Comments on: Reader Story: Escaping Poverty

By: Karin

Karin — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:06:54 +0000

Thank you for sharing – and congratulations on your success

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By: slinky

slinky — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:36:28 +0000

This sounds remarkably similar to my childhood. Phones, electricity, carpeting, kitchen sinks that worked, clothes that fit. These were all luxuries. But I put myself through college and married a smart guy. I got out. I think there are two very important reasons – I made a choice and I stuck with it (with some encouragement from my now husband) even when things seemed impossible.

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By: Winterlady

Winterlady — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:07:51 +0000

Great story of your personal evolution. You must be one smart powerful lady to break all the patterns. I came from a house where education was stressed and my parents were responsible so I had a good start which I built upon. I firmly believe no matter where we all start from we can change and always become better. We can be the best we can be.

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By: WWII Kid

WWII Kid — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:34:31 +0000

My thoughts exactly!

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By: WWII Kid

WWII Kid — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:33:47 +0000

Karin – Your article made my eyes well up. Bravo to you for being able to make something of yourself! You are the bravest person I’ve read about in a long, long time.

I’m curious – Does your family ever reach out to you for assistance? Have things changed at all between you?

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By: Paul N

Paul N — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:17:23 +0000

Be proud of yourself. That’s an amazing story. Every family usually has some kind of skeleton in their closet. So don’t ever feel bad about the gambling connection. The important thing is you didn’t let yourself get dragged down with someone else’s weakness.

Gee someone who actually worked hard and broke free. What a model concept.

You didn’t settle on a participation ribbon, you took your pain and channeled it into a really great achievement!

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By: jeremy b

jeremy b — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:37 +0000

+1 on hearing more from Karin

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By: Ellen

Ellen — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:42:51 +0000

Amazing story. Reminds me a bit of “The Glass Castle”.

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By: Jo@simplybeingmum

Jo@simplybeingmum — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:07:35 +0000

My favourite reader story yet! All the very best Karin!

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By: Gerard

Gerard — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:54:23 +0000

@J.D., I know why you tell us to be nice in our comments. But was that really necessary for this story? How can a story like this provoke anything other than nice comments?

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By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:39:12 +0000

Thank you for sharing your story. I really like this quote, “But I’ve made a choice. I could have those things if I wanted to (and could probably afford to pay cash for them) but prefer not to. There’s something wonderfully liberating about knowing when you have enough.” I feel sorry for people that don’t know this. I think they feel sorry for me that I don’t have stuff. Having a little cash in the bank makes me feel better than fancy clothes.

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By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:57:52 +0000

Karin,

Your story is incredibly inspiring and encouraging. I am so glad that you chose to share it, so that the rest of us can benefit from your life! Thank you!

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By: Diedra B

Diedra B — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:33:21 +0000

This was an awesome story. The sticking point for me was hearing that the writer’s family appear to be better off even now. I’ve often wondered how people are able to afford their lifestyles. . . trips to the caribbean, nice decor, and my husband and I just can’t attempt it. But now I see that many of “them” can’t afford it either.

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By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:41:48 +0000

Great story! Very inspirational. Thanks for sharing and best of luck and health to you and your partner, Karin!

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By: Ro

Ro — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:32:50 +0000

I really enjoyed reading Karin’s story. Thanks for posting it.

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By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:50:20 +0000

Thank you so much for this. My husband and I aren’t in quite the same situation, but the family thing is close. We’re both decently successful, not in too much debt (we do have a mortgage we’re paying off for our first home but we’re paying it), and we have extended family that just doesn’t comprehend saving. We weren’t taught it as kids, we learned it, and it’s difficult sometimes not to slip into bad habits.

It’s difficult with regards to family, too. The family asks for money. We used to give it to them but they’ve taken more than a year’s paycheck without any change, sometimes spending it on what they ened, sometimes on presents or luxuries that their stressful low-income lifestyle makes them feel they deserve. There’s heartbreak for us in making the decision to not continue, and anger on their part as they see us as successful and rich and selfish for not continuing to give them money. If we give them money we cannot save money.

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By: Brooklyn Money

Brooklyn Money — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:47:08 +0000

Congrats, Karin. An amazing and inspirational story. You mentioned volunteer work. I hope you are able to share your story and path with others who might be in your position now, as they would have so much to learn from you.

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By: brooklynchick

brooklynchick — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:20:43 +0000

GREAT great story. VERY inspiring!!!!!

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By: Chuck

Chuck — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:54:03 +0000

I spent 9 years working for a family that made an average of 1.5 million dollars a year. I can tell you it was an eye opening experience for me. I too grew up poor and felt money was the key to happiness. The eye opening part for me was watching friends and family always needing financial aid. To me it looked as if it was hard to tell who these peoples true friends were. the second thing was I noticed these people were less happy then me and my modest income.

