At what point do you feel "poor"

[Fat Elvis]

I was feeling kinda down today because I realize that I felt "poor." Now my rational brain knows that we are no where near poor, but my emotional brain felt that way because we've had to spend a lot of money on legal fees lately, and we had to get a new (used) minivan (our jeep gave up the ghost).

Most of the world, and an awful lot of the US would be thrilled to be in my situation, so I guess the feeling of "poor" really depends on your perspective. What would make you feel "poor."

(While I appreciate comments saying things to the effect that "as long as I have my family, health, friends, etc...I won't ever feel "poor," that isn't what I am asking.) What is the threshold for feeling financial pain?

[007]

Everytime I have to write out a check to my kids private school I feel extremely poor.

[Bugeater]

Last summer, for the first time in a very, very long time, I started worrying about putting food on the table. Felt pretty fucking poor then, but I wasn't as bad off as I thought I was.

Now tell me about your van, what did you buy?

[Fat Elvis]

Last summer, for the first time in a very, very long time, I started worrying about putting food on the table. Felt pretty ****ing poor then, but I wasn't as bad off as I thought I was.

Now tell me about your van, what did you buy?

Dodge Grand Caravan

[Gracie Dean]

My husband was feeling that way today. We live in a nice pretty spacious split level (quad) home but it was built in 68 and needs some work done. His co-worker lives in a 5 year old home and is talking about needed to buy a newer one. Hubby and I are just barely surviving and he said "what am I doing wrong" How come cliff can buy a new home and we can't....

But we are doing fine, just seems like a struggle.

[Bugeater]

My husband was feeling that way today. We live in a nice pretty spacious split level (quad) home but it was built in 68 and needs some work done. His co-worker lives in a 5 year old home and is talking about needed to buy a newer one. Hubby and I are just barely surviving and he said "what am I doing wrong" How come cliff can buy a new home and we can't....

But we are doing fine, just seems like a struggle.
Cliff is and idiot who will probably never have any equity in his home.

[DaFace]

It would take a lot to me. I mean, for my own personal finances, I would feel "poor" if I had to take out loans that I wasn't sure how I'd repay. I hate it any time I have to take any level of withdrawal from savings, even if it's minor.

However, I acknowledge that even at that point, there are people in the world who are FAR worse off than I would be at that level.

[Gracie Dean]

Cliff is and idiot who will probably never have any equity in his home.

agreed. Told hubby, our house may not be perfect, but it is spacious and clean and we are not in debt up to our ears...

Cliff on the other hand pays association dues and has guidelines down to how tall his grass needs to be

[Okie_Apparition]

I took some railroad ties from in front of some guy's house who had a lot of cats. Sold 'em & got me some Wild Irsh Rose. ~goodtimes

[JOhn]

About the time I cash my paycheck.....

Ahhh but this to shall pass:thumb:

[-King-]

Everytime I have to right out a check to my kids private school I feel extremely poor.

You might need to enroll yourself in that school also
Posted via Mobile Device

[shirtsleeve]

Every time I see my check. 27 cents on the dollar take home. Still we get by just fine. I feel financially pretty secure.

[007]

You might need to enroll yourself in that school also
Posted via Mobile Devicefuckin grammar nazis.:doh!:

[BIG_DADDY]

****in grammar nazis.:doh!:

Your avatar is weird as hell. Who is that guy?

[Buehler445]

It's all in the definition of poor. I'm with DaFace. If I didn't feel like I could service a debt, shit would get real.

But if we're just talking being comfortable enough to not have to worry about it, I'm miles away from NOT feeling poor.

[007]

Your avatar is weird as hell. Who is that guy?LMAO

Commander Riker

[BIG_DADDY]

I have taken beyond huge gambles with my career. That being said I think I would feel poor if my family had to live in any situation I would consider qhetto or we couldn't eat quality food.

[LiveSteam]

Ehh/ You get used to it.

[Psyko Tek]

let's see
\i have very little food
no money no gas
2 broken vehicles

I owe the ex $260 dollars ( will be 660 with child support)
and don't get paid for a week

I have no way to get to work but walk
it's only 7 miles

I'm thinking right nowI just got on per at the place and went from weekly to bi weekly
and they held the first paycheck
that meant no pay for a month
still trying to get out of that one

[TinyEvel]

When I have to buy the non-beluga caviar.



KIDDING!

