Economics, Part 4: Help!

This post is going to be a bit simpler, practical, and less abstract. I’m going to share a few things from my own life about how I’ve found ways to live for less than living wage. I have no affiliation with anybody I’ve linked to– these are just resources I’ve found helpful.

1. Share housing.

Housing is my largest monthly expense and unless you own your house free and clear, it’s probably yours too. Get a roommate– the more, the better. One person on minimum wage earns $14.5K, but 2 earn $29K. Two people can live on $29K/year. Two can share housing, internet, maybe a phone, maybe a car. Three would earn $43.5K. Four would have $58K(!!) between them. At that point, you’re not talking about simply scratching by, you’re talking about the power to invest.

2. Be ruthless in cutting waste from your life.

Sell possessions. Not only will you get money, you’ll free yourself from the burden of caring for stuff, and you’ll have more time for caring for people. A minimalistic spirit is awesome. (You are forgiven, however, from having to get rid of books. Books are good.)

Eat rice and beans. It’s a filthy cheap meal that fills you up and is good for you.

Ride your bike instead of driving.

You get the idea. I will say, however, take a little bit of the money you save by doing this and set it aside to have some fun, like going out for bowling and pizza with friends. Money is a tool for -not the goal of- life, and you should treat it accordingly.

3. Make a money plan.

Oh yeah, I just went there. I told you to make a budget. Listen, it doesn’t have to be super specific. One of my college roommates simply gave himself X amount to spend each week and when the money ran out, the money ran out. The most important thing is to have a plan so you don’t have too much month left at the end of the money. Crown Financial Ministries (started by Larry Burkett) is the only name I feel comfortable recommending right now.

4. Invest your own time and effort in finding ways to make it work.

Since it’s your skin on the line, you’re going to do the best job for you. I’ve found that necessity is the mother of creative inventions. If you need some ideas to “prime the pump”, I highly recommend Amy Dacyzyn’s “The Frugal Zealot”.

5. Give.

Find something that motivates you to sacrifice. First, of course, give to your church. After that, support a child through Compassion International. Help people get clean water. By placing the needs of others above yourself, you will gain far more than you give out.

Technically That’s True, But… (Part 2)

Quoting proverbs proves everything!

-Me

I just don’t want to hear some stuff any more. A lot of the following is platitudes; simple, incorrect solutions to complex problems. Please read judiciously; I’m not going to hold back much. This one is going to be a bit more random than the last.

“If you don’t work, you don’t eat”
The original saying comes from the Bible, where the Apostle Paul says if anyone is not willing to work, he should not eat. Note the deciding factor is willingness, not actual work. “Yeah but you do have to work, because if nobody worked…” Uh, yes, of course, duh. Please see the next item:

“Most poor people need to __________ to get out of poverty”
Please read: http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-things-politicians-will-never-understand-about-poor-people/. In fact, please, just Google “site:cracked.com poverty” and read.

“You believe in young earth creationism? Wow, you must be an idiot.”
Okay, I never have had this one to my face, although I’ve had it through the internet quite enough. No, I’m not an idiot, although I’m not perfectly educated either. (And neither are you an idiot, nor perfectly educated.) Doesn’t matter much as I’m not really willing to debate the subject– most people have made their decisions, and there’s enough prejudice surrounding the subject that actually convincing people while still properly informing them on the facts is very difficult.

“How ya doin’?”
This one is contextual. “How are you doing?” is generally not acceptable as a greeting. It’s fine if you know me fairly well and you’re actually asking. In fact, “How are you doing?”, asked with a peculiar intensity by a close friend, can be powerfully moving.

Why do I hate that question as a greeting? A big factor is that as an introvert, I love questions. The better the question, the… better. “How ya doin’?” while passing somebody you don’t really know is an empty question– not even really a question, and so it is wasted words. Questions are too important be wasted! Questions are full of whimsy and exploration and explosions and wonder and awesome.

