The real reason for poverty in most cases is thought process.
Those with a positive thought process, who are able to understand what they have to contribute, and what they can expect to get in return, are almost never poor.
Those with a negative thought process and an entitlement mentality, who think they are owed something just for existing, are often poor.
Negative thought processes lead to a downward cycle where the poverty reinforces itself, and then reinforces the negative thoughts. These thought processes often lead to terrible decisions, like doing things in the wrong order. Education/job/marriage/children (in that order) becomes children, job (maybe), education (unlikely) and marriage (unlikely). Life is so much harder when you do things in the wrong order. Kind of like taking college classes without the prerequisites. It's a recipe for failure.
This is complete bullsh**t! I'm quickly becoming utterly broke, I can't hold off my creditors much longer. I need surgery, but can't afford it and am uninsured. I graduated college last May with a mathematics and physics major, and was one of the top 500 math undergrads in North America, according to the Putnam Competition. I can't find a single damn job, not even a job flipping burgers.
I can contribute a great deal of insight and hard work to an actuarial company, and I'd expect to get $45,000 per year out of it. I'm always hopeful that the next interview will be the one that bails me out.
Also, I'm not married and have no kids (well, none that I know of, anyway).
So, if I have the correct mindset and have done things in the right order so far, why am I poor?
Normally, everything I type is in the spirit of half-jest, but I'm serious about this:
Apply to grad school. It's the typical way for college grads to avoid unemployment for a few months. Or, better, move from MN (or your present location) to a frontier state that will reward your skills.
Just b/c you're having a hard time in one place doesn't mean you will have a hard time everywhere else. I should know, b/c I was in your situation a year ago.
