Appeciate What We Have....

POOLMANinCT

I overhead something tonight , that had an impact on me. while grocery shopping there was a father & his two kids in the same aisle. I'm guessing they were about 6 yrs old. the daughter asked her pop for a halloween mask on display, he told her " on the next paychecks, sweety." maybe I was tired or whatever, but it took me for a minute.
ray

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......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

Michaeljp86

There is alot of people out there who live paycheck to paycheck. If this guy had kids he may be having a rough time paying for it all. But Ive seen alot of people like who are flat out broke, they get a paycheck and get $40 worth of lotto tickets a couple packs of ciggs.

There was a azzhole fireman who rented a apartment and he was having such a hard time paying the rent, he only makes $125 a week blah blah blah. You feel bad for the guy and let him stay and try to help him. Hes a fireman, a good guy right. After all when your a kid your told firemen and policemen are good people you can trust. He got a notice of eviction, didnt move out in 2 weeks, asked him why he was still there. His lawer said the paper meant nothing. Went to court house had him evicted and the apartment is covered in dog about 1000 pizza boxes all over, he had cable TV hooked up. The floor was paved in lotto tickets. Food trash clothes averywhere.

What was really bad is he used the fire trucks my taxes pay for to haul his crap when he moved.

Im not saying this guy you seen is a scum bag but there are alot of them out there.

shelf guy

it really is sad how many people are out there that have zero financial sense.

BuiltByMAC

Some people are just picking themselves up and trying to survive.
Not "zero financial sense" not "scum firemen", just people down on their luck trying to make it with the cards they've been dealt.

Hard these days to make it on a single salary, it it was a divorce, not only do the kids have to deal with the struggle of that, but now both Mom and Dad are trying to survive with decreased cash flow.

Yes, it's sad to see people living paycheck to paycheck. No, not all of them deserve it. That was me 12 years ago.
(But I made my boy's Halloween costumes! Can't sew for sh*t but he still had some cool duds come Trick or Treat time! lack of cash increases one's inventive nature...)

Mac

crb555

For the most part, it is just a lack of economic sense. My personal theory is that meaningful economics is not taught in Gov schools because it is easier to control someone who is poor.

On paper, I did everything wrong.... I married young, hell, the wife was only 17. Started having kids young, and had ZERO assistance from family. Everyone just knew we were going to fail.

For 15 years, I was the only source of income....my wife stayed at home to raise the kids.

I worked a lot of hours, and managed to save a minimum 10% of what I made from day 1. When my wife and I started off, we had a black and white tv... a 15$ bright orange sofa from Salvation army ....we ate grits with no butter for supper at times, so I could buy formula for the baby. But... we still paid ourselves first, and saved money.

Flash forward 18 years, and I consider myself to be pretty well off....I own waay more of my house than the bank does, drive late model paid for cars... pretty much do what I want to do within reason. And I still save 10%. Now, I do have a very nice income now... but it most certainly was not always this way. I didn't get where I am because of a high income, I got here as a result of spending my money correctly.

It's a shame that people live like that, because there is no reason why anyone cannot build wealth if they take the right approach.


Crb5

camaroman2125

I was taught the only thing that stands between you and being wealthy is yourself. You just have to find that thing that will make you the money you want, But some people are just to lazy to do it.

You can give people the oppurtunity and they still are to lazy to do anything about it. They would rather sit at home stuffing their faces and sitting in front of the tv.

Not all people are like that if they really want it bad enough they will do what it takes to get what they want. And then I'll go into some neighborhoods and see people sitting around all day living off the government and thats good enough for them.

The people that work for it usually you won't hear a word about it from them, then the people that don't wanna do anything are the ones that are always complaining they don't have anything.

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SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

daArch

there are many reasons why people are broke, and I think most of them have been touched upon here. Whether it's lack of ambition or lack of available work or lack of physical health or whatever.

But one thing we should not do is judge without walking in their shoes.

It does gall me those who take advantage of the system or kind hearted folks who try to help. It also galls me the rich who plead poverty. They drive the expensive cars, belong to clubs, own a vacation home or two, send their kids to high priced schools, yet they refuse to spend the extra $200 to have us do the job right. Those are the folks that P me off.

I hope that father in the market is able to provide for his family better in the near future. And it's not about Halloween costumes (I also have made them, even when able to afford to buy), it's about providing necessities and love.

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Wallcovering Installations by Bill Archibald|paperhanger|Eastern Mass|Greater Boston Area|Dover|Wellesley|Franklin|Sharon|MA

joasis

I make decent money, and try to hold back a percentage....if this were taught in school starting at 5 or so, imagine what it would mean to have this conditioning when you are in your twenties?

What really gets me is the half a million dollar homes, 45 miles from....we go tour these on open houses, just to see what's up in design changes, ets., and there are Humvee's, Vette's....BMW's...the works......and I bet half of those people live like my banker describes...one paycheck from bankruptcy.

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Michaeljp86

Speaking of spending money theres also another side to it, the mistake my parents made. When I was young, I never got much of anything. I though my parents were dirt poor. We had a 15 year old oldmobile my dad got from his parents, and he had a rusted out 1979 gmc pickup. We would plant melons to try to make extra money and later put in grapes. We had old tractors and a bunch of junk to farm with. I never had a holloween costume neither did my sister. We made our own out of whatever we could find.

