What does poor mean to you?

Question

My definition of poor is probably pretty extreme. It's having a genuine chance of dying due to lack of food, water, clothing, shelter.

If I don't think there's a chance of me dying, and I'm not in a state of physically suffering due to lack of resources, then I don't feel that poor. So, I could be happy in a tent, slum, or dirt floor hut if I had enough resources to not suffer.

So, what does poor mean to you? What would make you feel poor?

DJB72 · Accepted Answer

I see poverty every day.

Five minutes from my front door is a "township" where people live in shelters made on corrugated iron with no water, electricity or gas piped in.

One of my dearest friends here regularly goes days without food so her daughter doesn't have to and washes in a bucket of cold water because the cost to heat it is too high. She's a proud girl who doesn't tell me until after the problem is resolved so I don't think she's asking me for money.

She's not in a shack. She's in a wooden construction in a family member's garden. Like a Wendy house. She has water plumbed in and - when the morons running the country supply it - electricity, although only when she can buy it.

But "poor" is a state of mind, not finance.

Another friend who would be considered "poor" in England owns a farm in Zimbabwe - her home - runs three businesses on the side here so she can send cash and essentials to her parents and children in Zimbabwe and is building her house for cash there. Her mindset is one of prosperity and as a result she will have a fully operational farm in Zimbabwe to return to within five years that employs labourers and grows commercial crops as well as everything she will need for herself and her family.

But in England where I grew up she'd be thought of as "poor" because she ploughs with oxen not tractors. But you can't breed a tractor. Or eat it. It's emissions don't fertilise the field you're ploughing.

My concept of "poor" changed when I moved here.

strateguy632 · Accepted Answer

this is tricky because here in u. s. we have soup kitchens so people won't starve and medicare for poor people [since long before obama care] who are sick but home rental is SO high that even earning MUCH more than other countries gets used up on renting a home leaving so little remaining, so poverty cannot be measured by income.

Oliverlogan263 · Answer

I guess for me "poor" would mean like option C - living paycheck to paycheck and not really being able to save money or afford extra things.

I grew up kind of lower-middle class so I never had to worry about not having food or shelter. But I remember times when money was really tight - like having to budget out what we could buy at the grocery store or worrying if bills would get paid on time.

That kind of stress of never feeling financially secure would feel "poor" to me. Not having a savings cushion and being just one emergency away from falling off a cliff. Never being able to afford to do fun stuff or take vacations.

I don't think I'd consider myself poor nowadays since I can pay my basic living expenses. But I definitely don't feel "rich" either since I'm not saving as much as I'd like. One lost paycheck could mess things up.

So yeah, the constant anxiety of money - that's what I'd associate with feeling poor more than the actual dollar amount if that makes sense. Just my viewpoint though, everyone's definition is different I think!

jshm2 · Answer

Being able to do nothing but exist.

You could be rich on the outside, but poor in reality, as your debts mean you can do nothing to get out your spiral.

As a rich guy I see all sorts of "poor" and you'd be surprised at some of the sorts of people who are actually poor.

From doctors, nurses, to business owners. Their house and car are either company paid, or pure debt. They are working insane hours while making very little, but an early grave.

You would rather be paycheck to paycheque in a small apartment, but able to meet friends, than in their poor state.

exitseven · Answer

I was living 500 dollars over the poverty line for a family of 4. We lived paycheck to paycheck and I had crappy health insurance that just paid for hospitalizations so if my wife had to take one of my kids to the doctor we could not go to the supermarket. We had to live out of the closet and maybe get an invite from my father. I always felt I was 30 days away from living under a bridge. I could not qualify for food stamps because I owned a car

Jackblue · Answer

I guess I would say to be poor means to be in the half of the world living on less than 6.85 international dollars a day (usually a lot less than the standard US dollar). You would be singing a different tune I suspect if you had to live with an open sewer, suffering from cold and burning heat, and even if you managed to get used to those things what about the diarrhea from poorly treated water. What if you or a close relative gets a serious condition and you have no money to treat them? I am thankful everyday that I was born in the first world to a middle class family and in modern times. Most people a hundred years ago were far worse off than even the people living in extreme poverty today.

purplepoppy · Answer

I think it's relative to your own location. For example if your living here in the UK and struggling to make ends meet you're still not as poor as someone in a third world country that hasn't eaten for days.

