Being Broke From Paying Bills vs Being Lazy

[merula]

This showed up on my facebook feed. The version I saw has 400k shares, 200k likes and 3.5k comments.

I didn't read all the comments, granted, but I didn't see any saying "YES IT IS" or "It's 'than', not 'then'."

[TheAnonOne]

I see so much garbage like this on Facebook posted by basically everyone. I don't know what to say here... the photo is technically correct. It is "different" though the net effect is the same, you are still 'broke'.

I wouldn't even give it another thought, it's basically just another way for people to pat themselves on their backs, and blame 'the man'. I could probably spend an hour, and fill this page with rows of images that accomplish the same thing, about finances or other topics.

[Capsu78]

Exchanging math for "feelz" just feelz better than trying to change the math.

[merula]

I disagree that there's a difference. If you're broke because you've been paying bills from credit cards because you go out to eat all the time and buy things new and full price instead of working to get them used, at a discount or figuring out how to avoid buying them, that *IS* being broke from being lazy.

"Broke", to me at least, is having spending at or exceeding your income. The meme is saying that being broke because you spend a lot is different than being broke because your income is low.

I wonder what the posters of this meme would think of the MM family, if you assume that this site and its related income never existed. Probably that Mr. and Mrs. MM fall on the lazy side of broke.

[Hunny156]

Some of these "pat on the back" meme's can get really annoying.  I saw one yesterday from a friend, something along the lines of having to enjoy experiences today, rather than saving money, which was likened to betting that you will be around tomorrow to enjoy those experiences.

I found it more annoying than usual b/c the friend is a huge spender with a sporadic income stream.  Her hubby has made it clear that he is trying to get out of his stressful, high paying job in 5 years or less, but I've known them several years and the 5 year plan is still a 5 year plan.  They are stuck in a cycle of living large on the weekends, going on multiple exotic, expensive vacations each year, and pouring money into their fixer home.  At least the latter will pay off b/c the home's location is a gold mine, but it makes me sad that one person's dream is getting stomped on b/c the other person is willing to rationalize their extravagant lifestyle as "experiences today".