TOTALLY GEEKED!

For all we know the mother may have received the necklace from a old boyfriend and it may not mean as much to her as buying her child a nice gift. It is hers to do as she wishes. I might have different feelings if they were starving but if not that is her right.

I PERSONALLY would not promise my child that Santa was bringing them a specific item if I did not know if I could get it for them.

And I don't think that's hateful. She said her daughter was six. That's young enough that she could still talk to her daughter about expectations.

lilyofcourse wrote:

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There are a whole heck of a lot of people who can make ends meet but that's it.

So they sell things, trade and whatever to be able to get that one gift for their kid.

I'm not even bringing anything in about those cheating the system.

Just that the working poor are just that. Working and poor.

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Like I said--bad decisions.   

Lawyerlady wrote:

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huskerbb wrote:

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lilyofcourse wrote:

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There are a whole heck of a lot of people who can make ends meet but that's it.

So they sell things, trade and whatever to be able to get that one gift for their kid.

I'm not even bringing anything in about those cheating the system.

Just that the working poor are just that. Working and poor.

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Like I said--bad decisions.   

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 Husker, it's not always about bad decisions.  Some people never had the opportunity to go to college or better themselves, without having any say in the matter.  And there are some people who just don't have the intelligence or drive to have higher powered careers.  People may be born equal in the eyes of this country, but not all people are born with the same gifts - some are born more intelligent, more charming, etc. 

Yes, some of it is the result of a person's bad choices, but some of them are doing the best that they can given their circumstances. 

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"Drive" is a choice.   

I think if a person is making ends meet, they are doing well. They may not have extra things, but they are taking care of the needs.

Shelter, food, clothing. Kids are getting everything they need. Then they are doing good.

I pads, bikes, games. Those are extras.

Most working poor understand the difference between need and want.

That isn't the case.

Paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean there is no insurance or savings.

Here is the definition of living paycheck to paycheck from Investipedia.

DEFINITION of 'Paycheck-To-Paycheck'

An expression used to describe an individual who would be unable to meet financial obligations if unemployed because his or her salary is predominantly devoted to expenses. Persons subsisting paycheck-to-paycheck have limited or no savings, and are at greater financial risk if suddenly unemployed than individuals who have amassed a cushion of savings.

BREAKING DOWN 'Paycheck-To-Paycheck'

Persons living paycheck-to-paycheck are often referred to as the working poor. These individuals typically have limited skills and are paid low wages, and are more likely to work multiple jobs. Individuals with high paying jobs may also be in a similar situation if outgoing expenses equal (or even exceed) incoming salary.

Lawyerlady wrote:

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There are a lot of middle class people that live paycheck to paycheck.

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 And a lot of retired people...

flan

Lawyerlady wrote:

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flan327 wrote:

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Lawyerlady wrote:

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There are a lot of middle class people that live paycheck to paycheck.

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 And a lot of retired people...

flan

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 That's actually fixed income.  They don't work and therefore won't lose their job.  If a 45 year old lives paycheck to paycheck and loses their job, they will not be able to pay their bills.  It's why there were so many foreclosures. 

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 I was actually referring to DH and myself. We both have jobs & draw PERF, but I wish we were in a better financial place right now...and it's totally our own fault.

flan

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

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I don't consider those that are living paycheck to paycheck as doing good. All it takes is one thing to send them over the edge into the poor house. One ER visit. One car break down. One job loss. And you are shot. Then you have to live off the government because you didn't plan for the future and just these things. It's just like all the Americans who are going to retire with less than $1000 in savings. Not doable.

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 But most of the time that goes along with lifestyle choices they make.  They obligate themselves to mortgage and car payments they can barely afford.  They have smart phones, cable or satellite that they watch on their big screen TVs.  Their kids wear the latest $80 Jeans and $200 shoes.  They dine out or order in 4 times a week.  

Even if you follow the rules and save at least 6 months in an emergency fund, if you are putting the rest of savings in retirement accounts - you can blow through that 6 months if you lose your job well before finding a new one.

Lawyerlady wrote:

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Even if you follow the rules and save at least 6 months in an emergency fund, if you are putting the rest of savings in retirement accounts - you can blow through that 6 months if you lose your job well before finding a new one.

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 Yeah.  so why bother.

My brother has a ph.d. Is over the lab at the University and had a house given to him for basically nothing.

 

He lives on beans and rice.

 

He makes double what my parents make put together. 

 

But he contributes nothing when he is here, and they spend at least half the year here. He actually walks away a couple hundred bucks up most times.

Now he isn't just blowing money. Between his loans, living expenses, and child support, he doesn't have any thing really left over. 

He lives paycheck to paycheck. 

I, on the other hand, wor ked nonstop from 16. At one point, before I had kids, I had 3 jobs. I paid cash for everything. Saved for what I wanted. When I got married and had kids and found myself needing to go back to work, I worked hard, got my priorities straight and was debt free by 28. 

Working poor. It has many faces.