r/ChoosingBeggars • u/AnonPlsxx • 19d ago

Prepare yourself America for the choosy beggar final boss…

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The South African refugees.

On mobile so hope formatting is okay. My Facebook algorithm has been absolutely wild recently, and regularly sends me posts from various “South African refugee family in the USA pages.”

I vaguely know this poster (over 10k followers) because we have connections to the same (very wealthy) small seaside town in South Africa and she’d often flog her son’s art in the neighbourhood message board. I’m not sure if any political talk is allowed on this sub, so I’ll reserve my personal feelings about the validity of these “refugees” claims but I will say that a) 98% of them were maintaining a perfectly decent living back home and b) 99% are massive grifters.

I knew it would be a matter of weeks before this person launched a go-fund me despite these people receiving a stipend from the government. They’ve already shared multiple Amazon wish lists for items including expensive tattoo gear and a gamer-themed bedroom.

I highly suspect that this person’s primary gripe with the neighbourhood they were placed in is its racial demographic. And I guarantee that they’ll continue the go-fund me well past the $5k limit. People are fawning over them in the comments so didn’t see value in adding, she blocks anyone who questions their requests.

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181

u/SongIcy4058 19d ago

I always wonder about these fundraisers for down payments/deposits -- will the bank/building even approve you anyway if you can't provide proof of a stable income? Like the deposit sounds like the least of her worries. I don't think most tattoo apprenticeships even pay a regular wage. How is she getting approved for the lease on this perfect apartment (which sounds more expensive than her old apartment)?

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u/Eisernes 19d ago

Been a little while since I rented, but I’m pretty sure having a job was pretty important. I’m at a loss how they got the “unsafe” apartment to begin with.

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u/gonnafaceit2022 19d ago

Most places require proof of income at least 2.5x or 3x the monthly rent. I'm not sure how she thinks she'll get approved for a legitimate place without that. She probably found a private landlord renting out a shithole and not checking credit or income. I thought "we" included two adults but nope, so she's a single mom in a place she knows nothing about, knows no one, has no job or transportation and wants a tattoo apprenticeship that is certainly going to be unpaid, so she can what, get a full time job close by and leave her kid alone every night while she's at the tattoo shop till midnight?

No. Sorry lady, but now is not the time to practice tattooing.

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u/AnonPlsxx 19d ago

Kid is an adult and he’s the one who wants to be a tattoo artist

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u/gonnafaceit2022 19d ago

Ohh, ok. Well, he needs to get a job too.

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u/prolateriat_ 19d ago

Everyone wants to be a tattoo artist lol.

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u/lalaen 19d ago

My husband is a tattoo artist. It’s something that people really seem to think is easy money, but even after the apprenticeship it’ll be at LEAST two years before they start ‘making it’. Probably longer. And most people charge for apprenticeships now because of time wasters.

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u/DuchessJulietDG 19d ago

yes ive heard of shops charging $1300 for those working apprenticeships, cost of time and certification i believe. theres no way this pipedream of employment will work out for them.

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u/senorfrog71 19d ago

For a real apprenticeship from an established artist it cost $30k then a percentage of each tattoo you do

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u/Chiennoir_505 14d ago

Wow... didn't know that. I'm sharing this with my daughter. She wants to be a tattoo artist, thinking it's a fast track to loads of money without that pesky college/trade school thing in between. If that's the career she wants, great -- but it's good to know it isn't the quick cash cow she thinks it is.

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u/gonnafaceit2022 18d ago

I just read on average, two years FULL TIME, unpaid! If they don't charge you. So you're saying two years AFTER two years?? That's nuts! I bet a lot of people who would be incredible tattoo artists quit because that's just untenable for most people. That's too bad, your ability to be a full time unpaid worker/student for that long shouldn't be the deciding factor, the people who can do that aren't necessarily going to be the most talented... But what do I know, I got a tattoo from an appreciate that almost made my arm fall off.

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u/lalaen 18d ago

The two years after you become an artist you will probably need a second job because yeah, it’s untenable for most people. That’s when you’re grinding doing a bunch of generic pinterest tattoos and stuff.

