The Hit List - Poor things

There were times in my life when I was poor. Like broker than the joker. I remember the ache of an empty belly all too well. I also remember working too much, driving a car that required a screwdriver to start, and counting pennies. Crawling my way out of poverty took a lot of effort – and a long time.

Even though those days are well behind me, I still have moments where I have to remind myself that this isn’t the case. A poverty mentality tends to stick, long after circumstances have changed or after all the “manifesting mindset” work has been done. It mostly shows up in my habits.

I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing.

For example, I live below my means. This allows me to put money aside, but also creates flexibility when the economy takes a dump, as it’s doing at the moment. However, sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s okay to splurge. That’s not easy for me to do (except when it comes to books, my one weakness).

Other habits that stuck:

I don’t care about the latest fashion trends. Instead, I wear my clothes out. Like down to threadbare. There are thirty-year-old t-shirts in my dresser. Not kidding! If it is still in good shape, it stays. I also stick to a “uniform” of black pants and a t-shirt, which eliminates the need to think too hard about what to wear.

Nothing goes to waste. Not food, beauty products, or plastic bags. Everything gets used up. Scraps of food are sent to the compost, which is then turned into soil for a modest garden.

I’ll drive a car “into the ground.” Back in the day, I drove “beaters,” cheap old cars. Eventually, I got a decent car and then moved up to a Toyota Matrix. That car just died, over twenty years later. I’m forced to get a new car, and my goal is to make it the last one (hey, I’m sixty and don’t plan on driving forever!).

I cook at home. This serves three purposes: it saves money, I control the ingredients, and allows for leftovers. It’s not only economical, but better for me. Cooking is a way to get creative and stretch dollars – plus, while restaurants can be a treat, most of the stuff I cook at home is better. Once I learned that most restaurants are supplied by the same distributor (Sysco), that changed my relationship with going out to eat.

Most of my home furnishings are second-hand. I don’t have any shame in the fact that a few items were pulled off the curb and repurposed. For example, I found a beautiful vintage cabinet sitting in the rain. I crammed it into my car, made my daughter sit on my son’s lap, and got it home. We removed the cruddy finish, and it now sits in the entryway of my yoga studio. I couldn’t believe someone threw this perfectly good piece of furniture away.

I still pick up pennies and other coins when I see them. These go into a jar, and when it’s filled, off to the bank to cash them in. It always feels like a jackpot, even if it’s not much.

Lastly, every night and morning, I give thanks. Gratitude has always been my attitude, even in the hardest times. I never take anything for granted, ever. Because even though I’ll probably never make the Forbes list of richest people, I’m okay.

Theresa

PS At the time of this writing, the government is shut down. The people in charge want to deprive people of SNAP benefits in order to eliminate the health care subsidies. Poor people are being punished while they attempt to make health care unaffordable for many. This is unconscionable. No one should have to go without food, shelter, water, or health care – especially in the richest country in the world – period. It’s time to stop treating poor folks as the problem and instead, focus on eliminating poverty. It CAN be done.

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