I did this math in my head and I was terribly off. You would only need to go without 14.3 iPhones for a year to pay for the avg cost of healthcare for a person.

Throw me in as well. I currently hold a management-level job which started as a mid-level position with the company years ago, which I couldn't perform without a car or cellphone, and would not have gotten the job to begin with if I didn't have these things.

Prior to this, at a previous job, from 2002-2006, the same was true.

Very hard nowadays unless your position is fully on-location and requires little to nothing technologically for the duties of the job. I mean, if someone is going to be a cashier, a hairdresser, a firefighter, or waiter at a place very close to their home, they can go without. If someone works at a midtown Manhattan office, they can go without. Otherwise? Likely no job.

https://twitter.com/CAPAction/status/842189955044646913

I have three older guy's that work for me. They each have cheap flip phones and cheap plans. They don't want or need expensive smart phones. We will never reduce poverty until people take accountability for their budget. The Democrats(Enableracrats) want you all to stay poor. The more people in poverty, the more votes for Demoenableracrats.

This argument for Iphones shows just how ignorant some of you people are. One of these day's the light will come on and you will experience a paradigmic shift that pulls you out of your self inflicted victim cycle.

I've seen these unwise spending choices with my own eyes. I've seen it many times in fact. Offering an opinion is not meddling. I think that instead of being angry that Trump won, it would benefit many of you to stop your crying and sit back and listen. Learn from those who know how to budget. You are only hurting yourself hanging on to your anger.

"Feeling anger towards someone is like holding on to a hot rock you intend to throw at them, your the one who gets burned"

- Buddha

Continuing the theme of how amazing it is that Trump co-opted a bunch of dumb angry white people to vote against their own interests for standard GOP tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy orthodoxy:

Trump picks another Goldman banker for senior post, in sharp break from campaign bashing

Let me just say that learning how to budget is an essential skill, and should be taught in school, probably every year starting with Home Ec and into AP Economics. But the idea that it's the only skill or even a significant determining factor to being poor is as laughable as "let's pay down the $20T national debt by eliminating the $8B EPA budget".

Conservatives warn Trump to back off Ryancare health bill

When Republicans are eating their own over this bill, that's when you know it's bad.

"Self inflicted victim cycle" is my new favorite rural GOP voter description.

Nobody said budgeting is the "only" skill.

You ever here of a thing called compunding interest? Do you think if people budgeted better maybe they could put away some money for savings? It adds up year after year.

Don't listen to me though...I'm the boogie man.

Did you really try to read and then guide my emotions through the internet? LOL. Thanks. I collect those. No wonder your posts lack actual information about people in poverty and other such substance.

Can someone quickly do a compound interest calc on $8B vs $20T?

But no, regardless if you've optimized your finances your entire life, you can still be wiped out by a random thing like car accident, economy downturn, company bankruptcy.

"It's the space between the bars that creates the cell"

Stereotypes!

"It's best to know what you are talking about before doing so."

Or have a little left because you were a good budgeter and saver.

Those aren't accurate, reliable, worthwhile, nor correct. Another try?

Never go broke. Got it. Works every time.

You don't use stereotypes in poker? You think all people just play the same? Do you think your ilk uses stereotypes to describe Trump supporters?

Do you care about those things? So he lied. So what? James Clapper lied to congress under oath about crimes against the American people and Obama promoted him. But that didn't upset you, did it?

It upset a lot of people, including me:

You're not woke, Deuces, stop trying to pretend like you are.

Lol. You are actually agreeing with me here.

There is nothing dumb about prioritizing what is important. Almost everyone has limited resources except for the very top earners. If you need to, you bring lunch to work to save money, or take public transportation to save parking, or buy clothes from thrift stores if you have to. That's the point. Most of us have experienced times in our lives where we have to prioritize certain things over others. Buying expensive gadgets is a waste of precious resources, especially the poorer you are. The arguments of needing a car and an expensive smartphone to get a lie level job is even more laughable. Sure, it's nice, but to argue it's absolutely necessary is lol. I know people who've never owned a car and somehow managed to keep a job their entire lives. It's not magic.

Grunching.

einbert using the typical lefty tactic of claiming that people he disagrees with essentially are heartless and evil:

Few, if any, are claiming that people in need of assistance shouldn't be helped. There is a social safety net. People are debating what it should entail.

mongidig's posts are a distraction. Of course there are people that are fiscally irresponsible. Actually bankruptcy laws address this pretty well.

People in the P forum were getting behind the Universal Basic Income idea seemingly with the idea that it would replace much of the social safety net that exists now IE it is more efficient. Where do you all stand on this? I think the social safety net is a better idea.

BWAHAHAAHAH THAT'S THE ENTIRE THING HERE

If nobody was claiming that we could close up shop and head home.

Here's the catch: If people are too obtuse and simple to even realize they're claiming that, or too cowardly to admit it, this doesn't change the fact that they're claiming that.