How do I know I'm poor besides the obvious number indicators

When you open your wallet and nothing comes out but dust, you know you're poor.

I was reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and the poor have certainly come a long way since that time. The mom had at least four meals she could make from the loaves of stale bread that they bought for next to nothing.

I love fried bologna sandwiches. Somehow they became a sentimental reminder of my poor childhood. The thing is that at that time I didn't even know we were poor. But I don't think I've ever had to have ketchup soup.

Just eat lots of pasta. It's cheap and good.

It sounds to me like you know very well how to "make do" with what you have on hand!  That's, imho, a way of living that is wonderful!

I think that once you get past the "obvious number indicators" and the statistics,  "being poor" is a state of mind!

I've had nothing, in the way of belongings, no place to live, no job, and I've considered myself rich!

There's the awesome stars that illuminate the midnight blue sky at night,  a sun to heat our earth,  lakes to swim in,  wildlife to observe,  people that are happy to help others, and so much if we just pause to consider it for a moment.

Yes,  I know, we have war, world hunger, disease,  and so much that is horribly wrong and sad.  All we can do is acknowledge it and try to help however we can.  In doing that,  we are truly rich.

Now I'll get down off my soap box!  

Make SPAM Musubi, a big favorite here in the islands:

Square of sushi rice (recipes abound on the net, you'll need sushi rice vinegar, rice, and sugar)

SPAM (Sliced about 1/4 inch thick, maybe splash on some terriyaki sauce, then fry it up)

Top the sushi rice with the SPAM, and secure it with a strip of nori (seaweed)



SPAM isn't cheap around here, though.

Well at least I am at the point that no longer, the only pair of shoes I had were a ragged duct tapped together pair of sneakers. I literally think that was all that was holding them together. I've been to almost homeless I lived in a place smaller than a studio appartment and literally tried to live with practically no cash to my name. At least now I have a pair of good winter boots a necessity up north where I live and a good pair of sneakers and a lot of thirfty store clothing. I'm already got the open the wallet and nothing but lint is there.

Do you blog from the library/someone's house? How is it that you have internet?

I was reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and the poor have certainly come a long way since that time. The mom had at least four meals she could make from the loaves of stale bread that they bought for next to nothing.

That was my mom!  And I love Spam! (as do my sons who have never been poor).

I got the cheapest Intenet around I think I only pay $9.95 a month, but I also deal with the fact it is dial-up. My computer is the slowest in the land being around 7 years old and only has a 12.6 GB hard drive. I know egad is hardly the right term.

You know you're poor when you have to learn Spanish to read the ingredient labels of the food you buy! LOL (seriously, though...one of my rules of thumb to living cheaply is buy the foods the Mexicans buy).

I feel you. My wallet spends most of it time with old recepts, supermarket cards and business cards I pick up everywhere I go. Money spends less than a week in it.

I know when I'm poor when there are 4 of us but only enough food for 3. As long as my kids eat, I don't mind skipping a meal once in a while. I'm thankful that my kids are big fans of those cheap soup packs that cost about $.20 and the cups that cost about $.50. It's not that I'm always cheap, they just like them. Go figure.

I think that once you get past the "obvious number indicators" and the statistics, "being poor" is a state of mind!

That's what I always say. I'm here because of my lack of effort and my lack of knowing why I don't try harder. I guess in my mind I do try hard, really hard and at the same time I don't try hard enough.

I've had nothing, in the way of belongings, no place to live, no job, and I've considered myself rich!

Same here. I have always seen it as no matter how bad it has been for me, there are others who are worse. I have been lucky enough to avoid living in the streets. My family and my wifes family may not give usall the help in the world but they would never let us live on the streets either.

Do you blog from the library/someone's house? How is it that you have internet?

I know this was not to me but, I'm using the library. There is no phone at my mother-in-laws house so I go to the library. Besides, I get too look at books and other stuff as well.

I got the cheapest Intenet around I think I only pay $9.95 a month, but I also deal with the fact it is dial-up.

I haven't had DSL in over 4 years. Dial-up was my only friend.

My computer is the slowest in the land being around 7 years old and only has a 12.6 GB hard drive. I know egad is hardly the right term.

My PC was what I considered a really good of the very slow PC's. I have another PC now thanks to a great person on this site. Not as fast as mine was but it still does the job. At this point even your PC would make my day. I was so board without a PC for a month and thanks to DrGuy I'm living large again.

Well in the upgraded modern age and from what I've read in computer magazines I borrow from the library. I found out the following a fairly good computer has a 20GB hard drive. The basic hard drive one will need to possibably be upgrade to MS Vista in the future is a 40GB hard drive, but a majority of computer experts recomend the 80 GB hard drive. For those gamers and computer geeks out there that have money to spluge there are ever very expensive top of the line computers with hard drives with 100 GB or more. I was very fortunate to be in collage and was able to apply for a grant for my curent computer and even then the only reasn I was even considered elligible (other then income), is the fact my major was computer studies. By the way I also borrow DVD's, CD's, books and other things the library carries it is the only way I can afford to see a movie that has come out in the last year and listen to any music I don't already have.