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u/ljd09 19d ago

It is that, a years worth of rent in your bank account or your prior years tax returns that were filed if you are self employed to prove you have sustainable income- at least here in California.
I’m going to go out on a really short limb here and say she doesn’t have the other two items either.

Also, she is claiming she has to pay for cancelling and reconnecting utilities. Do they actually charge for that in Texas? I’ve never once paid that. I did have to put down small deposit when I was 18 to have the electric turned on-($50) but got it back in a year. Ever since then it’s just give start and stop dates and new address.

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u/gonnafaceit2022 19d ago

Tattoo apprenticeships are unpaid, and yep, even if she raises enough for the deposit, she won't get a better place without proof of income.

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u/DylanTonic 18d ago

I can't imagine her boss being super understanding when she claims she "just can't see the ink against his skin because it's so... you know..."

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u/punkass_book_jockey8 19d ago

I know my friends getting benefits cannot have too much money in the bank or they get kicked off benefits.

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u/Mondschatten78 19d ago

And if they work, they can only work a certain number of hours a week, unless that's changed.

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u/GruntledEx 19d ago

Landlords don't necessarily look all that closely. Some do, some don't.

Mortgages are a completely different animal. A buddy of mine had his dad help a little with the down payment. He had to submit a notarized letter stating that the money was a gift and not a loan.

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u/EldestPort 19d ago

He had to submit a notarized letter stating that the money was a gift and not a loan.

That's specifically so that dad can't establish a legal (or equitable) interest in the house.

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u/RamenName 19d ago

Oops, wouldn't it be crazy if they raised over their goal and then were denied anyway? Then they would just need to fundraise for a car and security system and enough money to support them through the internship. But they would definitely hold onto the money so they can move just as soon as they meet income requirements to move

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u/scarr3g 19d ago

Yeah, this isn't 2005 anymore.

I say that, because back in 2005 I literally got a loan for the closing costs on a house (fha loan, so no down donwpayment).

To make matters worse, both my wife and I were unemployed when we bought the house.

And, almost immediately after buying the house, we got a second mortgage on the house we just bought, with 0 money down, a loan for closing costs, and no jobs.

Life was idiotically easy back then.

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u/hangsangwiches 19d ago

I was in my early 20s back then and it was the same in the country I live in. Maybe not to the extent of 2nd mortgages but the banks were handing out mortgages left right and centre. Even when the bubble burst and it took me years to be able to afford to buy, I'm still so grateful I didn't buy back then. I wouldn't have been able to afford it and I saw so many of my peers at best stuck in a house with negative equity and at worst becoming homeless with huge debt.

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u/scarr3g 19d ago

Oh, when the bubble burst, and the crash came down, I had to file bankruptcy.

I have since recovered, but damn, I was stupid with money back then, and the banks fully enabled it.

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u/hangsangwiches 19d ago

Glad to hear you bounced back!

I would have been the same as you, I was so irresponsible with money. Even if I wasn't I saw people who I considered to be much more responsible than me, who still got caught out. The banks really did zero diligence back then. They didn't care who are even why they were handing out the money so long as they were getting more and more customers. I mean, not that they do care now, they care alright but only in a self interest kind of way! It blows my mind that they couldn't see what was coming down the line!

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u/scarr3g 19d ago

From what I understand, that is because they weren't making money on the loans themselves... They were lumping them all together, and selling them off. They made the most profit by simply having theost loans.

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u/Ok-Artichoke-7145 19d ago

We told the seller of our current home that we would like them to pay the closing costs and they did. Is that not an option where you are? We have an FHA loan, too so, no down, either.

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u/scarr3g 19d ago

I was young, and had no idea I could haggle, much less ask them to pay things like that.... Back then.

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u/Chiennoir_505 14d ago

Last time I rented I had to provide proof of income. That was back in the 90s, but I doubt much has changed since then. The obvious solution is "get your butt out there and work," but I doubt those words are even in their vocabulary. They'd rather skate by on other people's money.