Poverty Sucks

[Egaladeist]

I suppose this could go into the gripe n' rant forum as well.

I've worked hard all my life. Nothing really special about that, a lot of people work hard, especially people in poor Third World Nations. I can't even imagine what they have to do just to survive every day. As poor as we are we're well-off in comparison. They wish that they lived like a poor person in a First World Nation.

But having said that, it still sucks. I remember Christmases where my girls would have 30 presents under the tree. Eat out twice a week. Get stuff on a weekly basis. Eat delivered food sometimes three times a week. If I wanted something like a new futon I could just go out and buy it. It's called being reasonably comfortable. Not rich...not well-off...but comfortable...comfortable to me anyways...and debt free.

Then the shit hit the fan...and for the last 5-6 years it's been one struggle after another. Trying to stay afloat. Keep the wolves from the door. Whatever other cliché you want to throw in there.

And the strange thing about this is I've been working the entire time. Yep, I'm the quintessential example of the working poor. The under-paid, over-worked, stiff, just barely making ends meet. One waiting disaster away from homelessness.

The only saving grace about the last few years has been I've managed to avoid debt. Only because I'm old school, if I can't pay cash...I don't buy it.

Got a few irons in the fire, nothing great, but enough to get me out of the shit-hole situation I'm in, enough to breath, but it's not coming fast enough. But it's a light...a hope...

who else here is struggling? Fox

[DaFoxx]

err YEP
still a struggle

crashed in 2009, lost user of left leg, will never walk properly again
out of work over a year, got feck all benefits
lost my house of 23 years
marriage fecked
bike gone
sold car to pay bills

then back into work, few weeks at a time at shit rates, just to get SOMETHING
got a decent contract at moment, but too little too late
no car / bike / house / savings /
cant remember last holiday I had
my dad just died too

apart from that
could be worse
so far, this century SUX
not the best decade I've experienced TBH

still, mustn't grumble
scared to actually
no idea WHAT might happen if the FSM really flexed her noodly appendages

[chaosclown]

You know what they say, no matter how bad off you think you are there is always some one worse........I can't complain, I have no right to do so......

[rapier57]

My prayers are with you all. I wish there were something I could do or say that would help.

Since I retired, I am surviving on a pretty fixed income. As I can, I pick up some work to help add to our pot. I did make contact at a security conference this week with a regional vendor. We are exploring some sales engineer support work involving setting up and migrating security appliances. Pay is great for short term gigs. Maybe you could find something similar in your neighborhood. Think about the sales droids you experience. They know enough to get the sale. Someone with some skillz has to scale the solution and install it.

Something else I'm doing is volunteering with the local law enforcement. Once I get through the screening and background check, I will work with fraud investigators to develop community outreach and curriculum and present programs in the community. Yes, this is volunteer. But, volunteer time of this type is deductible. So, keeping track of the hours and assigning a value, I can deduct it from income and get a tax break. It does help.

Just some thoughts. Might help.

[Aspman]

Is anyone who works or has worked finding it easy? Come to the UK with nothing and the government will throw cash at you. Pump out 4+ kids and they'll give you a nice big house for free and more cash.

Dare to get a job and they'll tax the fillings in your teeth, tax you twice to go to work, tax you three times at work.

We're not too bad but mortgage and child care are crippling. We pay close to £700 ($1100) a month for the boy to go to the child minder we'd like another sprog but simply can't afford to do it.
Feckin gas and electric is close to £2k a year. I only drive 200miles a week but that costs close to £40 ($63), tax on the car is £250 a year ($400).
Luckily neither of us have much debt. Car is worth a little more than is owed on it, house is the same.
got to remortgage soon and if the valuation of the house has gone down we'll need to use saving to try to get a deal otherwise we'll get shafted.

If the Gov would stop giving away all our feckin money, stop feeding the parasites and mind it's own fucking business we'd all be better off.

[DaFoxx]

maybe it will all be better AFTER Dec 20

ya never know, those Mayan guys were a little loopy, but they must have known SOMETHING

[rapier57]

Yeah, well we're upside down on our mortgage by about $50K, due to the valuation crash. Refi'ed not long ago, though, to get a better rate. Called a streamline, so no worry about how upside down we were.

Now, both of us are retired. Wife has SS and retirement. I have retirement and whatever I can bring in from contracts or gigs. Then there is the family farm income. Wheat did well this year, so we're getting a record lump sum. Much will go for taxes, though.

This year, I get to start drawing on SS.

So, we're kind of in a fixed income situation, but there are increasing opportunities out there. And, friends. Keep in contact with folks you've worked with in the past. I'm making a connection now via my former boss, who sings my praises. May get a nice gig from it.

There is something to be said for keeping a positive attitude and not giving up.

[DaFoxx]

There is something to be said for keeping a positive attitude and not giving up.

now THAT should be our motto
and it is SO true

[DaFoxx]

still around, and still poor and yes, poverty still SUX

[rapier57]

Well, poverty still sucks. But, I’m doing OK.

The last six years have seen me write and publish three young adult/teen novels, move to Spokane, WA, and get a Harley-Davidson. No, I’m not getting rich from the books, but getting some notoriety.

Wife’s parents both passed away and she and her sisters inherited the farm. So, things have changed.

I will be traveling this summer, so check my (www.guypace.com/Events) page to see if I’ll be in your neighborhood. Holler. We can connect and get coffee.

[DaFoxx]

SO, working still, same job since February 2017 now, had a financial review as part of a whole life kind of thing, got my pensions sorted to a single pot, used my inheritance and a slice of the pension pot to buy a house, little 2 bed bungalow, got a car and a bike again so things are appearing to be fine, but as per Eg in post #1 work only pays bills, leaves nothing to cover any unforeseen eventuality - like a puncture etc - tried to work it out, it comes to around I have £400 pcm left over, and THAT has to get me £200 on food, £200 on fuel so I can get to work, and £200 to the credit card so I can stay afloat, and yes, I know that makes a £400 pcm and I use £600

but that is how I roll nowadays LOL

need to get a better paying job, but working nights, so home every day, can get and collect daughter from college, and I am also set to be in hospital again in new year for a replacement knee op, so as job is perm, and I get sick pay, will stay here till that is sorted, then am going to have to look around
don't need much more, but HAVE to get more, if I get work local, will save 00's in fuel over the year, and if I can get my basic to what it was BEFORE the accident in 2009 ffs, I will be fine

but there's the damn IF again

anyhow, still crawling along
not going out, don't drink, eat out, visit friends, managed one night away this year, and that damn near crippled me LOL

trying to save something so I can go again next September, so still over 9 months away, and already looking dodgy ffs

try to keep smiling though, daughter doing well, so not all bad ....................

[Egaladeist]

I hear ya...the struggle is never ending. Same job in my 8th year working piss wages but keeps the wolves at bay. Girls are grown, one not home, one home but has been talking about moving out, so they are now both at that age I no longer have to worry '' if something happens to me what will they do ''. The youngest pays nothing, well neither did, that allows her to sock away money for her future and I throw in what I can.

Trying to convince her to stay at home as long as she can so she can keep socking away her cash, because once she leaves the nest, no more free ride The big bad world will start chipping away at all that saved money........FAST

But it's a major relief to me to not have that monkey on my back that I had when they were younger and completely dependent upon me for everything. I suspect the young one will leave the nest probably within the next year or so, she's been flirting with the idea of moving in with her boyfriend, going to be spending the next few days at his place, I guess her way of testing the waters.

I've warned her of the downside, if she does it permanently and things don't work out. Right now she has a safety net, she can always pack up her shit and come home...but that might not always be the case.