Coronavirus and the ‘Poor’
“10 Reasons You’re Still Poor”
“Poor mindset people are buying toilet paper right now. Wealth mindset people are buying stocks.”
“Don’t touch your face or your 401k.”
“Stop acting poor.”
These are just the tip of the iceberg of insensitive, privileged, bullshit blog posts, memes and quotes I have seen in the last 10 days.
Well, folks. It’s about to get real in this article real quick - so hold onto your butts. It’s midnight, I’ve had a few adult beverages and I’m angry.
I don’t think anyone reading this can say that I have a ‘poor mindset,’ as if having a ‘poor mindset’ were a diagnosable condition much like this invisible enemy we’re all terrified of.
I've been lucky to have found this community 4 years ago.
I’m lucky I changed my habits with money early in my life.
I’m lucky that I have an understanding of money.
I’ve worked hard to be where I am in my career. I’ve studied, read all the finance books, listened to podcasts and become obsessed with spreadsheets and numbers. I’ve been through so many financial ups and downs that my life trajectory looks like the damn stock market this month. This has all resulted in real world experience that no classroom could provide.
Personal finance is my passion and my joy. I love helping people-- that’s why I do this. I once knew next to nothing about money besides I should probably have a checking account. Now, I’m focused on building a business and generational wealth.
Then the Coronavirus hit.
I’ve lost three clients in the last week. I had to take away accounts from my independent contractors. I’ve had too many glasses of wine, I’ve stayed up ‘til all hours of the morning writing God knows how many blog posts (including this one) and I’ve had to take a good, hard look at the reality: I have one month of expenses saved up. One month. Thirty-one days until we are absolutely out of money. That’s. It.
So, as I am scrolling for hours, because let’s be honest, we’re all quarantined and staring at our phones, I am puzzled at the visceral “I’m wealthy, I’m okay, look at me and what I’m doing with my stocks and investments and my fluffy emergency fund. Fuck poor people.” posts currently circulating the ‘gram.
According to my calculation, I’m one of those ‘poors’ you keep making graphics about. I’m a ‘poor' that has had two businesses dry up in a matter of seventeen days. I’m a ‘poor’ that had to go to Target at 6 am to buy toilet paper because if I didn’t the other ‘poors’ would have bought it all.
I’m poor.
Does that mean I have a ‘poor mindset’? No.
Does it mean that I am a failure? No.
Does it mean that I deserve to be shamed, ridiculed and mocked? No.
But here I am, scrolling, reading these absolutely bonkers posts, thinking to myself, “If I didn’t know any better, I would think that the debt free community is full of pretentious dicks.”
We have to do better as a collective.
Your words. Your posts. Your content is more important now than it has ever been. The entire point of this online space is to be inclusive, safe and educational. Not demeaning and graceless. The masses are going to be searching for help during this crisis-- and likely, they’ll be looking towards communities like ours to learn what to do with their money for the foreseeable future.
I want them to be welcomed no matter what their current mindset is, no matter what size their shovel, no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, career path, religion or geographic location.
If you are financially stable right now, that’s incredible. If you have an emergency fund, I’m genuinely proud of you-- it’s hard work to build that. If you have health coverage, a stable job and are waiting for this to ‘blow over,’ that’s awesome for you and your family. I strive for that peace of mind. That’s the entire point of working towards a financially independent and free life.
Please take the time to acknowledge that those things are privileges and not everyone is in your situation.
I’m “one of you,” and my future and job situation is uncertain, I don’t have health insurance and I’m having a rough go of it in the mental health department.
It’s different for people who are ‘poor,’ and you need to stop shaming the ‘poor’ for a pandemic they had no control over. Stop being an asshole.
Want to know how you can help others right now? Here are some ideas:
Create content that will help families right now - education, actionable tips and free resources are all beneficial to those who can’t afford to hire a ‘financial coach’ right now
Check in on your small business owner friends - odds are, we are freaking out. Let them know you’re thinking of them and will send any business prospect their way. Just the reassurance does wonders for the serotonin levels
Listen to someone vent and be open to whatever flies out of their mouths. It’s a stressful time
If you have abundance, give to someone that needs a pick-me-up right now in the form of money
If you can afford to pay someone, pay them, regardless of if they're able to do the job (i.e. maids, dog walkers, etc.)
Tip your curbside pickup workers. Tip 100% if you can. The workers in the service industry are the ones that will be hit the hardest outside of healthcare workers
Stop buying all the toilet paper, please