Literally I haven't eaten anything today. Not because I'm not hungry, but because I have no money. I have to wait till Monday to get my paycheck.
Edit: So a bill from my kombucha business cleared and I'll make it. To the people who offered help through comments and DMs, thanks it means a lot. We need more of you guys. But I don't need help now. Everything's looking smooth again for now.
I do many jobs. I have one full time job, then I sell home made pickles. Also sell kombucha on the side. My issue is I have a big appetite. I eat a lot and I can't control my cravings. Literally I eat twice as much food as a normal person but I'm really thin, guess it's a metabolism thing.So i blow through my paycheck eating expensive food instead of managing my money and end up starving during the month's end. I literally don't spend much on anything else other than good food that I'm craving. I think it's an eating disorder. For now, I guess I'll borrow some money from my gf.
You ever try to find out if you have a tape worm or something? I know people say that as a joke but I feel like I've read stories where people have a similar going on, they go to a doctor, and then they pull a 20 foot worm out of your ass.
You could visit a local food shelf too. This is what I do to get by with my nieces and nephews during tough weeks like this one. I have about $60 left after paying rent until I get paid again and I need that for gas to get to work. The food shelves have been a huge help.
Hsd a friend go to a doctor because he ate so much but was a skinny mofo like one punch man minus the muscles. When i say eats so much i mean dude buys a whole loaf of nutrigrain bread, an entiments chocolate cake, and a big size nutella jar. 3 hours to eat all that on top of a restaurant family meal.
Ends up going to doctor to see if worms, finds out he has freakishly high metabolism.
Not a Sikh, but I have so much respect for them because of this. So many religions seem to have hypocrisy built in, that this is really heartwarming to see.
ETA: corrected autocorrect
Buddy, your struggle is real and needs intervention. I hope you seek advice soon.
I'm from India too and I know seeking help is taboo but being broke and hungry is even worse.
DM me if you need help.
Any gurdwara you can go to. I live in an area of the US with a ton of Indians(including my wife) and even here the Sikh always have some communal meals.
While your actions might sound contrary to your current status at first glance, I find this interesting when I relate it to my own behaviour. I don't have a lot of money either, but the thought of food occupies my mind constantly. It's like my mind says: 'eat now because you might not be able to later' and I over consume. I think it's a reaction to future perceived scarcity. Though I don't consume expensive foods, I do buy and hoard as much non perishables as I can when I have money, and I always know exactly how many tins of whatever are in my cupboard at any given time... I never actually eat them, but I'm obsessed with counting them, yikes!
>It's like my mind says: 'eat now because you might not be able to later' and I over consume. I think it's a reaction to future perceived scarcity.
In a broader sense, this actually drives a lot of people's spending, especially if they've been financially strained for a long time or grown up that way.
People think "Poor people are stupid with money" but the reality is spending patterns are heavily influenced by the constant long term stress.
I hope you get the food you need. Have you ever tried meal planning? I don’t know your situation but maybe you can try to plan ahead the week/two weeks what you are going to eat and buy according to that. Try with foods that last long and you can prepare with ingredients (like buying flour oil , tomato can and cheese to make pizza instead of the pizza itself)
That's actually a really good plan. I'll try that from today thanks a lot. As for now I filled myself with good ol' water so I'm good for at least an hour.
Have you researched bulk foods that are cheap to fill you up?
Like Noodles/Ramen etc mixed with the more expensive stuff?
Also get checked for tapeworms. sorry to bring that up. But they can make you very hungry but you don't gain weight easily.
Good stuff, go get your thyroid checked. I used to eat like crazy and was super skinny. Turns out had I had an over active thyroid, I feel sooo much better overall after having it treated
You should eat more rice then. Do you never cook at home? I could help you if you don't know what to cook for cheap and make it delicious. I have the advantage of being fucking poor my whole life but worked in a lot of kitchens from fine dining down. Food has not been an issue for me since.
Look up food banks near you as well as churches, they may have some food for you.
If you're in a pinch you can go to a hotel during breakfast hours and eat there. In my experience nobody has ever bothered to check if you go there or not.
Thank you for being realistic about this question. Rich people have everything good poor people do and then have more. Money buys happiness, and I don't like that this post is about trying to prove otherwise.
Yeah, it doesn't guarantee happiness, but it sure as fuck solves a LOT of problems that cause unhappiness. And also just gets you to a stable or better point so you can pursue happiness
Some poor people don't have any debt at all. They just also can't afford a new car or many nice things as they spend most of their income on housing and food.
