FARK.com: (7973789) Meet the people who want to be poor. "When I buy something I get this depressed feeling"

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		Meet the people who want to be poor. "When I buy something I get this depressed feeling" ( inplainsight.nbcnews.com)		79
		More: Interesting, still lives, group homes, street kids, simplicities, upward mobility, Ohio River, Occupy Wall Street

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5546 clicks; posted to Main » on 13 Oct 2013 at 11:22 PM (4 years ago) | Favorite | share:

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fusillade762

2013-10-13 09:52:19 PM

Poor? Looks to me like he wants to be a Hobbit.

fusillade762

2013-10-13 09:53:22 PM

an underground "Hobbit hole"

Ah. Guess I should have read TFA before posting.

reklamfox

2013-10-13 11:26:31 PM

I am poor, and I totally get depressed when I have to spend my limited funds on just about anything. Spending money physically hurts :(

Gyrfalcon

2013-10-13 11:27:12 PM

During the winter, he decamps to Hawaii to surf and avoid the harsh weather. Price's version of the simple life costs $5,000 a year,

Uh....okay. So he's a bum.

I'm assuming that his plan, if he gets seriously ill, is to just die? Because he can't afford to get sick in any way that won't cost a lot more than that.

ComicBookGuy

2013-10-13 11:29:14 PM

This deserves a Asinine tag.

some_beer_drinker

2013-10-13 11:29:22 PM

i get depressed when i cant buy something i need.

wtf?

MrEricSir

2013-10-13 11:29:56 PM

I think everyone who's ever had to pay rent can see the appeal of moving into a hole in the ground.

casual disregard

2013-10-13 11:30:06 PM

Gyrfalcon: During the winter, he decamps to Hawaii to surf and avoid the harsh weather. Price's version of the simple life costs $5,000 a year,

Uh....okay. So he's a bum.

I'm assuming that his plan, if he gets seriously ill, is to just die? Because he can't afford to get sick in any way that won't cost a lot more than that.

Wait, how much does it cost to just up and jet to Hawaii for an entire season or two? Is this an extremely cheap method of living that I'm missing out on?

DarkSoulNoHope

2013-10-13 11:30:07 PM

Sounds like the author is trying to grasp for straws and claiming that people are "choosing poverty", based upon the actions of one Hipster who read a book and acted upon the suggestions in that book.

tbhouston

2013-10-13 11:31:53 PM

fusillade762: an underground "Hobbit hole"

Ah. Guess I should have read TFA before posting.

Fark has articles now??

TV's Vinnie

2013-10-13 11:32:10 PM

He's living on $5000 a month. That is NOT f*cking poor!

Try living on $550 a month and $17 in food stamps (on average) like most people on assistance do, ya poser! Till then, you're just camping out.

69gnarkill69

2013-10-13 11:34:06 PM

TV's Vinnie: He's living on $5000 a month. That is NOT f*cking poor!

Try living on $550 a month and $17 in food stamps (on average) like most people on assistance do, ya poser! Till then, you're just camping out.

Uhhh, that's $5000 a year.

Fallout Boy

2013-10-13 11:35:47 PM

I was poor before it became cool.

radarlove

2013-10-13 11:38:35 PM

There are serious benefits to extreme poverty that simply can not be gained any other way.

Money and materialism will get in the way every damn time.

Intentionally poor folks are some sharp folks.

Aranur

2013-10-13 11:40:07 PM

That's $5000 a year. $416 and change a month. I too would like to know how he travels and lives in Hawaii every winter. Did he use his macbook air to learn 1 weird trick that airlines hate and flys to Hawaii for free?

Atomic Spunk

2013-10-13 11:40:09 PM

While the guy who lives in the Hobbit hole is taking things to an extreme, I think some people are beginning to realize that many of us have gone way too far in trying to accumulate things - luxurious cars, bigger home and more crap to fill up that home. It no longer makes us happy. In fact, owning too much stuff makes us unhappy. We're sold a dream that has turned into a nightmare. One of the fastest growing industries in the last decade has been the self-storage industry. Even though our homes are getting bigger and bigger, we're buying so much crap we don't have anywhere to store it anymore.

I thought the 2008 recession would have taught us valuable lessons about overspending, but here it is, 5 years later and it seems that we didn't learn a thing. I used to bring up the topic of "voluntary simplicity" in casual conversation before, but it doesn't seem to be something very many people want to hear. Talk about the latest reality show, however, and people are all ears. Oh well...

radarlove

2013-10-13 11:40:21 PM

Uh, no, you just go the the ER. It's okay to skip on the bill and pass the cost onto paying folks- Mitt said this is how healthcare is supposed to work.

raccoon2k

2013-10-13 11:41:44 PM

He wants to live like common people I s'pose.

See whatever they see.

