General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: A message from a good friend of mine on FB that both broke my heart and made me think. [View all]F4lconF16
(3,747 posts)I'm poor and I make stupid financial decisions all the time. I'm lucky that I have as much of a handle on my finances as it is and that I have enough to live, if just.
I know a lot of people who are in situations worse then mine. Trying to keep ahold of your finances is not easy on constantly fluctuating income, being payed sporadically or sometimes not at all.
Homeless? What is $5, $10 here or there? What are they supposed to do, save it? You need a non-predatory banking account, and good luck getting one, as well as everything else involved with trying to set up a somewhat regular life. Some days that $10 might be food money. Some days, maybe it means you can smoke and not feel like crap. And it's embarrassing enough for many just to ask, as you said. Expecting them to do something that you want with it is humiliating. We need to respect their right to self-determination.
When you help someone, you help them. Not choose for them.