Are you poor?

Okay, so this topic has come up quite a bit in my life lately and so I felt the need to make a post out of it.  

Are you poor?

Yes, poor.  I am shocked, appalled and annoyed at some people's claims of being poor.  Do you know what poor is?  Poor is not having money to buy food - not because you've spent it on a fabulous new wardrobe, but because there is no money coming in.  Poor is being fearful of your heat, electricity or water being turned off - again, not because you took an amazing vacation, but because there is no income coming in to your home.  Poor is being sick and not being able to go to the doctor - not because you are too lazy to drive there, but because you cannot PAY the bill!

Someone made a comment to us today about "Oh, so and so probably can't afford to do that because business is so bad for them right now."  And I'm like "Really?" because this same family just flew across the country for a five day vacation where they ate out every day and went to a major theme park one of the days which, even for one day, is a couple of hundred dollars!  

Sometimes I consider myself poor because money is so tight but then I look around my house - I have heat, I have water, I have electricity.  We have cell phones, cable TV (and not the deluxe but basic), we have 3 TV's, a desktop computer, a laptop computer...I mean, by the standards of poor, we are not.  

So for those of you who are spoiled and want to just complain because you spend foolishly or can't have what you want RIGHTNOW...shut it!  Try serving at a food kitchen or a homeless shelter.  Then you can complain.  

And just to clarify...I'm not saying that people are not struggling financially.  We all are.  But just be mindful when you are complaining about your finances to people - think of where you are, what you're wearing and what you have.  Remember to be thankful for all that you do have because there are millions of people who have far less than you.  

I'll step down from my soap box now.