Favorite poverty symbols!

[AlexandriaVA]

I think consumer goods don't do a good job anymore because everything has gotten cheaper due to foreign trade.

The problem is not foreign trade.  Rather, it's the fact that - with the exception of cars and some major appliances - most consumer goods are deliberately made with the concept that when they break, you throw them away.  More profit in forcing people to replace products instead of allowing people to repair them when something relatively minor goes wrong.  Just another example of mid-1980s MBA teaching in action.

You have it backwards. Stuff is so cheap that repairs are usually not worth it, so there's no need to make them more durable.

[Rothman]

My father had a 1981 Chevette that lasted over a decade.  Floor sort of rusted through on the passenger side finally.  He almost cried when he finally let it go.

[Nanis]

I live in an apartment. My sister is old enough to drive but can't afford a car. My dad's car is a raggedy old Elantra from 2002. My mom has a Kia from 2010. We had dialup until 2013. We have OTA TV.

[vdeane]

Interestingly I recall a conversation where my grandma told my grandpa in the early 2000s that $20 dollars for 70 stations of cable was too expensive.  It turns out when they died that they had a small fortune in stocks and war bonds stashed away in false walls or tin cans.  I don't know if they were "proud" of their poverty status but they sure lived like it until they ended up in grave.

That was a staple of people of that generation.  The stories about saving Cool Whip containers and the like for saving leftovers was very much the way of life of that generation.  Tupperware was a huge expense for many.  The generation has mostly passed on by now, so those stories are now jokes.  But they were great penny pinchers.

Sadly, what's happened in many cases is the heritance have been passed on, and the money spent foolishly.

One of my great Aunts would actually count out the number of paper plates to the number of people at a family gathering.  If we ran out, we all had to check to make sure we hadn't taken two!  To this day, I still do that when taking paper plates.  The habit stuck.

My inheritance from my other great Aunt was put into my college fund.  Not sure what happened with the inheritance from Grandma.

Regarding cable, it might not be worth it if you don't watch that much non-broadcast TV.

[Nanis]

Interestingly I recall a conversation where my grandma told my grandpa in the early 2000s that $20 dollars for 70 stations of cable was too expensive.  It turns out when they died that they had a small fortune in stocks and war bonds stashed away in false walls or tin cans.  I don't know if they were "proud" of their poverty status but they sure lived like it until they ended up in grave.

That was a staple of people of that generation.  The stories about saving Cool Whip containers and the like for saving leftovers was very much the way of life of that generation.  Tupperware was a huge expense for many.  The generation has mostly passed on by now, so those stories are now jokes.  But they were great penny pinchers.

Sadly, what's happened in many cases is the heritance have been passed on, and the money spent foolishly.

One of my great Aunts would actually count out the number of paper plates to the number of people at a family gathering.  If we ran out, we all had to check to make sure we hadn't taken two!  To this day, I still do that when taking paper plates.  The habit stuck.

My inheritance from my other great Aunt was put into my college fund.  Not sure what happened with the inheritance from Grandma.

Regarding cable, it might not be worth it if you don't watch that much non-broadcast TV.

OTA TV is mostly the same. you just have the channels with actual TV stations and its free.

[Max Rockatansky]

A trailer home.

Those in the lap of luxury have a double-wide!

Interestingly I recall a conversation where my grandma told my grandpa in the early 2000s that $20 dollars for 70 stations of cable was too expensive.  It turns out when they died that they had a small fortune in stocks and war bonds stashed away in false walls or tin cans.  I don't know if they were "proud" of their poverty status but they sure lived like it until they ended up in grave.

That was a staple of people of that generation.  The stories about saving Cool Whip containers and the like for saving leftovers was very much the way of life of that generation.  Tupperware was a huge expense for many.  The generation has mostly passed on by now, so those stories are now jokes.  But they were great penny pinchers.

Sadly, what's happened in many cases is the heritance have been passed on, and the money spent foolishly.

I remember the stories they used to tell about one bath a week with shared water so they didn't run up the utility bill.  Basically they got so old and so set in their ways that they didn't know what to do with their savings.  Basically by the time they died the house had been paid off for several decades and the interest they made was still maturing past what they would ever spend.  They never were really even interested in doing anything, traveling or spending that money at all.  Hard to fathom an economic situation so bad that literally you fear poverty past the age where it would really matter anymore with accumulated savings.

