Urban Poor? More like…urban stupid.

Everyone’s talking about this take on this phenomenon that the author coins — wrongly, in my opinion — a form of “urban poverty”. The most heartbreaking thing about the piece is of course the fact that so many people identify with parts of it, which goes on to demonstrate how well has the author identified a thematic reality. But before you victim-complex yourself into believing (and probably, boasting and bragging, since that seems the trend) that you are the new “urban poor”, here’s a reality check. Urban poverty is the person who probably comes every morning to clean up your place, lives in the slum not far away from your comfortable dwelling and tries to make ends meet for her entire family in less than what you spend on clothes and grooming. If you identify with the examples quoted in the article, you’re much less likely genuinely poor, and much more likely, living beyond your means for the sake of appearances. Aka stupidity.

But what’s happening? Why are so many people acting “stupid” despite being smart and well-educated? Since when is buying brand name clothing and gourmet food more important than…umm…eating?

I have been asking a lot of early career young 20-somethings about their spending habits recently. I don’t know when this happened to Indians, but suddenly saving is an alien concept. Almost everyone I speak to routinely spends what is, to me — despite my admitted conservatism — way beyond their means. I don’t think I’ve ever in my life spent everything I’ve earned in a month — including when I used to get an 8k/month stipend in the final year at IIT. There were new, cool places to go to even then, but a Rs.2000++/person meal was, and except for rare occasions even today is, beyond my means. If that meant saying no to an outing with some of my richer friends, or suggesting a cheaper place to hangout, that was fine. No harm to dignity detected. Saving for a special purchase, or just saving in general for a rainy day and feeling financially secure, instead, was a source of pride and self-confidence.

Yet, budgeting for almost everyone I speak to today involves account for current expenses at most, and mostly overruns the income especially the moment you account for a “capital purchase” like a new phone. Incidentally that phone also *needs* to be the latest shiniest thing (even if on EMI) and updated every 12 months, so effectively the phone is a constant recurring monthly expense of a few thousand rupees. Add to that rent, grocery (usually optional), sutta, alcohol, ‘shopping+grooming money’ and ‘going out money’, and you conveniently overrun the monthly salary. God forbid, you fall ill and need some money for the doctor. No wonder so many SOS calls go out to parents post the 20th of every month asking for allowances. If you ask them about saving, they see no point. “It’s something we will think of after we get to 30” is a response I’ve heard way too often to be comfortable. I shudder to think what would happen if they got fired from their jobs, especially in a market downturn. But then I realise they’ll simply go to their parents’ home and wait for the next, better paying job with ‘meaningful work’ to land their way. Our parents’ generation slogged hard and built houses and bought cars for themselves. The years of paying EMI are over and now those houses are much more than safety nets for the children — they are the taken-for-granted necessities. So is the expectation that parents will pay for children’s education, even higher education, as well as for their fancy weddings. Why? In trying to provide a comfortable, struggle-free life to their kids, have our parents gone too far and forgotten to demand discipline and responsibility?

In Indian cities today, many 22 year olds have their own cars to drive. If not, Ola/Uber have made autos uncool — forget traveling by buses or metro — and in process added to the ‘commuting expense’, one of those things being complained about as unduly burdensome and forcing the young into starvation. If taking a cab is making you feel poor or skip meals, here’s a solution: Don’t. There are other cheaper, less convenient but totally functional ways to get from point A to point B. There are cheaper but equally healthy and wholesome eating options than a 200 rupee sandwich, even if it is discounted. Going to every new brewery in town is not a necessity. Neither is shopping exclusively from Zara and Mango to ‘fit in’.

Blaming the world for poor lifestyle choices is a sign of entitled behavior that is only setting yourself up for steep falls if things ever turn truly ‘tough’.