To be blunt, no, they often can’t read.

BULLSHIT!!! Stop lying. Who the fuck are you even talking about? Who are these people who participate in this economy, work their jobs, get paid, spend the money they make, but CAN’T READ. And no, I’m not talking about people from a third-world country but Americans and have been from the beginning. And the use of the word “often” is strong because 79% of US adults are literate. Stop making shit up just to argue.

I have more of an idea than you. I’m from those places. I didn’t come from money. I’m raised by a single mother, I was never taught about money growing up. I’ve witness my grandparents own a business, make millions, and have nothing to show for it because my grandmother spent it all on crap. She never graduated from the 7th grade and was poor so when she got money she spent it. Now my grandparents have no money and are still out here trying to hustle.

You, however, sound like many of these users on sites like Reddit and Lemmy. A “white savior” (I don’t know your race). You talk about all these horrible conditions of the people you know nothing about because you actually don’t live around them and experience it. You think that everything is outside of their control and they are a victim of circumstance and just trying to survive. That is not the whole truth. They do have control over their own money. I don’t see how they couldn’t. I’ve watched this shit first hand. I knew people who fell on hard time (lost job, then car, then apartment, can’t find work). I’ve seen how they react to it by getting depressed, drinking, smoking weed, and spending the money they do get on those things. And I’ve told them over and over again to save their money to get their shit together so they can get back to work. Get your issues with your license taken care you, save the money you get from these odd jobs to buy a cheap car for $1k-$2k just to get to work, get on govt. assistance to buy food, etc. They always have an excuse why they can’t do it.

You are just like everyone else here acting like white saviors, you give excuses, say it’s outside of everyone’s control, blame the “system” or someone else, and offer no solutions. All you’ve done is complain about my approach but where is your solution? I offered a solution.