[Max Rockatansky]

My father had a 1981 Chevette that lasted over a decade.  Floor sort of rusted through on the passenger side finally.  He almost cried when he finally let it go.

Just goes to show that even the worst cars will last provided they receive proper care.  Those panels on the Chevette were absolute crap, no wonder they rusted on show room floors (at least according to automotive legend).

[bandit957]

Hard to fathom an economic situation so bad that literally you fear poverty past the age where it would really matter anymore with accumulated savings.

I can actually imagine it.

[Max Rockatansky]

Hard to fathom an economic situation so bad that literally you fear poverty past the age where it would really matter anymore with accumulated savings.

I can actually imagine it.

We're talking a time where there was no such thing as programs like Social Security or FDIC.  Literally you could have a small fortune in the bank that would suddenly disappear when your bank went under.  That's how things like stuff dollars in tin cans and mattresses get started.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the unemployment level has even gotten close to the levels of the Great Depression in any recent recession.

[abefroman329]

Hard to fathom an economic situation so bad that literally you fear poverty past the age where it would really matter anymore with accumulated savings.

I can actually imagine it.

We're talking a time where there was no such thing as programs like Social Security or FDIC.  Literally you could have a small fortune in the bank that would suddenly disappear when your bank went under.  That's how things like stuff dollars in tin cans and mattresses get started.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the unemployment level has even gotten close to the levels of the Great Depression in any recent recession.

There's also the fact that, as you get older and need more care, meeting your basic needs gets to be unbelievably expensive. That's why my grandmother saved her pennies until the very end.

[bandit957]

We're talking a time where there was no such thing as programs like Social Security or FDIC.

They're always talking about how Social Security will go broke soon. What if?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the unemployment level has even gotten close to the levels of the Great Depression in any recent recession.

Around here, it's bad.

[vdeane]

Interestingly I recall a conversation where my grandma told my grandpa in the early 2000s that $20 dollars for 70 stations of cable was too expensive.  It turns out when they died that they had a small fortune in stocks and war bonds stashed away in false walls or tin cans.  I don't know if they were "proud" of their poverty status but they sure lived like it until they ended up in grave.

That was a staple of people of that generation.  The stories about saving Cool Whip containers and the like for saving leftovers was very much the way of life of that generation.  Tupperware was a huge expense for many.  The generation has mostly passed on by now, so those stories are now jokes.  But they were great penny pinchers.

Sadly, what's happened in many cases is the heritance have been passed on, and the money spent foolishly.

One of my great Aunts would actually count out the number of paper plates to the number of people at a family gathering.  If we ran out, we all had to check to make sure we hadn't taken two!  To this day, I still do that when taking paper plates.  The habit stuck.

My inheritance from my other great Aunt was put into my college fund.  Not sure what happened with the inheritance from Grandma.

Regarding cable, it might not be worth it if you don't watch that much non-broadcast TV.

OTA TV is mostly the same. you just have the channels with actual TV stations and its free.

I'd say the equation is quite a bit different when you're dealing with a small, one-time cost for an antenna (which, depending on where you live, could be less than half the monthly cost of the cheapest cable plan) and a persistent monthly cost, especially since TVs have other uses than over the air or cable TV.  Mine was originally bought for watching Doctor Who and Star Trek on Amazon Prime.  I then bought an antenna because I figured I might as well.  Since moving to the Capital District, I've become a local news junkie, because News10 is just that good.  I also now have an HDMI cable directly connecting my computer and TV, so I can stream anything I want on it.

[abefroman329]

The reception we were getting with an HD antenna was crap, that's why we pay to get the OTA channels through the cable company. I also understand OTA isn't really an option in rural mountainous areas.

[hbelkins]

Frugality isn't a bad thing.

[Nanis]

The reception we were getting with an HD antenna was crap, that's why we pay to get the OTA channels through the cable company. I also understand OTA isn't really an option in rural mountainous areas.

Unless you lived on top of a really big hill and had a roof antenna in a rural market, you wouldn't get anything. That's a good point. But if you're in an urban poverty area (like me), this is invalid

[abefroman329]

The reception we were getting with an HD antenna was crap, that's why we pay to get the OTA channels through the cable company. I also understand OTA isn't really an option in rural mountainous areas.

Unless you lived on top of a really big hill and had a roof antenna in a rural market, you wouldn't get anything. That's a good point. But if you're in an urban poverty area (like me), this is invalid

We we're living in a third-floor apartment in an urban area and reception was crap, particularly in bad weather. This was with an indoor HD antenna.

