Is it possible to be poor but happy in North America?

[jennifer_bloom]

I went to a rich university and my child hood friends were rich so I do not know what it's like to be poor and I'm not sure I ever had a friend who was poor. I ran into a guy who bought pizza from Pizza Hut one day and a few months or years later I saw him working as a janitor at the university. He had a smile and looked young and was on the phone with a good friend and laughing when he went to get the pizza so he might have been poor and happy but they make $30.00 an hour. They are not that poor.

[TheorionMage]

'Poor' and 'happy' are SUBJECTIVE perceptions.
We ALL exist upon a continuum with those greater and lesser than ourselves.
Realizing this, results in a perception of 'gratitude';
"there but for the grace of God goes I..." and 'Gee, I wish...' and
either satisfaction for life's reward to our effort or motivation where our efforts will result in a greater response. BUT... there comes a point where possessions become obligations.
You no longer 'own' them; THEY 'own' YOU, ... your time and resources.
Relationships 'lease' portions of your life's span of hours, days, weeks, years and even decades.
Do/did they provide your happiness? Peer's prestige? Or merely, mark and pass time? 'Happy' is a SUBJECTIVE 'state' of being'--- <3

[Dargil]

Listen to Hank Williams Jr's "A country boy can survive". We aren't all ignorant bigots. We just don't buy BMWs and IPhones.

[ShiftingMonke]

There is an old adage, "money can't buy happiness." But it was a comedian that added "but it's hard to cry on a jetski". I think it's completely possible to be poor but happy in America. I'm financially secure, but not really rich, but I have a home almost paid off, my kids have warm beds and full bellies and clean clothes on their backs. My wife is busy homemaking, trying to find a rug that matches the wall paint. Compared to a majority of the world, I'm rich beyond their dreams and I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had in life. Happiness is obtainable by anyone, even poor people.

[Friendlybro79]

30 dollars an hour isn't enough to support yourself in a one bedroom apartment where I'm from so it's all relative. If it's a small rural town in middle America that is prob ok to not be poor.

You have to define poor. Do you mean so poor they can't afford living at all? Homelessness vs no vacation fund, and I can barely pay my bills are two different kind of poor.

[jennifer_bloom]

I heard places are in expensive in Wall Street New York, which is where my cousin lived. Her ex lover was a jerk and I'm glad he is gone. He was mean to me when she wasn't in the room.

[Anonymous]

Yes of course it is. People only think the 2 are related when in fact happiness is a state of mind not wealth.

Money will not make you happy it will only enable you to make yourself more comfortable. What makes anyone happy is their attitude they make themselfs beleive.

[Anonymous]

No it's not possible. People will look down on you, banks, credit companies, IRS will go after those until they are nothing, the health care system won't care about you. Especially in the United States, if someone doesn't have a good education or training or grew up in a wealthy or relatively financially comfortable family, it's not easy living in the West. I find living in North America cut throat, aggressive, depressing, exhausting, stressful, many words to describe it. I think we are on the brink of a civil collapse when the shit hits the fan impacts the monetary system. I know people will read this and give one of those dislike emoji faces. But since the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, the US has seen 20 recessions since. This economy is not bullet proof. People live in a fantasy world because they assume why would our world be effected, look at the generations that have come and gone, all tested.

[NostalgiaSenpi]

Honestly, I'm mostly happy. I make enough to cover my health, my board, my incidentals, and to go out sometimes. I'm by no means wealthy. If I weren't obsessed with my lack of a partner, is be happy. So yes, I do believe it's possible.

[Anonymous]

My half sister and her family are really struggling for money. Obviously money and bills are a constant stress for them, but they're still very happy people. They just turned their lives over to God and trusted everything in his hands, which I think allows them to be as happy as they are.
Personally, I think it also takes away their motivation to try harder getting better jobs, because they're under the impression that he'll send them a miracle, but nonetheless they are happy

[Opinion Owner]

And I guess it depends on what state or what world you live in, but $30 an hour isn't poor in any sense of the word lol

[PainusNdeeAnus]

Yes social media has sold us ( mostly women) a lie that we need and extravagant luxurious lifestyle to be happy but this is not true

this is the most free most liberated generation of women and men yet the most miserable

[Jamie05rhs]

Yes, it is. It depends how poor, though. If you're fighting for your life every day, then it is very difficult to be happy. Because the stress overwhelms every other emotion.

[LiamJHayden]

Yes. There are low income people who have loving families and are happy. Also, wealth is no guaranty of happiness.

[Anonymous]

I earn shy of $3,000.00 monthly and my rent is ,$2,100.00. I still have to buy food and gas and pay car insurance and my cell phone bill and hydro every other month. It’s hard but if ur from another country or a student and live here, ur rent is less and you get discounts on everything. Locals don’t get much advantages at all. So it depends on if you’re a local or a foreigner/student.

[DeanFreed]

2100
Is that for the household?
Is anyone else living there to share that expense?

[Opinion Owner]

Yes my one child

[annabananna]

I know poor people that are happy.

[chicosuave]

can i have a million dollars?

[jennifer_bloom]

I will give you trade you one million for two million.