What happened is where my dad worked back before I was around had dropped any retirement. Instead of getting a job someplace else he stayed. So all his life he horded all his money. Then one day he relized this was a mistake and he should invest his money into something like a business or rental property live his friends did who were well off now. Then he was 50 yrs old and wanted to invest in a building and couldnt because he had no credit, couldnt get a loan to buy a cor building or anything. It took months but he finaly got a loan for 20k and he had 40 k of his own he spent on the business. Then I talked him into buying a good tractor and better sprayer which is way more efficient and as well payed for itself 10 times over at least. No more break downs and saves 300% on chemicals every year.

Im not saying you should spend all your money, I try to put 50% of what I earn in the savings account but you shouldnt be afraid to spend money on something that will save you money.

POOLMANinCT

I agree with a lot of what you guys posted.
yes, there are broke junkies, morons, etc out there... it was his kids that made me reflect on myself & peers.

I just felt thankful for my great parents & how hard work has paid for me.
don't worry about me guys, I m not getting soft.

ray

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......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

Thewoodman

I was on the paycheck to paycheck side of life for over 35 years.

Then one day I got laid off, couldn't find another job in my feild so I started this business.

Fast forward five years--- Things are going great, I have employess, no more paycheck to pay check. I now provide income for 7 families. Some of them live check to check and some are doing a little better.

What have I learned?
1.You can make more money having others work for you.
2. Keep your debt low and your credit score high.
3. You never know when life will throw you a curve ball.
4. No matter what position you are at in life ( check to check or better) Enjoy life,make the most out of what you got.

Some of my best times were had during the paycheck to paycheck part of my life.

Mark

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Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.
www.wasatchvalley.com

PARA1

Success is built with BACKBONE not WISHBONE.

daArch

And remember, there are many who do not equate success and happiness with monetary goals. There are many who work as hard as long and as productively as anyone, yet do not strive for materialistic rewards.

Sometimes I look around at what surrounds me and what always seems to be needed to be done, and I ponder leading a simpler existence......but then the bills come in

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Wallcovering Installations by Bill Archibald|paperhanger|Eastern Mass|Greater Boston Area|Dover|Wellesley|Franklin|Sharon|MA

Moscow

This topic reminds me of one time at the demo durby I was standing in line to get a cold drink I over heard a little boy about 6 years old ask his mommy for a bag of pop corn, she told him no they don't have the money as she was buying 3 beers and 2.50 a pop and the pop corn was only 1.75. I was so mad that I asked the women if I can buy him the pop corn, she look at me said" if you got the money" So I took the boy over bought him pop corn, candy, hot dog, and a pop. that was the best 20 bucks I have ever spent.

WNYcarpenter

I've appreciated every post here and I respect all the rags to riches stories, and I get aggravated as well when I break my back only to see a woman buying milk with food stamps at 1 pm in her slippers!

But, I don't jump to conclusions...the company I work for just changed health insurance co. and our benefits were cut in half. (thank God we still have insurance! no vision or dental of course.) One week after our policy changed my co-worker's daughter was diagnosed with tonsilitis (sp?) Basic surgery, but it needed to be done and $2000 out of his pocket with a 20% co-pay for the the next 11 months for a family of 5.

I just hope that employers are taking care of their employees, and not looking down on people who could quite possibly represent the same lifestyle their employees are asked to live.

POOLMANinCT

truly wasn't looking down on anybody, not the way I was raised. for example, when I was akid I was in a department store w/ my mom around christmas.
a lady was looking at some "cheap jewlwery" I remember they were butterfly necklaces & earings. I pointed at them & said "yuck bugs."
mom dragged me outside & was rip pissed at me "raymond what if that's all she can afford to give." (then took a mini character builder from mom)

my point was not disdain for the girls father. I just felt bad for kids.

so wnycarpenter, its not about looking down on anybody, I just don't have
it in me to do so.

ray

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......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

Michaeljp86

Im not real proud to say Im related to a guy like this but I had a great uncle like what moscow said. I never knew him but my dad said they went to visit when he was a kid and his uncle was living in somones basement for free. He had a wife and I think 3 kids. There was on lightbulb in the nasty basement. Henry was sitting at a table eating a steak about 3in thick. His wife and kids were skinny and only had popcorn to eat. I guess when my grandpa seen this he chewed him out real good but he was that way until he died. He made alot of money but blew it on himself.

The reason I got my GC license is because of what WNY carpenter said. Nobody wants to carry health ins or anything to help the employees. My dad was a electrician at a factory for 25 years and they cut out all retirement and then got some sort of crap health ins. He herneated himself at work and still had to pay almost 10k by the time it was all over. So he started his own electrical business. Now he has some sort of inner ear disease where he cant work because he gets dizzy. Also caused from working in a factory. He quit the factory and now got on dissability. Its not much money, I think about $8000 a year and will go down in 1 year when my little sister turns 18.

oldrivers

Maybe it was just a nice way to say no. I use that one all the time "you wanna donate money to the sierra club" ?? uhh come back next week when i get my check. then i go to the store and buy 10.00 bucks worth of lottery tickets

joasis

Kinda of a veer off topic, but something to think about. In the OP, a kid is asking for a Halloween costume.....Last Sunday, a guy I went to school with lost his 12 year old son to cancer. So when we appreciate what we have, always keep in mind it isn't all about money.

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POOLMANinCT

actually jay,

you are right on topic.
appreciate what we have to share & w/ whom.

ray

__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....