December 5, 2006
Why Some People Will Live Poor
When I decided not to have a “real job” for the remainder of my college career, I decided to become a seller of naturally distilled liquid products or an employee at a really nice liquor store. It’s not a regular hole in the wall type of liquor store. The store features two waterfalls and huge ceilings; you just kinda have to see it to believe it. Okay, back to why I am writing this post. I noticed why some people will just live and die broke. When I worked at the bank, I noticed who cashed their checks and who deposited money (for saving purposes). Now I get to see what those people are spending their hard earned money on. What kinds of products do the people that are constantly cashing their checks buying? Expensive booze. When most of the time they don’t even know what it is.
I have witnessed for myself how social media disturbs certain individuals and turns them into mindless zombies. People will come in asking for a product they know nothing about, but still insist to purchase that precise type of liquor and brand. In a lot of rap songs they rap about five types of liquors that seem to sell to only one type of audience. The liquors are: Hpnotiq, Patron, Hennessy, Grey Goose (this sells to a lot of other people too), and Alize. These happen to be top shelf liquors and the people that come in to buy them honestly say “I need this liquor cause I heard it in a song.” When they ask for Hennessy, I test their knowledge and ask if they are looking for a cognac and they reply “No, I’m just looking for Hennessy.”
Blowing your money on things you know nothing about is a sure way to getting yourself in debt and never coming out of it. I honestly feel really bad when people like this ask me for those products, even though I know they know nothing about it. The sad part about this whole story is I remember certain individuals that couldn’t pay their car payments but are still purchasing these kinds of liquors. Not a good way to live at all.
That’s a great story.. Yeah, some people will never learn to do things that they want to do because they want to do them, not because they heard someone else’s idea and took it for their own. Especially when it comes to blowing your money on something stupid.
I don’t drink but I have been told that Hennessy is… an acquired taste.
I’m partial to a fine glass of Jameson irish whiskey myself.
But in regards to your post, it happens with so many products it isn’t even funny. From shoes, vehicles and beverages to clothing and electronics. People are so brainwashed by the media and celebrity status symbols that dollars are often wasted on products that serve very little purpose over a cheaper counterpart.
It’s funny, but in college, I wanted to start a vodka brand. The idea was to get the best designed bottle (something that says “wow”) and put really cheap vodka in it. Maybe we would splurge and put middle of the road vodka in it. However, due to the nice bottle we could sell it at a premium price. I sincerely believe that many people buy just on the bottle design itself and how pretty it looks on the shelf.
I never got around to going forward with the idea, but I still think it has merit. I just think it would be a bit of shady business to take advantage of people like that.
Yeah. I kinda had a side business in college that involved alcohol, but that was a long long time ago.
I’m assuming you are speaking of black people in your post. I just dont understand why black Americans, like myself, buy certain products just because a rapper talks about it. Rappers are usually uneducated idiots. I used to be like that when I was 18, but I am smarter and stronger now. I just wish kids change their habits before it’s too late.
I don’t get it either. Most of those liquors taste like crap anyways. I hate the fact that social media like music can influence one particular racial group, but I think it’s sadder that the racial group falls for it. Instead of trying to look and live like a rapper, live like a regular human-being.
I had no idea the whole celebrity endorsement thing made THAT big of a difference. I guess it probably is even more effective because the names are just slipped into songs, as opposed to being a blatant commerical. More like product placement, really.
LOL, I remember getting OE 40’s cause of Ice Cube.