#Lower middle class

[hellshire-harlot]

Categorically, I’m one of the lucky ones. Both my parents are employed, and I have an employment opportunity coming up quite soon. We own our house, I’ve never had to go hungry, and we always have heat, electricity, and Wi-Fi.

and yet. AND YET.

We are barely above the poverty line. Some years I had to go without school lunches because we couldn’t afford the fees. We save money wherever and whenever we can. Going out to eat at a burger joint is a special treat for special occasions because we can’t afford it often. Some of my favorite foods and snacks- pomegranates, veggie straws, chips, hell, even lemonade -are luxuries because we just don’t have the money to spare for it. The attitude has rubbed off on me so much that I go out of my way to avoid spending money and I feel guilty when others spend money on me, even for things like gifts or fucking therapy.

If any of our phones were to break, it would probably ruin us. If any of our cars broke down it would be even worse. One of the reasons I got into achievement hunting and building and exploring in video games is because buying new games is almost always a luxury we can’t afford. I use achievement hunting and making complex builds and finding all the Easter eggs as a way to squeeze out every last bit of enjoyment I can from a game so I can last until we can afford to get new ones. All of our clothes are thrifted or second hand. Same for most of our furniture. We stay in our house all day not only because we don’t like going out often and there isn’t a lot to do, but because WE CANT AFFORD TO DO FUN THINGS MORE THAN A FEW TIMES A YEAR.

I worry constantly about how my basic needs affect my family’s wealth. And we’re the lucky ones, because I’ve never had to worry about being homeless. I don’t consider myself very lucky, actually. My family worries constantly about money. They hate their jobs. They can’t afford to get new jobs because going without a paycheck is too risky. And how would they get new jobs? Neither of them went to college, and we don’t have the money for any of us to go. I’m basically unemployable in my current mental state, and that’s not liable to change. We’re lucky. Most of my friends have it way worse than I do. And yet I don’t feel very fucking lucky.

Everyone talks about poverty in the context of not being able to eat or receive reliable healthcare. Obviously those are huge fucking issues that need to be immediately addressed, and I don’t mean to minimize them. But I hardly see anyone talking about the kind of poverty that gives you just enough to get by a little comfortably- but no more than that. You have the money for your home, your food, your car. But you don’t have money for games. You don’t have money to go out and eat something nice. You don’t have money to buy toys for your kids. You don’t have money to see a movie, or buy that new phone that would be such an improvement over the secondhand one you have now. You don’t have money for anything that would put you at ease. And yet, you’re made to feel lucky, that you should be grateful. You’re not poor, poor people can’t put food on the table. Stop complaining. Be grateful. You could have it so much worse.

No one even addresses that yes it could be worse. But it sure as hell could be a lot fucking better, too. And that kills me.

[popcornoncemore]

We got a trial of one of those hello fresh boxes and man do I feel better when I have one recipe for a portioned meal with protein. I forget to eat all the time, so it's been nice to actually have set dinner. I have always been told that our family eats too much, but I have found that if I eat less of the portion given to me, then I feel hungry still. Actually having balance helps so much. It's just hard to afford to eat healthy, it's easier to cook one pot of one thing and eat that until you're full. It's making me realize that we're not a family of gluttons like my parents have always felt guilty about, we're A family who isn't eating a balanced diet.

[tigergingicat]

$65K per year is absolutely what minimum wage should look like. That's a monthly wage of $5400 before taxes are taken out. Only 30% of any gross wage should go to rent, and that rent would be $1625. If you're supporting a family of 4 and live in a 2-3 bedroom house in my area, you'd be paying at least $2600, plus electric, gas, internet, phone, groceries, insurance, upkeep of the car... you're lucky to get a cheap dinner out once a month. So yeah, $65K/year should be the MINIMUM.

(Many, many sympathies to all of you working your asses off for much less.)

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[generallyunskilled]

One thing about generational poverty that is super useful, that I feel pretty bad for those who are new to being poor and lack, is lower middle class/working class dads always know a guy. In the same way rich parents have connections to get their kids nepo jobs, a poor dad will know a guy that will totally change your oil filter for a case of natty ice. His old buddy at the mill used to be an electrician and can take a look at your breakers for half what a licensed guy would quote.

