Comments on: Being Working Poor – My Story http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:31:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Weekend Reading - March 14, 2008 | Million Dollar Journey http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4161 Weekend Reading - March 14, 2008 | Million Dollar Journey Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:31:19 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=378#comment-4161 [...] Canadian Dream explains that when he first graduated from university he was considered part of the working poor.  The highlight of the post was that he was perhaps the happiest during this time. [...] [...] Canadian Dream explains that when he first graduated from university he was considered part of the working poor.  The highlight of the post was that he was perhaps the happiest during this time. [...]

]]> By: Canadian Dream http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4099 Canadian Dream Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:16:54 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=378#comment-4099 PC, Perhaps lower expectations help as well. Now it seems everyone wants the standard of living their parents have now, not realizing it took them 40 years to get there. Syd & Guinness, Mmm, you have a point. The post sounds like I am romanticizing those days a bit. I also recalled a good lot of stuff sucked too. Working different shifts than my wife and only having one day off in common. Hauling groceries by foot wasn't much fun either. I would also agree that having hope and/or confidence goes a long way to getting out of that situation. I can see easily becoming stuck if you feel like you have nothing to gain by hoping. Tim PC,

Perhaps lower expectations help as well. Now it seems everyone wants the standard of living their parents have now, not realizing it took them 40 years to get there.

Syd & Guinness,

Mmm, you have a point. The post sounds like I am romanticizing those days a bit. I also recalled a good lot of stuff sucked too. Working different shifts than my wife and only having one day off in common. Hauling groceries by foot wasn’t much fun either.

I would also agree that having hope and/or confidence goes a long way to getting out of that situation. I can see easily becoming stuck if you feel like you have nothing to gain by hoping.

Tim

]]> By: jo http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4082 jo Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:35:50 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=378#comment-4082 A very good distinction is drawn about young professionals who have the hope of everything ahead of them and the working poor who are treading water. On another note.. PC wrote: "happiness came from .. very low expectation, especially out of the material world. I was not expecting an expensive vacation, nor was I thinking about an ipod..." Syd wrote: "those days... my life was a lot more about the important stuff (relationships with people) and less about acquiring stuff (because I couldn’t afford to). Life was simpler in many ways, and there was no “keeping up with the Jonses” " It's kinda crazy, fellas, that you should feel so trapped in your affluence. What about a return to simplicity? I guess it comes down to what is really important to you.. (I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem that keeping up with the Joneses is, so why is that part of the equation?) A very good distinction is drawn about young professionals who have the hope of everything ahead of them and the working poor who are treading water.

On another note..

PC wrote: “happiness came from .. very low expectation, especially out of the material world. I was not expecting an expensive vacation, nor was I thinking about an ipod…”

Syd wrote: “those days… my life was a lot more about the important stuff (relationships with people) and less about acquiring stuff (because I couldn’t afford to). Life was simpler in many ways, and there was no “keeping up with the Jonses” ”

It’s kinda crazy, fellas, that you should feel so trapped in your affluence. What about a return to simplicity?

I guess it comes down to what is really important to you.. (I could be wrong, but it doesn’t seem that keeping up with the Joneses is, so why is that part of the equation?)

]]> By: Retired Syd http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4073 Retired Syd Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:13:23 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=378#comment-4073 I share Guinness416's thoughts. While I do look back on the time of my life of my first (low paying) job out of college with the same type of fondness that Tim describes, the big difference between me and the, basically permanently, working poor, is that I had hope. I knew my life would get easier because my career path was one that would grow and grow. I fantasized about that future with excitement (and that was part of the reason it was so easy to be happy--the excitement of what my future might hold for me.) For those that fit the "average" working poor (which I do think to have less education), they don't feel that sense of hope, I think. Life feels like it won't get better, like they are treading water. I do, still, romanticize those days, however, because my life was a lot more about the important stuff (relationships with people) and less about acquiring stuff (because I couldn't afford to). Life was simpler in many ways, and there was no "keeping up with the Jonses" 'cause all my friends were as poor as I was. I share Guinness416′s thoughts. While I do look back on the time of my life of my first (low paying) job out of college with the same type of fondness that Tim describes, the big difference between me and the, basically permanently, working poor, is that I had hope. I knew my life would get easier because my career path was one that would grow and grow. I fantasized about that future with excitement (and that was part of the reason it was so easy to be happy–the excitement of what my future might hold for me.) For those that fit the “average” working poor (which I do think to have less education), they don’t feel that sense of hope, I think. Life feels like it won’t get better, like they are treading water.

