What is it like to be poor (low economic bracket)

In My Humble Opinion
41

I think what sattua is getting at is that all of the above is MUCH more miserable if one is poor. And in my neck of the woods, apartments that include w/d or at least w/d hookup do indeed cost more for rent per month, as that’s more desireable.

As for the raining and having to do laundry at a laundromat, well of course both the not so poor and the poor have to initially go out into the rain, but when you’re a little more well off, you can actually DRIVE there and take some entertainment with you, or go to lunch while doing laundry etc. When poor, and with no vehicle to take you, it’s a pretty miserable experience to cart a large duffle bag back and forth by bus in the rain.

Depending upon the part of the country, or as some from Canada have pointed out, THE country you’re from, 20k may, or may not be all that poor. But it will be a long, LONG ways from living under mom and dad’s roof.

Research, plan, budget, and then research plan and budget some more, and then several more times. Buy as much as you can of what you’ll need NOW. Particularly if it might be a “luxury” item, like a decent TV, or stereo.

Pay things like car insurance far far ahead. Get enough new clothing to last, and so on and so forth. LORD if I’d have known then what I know now.

42

Three things (which have been touched on before, but bear repeating, cause they’re damned important):

  1. Don’t get into debt. If you can’t afford it, save up and buy it. It will give you time to figure out if you really want it or not. Get one credit card with a very low limit ($1000 or less) for emergencies and establishing a credit rating.

  2. Budget. Know what you’re spending your money on, and if it’s worth it.

  3. Check out voluntary simplicity. You don’t have to make a lot of money to be happy if you have sat down and figured out just what it is you want out of life to start with.

Did I mention don’t get into debt? My husband and I are clawing our way out of big debt, and I wish to God someone had given us this advice 10 years ago (or more realistically, that we’d listened when they told us).

43

Most gigs are Thur-Sat and even if you are giving lessons during the week, why not wait tables or something in the evenings/lunch/whenever you aren’t teaching? Waiting tables is good for disposable cash.

44

While this might be true for the OP, it also might not be. My parents are extremely well off. I just moved out and am living on around $20,000 a year. I have all the luxuries that ever mattered to me, even living in a 1-bedroom with not-particularly-low rent. And I’m saving money on top of that.

It helps that I’m not big on going out, I guess. At first I felt like I needed to cut back on book/CD/DVD/clothing purchases, but it looks like I overbudgeted in certain areas and didn’t have to be that stingy. (I’ll probably keep doing so to save up money, but.)

I’m not paying for my own health insurance yet, either…but with a little rebudgeting I could do it, and since the OP is Canadian, this won’t be such a big deal.

A comprehensive budget and a healthy fear of debt are key.

45

Actually, that bit of kunilou’s calculations is right, it’s the next step that’s wrong!

$20k/yr start
-$450/month rent and utilities ($5,400/yr) = $14,600/yr
-$90/month phone and transport ($1,080/yr) = $13,520/yr
-$5/day food (~$1,800/yr) = $11,720

Leaves a bit over $30 a day for everything else (around $220/wk)

[/mathsgeek]

46

Our combined household income places me firmly in the middle class. As a child I was probably lower middle class. But I grew up with spendthrifts who scared me to death so I am frugal to cheap right now.

My best personal advice to help make it on a lower income budget is to check out garage sales, particularly ones held by religious organizations. I’ve seen the most beautiful items donated and then resold for very little. My favorite recent finds were a slightly used toddler’s rocking horse for $1, an L.L. Bean down vest for $5, and a stack of five year old Bon Appetite magazines for a mere .10 each.

If having a lower income is the only impediment to your dream then I say go for it. Especially now when you’re young and without committments.

47

Yeah, he said he would make ‘as low as $20k’, so with a part time waiter job he could be making 30k a year. 30k a year for doing something you love is actually a great job and a good life (unless you are raising a family, then 30k can be tight). I’d take that over making 90k in a job I hate anytime.

48

When I read Nickle and Dimed I was living on less then minimum wage. I was (and still am) in college, but was living in an apartment for the summer. My rent was 400 a month, as it was a room in a house, with communal facilities. I had a roommate, so make that 200 a month. The house was painfully clean most of the time, I never saw mold and found one bug in four months. Never lived there in the winter, so it might have been cold, not really sure. My only problem with the landlaord was that his English was limited to nonexistant and I can’t speak any Madarin, unlike everyone else in the house. As for not being able to sleep becuase of the house mates, in the hall I could occasionally hear my next door neighbors screaming at each other or having sex, but only in the hall.

We didn’t share a food bill, as she was a nuts and has an eating disorder, but that’s not important. I bought the bed we had and the rest of the furniture was mine from my room at my parents. There was more than enough money for food, but I choose to make some sacrifices, like no OJ, ever. It wasn’t worth the money to me. I had plenty of oranges, though. I bought mostly store brand stuff, but had plenty of it.

As for enterainment, I always had the money to get a sandwhich at the role playing game I had once a week and to go out to IHOP at 2 in the morning once a week with almost everyone I knew. I bought books when I wanted them and went to movies once or twice over the summer, which is as much as I ever do. I went clubbing when my schedule permited. Granted I can’t drink so clubbing cost me 5 dollars or nothing, depending on the club.

