Genteel poverty

[citation needed] Spinsters from wealthy families were likely to fall into genteel poverty during those points in history when women were barred from earning a living wage through work.

[citation needed] Working-class people who have a higher level of education or training such as teachers or skilled artisans may be considered members of the genteel poor.

[3] Notable books containing characters which are members of the genteel poor include I Capture the Castle, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and many of the works of Jane Austen.

[3] However, some writers[4] have described the state of many modern creatives as genteel poverty, including writer Cosmo Landesman,[5] who calls this group the "undeserving not-quite-poor": those who may have enough cash flow to afford small luxuries but have trouble saving for larger expenses like medical debt or retirement.

Landesman attributes this to a laissez-faire baby boomer attitude towards money, driven by a distaste for conventionally responsible "squares" and a pessimistic view of the future, combined with an increasingly limited welfare state and uncertain economy.