DebMD (banned)
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"Banned," they say. "Don't worry," they say. But beneath their words lurks a dark, terrible secret.
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 20:29:00 GMT -5
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Post by DebMD (banned) on Apr 1, 2011 21:39:39 GMT -5
I remember having 3 days off per month to get my med school student loans paid off,
Off the 1st, 15th, and last day of the month so I could have 2 days off in a row... it was tuff
in undergrad it was work study...
part of the blood sweat and tears of DebMD whew...glad that part is over!!!
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sesfw
Junior Associate
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Post by sesfw on Apr 1, 2011 22:49:26 GMT -5
After mom and dad's divorce mom and I didn't have any money, and lived with g-ma. Even after mom married again extra funds were non-exxistent. As an adult in my late 40s at one time I was without a job, broke, homeless. That's when I started classes in a tech college and took out every student loan I could. My third term I had a job as a Faculty Assistant and got $500 per month. That paid my rent, food, transportation, utilities.
I've been broke and homeless, never poor. Difference of attitude.
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Genuine GA Peach
Senior Member
If your outgo exceeds your income your upkeep will be your downfall.
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Post by Genuine GA Peach on Apr 1, 2011 23:11:53 GMT -5
after mom divorced, we lived in a 2 BR/1 BA single wide in south GA with mom's sis: 3 adults & 7 kids. This was so mom could get her cosmetology license. Mom worked a full time job and went to school full time. Pretty much the only time we saw her was when she was sleeping. It was TOUGH, but we all made it. We didn't go hungry. We were close to the FL panhandle, so we'd camp on the beach lots of weekends. My uncle was a Marine, so we were able to take advantage of some good deals thru the base. Families do what they have to do to survive. These days, I'm sure DEFACS would have tried to take us from mom when mom finally remarried, she married a jerk who was all about image. So we had a nice house and a in-ground swimming pool. And the soul-less a$$ wipe she married drove a Cadillac. And our utilities were disconnected ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME. And we had NO GROCERIES. And very few clothes. When sis started dating, she would get her date to go thru the drive thru on the way to bring her home & so she could bring me food. Dad asked us one time why we wore the same dress to church with him all the time on his weekends. When he found out we each only had one dress, he was FURIOUS. He made mom start giving us an allowance from the child support he paid (which sis & I used to buy our on clothes). lesson learned: looking back or from the outside, it sounds much worse than it felt at the time. That's what we knew...it was our 'normal'. Mom was in a tough spot, and she made some bad decisions. I'm a saver, and one of my top priorities is to have money for retirement. And I won't depend on anyone other than MYSELF for my finances. That's what I can control.
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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♡ ♡ BᏋՆᎥᏋᏉᏋ ♡ ♡
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Apr 1, 2011 23:36:44 GMT -5
When we were kids, we didn't have a whole lot. I was the youngest of 4 and the only girl. Dad was an insructor at a technical school and didn't bring home a lot of money. Mom was a SAHM. She was a wonderful cook and could whip up a feast out of almost anything. Even something as simple as pot roast or spaghetti & meatballs was always delicious becaue of her knack for cooking (she had 6 mouths to feed so knew how to 'stretch' it). The oldest boy usually got new clothes first, then they were handed down - even my playclothes were sometimes leftovers from the boys. My mom sewed almost all my dresses, tops and pants and was always a glorious treat to get something "store-bought" to wear (usually only on a birthday or first day of school). I'm thankful to this day that she taught me how to sew. I still make suits, slacks & shirts for myself when I have the time and inclination.
We camped out a lot for holidays or stayed in the city and visited the zoo or went for picnics in the park where we'd all play softball or frizbee. I the winter we'd spend a lot of time playing board and card games or working on puzzles. We were taught different arts & crafts projects and joined different groups such as Scouts/Guides. Looking back now, I realize what a struggle it was for our parents, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It was a truly rich childhood that has no pricetag.
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Post by straydog on Apr 2, 2011 4:38:08 GMT -5
When I was in my twenties and thirties I didn't have too much. Learning disabilities and lack of funds kept me from attending college, and the public school system was a nightmare for me so I wasn't that keen on going anyway.
I ended up doing mostly low paying service jobs, and I still could have made the best of it, but I did not. A false sense of entitlement kept me down. I bought whatever I wanted even if it put me in a fix.
By my forties I finally started to wise up and realize that my current course was unacceptable. I started reading self-help financial books and then realized that I was not helping myself by buying things that I did not need.
