Interesting question poised on Calculated Risk by Ticker Tape of Doom.The lowest I've been was finding myself stealing a packet of aspirin from a convenience store when I was 20. I was working, but my fast food pay check just barely covered tuition, text books (a big rip-off) and the roof over my head. I wasn't starving. Ramen was .10 a package and I had stocked up for when I couldn't nab food at work. But I had no free cash at all. None. I couldn't even scrounge up a lousy buck that day. And since it was between semesters I couldn't go to the university medical center.
In hindsight I could have easily applied for student loans and I was very qualified for Pell grants. It just never occurred to me to take out a loan to pay for everyday existence.
Lots of people have never experienced truly tough times. They will do things that right now they can't conceive of. Stealing aspirin is nothing.
4 comments:
I stole a quarter million bucks from banks at the point of a pen, an additional $150,000 from credit card companies... oh, and I ripped my Mom off for $65,000.
The banks don't care, the card companies are writing off the losses, and Mommy still coddles me every day. No hard times for me. Have fun at work, suckers! ;-p
Heh!
Watch words for '09: Civil Unrest
There would have to be a complete collapse of all financial institutions (and assuming no FDIC insurance) along with a complete collapse of all markets before I'd be broke.
Our business is doing just fine, though I'll note we are the "lower-rent" option in our niche.
I do worry about this time next year.
At the least I think we'll all have to worry about staying ahead of 1970s-level inflation.
Post a Comment