Tressie Mcmillan Cottom's The Logic Of Stupid Poor People

"The Logic of Stupid Poor People" is the idea of purchasing high dollar items to make them feel like they are a part of the higher class. Tressie McMillan Cottom, the author of this blog post, feels that most of the lower class is stupid because they make bad financial decisions. In Cottom's essay, she discusses how she grew up with a family that was poor and it was difficult to "make ends meet"; moreover, helping others. Cottom's thesis says, "If you are poor, why do you spend money on useless luxuries rather than trying to survive". The argument that she is trying to get across is that the more responsible way to spend your money could be towards the next electric bill, groceries, or even into the bank in case of an emergency. Cottom mentions that her mother used to spend her money on clothing and accessories for herself as "investments", but it was for her mother's way to show others that she has extra cash to blow, even though she does not. Cottom has the evidence from her own personal experiences; ways that her family made money was taking advantage of welfare, collecting from insurance policies, and extra military payments. The author is making a point why the act of spending

money on expensive luxuries is not logical when you are poor, while spending money responsibly is more ideal.
The reason why a great deal of people are poor is that they did not try in high school, because they dropped out or they finished high school and did not have the requirements to get into college.

Another reason people become poor is that they spend their earnings on their "wants" and not on the necessities. That then leads to the realization that they cannot pay rent/mortgage and are evicted. But for the reason to spend their money the way they want was influenced towards bragging rights and/or the "want" to feel a part of the wealthier. Cottom observed that, "Errol Louis and his belief is held by many people, including African Americans, poor people, and formerly poor people that spending money excessively is not logical." Furthermore, it could be an addiction problem for some

people.
In Cottom's defense, the path she took early in her life was to get through school and move on to her own future, so she could avoid the poor life. She explains the purchases that make yourself look professional is totally acceptable. When Cottom was in college she purchased a suit for an interview; she says, "It sealed the deal" because first impression matter. White men had the advantage for being employed rather than being of another race or sex, that is why she made smart business decisions for the best possible outcome. Cottom writes, "At the heart of these incredulous statements about the poor decisions poor people make is a belief that we would never be like them." As for smarter decisions: saving money, avoiding social status symbols, and making every effort to pay dues is crucial to surviving in the real world.
In conclusion, Tressie McMillan Cottom say the logic of stupid poor people is making the choice to spend money on useless items rather than spending on the necessities. For example, spending $2,000 on a bag is not a way to live if you are poor; instead spending the paycheck to bills and buying groceries is more important. Making the right financial choices will at least help get yourself out of a scarce situation and may even help in the future poorness.