Hah! Finally found it. Her name was Anne Scheiber, and her fortune was $22 million. But she looked as poor as a church mouse.
Wow. Poor lady, but cool story!
Well, not poor lady, but you know what I mean…
My grandmother was another older lady like the ones described. She had about two dresses to her name, but gave each of her eight adult children $1000 for Christmas often (and sometimes her 20 or so grandkids, too!). She definitely wasn’t hurting for money, but she just didn’t spend it on herself.
The riches of life have nothing to do with money.
The woman in the Goodwill store could be happier and better off than any millionaire.
About two years back I was getting a prescription filled and the elderly lady in front of me was very clearly taken aback at the 10 dollar charge for her prescription - since she had some type of insurance. It was clear from her dress and the way she had to really think about it that she couldn’t afford it.
I was too damn slow on the uptake that day. I wanted to find a way to help her without embarrassing or insulting her. It was only after she left that it dawned on me that I could have simply pulled a 10 out of my wallet and told her that I saw it drop out of her purse. The guy with me is invariably quicker on the uptake than I and I’m betting he would have quickly confirmed my fib.
It is odd that even 2-4 years later the memory of that poor woman sits in my brain.
Time to play the contrarian…
First, I think it is a good sign that so many Dopers are concerned about the well-being of others, and you should be congratulated for your kindness. Even so, I find it interesting that old age seems to absolve a person of their past sins. For all we know, an elderly person shopping at a charity store or unable to afford a prescription was a lazy spendthrift in their youth, while more prudent people were working hard and saving. It is sad that people have to live out their final years in such a situation, but sometimes it is at least partly their own fault.
Except when the staff rifle through the donations before putting them on the racks etc :rolleyes: Not every shop certainly, but it’s been done in one my Mum donated to in the past.
Yes, every shop. True, some do it as part of a program, where the most valuable stuff is bought by professional antique or book buyers (for example) or is set aside to sell in a special store or section. But still a LOT of great stuff gets out there as they miss things and there is such a volume of donations.
But it’s normal that employees get 1st crack, that’s one of the benefits of working in a place like that (I worked in a used book store).
As others said you don’t know she’s poor perhaps she feels that if she goes into a charity store with a “sob” story they’ll give her a bigger break.
I once knew a woman Patricia, and she was 55 years old working TWO jobs. She said “I was gonna buy a coat but I can hold off for another year.” I said something about it being a shame she works two jobs and can’t afford a coat. She said “Well I’m not broke but I put aside all my money from my job at XXX for my son, so I’ll have something to leave him when I go.”
I was like “This would be your 25 year old son that lives with you AND DON’T WORK.”
It feels bad when someone that is old has nothing to show for it, despite however they arrived at such a circumstance. But don’t confuse poverty with unhappiness or unfulfillment.
Being poor brings you a boat load of problems, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be happy.
It was a bit disappointing, the place in question was a branch of St Vincent De Paul, so I thought they might be a bit above board. I figured they wouldn’t be in quite so much financial woe as the people who shopped there.
A number of years ago my wife and I were eating in a fast-food restaurant. There were three employees working the front of the store: two high school students and an old man. The old man was in bad shape, he looked like he had been in a car accident or something. He was wearing a neck brace and it clearly pained him to walk. While we were eating, the two high schoolers stood and talked to each other the entire time, while the old man mopped up a spill, collected the trays from the lobby, and emptied the garbage cans. By the time I left I was furious.
Also, at this point in history, women over 75 are more likely to have not worked outside the home, worked sporadically, or worked at low paying jobs.
My Grandmother shopped at charity stores because they had the fashions she was looking for. She liked the older designs, and the real wool or cotton fabrics, which she just couldn’t find in department stores any more.
That said, I think the most likely answer is that the OP made the correct assessment. Most elderly people in the US are having a hard time of it, and this will only get worse as so many retirement portfolios have now taken two major hits, one in the late 90’s and one last year. It kills me to see my Dad looking at coupons in the newspaper. He was such a hard worker, and a CEO who specialized in turning around companies which were losing money. (As opposed to those who specialized in selling them for parts.)
Between the bath he took on IT stock in the 90’s and the pathetic price he got selling his Michigan estate, he’s hurting now. Not to mention that he’s tried to go back to work and faced age discrimination.
Grrrrrrrrrrr.
Maybe she was just being environmentally conscious? For every thing purchased at a thrift store, something isn’t thrown away and something new isn’t made.
Lust4Life, I read a post earlier this week which was a hateful comment about old people. It was by someone who should know better. Your compassion restores some of my faith in those of you who aren’t quite as old.
Bolt the Nut, so what if the old person might be poor because of mistakes made when she or he was younger? Has no one ever given you a break? Have you never made a mistake? Are you waiting until you know everyone’s history before you lend a hand? The person you help might have been without a mama since he was four too.
You know, she’s right. I need to head out to the Goodwill and get a good coat. I can already feel the cold creeping into m’ bones.
Seriously, though, there’s nothing pitiful about buying second-hand anything. You were there getting cheap books, right? How’d you feel if someone felt sorry that you couldn’t get brand new books?
There’s a huge benefit to buying second-hand. You can get great deals on high-quality brands, which means if you aren’t broke, you can buy more. Some people will pay $200 for a winter coat and only have that to wear. For $200 at a second-hand shop, you can buy multiple winter coats and wear them on rotation, not only appearing to be more fashionable but also keeping down the individual wear and tear.
She probably was a poor old lady, though. Hopefully she was able to get a nice warm coat that will last her awhile.
I love scouting for good stuff at the Salvation Army. I make what a lot of people would call “good money.” Enough that my wife doesn’t work, and she was a dentist (although, not at much as a Dentist :().