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'I work hard so I deserve it': Rants of the 'perpetual poor'

Posted Apr 22 2008, 04:44 PM by Karen Datko
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Some people are financially sidelined by circumstances beyond their control, while others just poor-mouth -- making excuses for their circumstances with phrases like "The poor man just can't get ahead" or "We struggle just to make ends meet" or "I work hard so I deserve it."

"Frugal Dad" calls these folks the "perpetual poor" and explains how you can identify them in this biting and humorous post. For instance, he writes, those who use the "poor man" rant referenced above "can recite the last five winners of American Idle (that's not a typo) from memory, haven't picked up a book since high school," and "never stretched to learn a new skill at work, but complain about being passed over for promotions."

Frugal Dad says the people who moan "We struggle just to make ends meet" often claim that "rising gas prices, a shrinking economy, and the president of the United States all conspire to keep them down." You'll find these folks stocking up on cigarettes and beer at the convenience store, and browsing at car dealerships on weekends "leaving a trail of drool in their wake."

Other phrases he tackles are:

    • "You can't take it with you." (These people live hard and never save for retirement.)

    • "The only way to get rich in America is to hit the lottery." (These folks don't realize the lottery is a tax on poor people.)

    • "Everyone has a car payment -- it is a fact of life." (Their vehicles cost almost as much as their homes.)

    Lest you think Frugal Dad is mean-spirited, he says, "At various points in my life I have probably been a member of each of the above classes, which inherently qualifies me to make fun of them."

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    Comments

     

    I've been reading this guy's Frugal Dad.com blog for a couple of months and I find he is usually right on.....including this article about the "rants of the perpetual poor".  We've all know people like this (or been someone like this!).  I work with people who complain they are broke all the time but they go out to lunch every day, smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, play the lottery every week.   Sometimes it really gets on my nerves!!!  

    mscharlotte (Posted 04.22.08 5:13 PM ) Report Abuse

    This is a gem of wisdom I found on the Internet for the first time. This makes lot of sense. I completely agree with the author. Thanks for posting it.

    Sekhar (Posted 04.22.08 5:36 PM ) Report Abuse

    I am one of those who've lived most my life 'just barely making it'. Unlike others though, I payed attention to what was being said by people like Frugal Dad. That made it possible for me to see the error of my ways. Now, I'm spending less. I budget my income. I no longer play the lottery. I quit smoking cigarettes. I go to restaurants only on the weekend. I'm learning all I can about budgeting and finance. I even have plans to go to college to pursue my Bachelor Degree. All thanks to people like Frugal Dad and others who speaks the truth so that people like myself can take a real look at ourselves and see the problem for what it really is, and where it really started. I'm actually saving money today, something I've never been able to do before in my lifetime. I no longer subscribe to excuses or ignorance. I too plan on being another positive motivating force for others to learn from. Thanks to Frugal Dad and others like him, life is alot simpler than I thought it to be. and more managable.

    duane774 (Posted 04.22.08 10:23 PM ) Report Abuse

    I guess I took the expression "perpetually poor" seriously. These people you are describing come across as your basic slob. I know from experience that there are people who make good choices but just can't make ends meet, and they are working their butts off. They eat egg salad for a week until the next paycheck. These people struggle to do the best they can, yet are truly poor. The people Frugal Dad is talking about are just jackasses.

    Liz (Posted 04.22.08 10:46 PM ) Report Abuse

    This is just another example of a financial bigwig encouraging people to label the poor as "lazy" or "irresponsible".  Articles like this blame poor people for being poor.  We need to distinguish between the poor and the just plain broke.  I complain about how repairs on my 10 year old car took what I had left in savings, while my friend complains that his $500 car payment and $2000 mortgage mean that he is 'struggling'.  Which of us truly has the right to call ourselves perpetually poor? This article is just ignorant.  

    amie (Posted 04.23.08 1:21 AM ) Report Abuse

    I've heard "perpetually adolescent" but not poor----it makes sense. My own experience growing up poor. I have come to think of it as a disability.  My money sitaution has changed a little, although I have to admit it is about decision making. I agree with this guy. I look forward with hope that I will be one of those "Financially Free" adults I seem to catch a glimpse of when I am at work as a waitress.

    kerry (Posted 04.23.08 2:43 AM ) Report Abuse

    The lottery isn't a tax on poor people; it's a tax on stupidity.

    Mike (Posted 04.23.08 2:53 AM ) Report Abuse

    Amie, you should reread Fugal Dad's post.  He is talking about people who complain that they are "perpetually poor," but really are not.  These are the people who shop unecessarily, waste money on the lottery, and don't budget or save.  It is not refering to people who truly are poor because of life circumstances.

    K (Posted 04.23.08 2:58 AM ) Report Abuse

    Frugal Dad is correct...in general.   I see people all of the time @ the store buying enough beer & smokes for the night so that they can flop down on their sofa and slowly die.  I grew up in lower suburbia but got to deliver papers to the wealthy neighborhoods as well as the poorer places.  The wealthier folks washed their cars, kept their lawn & home neat and spoke articulately.  My Dad didn't graduate high school but taught me to work harder and smarter then others, save at least 10% of what I earned, and live below my means, and always keep learning {improvement is life-long}.

    Lazy people always complain about the government and outside influences, instead of looking in the mirror, and having a real conversation with that person...then choosing to be pro-active, stop blaming and stop being a victim.

    Mr. Dave (Posted 04.23.08 8:36 AM ) Report Abuse

    Amie, re-read both this article and Frugal Dad's post.. you are way off on your interpretation.  

    LM (Posted 04.23.08 8:41 AM ) Report Abuse

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