Quote:
Originally Posted by Investing In Chicago
Being trapped in poverty is a state of mind, most able body people are not trapped, they just choose not to do what is necessary, or do not know what to do. I see it virtually every time I speak to people from my old neighborhood (Washington Heights, Manhattan)...The vast majority of people I know don't want to work hard labor jobs (and if you have no education, that is what your options are), here is the quick and dirty on how to get out of poverty:
1. Don't do drugs
2. Don't have kids you can't afford
3. Read. Read. Read. Every book/website you can on how to make money, be financially savvy, etc...I'd recommend Rich Dad Poor Dad to start.
4. Get a job, any job really. Fast food, Construction, Garbage Man (or better yet, all of the above)
5. Apply for a credit card to establish credit, and put every purchase you make on it, and pay off immediately.
6. Make a budget...What are your absolute necessary monthly expenses? How much do you make? do you have enough? If not, get roommates, work more hours, go door to door asking to shovel snow, do yard work (I did this for 6 years as a kid)
7. Save. Save. Save. After a few years, you've probably saved enough for downpayment on an FHA loan, and have built some credit.
8. Buy a house, and get roommates. Have a 3 bed house with a basement? rent out all of the rooms and rent a room in the basement, you'll probably live for free.
9. Make improvements to house over time.
It ain't pretty, and most people are not willing to put in the work, but it's not hard.
|
What a load of bull. I've seen this before though...you're one of those fellas that managed to reach escape velocity, thinks its super easy, and wonders why others can't do the same.
1. Don't do drugs - While avoidable it is, like alcohol, often abused by people that are trapped in economic circumstances that they cannot improve. A temporary escape from grim reality.
2. Don't have kids you can't afford - Easier said than done given the limited access to healthcare and the poor quality of education provided to our poorest families. Without knowledge about reproductive health and access to the means to act on that knowledge you can't expect better outcomes.
3. Read, read, read - Again, educational opportunities for the poor are view, limited, and poor in quality. Libraries while free often don't have hours that work for poor citizens who need to work multiple jobs to sustain themselves. It also assumes that they are in a position to actually get to the library since transportation is often an issue for the poor. Access to the internet is also an issue given the expense of the connection and the cost of the hardware. Likewise, the time spent on sustainment activities limits their ability to engage in enrichment activities.
4. Get a job - As above the kind of jobs available to the poor don't provide the level of support needed to sustain themselves; the work harder and longer for less. That kind of work will leave little to know time to seriously pursue an education.
5. Apply for a Credit Card - You'll need a source of income for that. Irregular or temprorary work won't cut it. Furthermore, given the unstable nature of their income and the astronomical rates offered on those cards there is a high likelihood that they'll end up trapped in credit card debt as they turn to credit in order to bridge any gaps in income. All the more likely given the poor level of education and the complexity of the credit card terms.
6. Make a Budget - Often their needs exceed what income they have. There's only so much you can sacrifice when you're paying for cheap food, cheap housing, cheap or donated clothes, and no health care. Folks aren't poor because they blow their money on liquor and booze (often they're blowing money on liquor and booze when that money wouldn't have changed their level of indebtedness anyway).
7. Save - Save what exactly? If they're actually covering expenses month to month that'd be a miracle.
8. Buy a house - Using what as a down payment? Organs?
9. Make Improvements - Now I'm just laughing at you.
When you're born into poverty there are all sorts of structural and social hurdles to overcome. The economic and social issues associated with poverty give you a higher chance of being in a family with severe problems or disadvantages (absentee parent, single parent, divorced, substance abuse, mental health issues). Parents with little education are at a severe disadvantage when it comes to navigating he social structures needed to provide education to their child and providing the support required along the way. All the while there are a slew of environmental factors in impoverished areas that militate against attaining an education (in addition to the poor quality of educational institutions in such areas). Parent(s) working all hours just to support the household aren't in a position to provide guidance to their child and support the child's education. Crime and the unbalanced way it is enforced is a very real risk factor and the slightest misstep, leading to an encounter with police, can be a disaster that destroys any possibility of further educational or economic opportunities.
Prev
Linear Mode
