You say that you found out that lemmy.world had disabled downvotes. Where did you you find that out? I’d certainly seen nothing myself here - I know that some instances have - and can certainly see and use the downvote arrows.

I’m on lemmy.world. This thread is on lemmy.world I have just downvoted you successfully as far as I can see.

The issue with being poor is that you don’t get to save a lot - if any - whilst you are paying for rent and the basics. That is a large part of the reason that the housing co-op that I mentioned has housed so few after so long.

Yes, in the right conditions it will work, but there are a lot of situations that don’t leave people with access to those conditions.

My initial thoughts would be that the priority for most poor people is housing, followed by food and keeping the lights on.

My experience of mutual aid groups is primarily in the form of local exchange trading schemes (LETS), which typically provide services such as cake making, aromatherapy sessions, bicycle repair and maybe garden maintenance etc.

So although you may be able to deal with the food side of things through that to some extent, there really aren’t many landlords who will take rent in the form of aromatherapy and almost no utility suppliers will accept payment in bicycle repairs.

I have known a group to establish a housing co-op, which is great and all, but that, after around a decade, has housed around 8 people in total, which leaves a very long way to go.

Overall, I am in favour of the idea, but it is easy to see the issues that leave most people stuck in some job that actually pays the rent.

Should you try going to the cinema? It’s not a big deal, but I’d say yes at some time in your life. If not, you will always be askign this question.

Alone or with friends? Whichever you prefer.

I spent some time when most of what I was doing was leading volunteer groups and giving talks and tours etc, some years as the only permanent resident on what was effectively an island and quite a range in between. It would depend entirely on where you are, I think.

Either way, I had no regrets and wished I had made the change some time earlier.

When I left IT and changed careers, I became a tree surgeon for a while and then a wildlife ranger, which I stuck with for 20-odd years.

It has to be said that you need a particular motivation to work as a ranger though - at least in the UK. You certainly don’t get into it for the money.

I’m in my 50s and have started seeing eqpt that I was still using some years after starting work in museums now.

I can now sympathise with my dad who used to be the same with agricultural museums and steam rallies back in the day.

I have had both of those experiences and being among peers wins hands down.