So the lessons that I learned were that I was not entitled to anything, and that spending money does not empower you, saving it does.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2011 9:33:18 GMT -5
. I'm a saver, and one of my top priorities is to have money for retirement. And I won't depend on anyone other than MYSELF for my finances
By my forties I finally started to wise up and realize that my current course was unacceptable. I started reading self-help financial books and then realized that I was not helping myself by buying things that I did not need.
Straydog & Peach I wish that we could embed both of your learning's into kids before they were born. Sadly we can't & I guess that everyone has to learn them for themselves.
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Bluerobin
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Post by Bluerobin on Apr 2, 2011 9:58:07 GMT -5
Dear Dad had the nerve to die several months before I was born. Dear Mom had the task of raising 2 kids with no money - no day care back then. She took all kinds of jobs, that she could do from home, even though she was an RN. Yep, I know poor and agree with Tina's sentiments. Poor sucks, and I learned not to be that way. Luckily I was big for my age and did odd jobs from about the age of 6.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Apr 2, 2011 11:31:59 GMT -5
I grew up poor...lesson learned-it sucked and I didn't want to be poor as an adult. Ditto, although getting started right out of college was tough. I had to retire early on disability and wasn't financially ready for that, so I will never be well off.
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mmhmm
Administrator
It's a great pity the right of free speech isn't based on the obligation to say something sensible.
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Post by mmhmm on Apr 2, 2011 11:36:00 GMT -5
Sure, I've been poor. Was a far cry from wealthy growing up, and while going to school and raising kids. I learned a very important lesson. I don't want to be poor again! ;D
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Post by straydog on Apr 2, 2011 16:48:29 GMT -5
. I'm a saver, and one of my top priorities is to have money for retirement. And I won't depend on anyone other than MYSELF for my financesBy my forties I finally started to wise up and realize that my current course was unacceptable. I started reading self-help financial books and then realized that I was not helping myself by buying things that I did not need.Straydog & Peach I wish that we could embed both of your learning's into kids before they were born. Sadly we can't & I guess that everyone has to learn them for themselves. Yes, that would be nice, although now, after the financial collapse, I hope that things will start to improve. Before the collapse, the theme of the day seemed to be 'I'm entitled to this just because I'm me' or 'live for today, the heck with tomorrow' whereas today 'financial responsibility' seems to have replaced that. Lets just hope that if things get better that the young folks keep financial responsibility at the forefront of their thinking.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2011 6:52:22 GMT -5
I grew up poor...lesson learned-it sucked and I didn't want to be poor as an adult. I did as well. At a very young age I knew I didn't want to live like that. I started babysitting for extra money and then I worked at a grocery store bagging groceries. One week after graduation I hightailed it out of that Podunk town and never looked back.
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midjd
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Your Money Admin
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Post by midjd on Apr 3, 2011 20:02:39 GMT -5
I knew we didn't have much money while I was growing up, but I didn't realize how poor we really were until I was an adult. My mom raised the 3 of us on <$20K per year (last kid left the house in 2009). We wore hand-me-downs, spaghetti every night, etc. It wasn't an unhappy childhood, though - as others have said, kids can be happy with very little. I knew we didn't have as much money as some of my friends' parents, but never saw myself as deprived. DH's dad is self-employed and they had a few lean years while DH was young, but were making a pretty good living by the time DH's sister came around. I once overheard DH telling her, "I though we grew up poor, until I met MidwesternJD"
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Post by charles on Apr 4, 2011 7:31:00 GMT -5
Remember all the things you thought you had to have and once you had them how unimportant they become.....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2011 7:59:15 GMT -5
Hi Chaz! Welcome to EE!! My parents have always said that they would have been well off if they didn't have 6 kids.
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Colleenz
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Post by Colleenz on Apr 4, 2011 8:45:52 GMT -5
TD2K-
You were lucky to have a LAKE! There were a hundred and sixty of us living in a small shoebox in the middle of the road.
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Post by pig on Apr 4, 2011 8:49:21 GMT -5
"Lesson learned: don't shack up with a stripper. "
Was she an ugly stripper? Most I know make really good money. Or did she just not share her wealth?
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DebMD (banned)
Junior Associate
"Banned," they say. "Don't worry," they say. But beneath their words lurks a dark, terrible secret.
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Post by DebMD (banned) on Apr 4, 2011 9:47:58 GMT -5
Wonder how well they preform at the other things....
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