I do, still, romanticize those days, however, because my life was a lot more about the important stuff (relationships with people) and less about acquiring stuff (because I couldn’t afford to). Life was simpler in many ways, and there was no “keeping up with the Jonses” ’cause all my friends were as poor as I was.

]]> By: guinness416 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4072 guinness416 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:43:56 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=378#comment-4072 I know working for minimum wage sucks (my husband has been doing the bartending/hotel job for the last nine months since being laid off from his "real" job, and is really feeling the stress - and his feet hurt) but I'm sympathetic to the notion that with college-level literacy and confidence one may have nothing in the bank but have assets that those stuck in poverty don't have - whether that be confidence, middle-class family support, education, health, whatever. I read somewhere (and don't ask me where at this point) that the "average" member of the American working poor is an unmarried 50-something woman with minimal education, no drivers license and bad health; Which is all to say that I'm not sure a lot of the articles doing the rounds are relevant to that individual. I agree that a lot of us middle-class professionals romanticize our broke or manual labour periods, whether as students or right out of college, forgetting that we were young enough to handle anything, our confidence was through the roof knowing we'd be moving up, we had no obligations, etc. I'm not sure many of us took lessons like frugality away from that, so more power to you. (It's a little different proposition to have that lifestyle as a thirty something, of course). I know working for minimum wage sucks (my husband has been doing the bartending/hotel job for the last nine months since being laid off from his “real” job, and is really feeling the stress – and his feet hurt) but I’m sympathetic to the notion that with college-level literacy and confidence one may have nothing in the bank but have assets that those stuck in poverty don’t have – whether that be confidence, middle-class family support, education, health, whatever. I read somewhere (and don’t ask me where at this point) that the “average” member of the American working poor is an unmarried 50-something woman with minimal education, no drivers license and bad health; Which is all to say that I’m not sure a lot of the articles doing the rounds are relevant to that individual.

I agree that a lot of us middle-class professionals romanticize our broke or manual labour periods, whether as students or right out of college, forgetting that we were young enough to handle anything, our confidence was through the roof knowing we’d be moving up, we had no obligations, etc. I’m not sure many of us took lessons like frugality away from that, so more power to you. (It’s a little different proposition to have that lifestyle as a thirty something, of course).

]]> By: PC http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4062 PC Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:00:40 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=378#comment-4062 I resonate with your experience. There was once my wife and I just made enough to survive and we drove a 15 year old Toyota with bad tires. We were very happy and didn't have to research what kind of tires we were going to put on. However I'm not sure the happiness came from less choices back then. I'd say my satisfaction coming from very low expectation, especially out of the material world. I was not expecting an expensive vacation, nor was I thinking about an ipod or any kind of fancy gadget. All we did is go to the campsite and stare at the night sky for extended period and that's wonderful. I resonate with your experience. There was once my wife and I just made enough to survive and we drove a 15 year old Toyota with bad tires. We were very happy and didn’t have to research what kind of tires we were going to put on.

However I’m not sure the happiness came from less choices back then. I’d say my satisfaction coming from very low expectation, especially out of the material world. I was not expecting an expensive vacation, nor was I thinking about an ipod or any kind of fancy gadget. All we did is go to the campsite and stare at the night sky for extended period and that’s wonderful.

]]> By: fathersez http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/11/being-working-poor-my-story/comment-page-1/#comment-4060 fathersez Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:17:36 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=378#comment-4060 This is a great story. A strongly felt experience will leave a permanent mark. It seems to be frugality for you. For me, I had my stuff thrown out of a house where I was being allowed to stay by the "thrower's" father. This happened so many years ago, and ever since I have never ever stayed in anybody's house except my own or a hotel. This is a great story. A strongly felt experience will leave a permanent mark. It seems to be frugality for you.

For me, I had my stuff thrown out of a house where I was being allowed to stay by the “thrower’s” father. This happened so many years ago, and ever since I have never ever stayed in anybody’s house except my own or a hotel.

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