Check out this comic about the value of questions: http://kiriakakis.net/comics/mused/a-day-at-the-park

“You have the power within you to take charge of your future. You can do anything!”
I have a hard time going against this one, because the people who tout it often mean well. Usually, they’re trying to empower others. (Sometimes they’re trying to sell you something. Ignore those losers.) However, the truth is not so optimistic and pretty: What I have control over is internal. I have limited control of factors outside of myself. There’s lots of stuff I don’t have control over, and in fact, for every one thing over which I do have control, I bet I can find 10 for which I don’t.

If you take that as defeatist, it’s not. It’s realistic, it’s just not the whole story. We sometimes overlook what we can control and let the outside factors take the wheel. However, we do ourselves no favor by telling ourselves we can control anything and everything. I don’t need to be told I can do anything; I know that’s not true, and I’ll discard that advice out of hand. I’m not responsible for the universe.

It is also true that we have to take responsibility for what happens to us, when we can. Why, because we have power and can control it? No, we take responsibility because that’s life and we make right stuff that ain’t ours.

I will freely admit at this time I don’t have settled what exactly is under my control and what isn’t. But it strikes me that life is messy, and I’d rather have the matter be unsettled and messy than draw false lines.

Technically That’s True, But…

Quoting proverbs proves everything!

-Me

Maybe I’m getting cranky in my old age (I just turned 28 on the 18th of November). I just don’t want to hear some stuff any more. A lot of the following is platitudes; simple, incorrect solutions to complex problems. Please read judiciously; I’m not going to hold back much. Also, some of this is going to flow, some of it is random.

“You have power over your emotions. Nobody can make you feel anything you don’t give them power over.”
This one gets credit for being partially true. To some extent, yes, you have control over your reactions. However, if I develop a relationship with you, build up your trust, then one day out of the blue stand up to your face and call you a bleepety bleep of a bleep, you will react a certain way– bewilderment, hurt, loss of trust, desire to lash back. Words have meaning, and therefore, power. There may various degrees to which various people react, but the basic internal reaction is the same, because there’s this thing called the human factor, also known as psychology. Speaking of which:

“But if people would only engage in [logical behavior]…”
This is present Kaleb speaking to past Kaleb (and to all you wannabe machines out there):

There’s this thing called “feelings”.
You have them.
You’re human.

You cannot make a valid calculation about a human being if your parameters assume they are machines. People use their feelings in making decisions, and yes, that does lead to some stupid decisions sometimes. However, not taking feelings into account can also lead to some pretty stupid decisions, and will cause YOU to engage in anti-social behaviors, because you’re not taking other people’s feelings into account.

Also, you are going to involve emotion in your decision-making process anyway, whether you like it or not. So learn to recognize it, learn when it’s showing you something that left-brain is missing, and just be aware of it without always trying to second-guess and exclude your feelings from the decision-making process.

“Respect is earned, not given.”
This one is false in >99% of your day to day interactions. Respect is always given (unless you’re a psychopath), but the maintenance and growing of respect is earned. Your reputation is earned… usually, mostly, sort of. Okay, it’s hit and miss. People spread lies, which brings me to:

“Don’t mind what other people think of you.”
Again, credit for being half true. “Haters gonna hate”, but “your reputation is all you have in this world”. Oh, and also, “look before you leap”, but “all who hesitate are lost”.

Yeah, I’m not convinced at this point that all these clever proverbs are worth the paper they are not printed on. Does anybody really have a clue what they’re talking about when they create these proverbs?

And that’s enough for today. I’m sure I’ll have more later.

What Should Be the Final Argument About a Living Wage

And it is: People need a living wage because people need to live.

Seriously, as I’ve been thinking about it, I’ve come to realize the fundamental arguments for a living wage are pro-life arguments.

I find it amazing that the two US political parties seem to flip-flop on this issue. The one that was pro-life isn’t, and the one that wasn’t pro-life now is. Just another reason I argue for taking a different route.

