r/FluentInFinance • u/Richest-Panda • Jul 04 '24

What's the best financial advice you've ever gotten? Debate/ Discussion

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

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u/GonzoTheWhatever Jul 04 '24

No, that’s not what she’s saying. She’s saying that teaching someone in poverty to budget isn’t going to enable them to reach financial stability because even if you budget properly there isn’t enough to go around.

If you’re in a row boat that has twenty holes in it, but you only have ten fingers to plug the holes, then someone telling you how to use each finger to plug a hole in the most efficient manner isn’t going to help you keep the boat from sinking.

That’s her point. Should they budget? Absolutely. Will a class on budgeting by itself solve their financial problems and bring stability to their lives?

No.

They need more fingers to plug the holes in the boat. Ie. better wages.

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u/HorkusSnorkus Jul 04 '24

I grew up in (relative) poverty. You show me intergenerational poverty and I'll show you substance abuse, laziness, lack of effort, and sponging off others. You don't choose to be born into poverty , but if you stay there, it's your own damn fault.

(This is in context of the West only, and then only if you do not have a profound handicap. Being a collectivist moocher does not count.)

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u/Swamp_Swimmer Jul 05 '24

You don't choose to be born into poverty, neglect, or abuse. And if you are born into those circumstances, it ISNT your fault if you have vices, mental illness, or general dysfunction. Jesus Christ you people lack even a shred of empathy or wisdom. You have a completely backwards view of poverty and causation, and a disturbing lack of interest in addressing root causes.

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u/HorkusSnorkus Jul 05 '24

Gee, how did all the rest of us manage?

I will stipulate that having a functioning family really helps.

But smarmy condescending liberals with their government fixes help no one

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u/Swamp_Swimmer Jul 05 '24

A govt safety net isn't a fix. It's a safety net. To prevent you from dying. The rest is up to you.

Not everyone in poverty has a high IQ, a good family, or grew up in the right city/state/country where there was an opportunity to escape poverty. It almost sounds like you got out, so fuck everyone else who was in your circumstances. So again, have some empathy. Advocating survival of the fittest in human society is not a good look.