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By: Joya

Joya — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:34:41 +0000

Karin, you are amazing!
I really felt the need to respond to your story, you see I have a similar family background re: my father & his gambling problem.
He was a wonderful, kind man but had that dreaded gambling addiction…& it didn’t help that he worked as a simple laborer at a menial job. He retired in 1980, with his wages still only at $5.00 per hour. with no benefits.
My mother worked full-time(simple factory work) most of my childhood with breaks being only when she was laid-off. I was a latch-key kid.She always made more than Dad & budgeted better, but couldn’t support 4 kids with only her income. Even so, they always kept a roof over our heads & cheap food on the table, but the electricity or phone was always being turned off,because of my father gambling his pay away.
We lived in a housing project in a big city (never owned a house), & my Dad always drove cars that were falling apart (we called them “junkboxes”)…the difference with my story is that my parents never used credit. They didn’t have bank accounts, medical insurance, & just lived week to week. And that’s how we all grew up.
my parents also did not have more than a 8th grade education. All of us kids had High school & three of us went to college. Mostly free because of grants, that’s how low our income was. But we were all WORKING poor. Never on public assistance, & to this day our work ethics are incredible.
My siblings & I all absolutely Fear some aspect of being poor & even though we don’t have the gambling issue my father had, we all have some obsessive compulsive aspect…like hoarding(stocking up on too much)food, or not willing to part with possessions, or being so “cheap” it affects our relationship with each other, etc. I imagine people growing up during the Depression had similar traits.
In any case, I just thought I would tell my story to denounce the evils of gambling & how it really does affect families more than you’d think!
Thank you, Karin, for bringing attention to this with your story!!!

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By: eec

eec — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:57:48 +0000

I couldn’t agree with you more. I always said that I was not defined by my circumstances growing up. My parents had many demons and their children suffered greatly. I got out, got an education, married a wonderful man, and now live a ‘normal’ happy life filled with savings accounts, retirement accounts, and no consumer debt or addictions. The only sad part is that my sibling has repeated history.

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By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:19:01 +0000

Thank you for this inspirational story! Also, the discussion of gambling is not often addressed.

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By: Streaming NFL

Streaming NFL — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:40:48 +0000

Karin,

Well said. I too call it ‘surface rich’ when viewing some of those that I know personally. Its sad to see the biggest house of cards waiting to get blown up but a tiny gust of wind.

Thanks again.

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By: Ms Life

Ms Life — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:28:11 +0000

Very encouraging story, Karin. You remind me of my parents in a certain way. They grew up in broken and dysfunctional homes (my father’s was exceptionally bad). I asked my mother a few years ago how she and dad had managed to stay married after so many years – they are celebrating 54 years of being together this year. She said they knew the effects of broken homes and they did not want to go through that as adults.

I guess you too, Karin, know the effects of poverty and do not want to continue living such a life. Congratulations on beating the poverty cycle!

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By: Get Rich Point

Get Rich Point — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:50:20 +0000

Karin you are a winner. What you have achieved is impossible to achieve without the determination and commitment of steel.

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By: Lucille

Lucille — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:15:19 +0000

Hear, hear Laura! Yes, GRS needs to feature those who’ve overcome financial adversity. Success stories have value too but we all need more knowledge to get out debt than how to enjoy life on the other side!!

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By: J

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:35:19 +0000

Finally, a post on personal finance I can completely relate to. I too shared an innate sense of wanting more than what my family taught me. It took a ton of hard work (and mentors such as teachers and coaches along the way), but I’ve earned a life for myself, not just financially but in terms of my priciples and values, that I am proud of. As I’ve aged I’ve reconnected with family with a new perspective, in an attempt to build a relationship for the future rather than focus on the past.

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By: jessica

jessica — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:02:34 +0000

I honestly loved this story. Thank you for sharing.

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By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:29:34 +0000

Dear Karin,

Thanks SO MUCH for your story! Although my family wasn’t quite so bad, I was also raised in a neglectful household with money troubles, discouraged from pursuing education (and finally got my BA after 20 years of off-and-on night school), and encouraged to finance my life with credit. Those are incredibly difficult setbacks to overcome and you did an awesome job of it. I’m still digging out of debt incurred years ago, so I know what an amazing accomplishment you’ve made.

I also want to drop a note to thanks to J.D. for posting Karin’s story. Although I love GRS, sometimes (especially lately) it seems like most of the GRS community are people who were taught personal finance at a young age and have never incurred debt or had financial trouble, and a few don’t seem to realize just how difficult it is to turn things around when you’re raised in poverty and dysfunction.

It is really helpful to read stories about how people like me have managed to dig out of debt and make positive changes.

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By: D

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:17:01 +0000

I enjoyed reading your story. Thank you for sharing it! You deserve the wonderful life you’ve created.

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