It’s what’s gotten many working class kid going and managing what would otherwise be a catastrophe, and it’s dying with the loss of community support that’s been happening now, especially in modern areas. But people who maybe lived more comfortable middle class lives, but fell into poverty later (especially youths who have been kicked out or disowned due to being queer or having different political views than their parents) typically lack such an experience. And I think that’s what makes modern poverty so difficult. Being poor in a time where helping out others was welcomed and encouraged is becoming increasingly a thing of the past. There’s no solidarity, even among neighbors.

[mousenoseopera]

The lower middle class isn't middle-class anymore

"Put bluntly, life simply got worse since the turn of the century for the lower half of the middle class."

Via Nag On The Lake.

[venux777]

percy hazel and leo looking at each other after the rest of the crew agreed to spend over $500 on fuel for the argo ll

[72crowe89]

A Thought Experiment (Be Honest)

[dcxdpdabbles]

Danny: Hi, would you like to buy some cookies to support my education at Gotham Academy?

Bruce: Yes of course! How much are they?

Danny: ten bucks a box!

Bruce: Put me down for 50 boxes.

Danny: Really!?

Bruce: I have plenty of mouths to feed, trust me. By the way, chum, how did you get past the gate security?

Danny: eh, it wasn't too hard. Honestly sir, it felt like it was more design to keep people in then keep people out.

Damian from the second floor: I WILL NOT BE CONTAINED!

Bruce nods, ignoring Damian: Thank you for the feedback, my boy. I'll have it updated, but please feel free to come by anytime. I love cookies!

Bruce in the Batcave after Danny leaves: How did an uncoordinated nerd get past my systems!?

Tim: I don't know, but I've seen him around school. Get this, he's an engineering prodigy, but his family makes too much to qualify for a scholarship. They also don't make enough to afford his schooling, so he does odd jobs for cash. He creates gadgets for our classmates. That's a rouge in the making if I ever have seen one.

[donotdestroy]

"The financial media site Investopedia has done the math and calculated that achieving those milestones now costs a staggering $4.4 million—over $1 million more than most Americans will make in their lifetime, according to the researcher."

[thermodynamic-comedian]

i was relistening to tmagp episodes again and i was like "huh. weird that alice and lena have somewhat similar accents, but gwen has a noticeably different one. i thought they all lived in or close to manchester." but then i remembered that english accents, much like finnish dialects, can also signify class. so that's interesting

[rambrandt-the-painter]

Insane that I was going to make jolene French before people on here started assuming she was a southern belle

[dunmeshistash]

So sorry to nitpick off your notes, but you mentioned in the reblog of that Chilchuck post that some of his family rents from him and therefore may not be that poor. I’m gonna argue that means they’re MORE likely to be poor. It’s very common where I’m from for family to rent at an EXTREMELY discounted price from family. This is usually a setup between a poor family and 1 slightly less poor or middle class family member, so paying for their rent altogether is less of an option, it’s usually a large discount but nothing more. I always read that as a hint that Chilchuck was the most successful in his family, but that easily could’ve been reading into it on my end!

Could be! My thoughts was that since it was a big house it probably meant they could afford to live there? And that they could afford to live away from family?

It's all interpretation tbh, him renting a house to family def points out to him being the successful one but he runs a guild and is EXTREMELY competent to the point the high rates he charges are acceptable so he is extraordinary in that sense.

Also it's fine to nitpick the things I say! (as long as you aren't mean to me)

[t00thpasteface]

whenever i do or don't touch on religious subjects/themes in my art, yall need to understand that this is the background i'm coming from, because i don't want anyone to go around assuming i have anything personal to say on the topic, because i don't. LOL

[thegoatsongs]

"The climactic fight is described by Mina, while the domestic ending about their son is described by Jonathan."

