Being poor is a state of mind
April 15th, 2008 | Living
The latest topic that the media has recently latched onto these days is that America is full of the working poor. Families across America are stricken with tightening budgets with the looming recession. Instead of Neiman Marcus, they now shop at Walmart. BMWs are being traded in for Toyotas, or even worse, Hyundais. Millions are forced to hand the keys of their homes back to the bank, and accept apartments or rentals homes instead.
These people are portrayed as poor in today’s society, and they live like kings.
Do you have a roof over your head?
Do you have a house, condo, or apartment? Can you lock your door at night and feel safe knowing that you have a place to call home? If you have a roof over your head, and a place where you can safely store your belongings, then you are not poor. Poor is someone who wanders the streets at night unsure of where they will find a place to sleep.
Do you drive a car?
Do you own a car? Do you have the ability to transport yourself and your belongings across the country and without notice? If you have the luxury and freedom to drive where you want and where you want, then you are not poor. Poor is someone who waits for hours to ride a bus that doesn’t take them close to where they want to go, or who has to walk for miles with ill fitting shoes.
Do you have a hot meal every night?
Did you have a choice in what to cook or eat for dinner each night? Chicken or beef? Soup or salad? If you can choose which vegetables to eat with dinner, then you are not poor. Poor is someone who has to go hungry so their children can eat, or who does not know where their next meal is coming.
I’m not saying that millions of American families aren’t finding themselves in terrible positions, I’m just asking that people who are wallowing in their own misery look at their own situation with some perspective. While you might need sell your house, trade your car, or cut down on your grocery bill, you are still living a better life than most other families in third world countries. Too many Americans seem to have taken their lifestyles for granted, and need to appreciate the life they still have. No matter how bad your financial situation may seem, odds are it can be much worse.
Appreciate what you have, and stop dwelling on what you don’t own or can’t afford.
I think a lot of people don’t realize just how lucky they are. When you see whole families being slaughtered in Africa, families being forced to shop at Walmart are millionaires.
Even most of the poorest Americans are rich by other people’s standards.
Are we allowed to complain about our financial situation even though children are starving in Africa? I think so… I hate to sound harsh, but there is very little I can do for families dying in underdeveloped countries.
I have a much better chance of helping myself than helping others. People will probably yell at me for this, but if I had the chance to improve my own living situation instead of my neighbor’s, I wouldn’t hesitate.
I am grateful for what I have, and I work hard to get more. I donate when I can, but I would much rather provide a better standard of living for my family than worry about someone else.
Excellent post. Even a cold meal every night would do. Riding public transportation shouldn’t make you poor either.
Poor is out in the cold, poor is no roof, poor is no food.
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Great article. I think a lot of people are out of touch with what their living conditions could REALLY be like. Most Americans can’t even imagine what life without running water would be like.
Awesome post! Thanks for looking at this from another angle as its so easy to get caught up in the media.
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[…] Being Poor Is A State Of Mind @ Pinching Copper - Are you really as poor as you think? Probably not. […]
I agree - There are so many people out there who don’t have even the basest of comforts, who am I to complain that I can’t afford 2 gallons of milk this week? Instead I try to make a difference where I am
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Yes and no. Life is about money. Whom ever handles them selves and the currency well is well doing good. Wealth is eagerly and defiantly measured incorrectly so very often. What is the price we pay for governance? I say too high. A decision basing well being against well being or crying out for assistence shows poorly at most any American level. If people could see that leaders do this and create this madness in economies then wouldn’t most of us be a step or two ahead no matter what is festering or absent in our bank accounts?
so true and stop and see how much of a blessing we have compare to others that have nothing or what you have. thank you. times like this we need to be reminded.
[…] Copper presents Being poor is a state of mind - Seb writes that some people are portrayed as poor in today’s society, and they live like […]
I would like to say that I don’t live in a third world country and cannot do anything for them nor would do something for them even if given the chance. I am proud of the fact that I am an American. I am a veteran of the U.S. Army, I have been to these other countries and let me tell you that these people bring these atrocities upon themselves. They all ask for help then spit on us so I say let them be, let them live in squalor of their own making. Yes I believe most middle-class Americans can be considered poor by AMERICAN standards today because of the current economical situation and to hell with those of you who would compare us with those other countries. We have a right to hold ourselves to higher standards than the rest of the world. This country started as colonies just like the rest of the world but we as a people have made it what it is today through tremendous strugle many many years ago and have been living a mostly priviledged life because of the efforts put forward by the vast majority of Americans throughout the years following. So if we say we are poor then I say we are poor.
i think a few of you are totally way off a bit.
this article is simply informing us that we as Americans are NOT poor. Even people who live on poverty level incomesin this country are not poor.
if you have what you need to sustain life….roof over your head, food to eat and able to buy the things you NEED not WANT, then you are not poor.
i do agree that other countries are definitely truly poor, but i think that we in the US are not poor unless we live on the street,etc.
..oh, and one more thing this is to you Demonian, while the US has somewhat high standards. The countries with higher standards are Austria,Switzlerand and Denmark.
We’re paupers compared to those countries….
Comparing life to the above article we are not poor but we are spiraling DOWNWORD. When I was young a kid who had a father who pumped gas at a filling station was able to buy a house, support a wife and children. 20 years later, with husband and wife working they could afford a home and a second car, a color TV. Now it takes two to afford an apartment in a city and most can’t afford a home of their own. The problem is our next generation will be living even worse unless there is some change.
Hum, it is hard to sit and judge what some would consider poor and what is not poor. Unless you are sitting in that condition, faced with these problems, it it really hard to say you are wrong. Now, I have been in both sets of shoes, I have walked the life of not having a roof over my head, not knowing where my next meal was or where I would find my next dollar. I also have made it to where I don’t have to worry as much about those thoughts. America is the land of opportunity for some, those who were not born here, raised by low and middle class, not public schools, or those who live in towns where the whole town relies upon the one industry that exists in that town for jobs. As a whole, America is doing well, individually from town to town, not so good. Something has to change.
We have rich … wealthy … solvent …
And struggling … poor … then broke.
Is there a one-word term for beyond broke? When you have no savings and no income, and so much debt that the creditors are sending the repo team after you?
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