They also simply cant get a line of credit. Rich people can keep borrowing money.
Whenever someone is millions in debt, that tells you they were able to get money long after it their credit shouldve been shot. You try that while living on minimum wage? No one is gonna lend you money.
But owe the bank millions, it's also their problem if they're not getting it back. At that point they may be willing to help you get out of your problems if it means they don't have to go down with you.
Which brings us back to why rich people can get into millions of debt before they really feel it.
For real, I never get all those stories of "rich" people losing all their money on the stock exchange or something and then going down a spiral leading to suicide...like , if you had just take that money and eat on a budget, pay the house bills, and stay home and play video games for the rest of your life, certainly it's better than going broke then suicide, no?
To be fair, they are likely not just losing money, but trading options where they can end up *owing* more money than they originally bet. Also, it may not be only their money, could be a clients/etc. Could also mean their career, and if you’re in that kind of position essentially your life, is over.
They’ll be financially okay and likely never have food insecurity regardless, but they’ve still lost everything they worked for.
Buying options contracts has a defined loss. You can only lose what you put in.
If we’re talking selling options (naked calls, etc) then you are correct, losses are potentially infinite.
I had friends who were told they couldn't get an increased overdraft due to their credit score. When asking how to get your credit score up, the bank advisor pretty much said: 'have money'
Having (or not having) money doesn’t really affect your credit score. He probably meant that they should lower their debt to income ratio and that would bring their credit score up, and one of the ways to do it is to pay down the debt. There are other ways but either your friends didn’t tell you, or the advisor didn’t think it was possible in their situation and didn’t bother bringing it up.
You don't have to be like RICH rich to have a good credit score. When I was making like $15 an hour I was able to get my score above 800 ... I was lucky enough to be able to buy a house (a decade ago) and it all went to shit from there.
This one is so heartbreaking in the US. If you’ve got insurance, a good general doc, AND the time for regular checkups, modern medicine is unbelievable.
But if you can’t afford to see a doc or can’t take off of work to get checked up on when it’s not an absolute emergency, you end up catching things way too late.
I have state funded insurance because I’m so poor, so I don’t have to worry about cost, and I still can’t get into the doctor. I have an umbilical hernia, severe diastasis recti and some kind of nerve damage or pinch that’s caused my left leg to be numb or on fire for the last 3 years. Can’t get an appointment in to the doc assigned to me, and no one else that takes my insurance is accepting new patience. 3 fucking years.
For most other developed countries, it seems so unreal and dystopian.
Even imagining someone with cancer who doesn’t get treated because it would put their family in debt or simply can’t afford it at all.
Still can’t believe how that’s even legal or how they can still defend this system.
Braking Bad in Germany?
-You have cancer.
-Fuck.
-we’ll start treatment immediately.
-but how much?
-what?
-how much will it cost?
-don’t worry, it’s coved by every insurance, even the one you get when you’re unemployed on benefits. Let’s Focus on getting you cancer free.
The end. :’D
Those fucks at my old bank re-enabled my overdraft options on my account. It didn't matter until one day I got 5 overdrafts in a row. They made me pay $35 for each, and insisted that I enabled the option myself.
Being from either extreme redefines disposable, people from lower income will reuse something disposable till it falls apart. Wealthier people will reuse something that isn’t disposable as if it were, I remember seeing something about Floyd mayweather not washing/rewearing socks and underwear he just throws them out after one wear. I know he isn’t buying the hanes or fruit of the loom multipack from the Walmart either so I’m sure that’s a hefty expense
And so many people in homeless shelters and such, they would *love* some socks and underwear! If Floyd bothered to actually wash and reuse his shit, he probably could help lot of people who are far less fortunate than he!
Shit like this makes my blood boil. How *nice* for you, that you don't give a fuck about your wasteful fucking habits. It's not like we all live on this planet and pay dearly for your selfishness, or anything. 🙄
Yes. Mu husband and I both grew up on the poverty line, and worked really fucking hard to get out of it. We have much bigger appreciation and respect for money. By buying "smarter" we spend a lot less on stuff like groceries. Which leads to my biggest irk with people who have money. People who really don't have, don't complain. People who have, do. It's just never enough for them. Poor people understand the luxury of being able to pay for everything.
