Too many bundles and not enough money…
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I mean the whole point I made was that I keep having unexpected expenses lol. I can’t exactly prepare for credit card fraud or my cat not feeling well and that takes priority.
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I mean… I got that, and you can sort of prepare for that, that’s what you make an emergency found for.
But still, I just can’t believe every unexpected expense is a priority(health or legal related).
The point of saving for something is that that money will go untouched for anything else, your setting it aside, whether you have other regular expenses or not, that money won’t be used for that.
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I’m happy you’re privileged enough to not have to worry about that kind of thing and save money without issue but not all of us are as fortunate. The past 6 months have been rather extreme for me and when I was quickly pushed out of the home I shared with my ex I literally had no furniture. So there went my savings and emergency fund so I could actually, you know, live. So yeah, I have debt now because of that and every time I save up a little bit of money something else bad happens (re: credit card fraud, cat getting sick, etc). It’s not fun to assume someone else’s circumstances based on your own.
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I should tell you that emergency funds don’t work (for people in difficult situations) in the same way that it does for people who are in a better off situation. A poor person could try to put $50 into a fund, and be hit with all sorts of needs of having to use it. Medical and legal expenses are not the only high priority that could take from that fund, just two that you yourself might only have potential issues with.
There are bills, car expenses, food and clothing, all of which poorer folk struggle immensely with every day, often to the point that they are deciding between what to pay or how to eat. New expenses which are out of their reach continue to stack on existing problems, which means whatever money they could muster for the emergency funds is almost immediately spent trying to keep multiple disasters at bay. A fund is not going to help at that point, unfortunately, especially if the aim is to set aside things more for pleasure than necessity, because necessity is a constant worry and demand.
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Contrary to popular belief, being poor is EXPENSIVE!
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As my wife always says, it takes money to make money.
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Careful, don’t bite your tongue saying that, being savvy with my resources doesn’t mean I’m privileged.
There’s a lot I could say to you right now, but it’s not my intention to create bad blood with people here(although I’ll maybe doing that in a couple of lines), I was just giving you a piece of friendly advice, so please forgive me, for your Instagram led me to believe that your situation is not as harsh as you’re making it out to be.
@Rhyagelle an emergency found is an insurance you build up in times of prosperity as a buffer, so disaster doesn’t hit you full force, it won’t cover all your needs, and is something you won’t have as you recover, but is something you must aim to have once your finances allow it, I put 5% of my daily income towards it, and is so engrained on my, that I plan my life around the remaining 95% with change to spare.
A lengthier answer just for you
I don’t know where you live or the life experience you’ve had, but believe me when I tell you that I know what extreme poverty is like. If you can decide between which bill to pay or choose what to eat today you are better off than many of the people I’ve met through my life,
I’ve met people fall from grace and left alone at the bottom and go from zero back to a “normal” life, and I’ve met people complaining about their “poverty” while wasting their money drinking the night away every week or typing messages on their new iPhone, I can tell you from the bottom of my heart, that some choose to be poor.
If your bills are drowning you, cut the services you don’t really need, don’t buy stuff you can’t afford, and if you could before and not now, sell it or return it, avoid credits or loans, they should be your last resource and make it a priority to pay them once you can.
Do you really need a car? if so get the cheapest and most efficient one you need, not the one you want, if you don’t need it, sell it or don’t bother getting one, you have public transport, it will chip you money, but not as much as that car, and walk when/if you can.
Do you really need that new dress or shirt? don’t let it worry you that people see you as a portrait for always wearing the same; unless you really have nothing to put on, you have other things to worry about right now.
And if you’re really buried in disasters as you say, believe me when I tell you, that pleasantries will be the last of your concerns, if you can buy a beer, a bag of chips, pay your phone plan, etc., then you have money to spare, money that, if you really think you’re poor, then you have better uses for.
I won’t go detailing my expenses, but my bills amount to a little over $150, $50 for clothing but that’s just once a year. I haven’t bought shoes in five years and looks like they last me for a little longer too.