I guess I'd feel poor if I thought my family's life/well-being was in danger. Like if we were forced to live/go to a school in a bad neighborhood, eat unhealthy, cheap food. I'm pretty thankful I can provide. It's my retirement I am worried about. I have been contributing the max to my 401K since 1993. I still don't have nearly enough. But hopefully I'll be working for 20 more years.
It just chaps me when we donate like $4,000 worth of toys, clothes and household stuff to the Goodwill every year. That money earning a 12% yield compounded quarterly would be a worth almost a half-million bucks in 25 years.

[johnny961]

Poor from a financial standpoint to me is when your liabilities exceed your ability to pay when it comes to basic needs. I can't really complain. I've been pretty well off for awhile.

[KS Smitty]

Never.

We raised our daughters on "low/moderate-income" (less than 25K for a 4 member family) wages. We qualified for reduced/free lunch, commodities, WIC and at one point food stamps and health care. You don't miss what you never had.

[keg in kc]

It's hit me lately just how poor I really am, but there isn't a whole lot I can do about it without a time machine. Looking forward, I'd like to be out of debt by the time I'm 40, so I can begin saving, but I'm not sure how realistic that is, in under 3 years. Might be nice to have health care at some point in my life, as well. Unfortunately my income is always going to be limited by my psychological/social disabilities. But on the flip side I don't have a family, which to me is a positive. I guess we'll see what happens.

[R8RFAN]

I felt poor when I just had to stroke that check for 4k to pay my taxes...

Thieving Bastards!

[Fishpicker]

the poorest I ever felt was living in a flop house which was actually a garage that had been finished. (2 roomates) I got by ok, but I always had to skimp on something. usually I went the cheap route with toiletries. I never bought shaving cream and I always used cheap bic single blade razors. sometimes I would get stuck in between paychecks and run out of something so I would end up using dish soap in the shower. I slept on empty salmon crates for the first 3 months or so.

my roommates were Vietnamese and Pakistani guys and they both knew how to cook so at least I always ate well. those guys were masters at extending food and making something good out of cheap ingredients.

[whoman69]

I feel poor when I hear millionaire athletes complaining about putting food on the table for their family and saying their contract is a joke. Then I realize it would take my wife and I 20 years just to get to one million.

[Rausch]

Still waiting to feel "rich."

[Groves]

sometimes I would get stuck in between paychecks and run out of something so I would end up using dish soap taking bubble baths in the shower.

Don't forget Rubber Ducky.

[kysirsoze]

When I read a thread about how everybody on CP makes plenty of money and never has any problems paying any bills ever.

[stevieray]

when I mistakenly compare myself to others.

on the flip, it can help you realize how 'rich" you are

ultimately, you're poor when you have a matching attitude.

[KurtCobain]

I starting feeling good after getting more hours and money, but then I started getting my wages taken to pay past debt and now I feel very poor. I need to go work at labor ready on my next day off to try to get some bills payed.

[Iowanian]

I know I'm screwed when I can't afford to pay attention.

[Gary]

I've always felt that no matter what I lost(home/cars/recreational toys/etc) I'd be ok as long as my wife and I stuck together and were able to provide the basic necessities in life to our son & daughter. As soon as I can't provide enough for my family to live even very simply, then I'd feel poor.

[Red Beans]

I feel poor when I legitimately can't afford to have something fixed when it breaks, (like my car last go around) and subsequently have to pay for it on the credit card. It sucks...

[Iowanian]

If I ever start to feel that way, I don't have to look very far for a reality check, as there is some legitimate poverty in my community.

If I get too down, I guess I'll go down to the park and ask the crazy lady who lives there in the white car for some money.

[Red Beans]

If I ever start to feel that way, I don't have to look very far for a reality check, as there is some legitimate poverty in my community.

If I get too down, I guess I'll go down to the park and ask the crazy lady who lives there in the white car for some money.


It's all about perspective I guess...

[luv]

I've been broke and felt stressed several times, but I've never really felt poor. I have friends who are worse off than me, so there's really no reason I should ever feel too bad.

[lcarus]

I feel kind of poor right now, because I desperately need a haircut and have to wait a week to get one. I know I'm not really poor, just terribly irresponsible with money sometimes.

