• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    What does ‘live within your means’ mean exactly? Because usually it seems to mean "if you’re poor, eat beans every day and don’t buy anything to make your life more enjoyable.’

    A lot of people would say someone who is poor that buys a PS5 and a big TV is not living within their means. Sure. They aren’t. They’re just trying to eke a tiny bit of pleasure out of this miserable existence. And that shouldn’t be criticized. The criticism should go to the people paying such low wages that you can’t actually live within your means and have anything but a terrible life.

    • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      7 months ago

      I literally only mean that the cost of living has spiked so dramatically that people essentially have to turn to credit to cover bills. They shouldn’t have to do that. It should be reasonable for someone to live within their means, and credit shouldn’t ever be for paying down necessary bills to stay alive.

      I am in no way placing the blame on the consumer. Sorry if that didn’t come out quite right. Like I said, I have cancer treatments that cost $16k a month without insurance. There is not a way for me to “live within means” without being a multimillionaire. I am not placing the blame on people in situations like this.