Any road, the way I see it, the question of wages shouldn’t be one where the government has to step in. Are you an employer? Is your employee still dependent on his parents? If so, pay him any wage you’ve agreed on. If not, s/he needs a living wage. It’s that simple.

Small Victories

Today is a day to rejoice. In a small way. Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the financial difficulties we were experiencing. It didn’t help that my wife and I had to move this past month. We were blessed with someone who stepped up and said “Here’s the money you will need to cover rent and security deposit; pay us back when you can.”

Thanks to those generous people, I’m happy to say, for the first month since last June, we were in the black for April. It wasn’t much at all, less than $50, but it’s a victory, and I’ll take it.

(To those who might say it “doesn’t count” because it’s a loan: the money allowed us to basically ignore one month’s extraordinary expense.)

The Gender Debate

The following is a response to http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tonyjones/2013/11/29/field-notes-from-the-schism/.

The gender debate is a whole lot of malarkey. Any calm, rational observer looking at a complementarian vs egalitarian will note the amount of misrepresentation.

What egalitarians say they want: men and women to be socially permitted equal opportunity.
What complementarians hear: we have to have every man share his pulpit with a woman.
What complementarians think egalitarians REALLY say: no men in the pulpits, because they are all chauvinist pigs. Women are to rule forever with an iron fist.

What complementarians say they want: different roles for men and women, to suit their differing capabilities.
What egalitarians hear: a woman cannot ever hold a job if it has been deemed suitable for only a man.
What egalitarians think complementarians REALLY say: a woman don’t need no umbrella, ’cause it don’t rain between the bedroom and the kitchen.

You see the level of prejudice each side has for the other. Each side represents the other as something they are not.

Egalitarians, complementarians have many good reasons for their beliefs. Complementarians, egalitarians have many good reasons for their beliefs. Can we all put the blowtorches and axes down now?

It’s fine for men to poke a little fun at women and it’s fine for women to poke a little fun at men. We’re human and we do these things. It’s fine for Americans to poke fun at the French and the French to poke fun at the Americans. So long as nobody loses their head, we’ll all be fine. Good-natured teasing is allowed. (But you do have to be super-careful about things on the internet. Tone of voice and facial expressions do not come across.)

Good grief. Everybody takes themselves so seriously. Chill.

Forgiveness

Jesus says to forgive, but this doesn’t change my desire to do otherwise. I had a person in a position of authority over me make an unethical demand of me. When I balked at the idea, he demanded I comply or he would ensure I lost my job. I should have terminated the relationship right then and there, but I let myself be intimidated.

His actions were hurtful and unethical, no question about it. I knew I must forgive him for this incident and other ones as well. But, how does that happen?

Not easily. Does it help to list the ways in which I was hurt? Yes, to a degree. Right now, I can’t forgive everything he did . . . but maybe I could forgive his usurpation of authority. And, maybe, I could forgive his abuse of authority. As long as I identify but do not meditate on his sins, I am engaging in the process of forgiveness.

That’s what forgiveness is — it’s a process. A decision. An action. An attitude.

Forgiveness is difficult, but through the power of Christ, it is possible. I am no “Super Christian.” I tell you this story hoping Christ will give you hope and strength for your own trials of forgiveness. Please feel free to share your own story.

I’m screwed, I’ve been screwed, and I’m sick of it

May I have permission to have a minor meltdown right now? Please feel free to ignore this post if you don’t want to see it.

I’m sick of life screwing me over financially. We just found out our child’s birth is going to be TWO FREAKING THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE than we anticipated. We have been LOSING SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH for SEVERAL MONTHS STRAIGHT, and I am getting sick of being screwed over by life in general. Pretty soon, we are not going to even have two thousand dollars to our name, so how we are going to pay for this? I guess I get to be the cruel taskmaster and tell my wife that even though we have already put over a thousand dollars into the birthing center, we’ll just have to write that off and she gets to give birth at home with no support.

