Comments on: Why the Poor Pay More

By: Converting A Spendthrift

Converting A Spendthrift — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:08:04 +0000

Thirties are the new Twenties, we just need more Sleep! LOL…

By: aly

aly — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:08:47 +0000

I’m going to need the Post to truly define what they mean by “poor.” Not even trying to be funny but alot of the stuff you mentioned sounds like me, however because of the type of work my hubby does no one would say we were “poor.” The furniture we own didn’t come from a rental store but we got quite a bit of it second hand AND we didn’t have any for a LONG time because my hubby didn’t want to purchase it using a credit card. He felt like if he didn’t have the cash to buy it out right, then we’d have to wait. What’s the difference in paying monthly payments to a rental furniture store vs. paying monthly credit card payments – whose interests can be just as high if not higher?

We also don’t have a washer and dryer (since we moved at least) and altho we don’t wash our clothes at a laundromat, we use their wash and fold services – for a fee.

I suppose my point is, if folks are purchasing items using ANY form of credit (i.e credit cards, personal bank loans) wouldn’t they be considered poor as well?

By: R. May

R. May — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:16:32 +0000

I think they need to go back to teaching home economics in school! Education when they are young is the way to get ‘em.

By: dogatemyfinances

dogatemyfinances — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:00:47 +0000

Hmm, very interesting post and comments. It’s easy to paint the poor as “victims” especially a rich reporter, but this really doesn’t jibe with my experience.

I didn’t have a washing machine until the last couple years, so I appreciate the convenience, but I think it was honestly cheaper to go to the laundromat.

This might be a Mexican thing, but the small shops or fruit stands or tamale carts are actually very good sources of cheap food. Honestly, I still go to those neighborhoods for food, often. A lot of the food from Mexico passes through Texas on its way to wherever, so the cheap food is pretty good, really, though you don’t know what you’re going to get.

In my experience, you have a bank account if you’re legal, and you only use a check casher if you’re not legal (or you get paid in cash).

The poor have more options than Rent to Own and so on, and they know it. They’re not that stupid. It’s an I-want-it-now reaction, the American way, if you will. Besides, you Rent to Own something impressive that you MUST have like your stereo, and then it sits on your Goodwill side table. It’s not like you furnish your whole house that way.

By: Rufina

Rufina — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:03:47 +0000

Vicious cycle.
Tell you Ma, for some people having a bank account would really screw up any state/federal assistance they get. Long time ago I was a welfare receipient when I had college to finish and 18 months old baby on my hands with no other income. My welfare check did not even cover my rent and as soon as they found out that I have a checking account (I opened it so that I do not have to pay fees for money orders every month) guess what they did? They kicked me off welfare within a week!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luckily I had an offer in hand for my first job that paid whole $28K per year and I exhaled finally. Never looked back :-)

I can understand if some people do not have a bank account or a car (I do not have a car, living in NYC, I would be using it maybe once a week on weekends, cant drive to work, no parking and transit gets me anywhere I need to go much faster)
But payday loans and such-now that it plain dumb, that I can not understand.