When I was in my late teens/early twenties I truly thought that in ten years I’d own a home for sure, with some hard work and dedication.

Ten years later, I don’t even get to buy groceries every week or eat every day. I’ve lost 30 pounds in the last year just from skipping so many meals.

I can’t wait to see what the next ten years holds.

And if one more person tells me I should make sure to invest for retirement… I can’t even feed myself, what you want me to invest? My retirement plan is work until I’m too old/sick/injured and then off myself.

It sounds like you need to rethink your grocery habits, or your job is woefully underpaying you, or you need to move somewhere with a non-insane cost of living.

Do you live far up north or something where groceries cost an arm and a leg due to transport costs?

Sorry, I definitely might come off as rude in this comment, but this line of thought really annoys me. Do you think people are poor simply because they’re too dumb to think “I should spend less money on groceries?” Don’t you think they’ve already considered finding a better-paying job, if such a possibility exists for them? If moving is even an option for them (which is a big if), where do you suggest they get the money to rent a moving truck, as well as the money for a security deposit on a new apartment?

Your comment is about as helpful as asking “Have you tried not being poor?”

Do you think people are poor simply because they’re too dumb to think “I should spend less money on groceries?”

It’s usually spending money poorly, yes. But I don’t blame them, I blame the lack of education on these topics.

If you aren’t even using freely available budgeting options, then I recommend to start there and assess spending.

I very rarely encounter people who complain about money but also have real concrete budget. If I ask it’s usually met with excuses and changing the topic.

If you truly have a genuine budget and still can’t figure out where the money is going, then it’s a more serious chat.

But the absurd frequency you see people posting about how they can’t afford groceries and lo and behold, they’re buying a bunch of overpriced garbage and paying extra for non necessities, it’s bananas.

If you complain about food costs and I find out you don’t know how to break down a whole chicken, I feel a little less bad for you.

If I find out your buying dumb shit, my empathy starts to go down.

I lived with and worked in a poverty stricken industry for many many years, and the constant frequency I saw people complain about money one day, then waste money the next, has gradually over time led me to just assume most people are completely inept when it comes to budgeting.

And I mean, it’s not exactly a required course in high school, so I am not that surprised.

And it’s mostly food, drugs, and alcohol when it comes to wasting money.

That and the “buying little things you dont need thatll end up in the trash” I see often. Fast fashion and all that jazz.

It’s a serious problem honestly.

I very rarely encounter people who complain about money but also have real concrete budget.

You don’t seem to understand that poor people do not need a budget. Their “budget” looks like this:

Is this absolutely essential to my survival? (ie: rent, groceries, medication, toilet paper, health insurance, etc.)

Yes? Buy it.

No? Don’t buy it.

Repeat until you run out of money.

The thought process goes like this:

Is this absolutely essential to my survival? (ie: groceries, medication, toilet paper, health insurance, etc.)

It often isn’t. I say this as someone who volunteers weekends on such a group (food donations).

It’s very often chasing dopamine hits to compensate for how utterly isolated and desolate they feel. WIthout a support network or community to back them up, the easiest at hand way to compensate is small expenditures on treating themselves to help stave off the doom.

Which add up very fast, because turns out treats aren’t free.

And this can take many forms. Collectibles, fast food, literal treats, energy drinks, coffee, cigarettes, weed, booze, etc.

When you have learned helplessness and truly believe it’s pointless to save money, it becomes trivial to waste it on dozens of little pick me ups.

I’ve seen it endless times. I’ve helped people budget and so often they are shocked to realize they are spending absurd amounts of money on their guilty pleasure.

Let me make this clear, I’ve helped a decent handful of folks unfuck their budget. They had jobs, they rented, they couldn’t figure out why saving money was hard.

We took a look and so much random shit Id be like “do you know you spent $300 at convenience stores this month?” And they’d be like “what? No way, that’s impossible”

But I’d show em and they’d be flabbergasted.

Turns out that red bull and a snack everyday before work, and a treat everyday after work, adds up to a huge hole in the pocket.

And these are people truly in poverty, min wage at best, part time, struggling to pay bills.