>>So... it can be done. It’s just hard.<<
Anyone who hasn’t lived on ramen noodles (before they had cup-a-noodles much less microwaves) and home made hamburger helper (a treat once a week) and plain-jane beer (with the blue bar that said “Beer”), had milk-crate shelves and rummage sale couch and bed, walked to work and upgraded toan old hooptie held together by faith more than physics hasn’t really been tested.
And, in retrospect, it was fun living on wits and small $. It is amazing how clever you can be if you have to. I was particularly proud of my spool table and scrap-wood homemade coffee table.
Oh, man, the cable-spool coffee table!! Yes! Let's see... all my furniture from the side of the road on dumpster days, or Goodwill, or Salvation army... milk crate shelves, definitely... all my clothes from yard sales... living on ramen,carrots, and instant coffee... no car for YEARS... no phone... no TV for most of it... and people go on and on about having health insurance. It never even crossed my mind. From the age of 24, when I got out of the military, till 38, when I finally got a "real job" (teaching) I never had health insurance. If I got sick I just toughed it out. If I couldn't tough it out, I paid out of pocket for antibiotics. I wore the same contact lenses for like five years. I saved till I could buy new ones. The eye doctor was so appalled at the condition of my remaining lens, he actually called his receptionist in and said "look at this." Then they both stared at me. LOL...
Yeah, what most people call poor doesn't really impress me. I mean, when you're hoarding ketchup and sugar packets from McDonalds, and sleeping on a slice of foam rubber on the floor, then I'll perk up and listen. Thoreau had nothing on me. And frankly, this is how I've lived most of my life.