Maybe sleep with them, who knows?

radarlove

2013-10-13 11:41:51 PM

Aranur: That's $5000 a year. $416 and change a month. I too would like to know how he travels and lives in Hawaii every winter. Did he use his macbook air to learn 1 weird trick that airlines hate and flys to Hawaii for free?

I had a friend who used to head out there every year by hitching the Cali and then working on a trawler for food and passage.

radarlove

2013-10-13 11:42:40 PM

*to Cali

Rabid Badger Beaver Weasel

2013-10-13 11:54:28 PM

"When I buy something I get this depressed feeling"

And when I get this feeling, I want sexual healing.

Ker_Thwap

2013-10-13 11:57:14 PM

I wouldn't believe in mortgages and rent either if I could hook up with some land for $100 a year, where I could ignore the building code.

hervatski

2013-10-13 11:57:37 PM

So he ditched his family to live in a ditch...

EvilEgg

2013-10-13 11:59:21 PM

In a hole in the ground there lived a bum. A nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell.

Chinchillazilla

2013-10-14 12:04:03 AM

$416 a month? That's less than half of what my mom pays for her health insurance alone.

...

I hate America.

BigJake

2013-10-14 12:04:39 AM

I don't wanna be intentionally poor but I can see the appeal of not buying shiat becuase society says you should. Why would you work your ass off all week so you can afford a house so that you then must spend a big chunk of the weekend maintaining?

thesharkman

2013-10-14 12:04:47 AM

When I was 20-24 I wouldn't have minded living in the Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood for $125 a week. Although I'd have to really not have the clutter I did. Where would I have put my cds, tapes and records.

o_blah

2013-10-14 12:10:55 AM

Honestly, if I didn't have children I could live on a very small income. I also have zero debt though, so...

I'm really dreading the idea of going back to school. For one, because I don't want to be indebted for the rest of my life, but mainly because I have no idea what I want to do.

I really don't want to buy into our debt culture, but it's looking inevitable. Especially if I ever want to raise the standard of living for my children.

In guessing this guy is a deadbeat dad.

DogBlack

2013-10-14 12:11:18 AM

Ker_Thwap: I wouldn't believe in mortgages and rent either if I could hook up with some land for $100 a year, where I could ignore the building code.

You don't have to build to code for a structure under 20 sf. It's called a "structure of no consequence." It means basically if you build a shed or some such don't worry about it.

DogBlack

2013-10-14 12:11:54 AM

Whoops. 200 sf.

thanksagainandagain

2013-10-14 12:13:57 AM

Where does he pee and poop? How does it get taken care of?

Hermit Tard

2013-10-14 12:14:01 AM

I'd be interested to know what his relationship with his two children is like.

Atomic Spunk

2013-10-14 12:17:39 AM

DogBlack: Ker_Thwap: I wouldn't believe in mortgages and rent either if I could hook up with some land for $100 a year, where I could ignore the building code.
You don't have to build to code for a structure under 20 sf. It's called a "structure of no consequence." It means basically if you build a shed or some such don't worry about it.

DogBlack: Whoops. 200 sf.

Building codes vary by municipality. This rule doesn't apply where I live, and I'd be willing to bet that applies to other places as well.

Chinchillazilla

2013-10-14 12:18:08 AM

DogBlack: Whoops. 200 sf.

Really? Cool, guess that means I didn't break the law building an 8x8 shed last year. I thought I was just living on the edge by not getting any permits or anything.

harrydorcas

2013-10-14 12:18:49 AM

Maybe they just want to practice the Christian virtue of poverty.

Yakk

2013-10-14 12:21:33 AM

Hawaii? Amateur...

Mr. Ekshun

2013-10-14 12:22:00 AM

I'd be willing to wager that he has more money to his name than the majority of people on this site, what with the crippling debt normal people seem to enjoy.

/I'm poor because I'm willing to wager.

Gyrfalcon

2013-10-14 12:24:58 AM

BigJake: I don't wanna be intentionally poor but I can see the appeal of not buying shiat becuase society says you should. Why would you work your ass off all week so you can afford a house so that you then must spend a big chunk of the weekend maintaining?

Quite honestly, I've always lived pretty close to the bone by not buying this year's fancy tech just because. You don't HAVE to have the latest model of iPod, tablet, TV or whatever, shop at hi-end department stores, etc. If I could find a Bookaholics Anonymous, I'd spend even less. Alas, light reading has gotten pretty damn expensive in the last few years.

mrlewish

2013-10-14 12:30:04 AM

I bet he's happier than most of us.

SweetBearCub

2013-10-14 12:34:37 AM

DogBlack: Whoops. 200 sf.

DogBlack, could you please provide me some info on the whole "Structure of no consequence" thing? What state? Limitations? What code section? etc. I tried googling it, but found very little.

Thanks!

mr0x

2013-10-14 12:38:54 AM

casual disregard: Gyrfalcon: During the winter, he decamps to Hawaii to surf and avoid the harsh weather. Price's version of the simple life costs $5,000 a year,

Uh....okay. So he's a bum.