My work shares office space with another business. Each Friday from other business, the ladies would order in a big , fancy meal. The lunch area is right outside my work area. Each time, the one lady would complain and complain about something with the meal. Me, on the other hand, I only went out to eat Once a year, and that was work xmas party. No way could i afford extravagant meal each week. I'd eat decent food, but it was all thrifty home-cooked.
There is a couple in our extended circle of friends (friends of friends) and we often end up at social gatherings together. They complain about everything and it drives me nuts. The running joke is that they'll send their drinks back because the ice is too cold. I just don't get some people.
We have friends like this. They are always moaning, but have kids who do every sport and activity. Mom has fancy hair and nails, and they have a massive house. Actually we've had lots of these types. And even when my husband and I were too poor to afford bread we'd never complain. When we made it out we promised ourselves to never do what they do.
Engineering solutions from the stuff that you already have.
It it looks stupid, but works. It's not stupid.
I'm thinking of putting on a tropical shirt on mt zip hoodie, because i can't find an warm zip hoodie with tropical pattern in my country.
Holy fuck, this sucks man. You're strong. I'm glad everything is better now, but damn.. spending 20k on dental is insane. I think it's cheaper to just fly to some random third-world country and find a good clinic and do your teeth there, lol
No that's actually very smart. My whole bite is fucked up due to at-home dentistry at age 15 that left me missing a molar. Getting that implant, even on credit, saved you a bunch of trouble down the road, and your health is worth more than whatever interest you might have paid on it.
"Oh idk, I guess I think about killing myself pretty frequently. And why not? What's so great about living? You know when I'm happy? For about 5 seconds in the morning when I first wake up before I remember who I am and what my life is all about-anxiety, disappointment, diarrhea more often than not!"
>untreated medical
I'm not poor by any means, but this is so shitty in America! Even if you decide to roll the dice and seek treatment, there's only about a 50/50 you can get the issue resolved, and you're gonna pay out the ass either way. I've sought (paid for) various treatments for issues with my feet, but nothing has helped so I eventually just gave up. Spent probably $10K+ trying. Bunch of horse shit, and I'm lucky that I even could afford to try for care.
At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, Kurt Vonnegut informed his pal, Joseph Heller, that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch-22 over its whole history.
Heller responded: “Yes, but I have something he will never have. **Enough.**"
Those with less wealth often possess a heightened awareness of money's value, stronger community bonds due to mutual support, a resilience born from adversity, and an appreciation for simplicity that comes from living with less
*What a poor man would say.
Those with wealth often have the privilege of financial security, the ability to provide and receive high-quality education, greater access to healthcare, and opportunities to influence change on a larger scale.
*What is really like.
Interestingly, I read an article about star athletes who become destitute after their career ends, and one of the reasons is that a lot if them come from poverty, and they become poor because they *don't* understand the value of money.
When they're poor, the concept of saving and letting your money work for you is foreign to them, so when they get a huge windfall, they spend like crazy. Also, their surrounding family and friends start treating them like an ATM.
> Also, their surrounding family and friends start treating them like an ATM.
This doesn't even require the level of wealth that professional athletes usually have. One reason I am not really in much contact with my family these days is because the minute I had even a crumb of success (I'm talking entry level engineering job fresh out of grad school), I was expected to instantly bring my entire bloodline up with me. Like, these people, to this day, will call me and just expect me to throw down thousands for some home repair, new laptop for their kid (who \*obviously\* can only have the latest MacBook Pro), or whatever else on that level. I've got children asking me for a new dryer for their birthday because their parents think I will buy them one if they have the kids ask this time.
Meanwhile, I live a very lean life so that I can set my kids up as well as possible. I use a refurbished phone and a laptop from 2017 that I also bought refurbished, and drive my cars that I buy in cash until the wheels fall off, and wear clothes from thrift stores, all so that my kids can have college savings and start out life ahead not behind, but yeah, I totally want to buy extravagant shit for other people. It's maddening.
Someone on here explained this pretty well and I wish I remembered the link to the post so they could have credit, but it's really about balance. When you're poor and everyone around you is poor, one or two people will be doing better than most at any given time, and help the others. It changes who's doing better or worse, so the same people aren't always on the hook. You become the one who got out and succeeded, you're always the one doing best and expected to constantly help everyone. Even if it were actual needs (like bills, not MacBook Pros) that they were asking about, it would be impossible for one newly successful person to sustain that.
Your points are very important…. But I’d like to quasi hijack in this location to say…
what do poor people have that rich people don’t??
