General Discussion

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts) Sat Mar 30, 2013, 07:44 PM Mar 2013

118

John Scalzi: Being Poor [View all]

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2005/09/03/being-poor/

Being poor is picking the 10 cent ramen instead of the 12 cent ramen because that’s two extra packages for every dollar.

Being poor is a $200 paycheck advance from a company that takes $250 when the paycheck comes in.

Being poor is having to live with choices you didn’t know you made when you were 14 years old.

Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.

52 replies

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Highlight:

John Scalzi: Being Poor [View all] Fumesucker Mar 2013 OP

K&R 99Forever Mar 2013 #1

Till it happens too you- ruffburr Mar 2013 #2

This was in the comments to the piece Fumesucker Mar 2013 #3

Wow...so true bpositive Mar 2013 #4

I grew up poor and am still staving off poverty deutsey Mar 2013 #5

I know it never left my parents Skittles Mar 2013 #14

Mine did the same for me. paleotn Mar 2013 #49

I heard a quote in a movie Skittles Mar 2013 #50

Ducking into the drive-in window when you see a cop so he won't see that your plates are expired NBachers Mar 2013 #6

Then voting for Republicans because libruls "tax and spend". xtraxritical Mar 2013 #27

Some pretty heart-breaking stuff from one of my favorite sci-fi writers. Scalzi gets it.... Rowdyboy Mar 2013 #7

Message auto-removed Baraki Mar 2013 #23

First I copied and pasted all the ones I have been through.... Kalidurga Mar 2013 #8

Some years back, probably in the '90's, but perhaps even earlier, SheilaT Mar 2013 #9

The absence of a public transport system GeoWilliam750 Mar 2013 #13

Then there's the problem that there are a lot of SheilaT Mar 2013 #18

I owned a car GeoWilliam750 Mar 2013 #20

one fix away from unemployment ... shireen Mar 2013 #39

Lived my 1st 8 years in the Philippines. Phlem Mar 2013 #10

A beautiful sentiment: CrispyQ Mar 2013 #22

That is how the Hawaiians used to live. dkf Mar 2013 #28

"You don't know what you got til it's gone. Put up a parking lot". xtraxritical Mar 2013 #30

Unfortunately, if we could have been different, we would have been different. valerief Mar 2013 #36

+1. I've had the same experience (not in quite as idyllic a setting though). Did you find anything HiPointDem Mar 2013 #40

The overall "feeling" Phlem Mar 2013 #51

thanks. the same in my experience. HiPointDem Apr 2013 #52

Good rant eridani Mar 2013 #11

Thank you. CrispyQ Mar 2013 #24

Some more that I've done . . . caseymoz Mar 2013 #12

Heartbreaking samplegirl Mar 2013 #15

"Poverty... ReRe Mar 2013 #16

Being poor is having 3 jobs and still selling furniture to pay the electric bill. mountain grammy Mar 2013 #17

Compassionate conservatism. There's not a damned thing compassionate about it. CrispyQ Mar 2013 #26

"Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so." Dragonfli Mar 2013 #19

So true, Dragonfli, so true. Most of the poor are children, what choice do they have? mountain grammy Mar 2013 #21

+1000 n/t OneGrassRoot Mar 2013 #25

Being poor is Newest Reality Mar 2013 #29

THAT IS SO POWERFUL...and so true. :( OneGrassRoot Mar 2013 #31

Thank you! etherealtruth Mar 2013 #41

Thank you, that's a nice job you did on the graphic Fumesucker Mar 2013 #45

Yep, thank god for NAFTA and president Clinton's fore sight. xtraxritical Mar 2013 #32

Where the hell is DU's proud bootstrap brigade now? Orrex Mar 2013 #33

They're busy counting their 401K money and reading false statistics just1voice Mar 2013 #43

I was a food stamp single mother; no child support. Th1onein Mar 2013 #34

Excellent post. CrispyQ Mar 2013 #44

As one who is poor it astounds me. JNelson6563 Mar 2013 #35

Yes, there is "poor", and there is "poor me"! Curmudgeoness Mar 2013 #37

Crossposting a comment from another thread... OneGrassRoot Mar 2013 #38

Sorry, kittycat cartoons are much more relevant to democratic issues, LOL just1voice Mar 2013 #42

to the greatest page DonCoquixote Mar 2013 #46

And the one the 1% likes best of all: being poor is not getting involved in politics because... Jerry442 Mar 2013 #47

being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.. otherone Mar 2013 #48