Times of Extreme Frugality: Poor v. Poverty

I restarted blogging this summer after The Incident. 

Our only vehicle was totaled and replacing it, even with a low- priced, used vehicle, seriously ate into our savings. We instituted extreme frugality in an effort to replace those savings as soon as possible.

And I began posting about how poor we are, sometimes in laughter, sometimes seriously.

But are we really poor? Not by any reasonable standards.

We are on a fixed income and with careful budgeting, our income covers our expenses and usually can be stretched to build up some savings.

We own our own property, free and clear. We have a reliable car (again). We have no debts. We eat well, have health insurance, internet service, and a cat.

And even the federal government says for a family of two, we do not meet the poverty criteria.

Yes, our income is well below what most would consider is enough to get by in the United States today. But we have resources those in true poverty do not have. 

We both come from middle class families, we are college educated, we grew up with all of the advantages of being white, heterosexuals in safe neighborhoods in the boomer years when optimism for the future was not a pipe dream. 

In short, we were never marginalized or looked down on, we have had the opportunities denied many others. 

We have had many chances over the years to change our career paths and keep up with the Joneses.

But we have also had the luxury to develop our own lifestyle and our finances have mostly been by choice. 

We may well be considered poor compared to others, but we have never lived in poverty. 

I hope I can remember that and be grateful always.