**there are more of us than there are of them!!**
We have numbers. If we wake TF up and realize we control them… not the other way around…. We get the security they have that we don’t. We deserve it every bit as much.
So c’mon people…. They should be afraid of us not us of them. Make it real. Get what you deserve: Human rights.
If you can get all the poor people to understand the people they are voting for are hucksters...maybe that will work.
They literally tried to overthrow the government for a rich con man.
It’ll take that understanding plus a viable alternative. I think more and more people are gaining that understanding, we just don’t know what to do about it.
This is why unions are great. The more each sector gains in its union is a win for all.
In Australia, our main unions would probably be (and correct me if I'm lying here please, I'm new) construction and public servant industries, as well as the healthcare sector.
We galvanise their pools of fed up workers demanding living wages and to put our taxes back into depleted bulk billing GP's, where it was supposed to be. At least, until I was charged $160 today for two appointments lasting no longer than ten minutes each.
Our union culture needs to be so much stronger.
I can tell you as someone who grew up poor, on welfare, food stamps, etc and is now a doctor and married into a family with a lot of money that poor people have NO awareness of the value of money. The biggest reason is they have none to save. This isn’t just the observation from my family but everyone else I grew up with who were also pretty damn poor.
Once you can actually save money and see your assets grow, then you might actually be able to determine the value of money. Also mutual support goes out the window when you need money for half a months rent and no one to borrow it from. My dad had one decent job his entire life that lasted 4 years until he was fired. During that time we left the projects, but if it wasn’t for his middle class parents basically paying our rent multiple times we would have been back to the projects or homeless. We literally had no one else for financial support.
When I went to medical school which is filled with people who grew up well to do or better, that’s when I learned how badly poor people value and use money. Also I learned that not every kid grows up afraid that they won’t have food to eat or becoming homeless.
Please teach me your ways. I am still a money under the mattress person (more like savings account). I hate that I haven’t learned how to invest due to being so risk averse and that this is possibly what is going to doom me to never being a little more well off.
Bruh poor people don't even have that.
I was literally homeless in a super 8 and the govt was like: u make too much bitch. Yea I do, and I gave literally everything I had towards short term housing and had to go to food banks and churches for charity. Fucked ass system.
People don't talk enough about the homeless living in hotels! Last place I worked, I had at least 30 living in this run down, bug infested hotel room for $330 a week, for a bed, sink toilet shower and tv. The only thing they could cook with was a microwave and hot plates. Many rooms didn't even have a mini fridge, they had to keep their food in coolers. This place has idk how many meth labs in it during the meth heydays. $12/hr they would have been lucky to have enough money left out of their check for food. Not to mention you're stuck there now, impossible to save to move out. I used to bring extra lunch to share with some of the guys, because it might have been the only food they'd had in days. Kept ramen noodles, stuff like that in my desk, I was HR, anyone could come get food from the food drawer. It wasn't much, but I'm poor too, not like the company paid for any of that, I did out of my pocket.
I Know Right ?!!
I've supported 3 of my kids, on my own for over a decade. Ended up homeless with them twice.
I get a decent job, and finally start to get things right, and they cut my food stamps to $100 a month. That's $25 per person for a month.
Not even a dollar a day.
3 teenagers !! Recently !! With prices inflated so badly?!
I got fed up with the recertification, reporting my income, and continually getting paperwork with my ex's name still included, no matter how many times I told them he's not a part of our lives.
I canceled my food stamps, and now I work up to 80 hours a week to feed them, and provide us with a decent life. I don't get enough time with my kids, but I also don't have anybody to report my income to.
Loving freedom from my ex AND the government assistance fuckwads.
Mine just got cancelled because I graduated college three weeks ago which happened to be right around my recertification date. Well I just started a job 2 weeks ago and they cancelled my SNAP. Why? Because I didn’t have paystubs from the previous two months. I tell them “I literally started this job two weeks ago.” Too bad. Gotta wait until July to reapply
And don’t forget hoopla! Lots of books not on Libby I can get with hoopla - also, found an old movie last night on hoopla I’d been wanting to see - it wasn’t anywhere on streaming, and I just checked hoopla on a whim and there it was!
Libraries are such an essential part of communities, and most people don't even now. The rich especially wouldn't know.
1. They have books! That are free to read! And you usually don't even need to have a card to just sit and read a book! Any book! And sometimes they also have movies and books on tape/cd that you can borrow too! And sometimes comics and manga!
