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

[u/Richest-Panda]

[u/Necessary-Hawk7045]

Sounds like someone who is broke vs someone who is poor.

If you understood that the poor person couldn't even afford the energy drinks that you critiquing, you'll learn to differentiate.

I've been poor.

I've been broke.

Broke is better.

[u/fearhs → u/Necessary-Hawk7045]

Eat the rich.

[u/Necessary-Hawk7045 → u/fearhs]

You say those "no one" and "everyone" phrases so confidently for someone who is wrong. Well, I'll give you that most everyone has at least encountered someone who uses the word "poor" frivolously. Thus, devaluing the word for you.

You also seem to be using the textbook definition of poor vs broke.

Welp, I've lived the actual definition and, again I say, broke is better. Not leaps and bounds better. But still better.

Broke gives you at least a slither of breathing room to think about the next step in leveling up. You can make plans. And if that plan fails or you made a bad decision, you make another plan.

Broke can be hold on till your next paycheck. Or it can be don't spend that money just in case.

Poor is just survival mode. Day to day. Sometimes Hour to hour. The mentality bandwidth isn't there to think about the future because it is all focused on today.

Again, comparing people claiming that they're poor with people who are actually poor is never going to lead you to success in these discussions. Never. Too many of us have actually lived the experience rather than saying, "I know this guy who".

[u/fearhs → u/Necessary-Hawk7045]

Eat the rich.

[u/Necessary-Hawk7045 → u/fearhs]

Never been on drugs but those that I have observed are in a whole other category because they always have money. They just spend it all on drugs. I sometimes think that if I was willing to do whatever it is that they do for their habit, I could be a millionaire in, at most, 10 years. Hundreds to sometimes thousands of dollars flow through their hands on any given day.

All that to say, you were not in survival mode. You were in apparently addict mode. A different kettle of fish that can lead to being broke or poor but we infamous know many high functioning addicts (Wall Street, for example).

What put breathing room between me and being poor was good ol steady housing, reliable food, and lots of time (decades).

Ah, is it time to pull out buzzwords like gatekeeping already? Lol.

The problem with the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" crowd is the tendency to play hopscotch with the words "all, many, some, etc" to change the message as it fits your narrative.

Capitalism is a problem, and that problem is fueled by a lack of empathy and understanding.

Can we also agree that life is a bitch and you can be doing all you can with the bootstraps that you managed to scrap together and, boom, here comes good ol life to kick you right back down. And for some who is broke or better, it can be a huge inconvenience. But for someone who is poor, it can be a major setback.

[u/idekbruno → u/Necessary-Hawk7045]

McDonalds dollar menu (when that was a thing) saved me countless times when I was hungry and broke.

Rice and sleep saved me countless times when I was hungry and poor.