fadedmaster

HTPC wasn't a Windows thing though Microsoft did have Windows Media Center, which was a pretty slick interface for HTPCs

I used to use XBMC, which is now Kodi, for an interface. Before that I just used a PC running Mandrake Linux with a wireless mouse and keyboard. Haha.

Had a TV tuner, acted as a DVR, and also could play my library of SNES and NES games through it.

Oh jeez. I completely forgot about Frontpage. That just brought some memories back.

I figured as much with death being one of the options. Haha.

...this is exhausting. I said my suggestion is for everyone. Not that everyone spends $300/mo.

I'm done with this conversation. Several times now you've either put words in my mouth or taken what I've said out of context. I figured at first that you just thought I was targeting or speaking ill of poor people. Or that I thought "this one simple trick will guarantee that you're not poor" or some other such nonsense. I figured that maybe a little back and forth would help clarify my position.

Clearly you think people spend a lot less than they do and that there's no point in even trying to improve one's situation.

I never said everyone. I never made that assumption. I only suggested that everyone should prioritize saving for an emergency over luxury.

I would suggest you do other things for your family to make them happy that doesn't involve spending money. Go to the library, parks, etc.

It's not in the name of money that you temporarily withhold these things. It's in the name of survival and making sure your kids aren't obligated to take care of you in the future.

Your mentality is one of denial and defeatism. You don't want to improve your life because you'd rather have a few nice temporary things in the now.

What should someone do when an emergency comes along and they don't have the money to afford it? You're not thinking ahead.

It's not about the money. Without an emergency fund, you are stuck going into debt. If something happens to you or your family and you have to go into debt, what then? Do you still keep eating out and go further into debt? So you never retire? You force your daughter to have to help support you when you're older and no longer able to work? All because you didn't want to change your situation? Because it's just a few bucks and won't make a difference?

I'm not going to call you a liar, but do you actually track your spending? Is it really $20/mo on eating out? Every single person who has told me they only spend a few bucks on eating out was proven wrong when we went through their spending.

You are minimizing how much people spend on streaming services and fast food.

Average spending on eating out in the US is over $300/mo. https://www.statista.com/statistics/237215/average-away-from-home-food-expenditures-of-united-states-households/

What do you suggest people do? What would you tell someone who is scraping by and doesn't have an emergency fund to do? Would you say they should carry on and not worry about emergencies? How should they deal with it when one does come along? I'm genuinely curious what your suggestions would be

I wish everyone could live the perfect most comfortable lives all the time. Seriously I do. But you can't ignore that the reality is that's not the world you and I live in and sometimes it comes down to survival...

We're talking in circles. You think I only mentioned Netflix. I didn't. I also said fast food. You also think I said poor people. I didn't. My suggestion is for everyone.

If you can't afford luxury items (and I include fast food and streaming services in that category) then you shouldn't spend your money on them.

I would no sooner suggest someone to purchase Netflix over feeding themselves and their family. And that's what you could end up having to spend your emergency fund on if you lose your job. But you place these luxuries on the same tier as necessities and that's just simply irresponsible.

Go ahead and tell all your friends and family, "Don't worry, I know money is tight, but you shouldn't save for future emergencies by cutting corners today. I think you should give that money to McDonald's and Netflix. They clearly need it more than you do. I mean, you can always just put it on your credit card and pay 30% interest!"

It was the mid 2000's. And people spend a lot more than $15-30/month on fast food and streaming services. For the people whose finances I've seen, it's usually closer to 30% of their monthly income that goes to pure wants.

Also, someone can absolutely survive in today's world without a smart phone. It definitely makes things easier to have one though. Not really comparable to today anyway. You can get a basic smartphone for free nowadays. Couldn't do that back in the 2000's. The equivalent today is getting a flagship versus a cheapy phone.

I agree that water is a need. I'm talking strictly fast food, eating out, and things like Netflix, Spotify, etc.

This the second time you've put words in my mouth. I may have misunderstood what you said initially. But first you're saying I'm like that avocado toast guy (when I'm not saying people can solve their poverty), and now you're saying I'm a college was cheap for me guy.

Costs are higher than they have ever been and that's why it's even more important these days to control your spending. Costs are high. Wages haven't kept up. It's the sucky reality of the world we live in and telling people to keep spending their money irresponsibly in the name of comfort is just going to damn them to worse conditions as they go into debt when real problems arise and that debt puts them in even worse conditions where now they absolutely cannot afford their true bottom of the barrel needs without more debt.

I'm not saying Netflix and fast food are keeping people poor like that guy about avocado toast.

I'm saying that if you can't afford an emergency, that's an emergency itself.

Buying fast food and Netflix (and all the other things that go with that) instead of saving up so you can afford an emergency is irresponsible.

Not being able to afford Netflix and/or fast food isn't being "slightly better quality of life than if they were dirt poor." I may not have been dirt poor. But I was buy expired milk and bread to freeze, can't afford minutes for my flip phone while my friends have smart phones, poor. And my quality of life wasn't "slightly better" than "dirt poor." I had a furnished apartment, a color TV, and was able to borrow videos from the library for entertainment.

Not having Netflix and the like does not make one dirt poor. That is such an entitled view to have. Literally first world problems if your mental health can't handle not having the latest entertainment. Go to a library for goodness sakes.

I wish you the best of luck. It isn't easy. Getting out of debt and having a fully funded emergency fund is a great feeling.

There are other ways to cut expenses too. I'll bet a lot of people (not all, but a lot of them, maybe even a majority) are paying for things they don't need when they're living paycheck to paycheck. Things like Spotify, Netflix, fast food, car washes, probably even car payments on a car that is beyond their means or at the least way more car than they need.

Every friend of mine I've helped get to a financially stable and responsible point in their life could do it without having to increase their income. Obviously an increase in income makes it a lot easier to do this, but if you don't have the behaviors down, then you're just going to creep your lifestyle when you make more money.