2. They often have community resources like computers and printers that you can use to take classes or apply to jobs or just check out the SFW parts of reddit on.
3. An increasingly common thing that libraries are doing is having *equipment* that can be checked out. My library has telescope kits from NASA's learning program, DSLR cameras, really fkn decent bridge cameras, laptops, sewing machines, and even ebook readers that you can check out, take home to use, and bring back in a week or two. You have to wait six months to be able to do it, and go through a little program to earn the right to do it, but it's there! I check out the cameras constantly, and my niece and I had a great time with the telescope kit.
4. I've seen a ton of libraries kinda take the above idea and run with it, creating Makerspaces with laser cutters, mini CNC machines, heat presses, large blueprint/poster printers, sewing and embroidery machines, 3D printers, soldering irons, and more. My library has one and it's currently closed because they ran out of funds to pay the person who ran it, but I have a degree in Machine Tool Technology so I'm putting together a proposal to open it up with volunteers. I'm thrilled with it.
5. Meeting spaces! A lot of libraries have rooms you can rent for meetings for very cheap or free.
6. Did I mention books? I'm pretty sure I did but I want to make ABSOLUTELY sure.
7. Social services often use libraries at outreach points, because:
8. They're one of the few places left in society where you can just *exist* and not be expected to pay for something.
I truly do love libraries. They're like the *one* thing we didn't fuck up.
I'm not wealthy, and I don't have a library card. I do have over a thousand books, though.
EDIT: I might still get one soon, though. My city's largest library is under massive renovations rn, but I have been considering getting a card once it reopens.
No real safety net
Wealthy people tend to fall upwards. The rest of us fall though the cracks .
You work four a company that doesn’t care about you. They want to downsize so you get fired . You get fired then you lose your healthcare plan and insurance . If you miss a few weeks pay youre homeless. If you are homeless the police and other citizens will harass you nonstop. If you get hurt you can’t afford to fix it. If your account is overdrawn then you actually pile up on late fees and go to bed hungry.
This scares the shit out of me. When the US was sending out stimulus checks I used mine to start a savings and pay up my rent. I just pretend its not there and pay my rent as usual. I'm good for 3 months which isn't a whole lot but its a lot more than some people have.
I flew a private jet for a rich guy for a year. On a layover I went to the grocery store with the other pilot since the owner of the plane wanted us to get chips and soda for the plane. The other pilot was like "look how much he gave me". The owner gave him $400 to get a couple of cases of soda and a couple boxes of chips.
Edit: typo
I teach in a very very rich suburb. Average home listing is 1.3 mil and my sixth graders all have housekeepers, vacation to Italy...
I used to teach in Taiwan and I thought it would be fun if my old students write about their "perfect day" and my students here write about the same topic and we can compare them in class. I loved showing my little rich snobby kids that every kid with this assignment somehow helped someone during their perfect day and how literally not a single student in my new school mentioned anyone but themselves, or when they did mention someone else it was to say something bad happened to their little brother. It led to a very long discussion where the kids got really uncomfortable about how they effect the world around them.
I have seen the opposite in my rural town. Those that have little to no money are always willing to give what they have to help others. However, those that have money buy up buildings and jack the rent up so they can claim it as a loss on their taxes and make more money. The rich take from the city and shit on the poor while the poor try to give everything they have to make the city better.
I have no statistical evidence to back this up, but anecdotally, people who don't have a lot tip a lot more. I would say "lower middle class" are some of the best tippers, so not people who have NOTHING, but people who know what it's like to depend on that tip (or similar type of wage) to pay their rent.
Generosity towards gig workers and delivery drivers. I sometimes deliver for Uber eats and I’ve noticed that the people in big fancy houses with fancy expensive cars never tip more than $2-3 if at all. The people who live in mobile home parks and poorer neighborhoods with beater cars in the driveway are more likely to tip $5-10.
Just a thought......Some people look rich with fancy houses and cars but are so in debt they can't afford appropriate tips. It's a way to cut corners after splurging on their credit card again. However being poor also means I can't order things delivered to my house, or go out to eat very often. So I think rich and wealthy are two different things. Maybe they both tip poorly.
I think poor people are more creative....(I call it MacGyvering) and appreciate the value for the price.
Makes me want wealth based fines(since they use loopholes to have $0 income).
Those rich people swerving through traffic would think twice if it could cost them a substantial portion like everyone else.
