Why do all the really poor people I know who live in trailers smoke a pack a day and drink beer every day?

Question

They also have children, smoke in the house, many times do other drugs and drink LOTS of soda. Now, that's not counting if all the residents in the house smoke, in which case it would be much more.
But, a conservative estimate per day is: A pack of cigarettes is about $4. A six pack of beer is about $4. and two liters of soda is about $2.
Now, I've estimated that this adds up to $10, conservatively. Which then adds up to about $300. a month. This is not accounting for the drug taking which may add on about $50-$100 per month. This isn't even counting in many of their scratch off ticket gambling money wasting.
I know many people crying about money and debt who are living like this. They don't give their kids crap, because they are so selfish.
Don't you think it's hard to feel sorry for people like this, I feel way more sorry for the children.
But the poor in America could save themselves a lot of money by adjusting their spending habits.

We are talking hundreds of $$$.

drew: that is simply not true, I mean, in some cases it may be. But for most of the people I know like this, they have at least one job, if not two, and the other members of the household work as well.
They just waste their money, basically.
It's hard to hear sob stories about money, and how they short change their children, when I can figure out off the top of my head they are spending $300-$400 a month on themselves only.

dba_gregg: Oh save it. Many times these people are nasty to their children, they smoke in the house with kids who have asthma. These people actually do deserve to be poor when they have a CHOICE to climb out of poverty by giving up their vices.
You sound like an ivory tower liberal, you have no clue what these people live like. And yet, you have the nerve to dispute someone who knows people like this firsthand? excuse me, but people who spend all their money on drugs who have kids deserve to be judged. What a load of crap you espouse.

Chris L: I'm not saying that the rich don't do it, of course they do! I know a lot of rich people who are huge alcoholics and drug addicts....This is NOT the question at hand!!!!!

Answer 1

most people can NOT budget their money and REFUSE to look at what they are blowing it on ... i had a low paying job all my life and own my house and a brand new car completely out of debt, and watched all along as everyone else pisses their money away on vices like that ... ive even been accused of being a criminal on the side but no, u just have to be smart with what you have ... cant assume coz u have 25$ extra every week that its beer money ... ive tried to talk to people and get them into investing in real estate and tried to show them how to be successful with what they have ... they just plain dont want to hear it .. wont even sit down and pen it out on paper ..all they want is to get to the 711 to get their beer lol ... so i gave up trying ..

Answer 2

yes it seems so. But some trailer people do not act this way, particularly retired seniors, but there is a lot of foolish wasting of meager resources among the poor.
I think that maybe the thing that makes them poor may be the same thing that makes them fools with whatever money they get.
It may be just inability to control themselves and not simply being uneducated. Ultimately it takes self-control to acheive and get educated and so forth so perhaps the basic underlying problem is just lack of control and inability to delay gratification.
The real problem then is just compulsiveness as a human trait, not stupidity. even smart people do compulsive and self- destructive things. it is a matter not of IQ but EQ (Emotional Quotient) I think I saw a book about that.
Trailers can be great way to live and sure are better than tents or under bridges. the poor have to live somewhere and many trailers these days are fantastic.
So pick on the poor fools that drink and smoke if you want but leave trailer people out of it. Many foolish smokers and drinkers and gamblers live in regular houses too. and apartments too.
a fool and his money are soon parted.
So fools may get poor from foolishness, but that does not mean all poor are fools. that is bad logic.
Like saying all grass is green so therefore evrything green is grass.
NOT SO!

Some poor are wise and good and healthy and live decent controlled useful productive lives that benefit the community.
Some refuse welfare. Most poor are just children so cannot be blamed.
Some rich are stupid and selfish and waste things and destroy the environment and smoke and drink and gamble and take drugs and cost society in many ways and a lot cheat on their taxes and their spouses. some do not.

Answer 3

My wife and I live in a trailer because it's about $200 a month cheaper than an apartment.

Neither of us drink alcohol or do drugs. We don't buy scratch-offs. I do smoke, but pay less than half your estimate. We're saving our money to buy a piece of property.

In the small community where we live there is more grass between trailers than most houses. We even grow some our own veggies. Most of the people here are retirees or young people saving money. I haven't seen any kids, other than visiting grandchildren, but there may be a few babies around.

Shows real insensitivity to blame people for being poor. Most American families are just 3 paychecks from losing where they live. I'm semi-disabled and just starting to work again.

Answer 4

I think that some people that live in trailers are nice people. My gurl friend lives in one and her familys nice. But some people don,t care about where they wake up. I think that calling people
trailer trash just because they live in a trailer is wrong. But you had a great point to make about people who spend there $ on instead of food or clothes for their kids!!!!I

Answer 5

I think your being judgemental!!!!! And you need a new prospective. I am a 22 year old woman who is a stay at home mom and my husband who is 27 works his *** off to provide for me and his child. And yes we do live in a small little trailer but that doesn't mean that we are any less than you or anyone else who posts stupid *** answers on this site. So get your **** right!!! Everyone is not the same.

Answer 6

Do you want to understand one of the factors normal Law of attractionproduct doesn't work for so many people?Consider it like a diet. If you desire to slim down and you strive to lose it

Answer 7

The attitude displayed in this question makes me sick. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but I think that this new idea that poor people are "undeserving" is a moral cancer that is spreading through our society, even christians in the US now are more worried that they might accidentally help someone who doesn't deserve it than they won't help someone who does.

It may be fun sport to judge the poor people you know but it's immoral. And by doing it I believe you are spreading an evil corruption of the lessons of charity that every major religion has taught and every compassionate person has learned since childhood. Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

Answer 8

Its kind of funny I remember seeing dozens of stuck up upper class people sitting next to my broke *** when I did drugs getting more wasted than I even conceived of being. The rich just have a talent of hiding it a little better because god forbid their image gets ruined. I guess it is ok if you have the money to waste on it huh?

Answer 9

I agree with dze,some people simply can't handle money.I often try to help people with advice but it like banging your head against a brick wall.they have a mental block with money

Answer 10

Well, speaking for the guys, those are the two most satisfying activities after getting hard followed by getting soft.