Comment by eulgro | Hacker News Reader

Comment by eulgro | Hacker News Reader

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I have trouble understanding how someone really can be poor.

I spend about 30% of what one makes earning minimum wage full time. I live a frugal lifestyle, but I still feel like most people would consider my lifestyle normal and comfortable enough.

If I really needed to, I could probably get by on 10-15% of the minimum wage. In other words, earning the minimum wage, I could make 6-10 persons live on my salary.

This is possible because we live in an era of abundance. This wasn't possible for most of history.

So to me, being poor, for those without major health issues and with the ability to work full time, is either a skills issue, or a mindset issue.

This guy has a car. I don't think we need to look further than that.

> I could probably get by on 10-15% of the minimum wage

Your math might be wrong here.

Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr, so if you have a FT job, that's $14.5K/yr, or $1200/mo.

10% of that is $1450/yr, or $120/mo.

I live in Canada. Minimum wage is 16$/hr where I live, that gives around 32k$/yr. At 3200$/yr 10% might be stretch, but I could probably make it work without relying too much on social services. It wouldn't be comfortable, but I would survive.

For example working in a place where I can get some free food, 500$ for food is manageable. 2400$ rent/services (e.g. rural areas with roommates) and 300$ misc. Always walk for transportation. Yes, it's a stretch.

Exactly. There are many ways to make things work even if you’re earning very little. People don’t think about giving up the nice things they feel they’re entitled to. But you have to be willing to change where you live, what kind of food you eat, who you share a roof with, what you drive (if at all), and all of that. If you haven’t done those things, you can’t claim you’re poor in my opinion, because you haven’t made the life changes you could make to make ends meet.

Telling poor people we're living in an era of abundance is not a little bit tone deaf. Also, having a car doesn't make one not poor— A car in America is not a luxury, it's a requirement to have a job in most places.

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