Actually I know a couple of Vietnese phrases and some Danish as well as Bosnian. I lived in a very diverse building and learned that from the neighbors.

got the cheapest Intenet around I think I only pay $9.95 a month, but I also deal with the fact it is dial-up. My computer is the slowest in the land being around 7 years old and only has a 12.6 GB hard drive. I know egad is hardly the right term.

I cut my teeth on DOS and a 286 (I worked with 8088s and 8086s).  And when we got a 2400 baud modem, wow!

But yea, 7 years is long in the tooth.  Still, for word processing and Internet surfing, it is ok (the dial up even at 56k still sucks tho).

Oh yes my Old friend DOS. Don't laugh in 1999 I was programing 386's and 486's in DOS and worked with Window's 3.1. I didn't even see a computer with MS Windows 95 until the year 2000. I got my computer for school shortly after that and that had Windows 98 up until a year ago, when a computer genius friend I had helped me get it updated to 98 and added memory to it. It didn't cost much considerering the cost of even a Dell now days I got it upgraded and everthing for less then $300. I saved for several months just so I could upgrade. However I fear some day I may have to save for 2 or 3 years and consider getting a new computer. Maybe in 2009. I'm considering it, but I know I'll have to start saving now even to get one then!! I even remember Z 80 chips,the Wang and Appple IIIe's, as well as the very first MAC. Ok now I'm really showing my gray hair and age.

If I recall correctly my first computer had an 8088 processor.

I never had a chance to even get a computer until 2000, but I do remember the 8088. I also remember the very first computer I ever saw being the size of a wall locker. Now that is old....

If I recall correctly my first computer had an 8088 processor.

I waited for the 286.

Think about that bologna, too. Even the cheap crap is $1.49 for a one pound package, and you can buy fresh chicken drumsticks for around $.49 per pound.

I'll do ya one better on the chicken. If you're near a WalMart supercenter, they usually sell frozen leg quarters for $4.20 for a ten pound package (used to be $3.90, but hey, it's still cheap).

My rule of thumb is "shop the ads". This week, for instance, I will be buying 16 pounds of polish sausage at 99 cents a pound and ground beef at 99 cents a pound. Vegetable proteins aren't at the center of our diet, but they nicely carry us through until we get items on sale. We are, by the way, frying up the polish sausage with the taters we bought last week at ten pounds for $1.

But you're right. Spam is expensive. Tuna is cheaper. And, while I loathe them for nutritional value, we usually buy 30 or so packages of hot dogs when they're selling 3 for $1. Suddenly all those years of hot dogs and mac n' cheese make sense to me (LOL!)

I'm laughing while reading this article and the responses because I can and do so relate to what everyone says! We've had our moments believe me and still do at times! The thing is what you do with what you have and how you stretch the budget, that's so key.

I love bologne by the way and so do my kids, fry bologna is the best. My kids always ask me to buy it. They also love the noodle soups, ramen or the store brand because they're a quick fix and they fill up on them. I usually have carrots and stuff to add to it but of course they never put those things in it. I also like to eat Spam but haven't eaten it since my childhood days. Mac and Cheese at 3 for a buck or .99c is a bargain, so is Tuna and sardines which are nutritional. Pork and beans added to those sausages that Whip mentioned I've done before and they're delicious.

You're right those ethnic foods that are Spanish or Asian based are inexpensive. We like to try new stuff and get a kick out of picking up their soups and seasonings and stuff to try. My own ethnic food can be expensive (Jamaican) and I don't always get them where I shop. It doesn't matter whether I get them or not though I cook the only way I know so my food is always spicy and deelicious!

I've been taking a peek at this thread over the past couple of days...thinking, "I could never budget for groceries." Our tastes are lazy and expensive. Frozen dinners, Kid Cuisines, brand name cereal, fresh produce, you name it. Oh, and we eat out at least a few times a week.

But my husband just called to inform me that our next few paychecks are going to be precisely $120.00 each. That amounts to living on $360.00 for the next two months. Gas, groceries, & bills all need to come from that.

We're gonna DIE!!!!

So I'm liking the advice you've all given above. Are you liking it too snowier?

We'll I've been shopping sort of for two I have a cat. I use regular clay litter and I get a generic large box of baking soda. The total cost for 1 25lb bag of liter and 4lb box of baking soda is $3.50. I usually buy more then 1 of all of the above saving gas on multiple store visits. My cat actually will not eat canned cat food, which saves me even more money. So 1 bag 18lb dry cat food is $7.99 and lasts quite a while since I only have 1 cat. As far as myself goes I watch for coupons for things I normally buy, watch store ads for good sales, and even got to go to BJ's for a free visit. Not having to pay there $35 sign up fee was a blessing I used it to get some hot dogs that were on sale and some rolls on sale too. I saved at least $2 on both and will have hot dogs out my ears since it was a 5lb bag. I drive as seldom as I possibably can. When I go to school I actualy walk downtown and take the bus back saving me an average $3 everytime (not including gas). For electric bill savings I use energy saving bulbs and unplug my VCR,DVD, TV, TV antenna and anything else that is a constant draw of electricity when I'm not using it. Yes it is a bit of a pain to plug in my TV and antenna every time I want to use it, but my electric bill is a little less by unplugging. It is also a real pain to reset a VCR clock every time, but when it saves energy to unplug I'll fuddle with it. It's really amazing just by unplugging my electric bill went down $10 and every little bit National Greed doesn't get the better!!!