, she could have gotten off of food stamps but then she bought an iphone.

3. Some of the "nice" things people get while poor are needed to get "unpoor." How does one interview for jobs without a suit, make arrangements for jobs without a phone, etc.

4. Stop blaming the poor, for their poverty, dammit!

Ziegeficker · November 2013

Sadly this article is just preaching to the choir to me, but how awesome. I wish more people who passed that tripe around on Facebook would give this a read and realize that nothing is as black and white as it seems. Also, stop being a judgmental whore.

I am guilty of judging my SIL for her spending habits, though. But that's because she and her husband bring in nearly 200k a year and spend it all on superfluous bullshit like Japanese collectible swords. Then when something legitimate comes up (like her son needing braces or her taxes), she has to borrow money from her mother who is seriously strapped for cash and trying to stay afloat by working two jobs.

I guess I'm kind of a judgmental whore.

BabyCarryingVessel · November 2013

the type of person that zieg is describing is the kind that really gets under my skin. the type that chronically complains about being broke, yet pulls in 200,000 a year and can't figure out how to live within their means. honestly I don't care what you spend your money on, whether you're on food stamps or not. when you complain to me about being broke and you just bought a camper and a boat, yeah I'm not going to feel sorry for you.

lady dixneuf · November 2013

LauraT25 said:

I think that the people BCV and Zeig are describing are annoying if they make their financial problems YOUR problem, but too many people know someone like this and think that that's how ALL people with money issues are. Like the mythical unicorn welfare queens.

there is a huge difference between those people and actual poor people. Those people deserve to be judged and are making it your business and problem.

Like, I am not even close to poor. I just can't live the bourgie lifestyle I was once used to and ya know what? that's fine.

Sillygirl85 · November 2013

Anyone familiar with the work of Ruby Payne? I work with children who come from extreme poverty (refugee's from the Middle East and various parts of Africa). One important thing to understand is that there are hidden rules to the social classes that we are not aware of. One thing is that money is viewed as something to be spent. They don't have the mindset of managing money like those of us in the middle class or conserving and investing like the wealthy.

It may not make sense of it, but how can we try to understand something that we have never experienced?

Here's a link to the Hidden Rules if anyone is interested.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gwu.edu%2F~umpleby%2Fmgt216%2FRuby_Rules.doc&ei=AXaFUpvIBPGu4AOxxYHgDg&usg=AFQjCNFMRyIqg9_ZMnGZpxCZ_BOddi_r8w&bvm=bv.56643336,d.dmg

Ziegeficker · November 2013

lady dixneuf said:

LauraT25 said:

I think that the people BCV and Zeig are describing are annoying if they make their financial problems YOUR problem, but too many people know someone like this and think that that's how ALL people with money issues are. Like the mythical unicorn welfare queens.

there is a huge difference between those people and actual poor people. Those people deserve to be judged and are making it your business and problem.

Like, I am not even close to poor. I just can't live the bourgie lifestyle I was once used to and ya know what? that's fine.

Hee heeeee, I found someone else who uses the word, "bourgie."

lady dixneuf · November 2013

Sillygirl85 said:

Anyone familiar with the work of Ruby Payne? I work with children who come from extreme poverty (refugee's from the Middle East and various parts of Africa). One important thing to understand is that there are hidden rules to the social classes that we are not aware of. One thing is that money is viewed as something to be spent. They don't have the mindset of managing money like those of us in the middle class or conserving and investing like the wealthy.

It may not make sense of it, but how can we try to understand something that we have never experienced?

Here's a link to the Hidden Rules if anyone is interested.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gwu.edu%2F~umpleby%2Fmgt216%2FRuby_Rules.doc&ei=AXaFUpvIBPGu4AOxxYHgDg&usg=AFQjCNFMRyIqg9_ZMnGZpxCZ_BOddi_r8w&bvm=bv.56643336,d.dmg

wow. WOW

this is fantastic

a friend and I were talking about WASP-yness, etc. recently and a lot of this directly mirrors what we had observed.

lady dixneuf · November 2013

And on the same note...I don't think the average American has any idea how RICH rich people are. Like they have this view of say, the Kardashians or Real Housewives. That doesn't even touch on it.

BabyCarryingVessel · November 2013

lady dixneuf said:

And on the same note...I don't think the average American has any idea how RICH rich people are. Like they have this view of say, the Kardashians or Real Housewives. That doesn't even touch on it.

Who are these people and what do they do?

lady dixneuf · November 2013

lady dixneuf said:

And on the same note...I don't think the average American has any idea how RICH rich people are. Like they have this view of say, the Kardashians or Real Housewives. That doesn't even touch on it.

Who are these people and what do they do?

I don't know why the shading is happening. Usually it's old money from the family. Think Romney.

That or hedgefunds. 99% of the time the people aren't self-made. They may have made a lot of money on their own but they also came from money. America isn't as upwardly mobile as one would think.

lady dixneuf · November 2013

btw 4 of the 6 wealthiest people in America are Waltons.

As in Walmart.

they hold .14% of the country's money. One family.

so even though they have welfare and public assistance built into their business model they collectively hold a very sizeable amount of all the wealth of the bottom 41.5% of all people in this country.

Really think about that for a second.

"The Waltons' value -- $89.5 billion in 2010 – is equal to the worth of the 41.5% of families at the lower end of the income ladder, according to an analysis by Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute. That comes out to 48.8 million households."

between the company and the family's weath a lot of them have increased poverty in this country.

lady dixneuf · November 2013

mbm1983 said:

it's weird because a lot of the wealthy people around here ARE self-made (farmers). but we're talking small millions not billions.

that's middle class though. I know it doesn't feel like it but that is sort of what I mean. That's upper middle class, not 1%

ThatWasAHoot · November 2013

That made me sad. :[
It makes me sad that some people have it so bad. As a SAHM and a one-income family, we've learned to adjust our budget from our frivolous way of life. You know, Disney World every other year instead of vacationing whenever we want and the like. But really, that post just made me so sad. I can't imagine having to put cardboard in my children's shoes. Or having them be judged for something so sad.
I remember there was a girl I went to school with back in the day and she would constantly say things like, "Well we're on welfare....so....." but she'd say it in a boasting way. I never judged her for being on welfare. But I did feel uncomfortable at the fact that she seemed sort of proud of it.
Okay I just started rambling. Anyway, I am sad for this person and I am sad for people who are so closed minded. :[

LorMor · November 2013

The one that makes me want to scratch people's eyes out is "yes, but they have made choices. They could get out of it if they really wanted to." Sure, you privileged prick. You made the choice to be born into a life where you will NEVER be poor, no matter how many bad choices you make. Grrr. I heard my husband's colleague say that to his 5 year old son.

last14real · December 2013

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