5 ms·

I am not saying your situation is like this, but I know many people that say "I dont make enough money to save" but then if you look at their daily life they e

by syshum 7y ago

I am not saying your situation is like this, but I know many people that say "I dont make enough money to save" but then if you look at their daily life they eat out often, stop a Starbucks routinely, have the latest iPhone, have subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and a 100 Channel TV Line up, have massive credit card debit from buying things they did not need, etc etc etc Again you may actually be in a bad spot financially and if you are I hope you get out of it soon, but I know many many many many people that simply can not budget properly, and even when they make more income their "needs" raise to consume that extra income about 2 seconds after they get the increase

peteradio 7y ago
There are shit loads more people in a position where they don't have the money. You probably just encounter more of the type who are frivolous because of where you live and who you interact with. Step outside your neighborhood, your county your state.
- TallGuyShort 7y ago
  I've worked with homelessness and welfare programs in 4 states and 4 countries including Zimbabwe. If you're using the word 'state' in a sentence and aren't a clinically insane or drug addicted homeless person, then FOH. You have such a ridiculously huge leg up in this country and so many resources to buy groceries, get meals and get help. People are in sucky situations. They're hard. They don't deserve it. But excuse making and pity parties help no one. Look at the article you're commenting on and tell me everyone eats this smart. Jesus.
  - peteradio 7y ago
    WTF are you even responding to? I'm responding to a person other than you first of all. State as in New Jersey or Ohio, not state of mind. Chill the fuck out. What is the intent of your messaging here?
    - TallGuyShort 7y ago
      I'm responding to your comment. Scroll up to see my initial interest in this thread. Yes, State as in New Jersey. As in, you're in the United States. Where there are far better WIC-like programs than many other countries. You are better off than people who are happier than you are. Poverty is relative. It sucks, but if you are eating when there's no pandemic, a very slight change over a long time will prepare you for pandemics, job loss, other such events. You will have more freedom, more well-being. If you don't like that, great, be unprepared in the next pandemic if you insist, but I actually do a lot of work with and donate a huge amount of money to various shelters, kitchens, and other assistance programs. But every time I comment with actual common sense advice, there is always some comment like, "well ACKTUALLY... there's just people who make less money than you do now, so clearly you lack compassion and understanding".
      - selimthegrim 7y ago
        WIC is all well and good but I want to know who in USDA was so petty as to keep cilantro off of it? I saw a mother at save a lot denied it once and it made no sense.
      - peteradio 7y ago
        I'm responding to the dickhead making generalization about poor people buying tvs iphones and eating avocado toast or whatever politically motivated talking point they are clearly pushing. I'm definitely not responding/repudiating to your point.
        TallGuyShort 7y ago
        Ok, but I've gotten out of my state and met with lots of people on assistance, and that is rampant in the US in a way that's almost unheard of in other countries I've worked in. I've seen people coast off the system, but they still generally live somewhat minimalist lives. Having new flat screens and game consoles, cases of Mountain Dew and a pantry full of nothing but prepackaged junk food when you can't make rent? I know how that sounds like a judgmental stereotype, but that seems like a uniquely American epidemic to me.
  - dang 7y ago
    Please don't post in the flamewar style to HN. Especially not now. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when posting here, we'd be grateful. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- syshum 7y ago
  It is more my experience working with Housing Authorities in 5 different states, and the stories from front line Social Workers that see some of the abuses of these systems first hand
  - peteradio 7y ago
    Do you feel that those anecdotes give you enough confidence to make broad statements like the below? "if you look at their daily life they eat out often, stop a Starbucks routinely, have the latest iPhone, have subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and a 100 Channel TV Line up, have massive credit card debit from buying things they did not need, etc etc etc" Show me your bootstraps folks I know you all got em. Put down your iphones and pull up your pants. Listen up I'm here to condescend.

by syshum 7y ago

peteradio 7y ago

There are shit loads more people in a position where they don't have the money. You probably just encounter more of the type who are frivolous because of where you live and who you interact with. Step outside your neighborhood, your county your state.

TallGuyShort 7y ago
I've worked with homelessness and welfare programs in 4 states and 4 countries including Zimbabwe. If you're using the word 'state' in a sentence and aren't a clinically insane or drug addicted homeless person, then FOH. You have such a ridiculously huge leg up in this country and so many resources to buy groceries, get meals and get help. People are in sucky situations. They're hard. They don't deserve it. But excuse making and pity parties help no one. Look at the article you're commenting on and tell me everyone eats this smart. Jesus.
- peteradio 7y ago
  WTF are you even responding to? I'm responding to a person other than you first of all. State as in New Jersey or Ohio, not state of mind. Chill the fuck out. What is the intent of your messaging here?
  - TallGuyShort 7y ago
    I'm responding to your comment. Scroll up to see my initial interest in this thread. Yes, State as in New Jersey. As in, you're in the United States. Where there are far better WIC-like programs than many other countries. You are better off than people who are happier than you are. Poverty is relative. It sucks, but if you are eating when there's no pandemic, a very slight change over a long time will prepare you for pandemics, job loss, other such events. You will have more freedom, more well-being. If you don't like that, great, be unprepared in the next pandemic if you insist, but I actually do a lot of work with and donate a huge amount of money to various shelters, kitchens, and other assistance programs. But every time I comment with actual common sense advice, there is always some comment like, "well ACKTUALLY... there's just people who make less money than you do now, so clearly you lack compassion and understanding".
    - selimthegrim 7y ago
      WIC is all well and good but I want to know who in USDA was so petty as to keep cilantro off of it? I saw a mother at save a lot denied it once and it made no sense.
    - peteradio 7y ago
      I'm responding to the dickhead making generalization about poor people buying tvs iphones and eating avocado toast or whatever politically motivated talking point they are clearly pushing. I'm definitely not responding/repudiating to your point.
      - TallGuyShort 7y ago
        Ok, but I've gotten out of my state and met with lots of people on assistance, and that is rampant in the US in a way that's almost unheard of in other countries I've worked in. I've seen people coast off the system, but they still generally live somewhat minimalist lives. Having new flat screens and game consoles, cases of Mountain Dew and a pantry full of nothing but prepackaged junk food when you can't make rent? I know how that sounds like a judgmental stereotype, but that seems like a uniquely American epidemic to me.
- dang 7y ago
  Please don't post in the flamewar style to HN. Especially not now. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when posting here, we'd be grateful. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
syshum 7y ago
It is more my experience working with Housing Authorities in 5 different states, and the stories from front line Social Workers that see some of the abuses of these systems first hand
- peteradio 7y ago
  Do you feel that those anecdotes give you enough confidence to make broad statements like the below? "if you look at their daily life they eat out often, stop a Starbucks routinely, have the latest iPhone, have subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and a 100 Channel TV Line up, have massive credit card debit from buying things they did not need, etc etc etc" Show me your bootstraps folks I know you all got em. Put down your iphones and pull up your pants. Listen up I'm here to condescend.