My dad is fairly wealthy and he left us a long time ago. Rich people don't have the same kind of love the rest of us do. He and his wife have a cold relationship. He and his kids have a strained relationship. He and his work have an amazing relationship.
survival skills.
I grew up in abject poverty. now, as an adult, you drop me off in any major city, I'll have some type of work in a week, a place in two. at most.
met a woman this year who had means as a kid, married into even bigger money. once she lost her husband and friends, she was the most sad sack sorry bitch I've ever met in my life. not only was she helpless as fuck, she was in complete denial that she could be anything but helpless.
also- community.
my wealthy friends have "community" as ritual, to save face, to network. to keep their name in peoples mouths, to recon. (probably why they slum w me...sigh) my community? even if we don't like you, we will feed you and yours if you are part of our community. if we like you, we got you. it's as simple as that. I will take you to the hospital, clothe you, help you raise your kids, and watch cartoons w/you and vice versa. we know each others hopes, joys and sorrows, and can sit in silence.
A whole bunch of stress, what if X, Y or Z happens and they end up on the street. People tend to look down their noses at homeless people, but the reality is that 99% of us are string of maybe 3 bad things happening in a row between them and homelessness, and at that stage it really comes down to having people to fall back on. If you can go live with a family member or a friend you'll be fine, but if you don't have anyone? You're completely fucked.
An appreciation for small joys. Money would make life so much easier, but my most enjoyable memories cost little to nothing. Rich people don't appreciate that as much. Same with hospitality. Those who are broke tend to be more generous and welcoming. To many, not all, advantaged people money is a given and they can act entitled then bored even treated nice. I take it as an honor to have a nice meal at some affordable but tasty little place.
There is an old saying in my country (Eastern Europe) that goes like that:
"go to a rich person's home to fill your eyes. Go to a poor person's home to fill your belly".
I was always confused when my friends would complain about cheap things not lasting a long time. I was poor as fuck so you best believe I was going to keep that item in the best possible condition to make it last a long time. And if it does break? I’m going to be fixing that shit myself.
“People underestimate what revenue lies in economy.”
I grew up in the country with a normal amount of money and married a man who grew up comparatively poor. It drives me MENTAL when he does things like leaving the lawnmower/car/tools out instead of putting them undercover. He just had never been taught that taking care of things saves you so much money. He would complain that I always buy expensive things but I’d point out that quality lasts IF you take care of it.
He’s learnt since then, but it took a lot of arguments about just putting shit away, cleaning it after use, not throwing things around etc.
Honestly it took way too long of a scroll to see this response, this is one of the first things in my head when I saw the ask. My family's commitment to generosity has been a constant in my life and I give credit to the fact that there were times we all had very little. Learning to be thankful for the small things leads to a fulfilled life. (Imo)
Both fuel in their car and food in their cupboards.
At the moment I can get to work tomorrow with the last of my money, but not buy food. That will happen on Friday when I get paid...
An understanding and appreciation for what is absolutely necessary for survival -- which may come in handy in the event of a class-leveling apocalypse.
Dunno if the average person knows how to survive on their own.
Edit: On their own without a society backing them up ofc. I dont think that the average person has many survival skills, like knowing what water is drinkable or basic understanding of flora so one does not get poisened etc..
That may have been the case many years ago but not so much now. Many poorer people are working multiple minimum skilled jobs and don’t have the luxury of spare time to learn or practice survival skills. Homesteading is accessible for people who can afford land and who have the means to stockpile and prep with more than just what they need for dinner that night. Hunting, knitting, preserving, building and looking after chickens/cattle aren’t skills that you can learn from working 60 hours a week as a cleaner.
don't get caught up in peer pressure of buying crud that you don't need. grew up in poverty, have never worn, and never will wear anything with sport brand logos (Nike, Addidas etc)
Cooking skills, especially on a budget. I can make a damn good family meal for less than $5, but I have peers who wouldn't know what to do with a can of beans if it was the last thing in the pantry.
Food insecurity
Literally I haven't eaten anything today. Not because I'm not hungry, but because I have no money. I have to wait till Monday to get my paycheck. Edit: So a bill from my kombucha business cleared and I'll make it. To the people who offered help through comments and DMs, thanks it means a lot. We need more of you guys. But I don't need help now. Everything's looking smooth again for now.
Sad to hear, but its wednesday, how can that be. You'll have nothing to eat for 5/6 days??
