Quote Originally Posted by Lewkowski View Post
Poor decisions like wasting money on smokes, alcohol and lottery tickets seem like a major cause for people to remain in poverty.
You can find lots of people who are well off who waste money on cigarettes, booze, and gambling. Those things are neither necessary or sufficient predictors of poverty. Now, are those great choices in general? I personally don't believe so. I also think that a person can do everything that I believe to be right and still end up in poverty - just as someone can do everything wrong and still be wealthy.

Are there people in a poverty of their own making? Absolutely. Are there people who are successful because of their hard work, dedication, and strength of character. Absolutely. However the reverse is also true.