Financial literacy is a big problem in communities where there is abject, people out on the streets-type poverty.
It can be incredibly difficult to make ends meet, but for a lot of the people in these situations, you can give a person so much more hope with a budget, and a meal; than just a meal.
Planning against poverty is important, too. Just because you're well off one moment, doesn't mean that it will stay that way!
I agree. It is a greater issue than just teaching people finances but many people could use courses in how to save and budget. However many people start off in terrible poverty and struggle to get out and literally cannot save. There are so many different factors related to poverty. It would take a heck of a lot to solve such a complex issue but I agree that everyone should take financial courses and think of budgeting. I am starting to plan better myself and am saving.
I budget down to the most obscure spending!
Once you do have the budget in place, it does make it so much harder to "downgrade" your lifestyle, especially, if something becomes habitual or the norm. I recently elected to cancel my gym membership, and buy a rowing machine in its place.
I will get my return on investment from the rower, but I do miss throwing weights around, or spending an hour on the boxing bag! That sounds like a privileged statement; and it is - all that poverty is, by definition, is the absence of privilege, I guess!
Poverty is often the absence of food and a roof and I don't consider those privileges. I guess they are but they shouldn't be as they are necessities.
Definitely not, they're both essentials.
Where do you stand on the controversial topic of nations providing foreign aid when so many of their own citizens are below, or on the same standing as where that foreign aid goes?
I'd say I have bigger issues with my countries war budget and find the spending on foreign aid to be much less of an issue. If we were actively trying to help our own people and not spending most of our money on war then I would say maybe we should focus on our own people for now but that really isn't the case but it is also something I haven't heavily researched.
Basically the same here in AU :) So much money put into the war-machine, when I think it should go to healthcare, education, and ensuring that we have a happy, healthy populace!