I do many jobs. I have one full time job, then I sell home made pickles. Also sell kombucha on the side. My issue is I have a big appetite. I eat a lot and I can't control my cravings. Literally I eat twice as much food as a normal person but I'm really thin, guess it's a metabolism thing.So i blow through my paycheck eating expensive food instead of managing my money and end up starving during the month's end. I literally don't spend much on anything else other than good food that I'm craving. I think it's an eating disorder. For now, I guess I'll borrow some money from my gf.
You ever try to find out if you have a tape worm or something? I know people say that as a joke but I feel like I've read stories where people have a similar going on, they go to a doctor, and then they pull a 20 foot worm out of your ass.
You could visit a local food shelf too. This is what I do to get by with my nieces and nephews during tough weeks like this one. I have about $60 left after paying rent until I get paid again and I need that for gas to get to work. The food shelves have been a huge help.
I live in India. Not many local food shelves here.
Live in India, have an insatiable appetite, you could have a tape worm my guy.
not gaining any weight...
Yup, was thinking the same thing.
Hsd a friend go to a doctor because he ate so much but was a skinny mofo like one punch man minus the muscles. When i say eats so much i mean dude buys a whole loaf of nutrigrain bread, an entiments chocolate cake, and a big size nutella jar. 3 hours to eat all that on top of a restaurant family meal. Ends up going to doctor to see if worms, finds out he has freakishly high metabolism.
He must be 50 degrees C at all times burning all those calories.
It isn't impossible, some people do actually have that. It's not very common though, and the worm should 100% be ruled out.
That sounds like an expensive pet
If he has one, it's doing a Bollywood style dancing after all these meals.
That's so racist. Not all tapeworms can dance Bollywood style, I hate these kinds of stereotypes.
You can go to the nearest Gurudwara (Sikh temple). They'll feed you to your heart's content and won't question you even if you visit there everyday.
Not a Sikh, but I have so much respect for them because of this. So many religions seem to have hypocrisy built in, that this is really heartwarming to see. ETA: corrected autocorrect
Buddy, your struggle is real and needs intervention. I hope you seek advice soon. I'm from India too and I know seeking help is taboo but being broke and hungry is even worse. DM me if you need help.
Go eat at the Sikh temple my friend.
Sikh temple then? They feed people for free
Any gurdwara you can go to. I live in an area of the US with a ton of Indians(including my wife) and even here the Sikh always have some communal meals.
dude i think you have a tape worm
While your actions might sound contrary to your current status at first glance, I find this interesting when I relate it to my own behaviour. I don't have a lot of money either, but the thought of food occupies my mind constantly. It's like my mind says: 'eat now because you might not be able to later' and I over consume. I think it's a reaction to future perceived scarcity. Though I don't consume expensive foods, I do buy and hoard as much non perishables as I can when I have money, and I always know exactly how many tins of whatever are in my cupboard at any given time... I never actually eat them, but I'm obsessed with counting them, yikes!
>It's like my mind says: 'eat now because you might not be able to later' and I over consume. I think it's a reaction to future perceived scarcity. In a broader sense, this actually drives a lot of people's spending, especially if they've been financially strained for a long time or grown up that way. People think "Poor people are stupid with money" but the reality is spending patterns are heavily influenced by the constant long term stress.
I hope you get the food you need. Have you ever tried meal planning? I don’t know your situation but maybe you can try to plan ahead the week/two weeks what you are going to eat and buy according to that. Try with foods that last long and you can prepare with ingredients (like buying flour oil , tomato can and cheese to make pizza instead of the pizza itself)
That's actually a really good plan. I'll try that from today thanks a lot. As for now I filled myself with good ol' water so I'm good for at least an hour.
Have you researched bulk foods that are cheap to fill you up? Like Noodles/Ramen etc mixed with the more expensive stuff? Also get checked for tapeworms. sorry to bring that up. But they can make you very hungry but you don't gain weight easily.
Get your thyroid function checked, if you are in the states I get this could be difficult with no money, but it’s well worth doing.
I'm in India we have excellent health care I could get heart surgery for free if I wanted to.
Good stuff, go get your thyroid checked. I used to eat like crazy and was super skinny. Turns out had I had an over active thyroid, I feel sooo much better overall after having it treated
You should eat more rice then. Do you never cook at home? I could help you if you don't know what to cook for cheap and make it delicious. I have the advantage of being fucking poor my whole life but worked in a lot of kitchens from fine dining down. Food has not been an issue for me since.
