Is it easy to get out of poverty?

[Crow]

Absolutely not. At least, not in my experience.

My parents were super loaded when I was born and in my childhood. They lost all their money when I was about 10 or so, and they've been struggling ever since. I, however, had about $2,000 in my savings when I first attended college--money saved up from various gifts throughout the years, especially from my high school graduation gifts. I ended up spending most of that when I studied abroad and to pay for college classes (because I was behind in credits). I always figured that when I graduated, I'd just get myself a job, save a bit, then travel and start living my actual life.

I was super fucking wrong. As of 2016, I've never had more than $5 in my savings account. I have always lived paycheck to paycheck. I have not traveled (excluding cheap Spirit plane tickets to visit home for 5 days max), nor have I ever found a job that could make living easier. My college degree, great resume (I've got tons of reviews on it from former employers, mentors, and peers), cover letters, and solid work ethic has not helped me land a job that pays enough to live comfortably. Safe to say, I've been pretty miserable for most of my adult life. Due to my financial problems, I have had serious mental and physical issues in the past, and to be frank I'm lucky I'm still here right now.

Is it easy to get out of poverty? Not at all in my experience. Can it be done? I wholeheartedly believe so, yes. I always knew if I just settled for a higher-paying job that I knew I'd loathe, my life could improve. But I couldn't do that. I'd rather be poor and happy with the majority of my life, then have money and loathe my entire existence, feeling stuck and pointless. There's lots of more low and morally wrong venues I also could've taken if I really wanted to escape poverty. But again, couldn't live with myself if I did those things.

I'm finally turning things around before hitting my 30s. I've chosen to join the military. Not for financial reasons, actually, but because of an inner strive to be and do better (and because I really love my country and want to show some patriotism). However, the pay and sign-on bonus I'm getting are definitely a nice little boost for me. It'll be the first time in my life I'll actually have some relative amount of money so that I'm not panicking every second wondering if I'll be able to pay for groceries next week (aka whether or not I'll get to eat). I also came to this decision because I realized that the main thing I want in my life is to own my own house and have a little land. I can't do that with how I've been living the last 4 years. So it's time for this change and push.

All I'd say for those struggling to get out of poverty is do what's best for you. Figure out your main goal and work your hardest to get yourself there. As long as you can accept your path to get there, then go for it. Don't give a damn about what others may think or say about you. This is YOUR life and you have got to OWN IT.