[R8RFAN]

The Numbers

The survey revealed some interesting statistics:


47% of workers live paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet
21% of those earning over $100,000 also live paycheck to paycheck
25% of all workers reported they save nothing each month
33% do not participate in any retirement programs (employer-sponsored or otherwise)

The numbers are telling. One in four workers save $0 each month, either because they don’t have any additional money, or because they choose to spend it. While there are a few in the former category, I imagine a large percentage of those who save nothing could find something to save if they simply cut back on their lifestyle. These folks probably pay for cable, have cell phones, go out to movies, drink beer or cigarettes, indulge in meals out, etc. If only one or two items were cut from their monthly budget they could probably free up $50-$100 dollars to begin a savings program.

http://frugaldad.com/2008/09/09/half-of-us-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck/

[Rain Man]

I generally don't feel poor, and am lucky for it. However, I do worry whenever I think about retirement. I've been regularly saving since the day I got out of college, and most retirement calculators still say I'm behind where I should be. I really want to have a good retirement, and it's frustrating to still not be where I want. I need a good ten-year bull market to make up for the defense industry collapse in the early 90s (when much of my IRA was by requirement in my company's stock), the tech bust (damn you, JDS Uniphase), and the most recent meltdown.

[Bugeater]

I generally don't feel poor, and am lucky for it. However, I do worry whenever I think about retirement. I've been regularly saving since the day I got out of college, and most retirement calculators still say I'm behind where I should be. I really want to have a good retirement, and it's frustrating to still not be where I want. I need a good ten-year bull market to make up for the defense industry collapse in the early 90s (when much of my IRA was by requirement in my company's stock), the tech bust (damn you, JDS Uniphase), and the most recent meltdown.
I fully expect to work until the day I die.

[R8RFAN]

I fully expect to work until the day I die.

How old are you now?

[Easy 6]

The other day, a pack of Ramen noodles said 'damn dude! arent you sick of this shit yet?'

[RJ]

Everytime I have to write out a check to my kids private school I feel extremely poor.

That's when I feel sort of rich, because I know I'm doing something that most folks can't.

What makes me feel sort of (financially) poor at times is when I'm doing flooring estimates in million dollar homes. But when we sell the jobs I become a little bit richer so i guess that evens out.

[Reerun_KC]

Everytime I have to write out a check to my kids private school I feel extremely poor.

I used to think that, but after seeing the steep decline in public education over the last 10 years. I am thank full to go without to give my kids a great education without all the pathetic bs public schools go through.

[R8RFAN]

The other day, a pack of Ramen noodles said 'damn dude! arent you sick of this shit yet?'

I lived off of those things at one point in my life

[RJ]

I generally don't feel poor, and am lucky for it. However, I do worry whenever I think about retirement. I've been regularly saving since the day I got out of college, and most retirement calculators still say I'm behind where I should be. I really want to have a good retirement, and it's frustrating to still not be where I want. I need a good ten-year bull market to make up for the defense industry collapse in the early 90s (when much of my IRA was by requirement in my company's stock), the tech bust (damn you, JDS Uniphase), and the most recent meltdown.


I'm feeling comfortable about retirement. My wife is 15 years younger than me and she appears healthy. And for a backup plan I've been fixing up an old grocery cart I pulled out of an arroyo. Plenty of aluminum cans blowing around out there if it comes to that.

[Gonzo]

When I lost my job, I got one hell of a severance package. 1/3 year pay, full health insurance for 3 months and the rest of my car allowance for the quarter.
At first I was excited to be able to stay home with my boy for a while but after the 1st month when employers weren't beating down my door, I got extremely stressed and worried.
After 4-5 months, I got lucky and caught on with a good company. Unfortunately, I make quite a bit less money than I was used to. (About 1/4 less)
To answer the question, I never felt poor but we were really watching finances and that strained us quite a bit.
Posted via Mobile Device

[cdcox]

I'm feeling comfortable about retirement. My wife is 15 years younger than me and she appears healthy.

:hail: Brilliant! :hail:

[JOhn]

It's all about perspective I guess...

:thumb:

I've been what many on here would consider poor most of my life.

I would easily qualify for very broke at this point, but my life is rich in ways that I would never trade money for.

It's all in the perspective you have. Cash/material wise I am, until I think about were I was a couple of times in my life. And yet I know people who spend more in a day/week than I do in a month or even year, yet I am far richer than they are

[BossChief]

I would start feeling poor when I couldn't afford NEEDS in life and Ive been there a couple times.

Those are the times that make me bust my ass that much harder when times get tough.

If anyone in this thread is feeling poor and wants a change, what did it for me was starting to work for Directv almost 6 years ago as an installation technician. I would recommend the profession to almost anyone that doesn't have a problem with real work, long hours and good pay.

If you would like further information on this, feel free to PM me.

[Fat Elvis]

I think what we define as "needs" vary greatly throughout our lives as well. As a young broke college student, my definition of "need" is a whole lot different than my definition of "need" is now since I have a family.

I think once you have kids, conceptions of "need" and "poor" change radically, not because of your own self interest, but because of your interest for your family.