Now I do have a car, which I paid for. My parents cover the insurance, but I could if I made a steady income, not just for the summer (I had a grant). Now I have a part time job, which would easily cover it, but I’m saving for a better car.

Oh, and I live just outside Boston, not in Peoria or somewhere like that. It is doable, especially if it’s only temporary. I know five years from now, I’ll be making more like 50k, but right now, the offer from Berkeley of 21312 for the academic year sounds like a kings ransom. Then again, I wasn’t raised poor, but I was sure as hell raised cheap.

49

You want to know what it’s like being poor?

Easy! Just do a search for all threads started by e
…arrrrgghghhh I can’t do it.

50

Well, anyone can find out what its like to be poor. I’m more interested in finding out what its like to be rich. :smiley:

51

Quasimodal: Do you mind if I ask what part of Canada you’re from (or where you intend to work)? Obviously, $20,000 in the Maritimes is going to go farther than $20,000K if you’re living in Toronto or Vancouver.

Do you intend to share housing? Even if you’re not sure exactly when you’re going to move out, see what apartments cost in the area you’re interested in. Also, once you’ve seen an apartment you’re interested in, you can call your local power utility and find out what the average monthly electricity costs are before you commit to renting an apartment.

If you do have share accomodations, do not put everything in your name. Either have both names on the account or half the bills in your name, half under the other party’s.

Someone mentioned credit cards. I don’t know what the situation is like in the States, but here in Canada, it’s relatively easy to get a card when you’re in university and unemployed. However, no one will touch you with a ten foot pool once you’re out of school and making only minimum wage. So if you want one for a safety net, get it now. Resist temptation and keep it only for emergencies.

Put out the word that you’ll be getting your own place soon and you’d appreciate any household items. Your parents will likely have some goodies, but so may other relatives and friends on their own. People replace stuff all the time and don’t want to be bothered with selling the old.

If you’re graduating soon, likely people will want to buy you graduation gifts. This is where you can pick up a microwave, a toaster, etc (although cash is lovely).

I have no doubt you can do this and still live well.

/Ms Cyros

52

When I first moved out of my parents house, I lived with my BF. We existed on my salary only, which was just under $19,000/year, Canadian. I did have full benefits at my job, so I didn’t have to worry about dental or Rx or anything like that.

We did fine - rent was $410 a month and we always had enough money to eat out, have a few beers, get a new outfit or two.

However, we didn’t have a car, no debt of any kind that we were servicing, and cable was included. Also, this is more than a decade ago - now in my city, I think you’d be hard pressed simply because housing is so much more expensive. The same apartment that me and BF shared is now $950/month.

Anyhow - I think it depends on how expensive housing is in your area. If you’re in Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Brandon, Red Deer, Montreal, London you might be OK. Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary - yer gonna be in a tight spot.

53

Step one: Find a nice girl who appreciates your music and makes twice as much as you do.

Step two: Marry her.

No, just kidding, but are you planning to have a family someday? Can you see yourself single and without kids forever, or will you be unsatisfied without a pack of rugrats aroung the dinner table? This is the big concern for you. It’s been established that you’ll be fine on 20K/year by yourself, but those little ones are going to drain your modest income dry and THEN put you deep in debt. If you can’t see yourself without a family of your own, either have a good, strong fallback plan OR don’t hook up with another “starving artist” like yourself. :wink:

54

He’s only 22! Choosing to follow his dreams now does not preclude having a family at some time. If there was ever a time to take a risk, now is it! It only gets more difficult as time passes. Jump in with both feet!

/Ms Cyros

55

The best way I can describe is the horrible uncertainty of poverty. Of never being quite sure if you were going to able to pay rent this month. Of never knowing how you’d may your bills. At it’s worst, not being sure how you’ll come by your next meal (yes, I’ve been there).

The anxiety this causes should not be underestimated.

56

Is there any way you could work on the side to pull in a little extra income?

57

Quasimodal, I think you’ll be fine.

You’re young.
You’re single.
You have no debt.
You know what you want to do.
You have a college degree. Despite how people might poo-poo an arts degree, it’s a degree nonetheless and you’ll find it will open more doors for you than if you had no degree. I’m doing quite well with mine.
You already have a clientele. Maybe one thing you can do is teach in your apartment, or house.
You have family. If you need to regroup there’s at least a floor somewhere you can sleep on and there’s someone who will feed you.
You can make good money and connections playing in a wedding band or doing solo wedding gigs.

Yeah, being poor is rough, but you’re young and it looks like you’re in a good place to start your career, and being poor is not necessarily a permanent condition. It’s manageable if you’re careful. You’ll find hidden reserves of resourcefulness and creativity. Read books and listen to the radio and bag cable. Use your public library. Learn to cook yourself decent meals. Get a toaster oven instead of a microwave if you have to choose. Learn to repair your car as much as you can. Mooch extra chairs, that sofa they want to throw out, bookshelves, etc. from your family. Give it time. Best of luck (you’ll need a little of that, too).

58

Granted, but 20k+ for a single person is not really poor, its just not going to provide tons of breathing room. The median household income in the US is about 43k (to put a healthy, non-indebted, single nonparent’s 20k income into perspective), and he said he can work an extra job or two to help make ends meet, pushing him closer to (hopefully) 30k or so.