# Financial disacuity **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 22, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949 "2014-12-22T20:10:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/81 "2014-12-25T07:21:19Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Well at least Shodan had some substantive points to bring up. You got … let me see there … nothing … in the substantive department. If your argument were a bank account the bank would be dinging you for overdrafts. Please, Cracked overreaches all the time. It is there gimmick. Pointing it out is like pointing out water is wet. And don’t give me the “they’re humorists” line. If so, they wouldn’t research these things as well as they do. Which is what makes the glaring errors all the more glaring. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/82 "2014-12-25T07:25:16Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Please, Cracked overreaches all the time. It is there gimmick. Pointing it out is like pointing out water is wet. And don’t give me the “they’re humorists” line. If so, they wouldn’t research these things as well as they do. Which is what makes the glaring errors all the more glaring. The article doesn’t claim to be an academic study of poverty and the effects it has on behavior and spending, it was one guy sharing his experience. There isn’t a single cite because it isn’t anything more. Hell I disagree with a few items, others are spot on. It is just being poor can cause these dysfunctional behaviors. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/83 "2014-12-25T11:52:07Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Please, Cracked overreaches all the time. It is there gimmick. Pointing it out is like pointing out water is wet. And don’t give me the “they’re humorists” line. If so, they wouldn’t research these things as well as they do. Which is what makes the glaring errors all the more glaring. Do you also complain about the journalistic integrity of _The Daily Show?_ ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/84 "2014-12-25T14:49:44Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Please, Cracked overreaches all the time. It is there gimmick. Pointing it out is like pointing out water is wet. And don’t give me the “they’re humorists” line. If so, they wouldn’t research these things as well as they do. Which is what makes the glaring errors all the more glaring. As Grude points out, the article is not a survey or anything of that nature, it’s one guy recounting his personal experiences. Furthermore, he is not DEFENDING the wisdom of the choices he made, but explaining the psychological and social mechanisms behind these poor choices. A lot of the criticism of financial disacuity described in this thread implies that the people are just being stupid and shortsighted and if they’d just grow up, they’d do a lot better. Well there’s no doubt the people described in this thread need to change their behavior, but in some cases, it’s not just immaturity that’s causing the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/85 "2014-12-25T16:22:36Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Not sure this is a LIE per se. NPR for example, quotes a nutritionist/economist on the topic:[Why processed foods are cheaper than fresh foods.](http://www.npr.org/2013/03/01/173217143/why-process-food-is-cheaper-than-healthier-options) It doesn’t matter if processed food is cheaper than fresh food. It doesn’t matter if fresh food is cheaper than processed food. I’ve lived in the 'hood. If you go to the 'hood, and set up a food stand that sells fresh fruit & vegetables at a price much cheaper than processed foods, you still won’t sell much. The cold hard reality is that many (most?) poor people don’t want to eat fresh fruit & vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/86 "2014-12-25T16:52:25Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Islam is quite common in Africa. > > See halel (very similar to Kosher). Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/87 "2014-12-25T17:04:15Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The article doesn’t claim to be an academic study of poverty and the effects it has on behavior and spending, it was one guy sharing his experience. There isn’t a single cite because it isn’t anything more. > > Hell I disagree with a few items, others are spot on. It is just being poor can cause these dysfunctional behaviors. The thing is that it isn’t only the poor that have dysfunctional behaviors when it comes to money. Granted, it HURTS more when you are poor, but there are plenty of examples in this thread of people making a good income who still are making piss poor choices. Being poor doesn’t cause these behaviors, it makes them easier to understand and justify. But most of them exist across the entire income spectrum. The number of people I know with six figure household incomes and zero savings, who spend their tax return every year on taking a trip or getting some new toy outnumbers those people with a six figure income who set it aside. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/88 "2014-12-25T17:12:37Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Please, Cracked overreaches all the time. It is there gimmick. Pointing it out is like pointing out water is wet. And don’t give me the “they’re humorists” line. If so, they wouldn’t research these things as well as they do. Which is what makes the glaring errors all the more glaring. > [@jz78817](#): > > Do you also complain about the journalistic integrity of _The Daily Show?_ There have been multiple threads around here with a variation of the theme “Cracked is funny, but their facts are often screwy.” I honestly didn’t think this was up for debate. If you’re an expert on whatever Cracked is writing about, playing “spot the error” if often the only way to enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/89 "2014-12-25T17:13:27Z")
I think it’s so funny that everyone is like “I saved all my money, and I bought a HOUSE, proving I have good priorities.” What’s so wrong with renting a room, huh? Around here, you can rent a room for a few hundred dollars a month. Renting a large closet or other improvised living space is even less. For less than it costs to heat your precious house, you can have all your housing taken care of. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/90 "2014-12-25T17:15:42Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > What’s so wrong with renting a room, huh? Because renting something means that it’s not yours. Buying a home means you own it. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/91 "2014-12-25T17:22:38Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The story goes that John D. Rockefeller was complaining to his daughter about how much she spent on clothes. She laughed at him, and said, “Don’t be silly, daddy - we can afford it.” He growled back, “That’s all right for you to say - you have a rich father!” > > Regards, > Shodan I hope someone got a new joke book for Christmas: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16783947&postcount=33](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16783947&postcount=33). ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/92 "2014-12-25T17:59:13Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Not sure this is a LIE per se. NPR for example, quotes a nutritionist/economist on the topic:[Why processed foods are cheaper than fresh foods.](http://www.npr.org/2013/03/01/173217143/why-process-food-is-cheaper-than-healthier-options) I’m sorry, but that “nutritionist” is an idiot. He thinks it takes longer to eat strawberries than to make macaroni and cheese. And he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of “per serving”. Processed foods are not cheaper than fresh. How can they be? You have to factor in the cost of processing them. Merry Christmas, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/93 "2014-12-25T18:09:40Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Because renting something means that it’s not yours. Buying a home means you own it. Which means that you are investing in your home over time. In really expensive parts of the country, like Washington DC, it can be a major burden to own a home (including condo or townhome), but I have a lot of friends in the Valley nearing retirement age. The ones that bought homes can sell their homes and move to cheaper parts of the country, giving them retirement savings. If you CAN manage to swing the mortgage without impoverishing yourself - and if you don’t buy during a stupid bubble, home ownership is still one of the best financial security moves you can make. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/94 "2014-12-25T18:19:37Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I’m sorry, but that “nutritionist” is an idiot. He thinks it takes longer to eat strawberries than to make macaroni and cheese. And he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of “per serving”. Processed foods are not cheaper than fresh. How can they be? You have to factor in the cost of processing them. > > Merry Christmas, > Shodan Four ounces of strawberries will give you a whopping 50 calories. The same weight in McDonald’s french fries will give you 380 calories. Throw in a medium coke, and you’re up to 580 calories, easy. At the combined cost of the fries and the coke, you can buy a pound of strawberries…provided they are in season and on sale. If you’ve only got two dollars to spend on lunch, which would you choose? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/95 "2014-12-25T18:26:34Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Because renting something means that it’s not yours. Buying a home means you own it. Yeah, but find a cheap enough living space and it doesn’t matter. I can find you an improvised living space you can rent for $200 a month. That’d basically be utilities and maintenance on a house. Hell, you’d be better off living in the rented closet, buying a house, and having renters cover the mortgage. THAT would be a sound financial decision. But of course, you don’t want to do that, because middle class people in this country put a lot of social and personal value in living on a nice piece of property that they own. In other words, I understand the value of owning a home. But objectively, it’s not some kind of rock-bottom low-cost way to live. People of every class have luxuries and status symbols that they consider to be worth the costs. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/96 "2014-12-25T18:30:02Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Please, Cracked overreaches all the time. It is there gimmick. Pointing it out is like pointing out water is wet. And don’t give me the “they’re humorists” line. If so, they wouldn’t research these things as well as they do. Which is what makes the glaring errors all the more glaring. They try to straddle that irritating line that (usually conservative) media personalities spend so much time jumping - they expect all kinds of absurd, half-true spewings to be taken as truth, then, when they’re caught out on something, lamely say, “We’re just entertainers/humorists/some category that doesn’t have to be responsible for anything they say.” When they stay on the side of MAD-style humor, they are tolerable. When they try to get serious, even in the name of humor or satire, they tend to make jackasses of themselves, and not in an humorous way. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/97 "2014-12-25T18:48:47Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > They try to straddle that irritating line that (usually conservative) media personalities spend so much time jumping - they expect all kinds of absurd, half-true spewings to be taken as truth, then, when they’re caught out on something, lamely say, “We’re just entertainers/humorists/some category that doesn’t have to be responsible for anything they say.” > > When they stay on the side of MAD-style humor, they are tolerable. When they try to get serious, even in the name of humor or satire, they tend to make jackasses of themselves, and not in an humorous way. And yet, that article spoke to a lot of people (including myself, who grew up in non-prosperous circumstances.( ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/98 "2014-12-25T19:05:07Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Because renting something means that it’s not yours. Buying a home means you own it. So? I admit to being rather unusual in that I don’t care whether or not I leave something for someone after I die (no enmity or anger implied - I have no dependents and my siblings aren’t in need), but I’ve always rented and I am happy to do so. Very few responsibilities re upkeep (I am a bit of a pig, so I do need to put a little effort into making sure I don’t disgust the landlord), if anything significant breaks I just tell the landlord rather than arranging repairs myself. In the absence of any concern about my estate I see very little wrong with renting. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/99 "2014-12-25T19:08:23Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Yeah, but find a cheap enough living space and it doesn’t matter. I can find you an improvised living space you can rent for $200 a month. That’d basically be utilities and maintenance on a house. Hell, you’d be better off living in the rented closet, buying a house, and having renters cover the mortgage. THAT would be a sound financial decision. But of course, you don’t want to do that, because middle class people in this country put a lot of social and personal value in living on a nice piece of property that they own. > > In other words, I understand the value of owning a home. But objectively, it’s not some kind of rock-bottom low-cost way to live. People of every class have luxuries and status symbols that they consider to be worth the costs. There are good arguments for both. The upside of a house is that you’ll likely get your money back at some point and maybe even make a profit, whereas rental money is money gone for good. On the other side of the coin, you won’t have to fix the roof in a rental or do costly repairs, and you can get out from under a rental/lease fairly easily. I didn’t buy a house until I was 50 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949/100 "2014-12-25T20:07:22Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Four ounces of strawberries will give you a whopping 50 calories. > > The same weight in McDonald’s french fries will give you 380 calories. > > Throw in a medium coke, and you’re up to 580 calories, easy. > > At the combined cost of the fries and the coke, you can buy a pound of strawberries…provided they are in season and on sale. > > If you’ve only got two dollars to spend on lunch, which would you choose? If you are merely trying to maximize calories, buy sugar. I would guess that the average poor person needs to pursue a strategy other than “buy the most calorie-laden food you can find”. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/financial-disacuity/707949.md?page=6)