Real Life: Money Stimulator + Situations

It’s easy for people to make theories on how life is for those who are either at or below poverty level. We’ve heard stories and seen numerous social media posts. But it is another thing to fully experience through our own eyes. There are different levels of hard and each of us has experienced our own threshold. 

Well there have been stimulators popping up as of late to show people how those who aren’t as well off as others are making it. I was scrolling social media and show this unique one called PlaySpent. This was created by Urban Ministries of Durham that serves over 6000 people every year who struggle with poverty and homelessness. The platform was designed to help people understand the challenges and trade-offs faced by low-income people with insecure employment. The “game” begins when you've been unemployed, have only $1,000 left in your bank account, and need to get a low wage job. 

A few things that stand out about this stimulator -

It gets real, real… in context.

How quick a stack or $1000 can go.

How many Americans were Unemployed BEFORE the pandemic.

How much people are paid for random jobs (people need to be paid more).

Even with Obamacare — insurance is still high.

The cost of what it cost for folks to live is more than what people think.

It actually is expensive not to make a lot of money.

Food is high.

…. the list can keep going. But you catch what I’m saying. It really makes you think deep into how you manage your money and livelihood.

One context I have started saying is that often times people don’t really have a money management issue, they need more money to management. This stimulator proves that theory correct. Yet, money management needs to be taught on a grander scale.

Click here to see how the real cost of poverty adds up and can look like. Here is a video below of what that looks like: 

While this stimulator is a couple years ago, the situation of homelessness still remains. The economics of poverty is a real thing and this really opens ones eyes even more! This powerful tool could be still used in conversations around poverty and even what many are facing in this pandemic.  Did you try the stimulator? How did you do?!

Touch Up 10/7/2021:

I wanted to come back to this blog article due to sharing it via Luvvie Twitter Post and with the pulse of what’s going on in America. While the pandemic has made people rich or richer.. it has exposed how close many of us are close to poverty. Folks popping off about stimulus checks are unaware of how that extra money helped so many.

This stimulator took me back to a time where I couldn’t afford insurance due to how much I was making fresh out of college and when that job laid me off (Cobra isn’t cheap). While this back was in 2009, it still remains fresh in my mind now when I interact with people through social media or IRL. This stimulator is real and made me feel grateful my progression since then. But, many aren’t so lucky. Generations live within the opt-ins that PlaySpent gives.

With Unemployment rate and (federal) minimal wage were the topic of discussion throughout this Great Reset or Pandemic, it also sheds light on how much of the system needs a reboot. Maybe someone needs to get another AOL CD for poverty or just upgrade the a lot of the systems that people rely on.

It even echos to financial literacy/awareness. I can really pop off there. So, I urge you to really think while going through that stimulator.