It doesn’t matter what I do, I get screwed over and lose money. At every turn, I make the best decision possible, and I lose money. Money I just don’t have to spare.

Our society’s financial system is designed in such a way that if you are poor, you are kept poor. I wish I could tell you all the ways this happens, but right now I’m so furious and frustrated about it, I don’t think I could make sense.

I’m done. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

The Dilemma of Jesus

A phrase from a sermon 3 Sundays ago rings in my head. Pastor Harrison said “You can maybe be neutral about Jesus from a distance, where you can’t see him clearly, but as you get closer, that quickly becomes impossible.” (Sermon text here.)

It’s like the “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord” trilemma of C. S. Lewis, but, if I may stroke any egos, slightly more brilliant: instead of a trilemma, a dilemma. Jesus is either true or false.

I try to make myself as objective as possible. I think of potential opposing arguments, I do my very best to get into the other side’s head, and I try very hard to not let bias muddle my thinking. I have many good reasons for taking this approach, such as a love of learning and a love of gaining truth. But I cannot take this attitude to the person of Jesus. There is no way to fellowship with God, no redemption of sin, no reconciliation, except through Jesus.

This fact brings with it the conclusion which Pastor Harrison stated earlier: “we’re either all in with Jesus or we’re all out, and he drives us to make that choice.” I strive to be all in. Sometimes, my desire for objectivity gets in the way of truth. Sometimes, I make the mistake of thinking I can be more objective than God.

I think this will become an area I will have to work on over this year. As we go through 1 Peter in a series on revival, I believe I will often face the challenge to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” and “run the race” (Romans 12:1), as I learn to be on the side of Truth.

Power and Chance and Life

Every once in a while, I see a statement like:

You have it within you to take control of your life! You can take yourself any direction you want to!

It’s usually followed up with a counter-argument of:

If I could better my life, I would. I don’t have control over everything. Life happens, and we only have the hand dealt us.

Out of the two, the second mindset is, in many ways, far more accurate. It’s true that we don’t have control over everything. However, I also recognize it is a mindset with potential for despair; it’s not entirely true that we only have the hand dealt us. The truth lies between the two: our control is limited.

Let me be clear: both of these mindsets are fallacious. There’s some truth in each, but they are both misleading.

Here’s an example: a couple of weeks ago, my wife’s 1996 VW Golf blew a gasket and lost its oil. Shortly thereafter, I noticed a small station wagon sitting on a used dealer lot. I’ve always wanted a Saturn station wagon. I have to fix up the Golf anyway, but should I maybe take on the cheaper to repair Saturn and sell the Golf? We decided no, based on a variety of sentimental and financial reasons, and the advice it’s better to stick with the devil you know. Is this the right decision, financially? There’s no way to really know. We’ve hedged our bets and now the cards are going to play out. Fortunately, in the long run, neither decision will cost us tens of thousands of dollars.

I mention this incident as an example of how we have some things we can control and some things we can’t. I think in my ideal world, we would have purchased the wagon, gotten a feel for its issues, then decided to sell either the Golf or the wagon. However, that’s financially not an option. We have control over things to a limited extent.

To the proponents of the first position, I have this to say to you: Start with a question. Ask them “What is controllable in your life? What is completely under your control? What is partially under your control?” Philosophical types realize the importance of a good question (actually, that’s true of all people), and you’ll reach them much easier if you ask questions and make them work for the answers. Answers can be disposable, but questions are not.

To the proponents of the second position, I have this to say to you: It’s okay to be upset about life. It’s okay to feel pain. It’s okay to ask hard questions. I’m at that position too, as I write this. Please include in your frustrations an acknowledgement: you are frustrated because there are some things you just can’t change. It’s stupid and it’s wrong and our system is messed up and it’s okay to hate evil. Go ahead and take a moment for that. Now take a look at your life. What is controllable in your life? What is completely under your control? What is partially under your control? What can you do on your end to make everything a better situation for everybody?