My most expensive meal is a $2.5 street food dinner I buy once in a blue moon, otherwise, I’m blessed to live in a country where an apple doesn’t cost me more than a burger(f murica).
I don’t have a car, either I walk or take a bus
My found covers enough to pay a bail, six months of rent and very basic shopping, or about a week of hospitalization should something happen to me, I could buy that new gaming PC that I’m always bitching about with that, but my life will not depend on it.
By the way, I said health not medical; food, housing and whatever you need to live are grouped on that, bills and what not go to legal, since those are contracts you’ve acquired by the end of the day.
@Pylinaer No, being unorganized is expensive, there are people here living on less than minimum wage and yet have no economic problems they complain about, there are also people struggling to pay their rents yet throwing parties every weekend.
@Vindace long ago, a homeless teenager knocked on to a neighbor’s door, asked him if he needed something done, that he would do it for some money. He put him to wash his car, the kid took his raged shirt, put it underwater from a nearby faucet and cleaned the car spotless with it, kid walked away with five new shirts (two mine and three my neighbor’s) and $20 on it’s pocked.
It takes effort to make money, once you’ve saved a little, you can if you want, make an investment with it, that is what your wife is talking about.
Lastly, kudos to you guys, you took a bit of simple advice, throw it out of context, and apply it to the most extreme of cases you could think of where it wouldn’t work.
I really wasn’t aware that KittyBear’s situation was so dire, but now I know better, next time I think one of my comments may be helpful, I’ll shut my trap and just keep it to myself.
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@inferry I am aware of her meaning, and I do agree with you. I was just noting how starting up most businesses and jobs (and even getting a new job) have costs. That usually is money (buying a work-appropriate outfit can run you a decent amount of money depending on where you are able to purchase it and what your job is). In that case it was certainly effort. My intention was not to start bandwagoning against your stance, and was more just a comment on some of the later replies.
I probably should have just left it, but it is what it is now. I don’t want to downplay @KittiBear’s situation and at the same time I agree with your financial advice for sure; I’m incredibly impressed with what you have been able to accomplish and come back from given that story.
I’m going to just chalk it up to the fact everyone’s on edge due to the recent tragedy (and other personal tragedies and events obviously) and also say we should move on. Everyone has given their opinions and stance, and any further conversation is only really going more off topic. We all have our different walks of life and experiences.
Since I’m genuinely interested, for those who have NMS, how are these organic ships? The update looks incredibly cool, and I’m curious as to how varied the ships can be.
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People post the best of their lives online, not the worst. I also have barely updated my gaming IG in forever. All the games I have were collected when I was living with my ex an in a much different financial situation than I am now. I can make new posts with games I haven’t featured on my IG before, that doesn’t mean I just bought the game and so on. And those moments in the past few months when I could get myself something were clearly moments I was able to save up for something between my own tragedies. A post from a month, two, three, or more ago doesn’t reflect what is going on in my life right now. Your life can literally change in a matter of seconds based on one thing happening. Dec 30th I was all smiles and hanging out with my new BF, Dec 31st I was in tears cause someone hit my credit card for a couple thousand dollars worth of fraud. I’ll get the money back eventually, and if I don’t I can take it up in court, but my bank said the investigation would take a few months and until then I won’t see that money again. A couple thousand is a lot to be down on, and now Kamina is sick and had to go to the vet and is on antibiotics which is also expensive, but I can’t exactly deny my pet / family something like that just because times are rough. I’m already pinching pennies where I can, skipping meals here and there and just being cheap where I can. Friends have been kind enough to take me out to places and do things with me despite my situation, which I appreciate greatly, but just cause it plays out and appears like everything is good on the surface on things like IG, doesn’t mean it is.
