Who, What, Why...

Welcome to Poor Girl 101's first blog post!
 
I'm a white woman from the south, with a husband (PGH), teenager (PGT), and a small dog (PGD).

Poor Girl 101 is a blog about being poor, right here and right now.  I have not always been in this position; the story of how we became broke may or may not come out here.  Let's just start with the fact that we are behind on our mortgage, indebted up to our ears, and enduring some chronic health problems without the benefit of insurance.  We used to pay our mortgage ahead, enjoy high credit limits, and take good care of ourselves.  If I wanted pistachios, I'd buy them. Not anymore. That's it in a nutshell.

I decided to start this blog for two reasons. First, I wanted people who are doing okay to know what it's like when that stops.  Even though such statements always made me angry, I never used to comment when I'd hear middle-and-upper class acquaintances blame the poor for their problems or, as candidate Romney recently did, label them as irresponsible.  I knew that they just didn't get it.  Maybe hearing stories from an ex-one-of-their-own may create some compassion.  Second, I wanted to give others in our position a non-judgmental place to read and comment.  It just might feel good to have a place to write, "I hate not being able to buy pistachios. I get teary in the nut aisle."

Some of my posts may seem flippant or shallow.  I think it's important to laugh sometimes. Please don't flame me if I write about shampoo and you can't buy beef.  I can't buy it, either.  I just have shampoo on my mind that day.

Hopefully, as I grow more confident, I'll address the harder things. Things like buying store brand white bread for 88 cents because I can't buy whole wheat.  Be patient with me while I get there.

Please comment, but be kind.  This is not the place for criticism or ranting.

Let's be civil.