[J N Winkler]

My "poverty symbol" is probably no working A/C in a 24-year-old daily driver that has rebuilt nothing (except for the alternator) and is otherwise highly reliable.  I have the financial resource to pursue various options for dealing with this, including an annual evacuation and recharge of the A/C system ($70 minimum each time), throwing the die on successful leak repair in a shop ($200 each time, tried twice in the past), attempting DIY repair or recharge ($200 minimum one-time for equipment and some supplies, plus civil and criminal liability for illegal release of R-134a or use of HC refrigerants prohibited for automotive applications), or replacing the vehicle altogether (up to $20,000 for a brand-new replacement).  However, changing clothes to drive somewhere when it is hot out is the solution that leaves me feeling the least like I am throwing money out the window.

[abefroman329]

$70 to have your A/C recharged is a steal - I spent at least $300 to have it done about 20 years ago.

[Brandon]

We're talking a time where there was no such thing as programs like Social Security or FDIC.

They're always talking about how Social Security will go broke soon. What if?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the unemployment level has even gotten close to the levels of the Great Depression in any recent recession.

Around here, it's bad.

It is?  I see 3.5% for your region.

https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.oh_cincinnati_msa.htm

[hotdogPi]

We're talking a time where there was no such thing as programs like Social Security or FDIC.

They're always talking about how Social Security will go broke soon. What if?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the unemployment level has even gotten close to the levels of the Great Depression in any recent recession.

Around here, it's bad.

It is?  I see 3.5% for your region.

https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.oh_cincinnati_msa.htm

The Cincinnati metro is in more than one state, and Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana have different laws. Maybe it's higher in Kentucky.

[vdeane]

Plus, while official unemployment numbers are U3 (excluding people who stopped looking for work and who are underemployed), when most people are intuitively assessing the economy, the factors they include actually correspond to U6.

[Brandon]

Plus, while official unemployment numbers are U3 (excluding people who stopped looking for work and who are underemployed), when most people are intuitively assessing the economy, the factors they include actually correspond to U6.

Which still is nowhere near Great Depression unemployment levels.  To get there, it has to be much higher.  We're talking U15+, even U20.  U6 is still fairly low.

[hbelkins]

$70 to have your A/C recharged is a steal - I spent at least $300 to have it done about 20 years ago.

And even $70 is too much. A $14 hose kit from Walmart and a $5 can of refrigerant works just fine. My wife's been having issues with her AC for a couple of years now. At first, we bought two or three of the $17 hose-and-can kits, but now I realized that a permanent investment in the hose kit and possibly a couple of the small cans a year will be more economical. If the AC starts blowing hot, which may happen a time or two more this year, I'll just grab a cheap can of refrigerant and recharge it myself.

[J N Winkler]

$70 to have your A/C recharged is a steal - I spent at least $300 to have it done about 20 years ago.

The last time I had it done, it was a line item among many others on the bill (I think it was for repairs after a deer collision that took out the radiator and A/C condenser).  Possibly it might have been quite a bit higher if I had taken the car in just for a recharge.

And even $70 is too much. A $14 hose kit from Walmart and a $5 can of refrigerant works just fine. My wife's been having issues with her AC for a couple of years now. At first, we bought two or three of the $17 hose-and-can kits, but now I realized that a permanent investment in the hose kit and possibly a couple of the small cans a year will be more economical. If the AC starts blowing hot, which may happen a time or two more this year, I'll just grab a cheap can of refrigerant and recharge it myself.

The cheap kits won't work for my Saturn and, presumably, many other car models because the low-side pressure barely changes while the high-side pressure fluctuates quite a bit according to the amount of refrigerant in the system, meaning the latter has to be monitored to determine when the system is fully charged.  This entails a manifold gauge set (currently about $60 from Harbor Freight).

[Nanis]

The reception we were getting with an HD antenna was crap, that's why we pay to get the OTA channels through the cable company. I also understand OTA isn't really an option in rural mountainous areas.

Unless you lived on top of a really big hill and had a roof antenna in a rural market, you wouldn't get anything. That's a good point. But if you're in an urban poverty area (like me), this is invalid

We we're living in a third-floor apartment in an urban area and reception was crap, particularly in bad weather. This was with an indoor HD antenna.

those HD antennas are quite crap. If you just have an old antenna, it works much better