I had to pay a huge amount on Notary fees to get myself removed from the mortgage I had on my old place with my ex just a few weeks ago. He treated me to breakfast for it, but it was still hundreds of dollars and a missed hours of work (no, I cannot make the hours up my workplace does not work like that) because the notary was only available during work hours. That’s not really stuff I feel like posting on my gaming IG where I want to have fun and express my love for gaming.
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Anyway sorry for derailing the thread everyone. I didn’t expect or intend for an innocuous comment to become its own discussion 
Let’s just return to our regularly scheduled broadcast
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Sub-topic comments
You don’t seem to understand, but a lot of people don’t understand the difficult situation a lot of poor people are in.
A stable household could put money into an emergency fund and build it up for a disaster of any sort, but that isn’t possible for poorer folk. They make a meager check, and that small amount of funds often spreads between a large family, bills which are almost never caught up, food (which only seems to grow more and more expensive), car expenses, medical expenses (if they can even afford that, and just so you know, they can’t) and so much more. If a person doesn’t have money at the end of a paycheck (living paycheck to paycheck) how can you expect them to adequately fill an emergency fund?
That is what you are missing. You think that all poor situations are similar, and that they just need to cut something and everything will be okay or able to be dug out of. That isn’t so. There is no time of “prosperity” for poor people. It never comes, less a miracle drops from the sky and lands on their lap. But miracles and hopes don’t feed you or pay your bills.
I could never tell my situation in detail because it is that pathetic, that saddening, and I definitely wouldn’t want to tell you how bad it often gets. I couldn’t even tell you how my neighbors live. It is a cruel, unforgiving life which no poor person ever wants to discuss.
And you are right. There is no doubt in my mind that there are people even poorer than those who have to decide what to pay in order to eat etc etc, some don’t even have homes to worry about, or a paycheck to stress over. I have been in situations that are dark numerous times, and I know numerous people in that situation. Your idea that because it can get worse doesn’t mean others are capable of doing what you suggest in their current financial state.
I’m sorry, but what does that prove? You keep judging a majority off your own interactions, of which it seems you have never experienced and I have no idea of. Finding a story of someone’s success isn’t, unfortunately, how it goes for the rest of us.
Where you live, who you are, debt, not attending college (try getting a job when they continuously ask you for such), medical problems, no car or worse a car you haven’t been able to pay off yet, insurance (because you have to have insurance if you got a car), bills, food, clothing and let’s not forget doubling that worry and stress if said person has children. And they often do.
The fact that you think that frustrates me to no end. It reveals just how others in more comfortable places could never imagine the pathetic lives the poor lives. It is completely out of their ability to comprehend.
My friend works for Apple. Makes them have an iPhone for work, but I can tell you now he ain’t thriving simply because he possess an iPhone. Now this of course isn’t the situation for all, but you judging them better off simply because they have an expensive phone is ludicrous.
Again, you are thinking one situation is the situation for all. What bills do you think a poor person could live without? Power? Water? Internet (oh, bad for them if they work at home or accessing their balances etc (just so you know, internet has become so integrated in life politicians here argue it should be free))? Car insurance? And what stuff do you think they can’t afford?
Oh, trust me, they often sell everything they can. It doesn’t improve their situation at all.
This is a joke? Try imagine being poor, and your $600 paycheck can’t cover everything. Let’s say you could cover power and water, and food (all trash food, like hotdogs, ramen etc), but you don’t have the money to pay your car insurance–to a car which takes you to your work and threatens you all of the time to be taken away. These are the situations that typically befall a poor person who turns to credit or loans, to cover which they couldn’t because they had nothing. They get much worse all of the time, but only rarely does it get better.
They don’t just go out, decide to get a loan or credit, and buy the town. They’re doing this because they have absolutely no other way to continue living–because they have to. The thought is, “next pay check, I’ll pay it off” but not surprisingly, it can never be. How far can you spread $600, or even $800? In small towns like those in KY, bills exceed $150 on each. It is insane how expensive things are around the country. When I heard my friend paid all his bills under $200 in Alabama (some sort of coupled bill? Not sure what you call em), I honestly couldn’t believe him. Boy, if only that was how it was for everyone. It could cut the poverty down sharply, I’d imagine.