!!!!! Now that is fascinating

Right? There's so much about it! Jonathan heads to work at the start but also has his mind back home, jotting down recipes for his fiancee (while she's talking about honing her skills -even if it is "to be useful" we know how much she likes it- and about travel and her job) and then while safe at home he talks about family, child, marriage (and noting "happily", important to him), and notes down how gallant Mina is.

[serpentface]

Palo and Tigran standing casually in place to provide an outfit reference.

They are wearing the most typical day to day clothing for Galenii monks. This consists of three main parts:

-A simple, ankle-length sleeveless robe (white in initiate monks and black in the fully initiated). -A dark woolen cloak, which doubles as a blanket. This cloak is the foundational item of clothing throughout much of Imperial Wardin as a whole, and worn by all social classes. They tend to be cut shorter and highly decorative in the upper classes, serving only the practical purpose of shielding the arms from the sun. Poor laborers may wear only the cloak and a loincloth and nothing else. In the case of Galenii monks, it is standardized, simple, and dark blue-gray. -The sash. This is a very long scarf that is the primary visual signifier of a Galenii monk. Its open ends drape down the front side of the body and are tied at the chest. It is slung over the shoulders and hangs in a loop around the back. These sashes are dyed an expensive royal blue, indicating the significance and relative esteemed status of this religious order.

Additional elements:

-The sign of the horns: a small iron pin used to fasten the cloak. This is the symbol of the Lunar Face Of God (the specific aspect to which the Galenii are devoted, which is primarily associated with fertility and the cycles of sacrifice and rebirth). This is very common among monks but not standardized wear. Galenii priests wear the sign of the triple horns (though more commonly as an amulet).

-Ear piercings: Galenii monks and priests wear thick earrings of dark meteoric iron and stretch their earlobes. One is added to each ear for each year of the initiatory process. Palo is a year in, and Tigran is fully initiated and has five bands per ear. Body modification is exceptionally rare in Imperial Wardi culture, largely in relation to taboos surrounding body integrity. The exception here is done with great significance and care- these earrings can be made only with true meteoric iron, considered to be the blood of God Itself. Permanently marking their bodies with this metal signifies this priesthood's integral connection to maintaining the continual cycle of sacrifice/rebirth that is believed to keep God's domain stable, and binds them to this role.

-Sandals: usually very simple in construction. Monks are often expected to go barefoot, but the cities are quite dirty so most prefer to avoid this if possible.

-Ceremonial dagger: a sign of a fully initiated monk. It is curved and its sheath is decorated with a tuft of lion's mane (a signal of the Galenii order's close connection to the Odonii order). Most of its uses are ceremonial, but it will be periodically used to perform animal sacrifices. A smaller razor blade is kept in the home for personal bloodletting.

-Hair: Fully initiated monks shave their heads, while those in the process of initiation have relative freedom with hair dressing. Palo is wearing his hair in a single braid tucked around the front. Broadly speaking, braiding the hair is associated with female beauty standards throughout much of Imperial Wardin (though generally in two braids). There is no cultural convention Against men doing so, but it is regarded as mildly effeminate (particularly in the south and southeast).

-Lore Friendly Sunglasses: Palo has photosensitive epilepsy. No effective treatments for epilepsy exist in the setting (most 'treatments' in Imperial Wardin are alchemical in nature, ie: ambiguously helpful at best or literal poison at worst), but understanding of the Nature of epilepsy as a neurological disorder is relatively accurate, and the concept of photosensitivity is loosely understood (though not with great accuracy, it's assumed to be caused by light in General). Palo had this pair of (VERY expensive) sunglasses commissioned as a youth, which Do slightly reduce the frequency of his seizures. Devastatingly stylish as they may be, his glasses do not offer much visual clarity so he only wears them in bright conditions.

[queen-esther]

Gotta love how conservatives will spout off about being pro-life and promoting family values, but when it comes time to actually outlaw abortion and petition for things that support working mothers like paid maternity leave and sick leave to care for one’s sick kids, the responses are suddenly, “Outlawing abortion is too extreme!” and, “Maybe those entitled bitches shouldn’t be having kids they can’t afford if they want to get paid for taking a free vacation!”

And then they wonder why fertility rates are dropping. 🤡