But the fact people are worse off elsewhere doesn't make your own existence any more bearable.

lightbulb27 · Answer

cannot care for family such that basic necessities not available.

My prior generation had very little... but they lived good decent lives. that isn't poor.

pay check to paycheck is not right because some can live at a high standard but just be bad with $ and decisions.

RebelinSteel · Answer

I think this will change depending on your country and social group. For the UK, it starts when you need to think about using a food bank and then just gets progressively worse. When you need to decide between, eating, heating and hygiene. In other countries that will be anything close to being poor.

SotiCoto · Answer

I draw a line between "poor" and "impoverished".
"Poor" is simply below average in terms of resources. Working class folk. Still able to cope, but condemned to a lifetime of exploitation by the rich.
"Impoverished" is homeless / jobless / destitute / dying. Those that even the capitalist scum would rather get rid of because they simply have no money to take.

Right now I'm not poor, though I still have a moderately poor mindset. I still live below my means, eat food even if it is going mouldy, constantly fear being made homeless by ever climbing rent prices, I feel like all the effort in the world only saves to keep me from slipping backwards... as I remember all too well what it is like to have to beg for food or starve.

NaultD · Answer

can't make money from existing wealth.

I made $650 dollars just putting my money into a bank account for a month. When i started working at 16 it would to gross the same amount with my birthday gifted bike 3 years to also sustain employment buying my clothes for the uniform requirements to get the same amount of cash to spend as i like.

It's crazy to me now.

Levin · Answer

Probably living paycheck to paycheck. I recognise it's all relative and I'm lucky to live in a relatively affluent country. On a deeper level having a poverty mindset. Personally I'd rather have a buffer cause we live in trouble times. All though if it reaches that stage one's money won't save us.

TheGuyWhoKnowsStuff · Answer

For some, being down to their last 10 million is pretty bad but not as bad as being down to your last million because you'd lose your millionaire status and have to work to keep it.

AviatorTom · Answer

Being poor means not having the basic needs without assistance, food, clothing, housing. Contrast it with struggling, where you may have to work multiple jobs and paycheck to paycheck.

noamazia · Answer

i think it's having the fear that you might not be able to afford basic life necessities, which are sustenance and shelter.

Unit1 · Answer

I did collapse of starvation in my younger years. That is poor. Right now however I can't do anything because I'm still poor but at least I am not starving.

JordanianNumetal · Answer

Being poor to me means you don’t have enough love in your life, either from friends, family or relationships.

Anonymous · Answer

Hard to say. Because statistically I grew up poor, but I never felt poor. I was never poor in love nor in spirit. I never went Hungry even though our meals were not bountiful. And I always had a roof over my head.

So I guess we lived below the poverty line but we made it work.

RoronoaZoro8 · Answer

I would say anyone who is poor has necessary costs (accommodation, food, water, electricity, heating etc.) that match or exceed their income  or  do not have access to those essential things (like homeless people).

legalboxers · Answer

lack to put 4 squares, a roof, food on the tablet.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Your definition of poor is 100% correct.  Not having basic needs met is what poor is.

RavVid · Answer

You could add medical treatment onto your list. It would be horrible to have to die because you cannot afford a medical procedure.

WhitneySnow · Answer

I never really thought about this but I guess not having enough money to afford a middle class lifestyle

love_conquers_lust · Answer

Below the

zagor · Answer

When I was in Cambodia there were families of four living in 10x10 straw shacks. Where do you go from there? That is poor.

OddBeMe · Answer

Living at or below poverty line. I’m pretty strict on the maths. Cuts through confusion when discussing policy.

Twalli · Answer

Basic necessities to me includes adequate medical care and access to such care.

jjj101010 · Answer

Depends on the context. Someone can be poor at reading or something can be poor quality. Then their is financially poor

Danny_dan92 · Answer

Not having access to things most people do

serious_miss419 · Answer

Attitude

dolemite58 · Answer

Living paycheck to paycheck

boobliker · Answer

No money and no food

What does poor mean to you?

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