You say “disconnect that service” or “stop getting credits/loans” but you are refusing to understand the situation that befalls said people in the first place. It isn’t a frivolous, drop of the hat decision because they’re just incapable of using their heads to get out of poverty. Life kept beating them down to that position in the dirt and they are left without any other option.
Should they take their flying broomstick to work? What about the country poor who often live away from town, aka work? Of course they need a car, and they often do get the shit of the stock. I honestly don’t know a single soul in poverty that bought a car they shouldn’t have. The vehicles here range from 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and (real early) 2000s (all of which was trash when bought but continues to fall apart). In fact, the only people I see driving fancy new cars are the doctors and the police.
Oh, and just so you know, public transport isn’t everywhere and if or when you can find it, it isn’t cheap. The public one nearest to me (about 15miles) charges $4 a mile and $2 with a medicaid card, each way. If I did that, my cost to get to the nearest city (30miles) would be outrageous.
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What kind of nonsense is this?
I’m happy you never experienced being poor, I truly am, but don’t for a second think that you have the right of the situation. You don’t. And just so you know, poor people often get into the addiction of drinking because of their situation. Yes, that is something they should stop (for numerous reasons!), but see that’s not how addiction works. They did it to forget or to relax, but it sped from there out of control. The same with cigarettes, or cocaine, or other drugs which they can’t afford but neglect other things to pay for.
It seems to be that you are not talking about poor people, you are talking about people in a far more comfortable situation that just spends money they shouldn’t in really stupid ways (such as going out with their friends too many times to a bar, or buying in bulk clothing they shouldn’t). One which is not prescribed as “being poor”. Someone just below the the medium but not yet on that low. Who can’t spend money on frivolous things but go home not worrying about their bills or their life.
$150? And that is for everything? That is amazing (England?), but unfortunately for the rest of us, bills stack to the hundreds, and we can never get over the slump of them because we have to pay the water, or the power, but that bill we choose not to pay of which we need (because again, poor people aren’t stupid and buy thinks they shouldn’t or don’t need), goes up and up in price. Then you get that threatening call which leaves you in dread that says they are shutting you off. Fine. You’ll pay water next time. You can plead or explain your situation to them, sometimes they have a heart enough to understand and extend your bill, most times they don’t.
And I once again say you are not talking about poor people. You are talking about someone who can pay their stuff, live comfortable, but isn’t making enough money to go spend frivolously but do so anyhow. Poor people don’t have that luxury.
You live in a comfortable situation. I’m glad you don’t experience the life of a poor person, but acting like poor people are just incompetent and make bad choices, and that’s why they are in the situation they are in, is unquestionably incorrect and insulting.
What does that change? You can all it whatever you want, pick whatever you want, these things come in the way of an emergency fund.
I’m sorry, but you don’t know what extreme poverty is or even low poverty, and watching from the sidelines as someone else crawled out of their situation (whatever that was?) doesn’t mean that you know it or that you can understand how they got there and why they can’t get out.
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Yes. It is difficult I guess to explain, but being poor is expensive.
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$22.79 with keys going fast @ Fanatical for the next 12 hours. Been a hectic day at the end of a frazzling week, wish I could have posted sooner but hope some more of you pick it up to join me!
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I really should fire the game up again. This looks so cool.
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And this isn’t even the end. They’re planning to pump out even more expansions, for free. lol
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it doesn’t seem like they are slowing down any time soon. lol
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Is it weird to say this might be one of the most relaxing and fun “chill down” games despite it now having horror elements? Update after update, they continue to add value. Very impressed. 
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It is. I can’t really play it because the graphics give me motion sickness to an extent that I can’t even operate anymore, but it is one of those relaxing games you could play on and off, or hours on, and just feel a little at peace. Their continuous dev support is incredible, too.
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