I'm assuming that his plan, if he gets seriously ill, is to just die? Because he can't afford to get sick in any way that won't cost a lot more than that.

Wait, how much does it cost to just up and jet to Hawaii for an entire season or two? Is this an extremely cheap method of living that I'm missing out on?

Maybe he joins the crew of a boat or something that takes him to Hawaii. He doesn't have to jet there. He has all the time in the world to make it there for the winter.

As for getting sick and dying, that's pretty much how most hermits die from the accounts of hermits I've read about. But, that usually happens decades and decades after they've become hermits.

Mitch Taylor's Bro

2013-10-14 12:48:37 AM

radarlove: There are serious benefits to extreme poverty that simply can not be gained any other way.

Money and materialism will get in the way every damn time.

Intentionally poor folks are some sharp folks.

http://www.thehappyminimalist.net/aboutbook.htm

CWeinerWV

2013-10-14 12:50:09 AM

I get depressed because I have limited funds and out of nowhere I have to pay for something unexpected that I don't want or can't afford. Like a MRI that my insurance barely covers. Or a new computer when my craps out. Or when I need to get some business clothes, even if it's at Goodwill. Not because I like being poor. If I wasn't poor these purchases wouldn't bring me down.

Alicious

2013-10-14 01:02:11 AM

Gyrfalcon: BigJake: I don't wanna be intentionally poor but I can see the appeal of not buying shiat becuase society says you should. Why would you work your ass off all week so you can afford a house so that you then must spend a big chunk of the weekend maintaining?

Quite honestly, I've always lived pretty close to the bone by not buying this year's fancy tech just because. You don't HAVE to have the latest model of iPod, tablet, TV or whatever, shop at hi-end department stores, etc. If I could find a Bookaholics Anonymous, I'd spend even less. Alas, light reading has gotten pretty damn expensive in the last few years.

http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php

radarlove

2013-10-14 01:05:15 AM

I wish there were a place that would let you come in, find a good book, take it home, and then bring it back when you were done reading it. It would be even cooler if it were FREE.

I guess a guy can dream.

Deedeemarz

2013-10-14 01:11:12 AM

Atomic Spunk: DogBlack: Ker_Thwap: I wouldn't believe in mortgages and rent either if I could hook up with some land for $100 a year, where I could ignore the building code.
You don't have to build to code for a structure under 20 sf. It's called a "structure of no consequence." It means basically if you build a shed or some such don't worry about it.

DogBlack: Whoops. 200 sf.

Building codes vary by municipality. This rule doesn't apply where I live, and I'd be willing to bet that applies to other places as well.

True. Our city requires building plans and proof of hurricane resistant building for our yard sheds. Actual architect plans, not just the plans that come with a building kit.....

KrispyKritter

2013-10-14 01:17:01 AM

hooray for rejecting societies demands. its not realistic to expect every person to be willing or able to live the 40 hr a week pay the rent/mortgage life. USA is a huge country, people should be able to live off the land if they're willing and able.

Harry_Seldon

2013-10-14 01:17:06 AM

Medicaid will cover it.

FunkOut

2013-10-14 01:17:20 AM

radarlove: Gyrfalcon: BigJake: I don't wanna be intentionally poor but I can see the appeal of not buying shiat becuase society says you should. Why would you work your ass off all week so you can afford a house so that you then must spend a big chunk of the weekend maintaining?

Quite honestly, I've always lived pretty close to the bone by not buying this year's fancy tech just because. You don't HAVE to have the latest model of iPod, tablet, TV or whatever, shop at hi-end department stores, etc. If I could find a Bookaholics Anonymous, I'd spend even less. Alas, light reading has gotten pretty damn expensive in the last few years.

I wish there were a place that would let you come in, find a good book, take it home, and then bring it back when you were done reading it. It would be even cooler if it were FREE.

I guess a guy can dream.

Library books come with free bed bugs these days.

alice_600

2013-10-14 01:20:16 AM

Atomic Spunk: While the guy who lives in the Hobbit hole is taking things to an extreme, I think some people are beginning to realize that many of us have gone way too far in trying to accumulate things - luxurious cars, bigger home and more crap to fill up that home. It no longer makes us happy. In fact, owning too much stuff makes us unhappy. We're sold a dream that has turned into a nightmare. One of the fastest growing industries in the last decade has been the self-storage industry. Even though our homes are getting bigger and bigger, we're buying so much crap we don't have anywhere to store it anymore.

I thought the 2008 recession would have taught us valuable lessons about overspending, but here it is, 5 years later and it seems that we didn't learn a thing. I used to bring up the topic of "voluntary simplicity" in casual conversation before, but it doesn't seem to be something very many people want to hear. Talk about the latest reality show, however, and people are all ears. Oh well...

You just learned a very valuable lesson...people don't know what they want and are never happy.

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