Several years ago, my husband, my daughter, and I were sitting in our living room. I was reading an article in the paper about the poverty level of an individual in the larger city next to ours.
The article stated that the poverty level of a single person in that city was $15,000.00 annual income. I broke into hysterical laughter gaining the attention of my husband and daughter. I explained that we must be some financial genius' because our most recent years wages were just over $15,000.00 for all 3 of us! Not ONE, but THREE of us were living on what the government considered poverty level for one! Sure sometimes we couldn't do things, buy things or go places we wanted, but we had food on the table, a car to get to work, clothes on our back, and a roof over our heads (one we were buying, not renting.
Too many people today are in tons of debt because they have fallen for the hype that in order to "live" you MUST HAVE this or that. People lived for hundreds of years without electricity, running water, or even cable t.v.! You have got to learn to live within your means and find things to be happy about. Instead of taking the family to the movies $$$$$$$, buy a board came and pop some corn for a fun night of family togetherness, check out movies from the library, read poetry out loud, just be silly together. When your debt free, even if you are below the poverty level, you are much more happy and stress free.
