People with resources have often told those without resources to strip our expenses down to the bare bones, implying that there are hidden expenses that folks are paying that should be reduced. The beliefs of $8 coffees and rampant food deliveries are strong, and these people genuinely believe that mortgages and car payments are hidden in the unlivable wages being offered. No evidence will convince the majority of them that the math simply will not work, and they keep admonishing those in poverty to “figure it out.” At this point in time, I have eliminated my sympathy for people who refuse to believe that “bare bones” is still too much.
I consumed $30 worth of groceries for 30 months to pay off my student loans and my car, and let me tell you, that made me the life of all the parties; that did not stop someone from totaling my car when I was so close to paying off my credit cards that I could start a savings plan. When I ran out of “live alone” money, I moved in as a roommate with a former co-worker–who immediately started financially exploiting me. Despite working as a contractor and an employee while living as a roommate, people made up exploitative tactics for which I got zero recourse, not to mention being forced to move and use my minimal savings to stabilize my housing again after 4 moves in six months. Getting rid of debt is not a magical reset button because if a crisis happens, one is generally back in debt.
Most people also forget that rising grocery costs mean that eating at home is no longer the flex, especially as the imperial plantation decided to attack its slaves and many residents are working multiple jobs. For years, I ate at home for all but one breakfast and one dinner a week so that I could maintain social connections. Regardless, I was still reducing costs due to inflation, and I worked a fast food job for the express purpose of being able to be fed once a day. After the boss who hated me left my fast food job, I barely had enough time to keep my laundry clean and cook beans and rice once a week because I was always being called in on my free days. Food is required for survival, and the starvation wages that most people are being paid are not covering any type of healthy diet.
“Dress for Success” was a marketing campaign designed to promote fast fashion, and there is no consistent example that people who dress to the nines will eventually make more money. After I left a federal job in 2024–yes, I remembered what it was like working for the emperor the first time–I had to wear the same clothes for two years. This year, I finally started needing new clothes due to wear and tear, and I have been very slow to replace things. Regardless of how much money I “saved,” I was in danger of not being able to wear a uniform if I had not shared a bedroom with two other people and kept myself isolated.
Finally, I had to move for jobs twice, because I could only travel if resources are involved. Yes, I took a tour in 2024, but that was the first long-term recreational travel I had taken since I was a teenager. I was too busy being “financially responsible” to enjoy the golden era of cheap travel, and someone totaled my car due to inattention, so even that possibility was eliminated. Being trapped in places where people were telling me to keep my head down and my mouth shut while demanding that I outperform anyone for acceptance did nothing to improve my circumstances. All that did was keep people affirmed that I really was worthless.
Antiquated financial advice becomes bullying and disrespect if repeated too often, and it is time to face the music about how many privileged people have behaved. The safety nets have been removed and people are stuck with the pennies in their pockets. Most of the support system “failsafes” have been forced to fail because the “elites” enjoy torturing everyone. “Bare bones” is not a thing, and everyone is simply stuck. No economy can function if the majority of humanity cannot afford to spend a dime.
Chasing A Dying Empire 