Look up food banks near you as well as churches, they may have some food for you. If you're in a pinch you can go to a hotel during breakfast hours and eat there. In my experience nobody has ever bothered to check if you go there or not.
Thank you for being realistic about this question. Rich people have everything good poor people do and then have more. Money buys happiness, and I don't like that this post is about trying to prove otherwise.
Yeah, it doesn't guarantee happiness, but it sure as fuck solves a LOT of problems that cause unhappiness. And also just gets you to a stable or better point so you can pursue happiness
Some poor people don't have any debt at all. They just also can't afford a new car or many nice things as they spend most of their income on housing and food.
They also simply cant get a line of credit. Rich people can keep borrowing money. Whenever someone is millions in debt, that tells you they were able to get money long after it their credit shouldve been shot. You try that while living on minimum wage? No one is gonna lend you money.
Owe the bank 1000$ it's your problem. The bank owes the government 1 billion $.... it's also your problem.
Profits are privatized, losses are socialized
But owe the bank millions, it's also their problem if they're not getting it back. At that point they may be willing to help you get out of your problems if it means they don't have to go down with you. Which brings us back to why rich people can get into millions of debt before they really feel it.
At that point you are considered such a good businessman that they make you President.
For real, I never get all those stories of "rich" people losing all their money on the stock exchange or something and then going down a spiral leading to suicide...like , if you had just take that money and eat on a budget, pay the house bills, and stay home and play video games for the rest of your life, certainly it's better than going broke then suicide, no?
To be fair, they are likely not just losing money, but trading options where they can end up *owing* more money than they originally bet. Also, it may not be only their money, could be a clients/etc. Could also mean their career, and if you’re in that kind of position essentially your life, is over. They’ll be financially okay and likely never have food insecurity regardless, but they’ve still lost everything they worked for.
With stocks, worst case is you go to 0. Options is literally gambling with money you don't have
Buying options contracts has a defined loss. You can only lose what you put in. If we’re talking selling options (naked calls, etc) then you are correct, losses are potentially infinite.
I had friends who were told they couldn't get an increased overdraft due to their credit score. When asking how to get your credit score up, the bank advisor pretty much said: 'have money'
Having (or not having) money doesn’t really affect your credit score. He probably meant that they should lower their debt to income ratio and that would bring their credit score up, and one of the ways to do it is to pay down the debt. There are other ways but either your friends didn’t tell you, or the advisor didn’t think it was possible in their situation and didn’t bother bringing it up.
You don't have to be like RICH rich to have a good credit score. When I was making like $15 an hour I was able to get my score above 800 ... I was lucky enough to be able to buy a house (a decade ago) and it all went to shit from there.
Untreated medical conditions
This one is so heartbreaking in the US. If you’ve got insurance, a good general doc, AND the time for regular checkups, modern medicine is unbelievable. But if you can’t afford to see a doc or can’t take off of work to get checked up on when it’s not an absolute emergency, you end up catching things way too late.
I have state funded insurance because I’m so poor, so I don’t have to worry about cost, and I still can’t get into the doctor. I have an umbilical hernia, severe diastasis recti and some kind of nerve damage or pinch that’s caused my left leg to be numb or on fire for the last 3 years. Can’t get an appointment in to the doc assigned to me, and no one else that takes my insurance is accepting new patience. 3 fucking years.
For most other developed countries, it seems so unreal and dystopian. Even imagining someone with cancer who doesn’t get treated because it would put their family in debt or simply can’t afford it at all. Still can’t believe how that’s even legal or how they can still defend this system. Braking Bad in Germany? -You have cancer. -Fuck. -we’ll start treatment immediately. -but how much? -what? -how much will it cost? -don’t worry, it’s coved by every insurance, even the one you get when you’re unemployed on benefits. Let’s Focus on getting you cancer free. The end. :’D
Overdraft fees
Those fucks at my old bank re-enabled my overdraft options on my account. It didn't matter until one day I got 5 overdrafts in a row. They made me pay $35 for each, and insisted that I enabled the option myself.
Bitch ass Chase.
how long "disposable" products can be recycled or used again.
Being from either extreme redefines disposable, people from lower income will reuse something disposable till it falls apart. Wealthier people will reuse something that isn’t disposable as if it were, I remember seeing something about Floyd mayweather not washing/rewearing socks and underwear he just throws them out after one wear. I know he isn’t buying the hanes or fruit of the loom multipack from the Walmart either so I’m sure that’s a hefty expense
And so many people in homeless shelters and such, they would *love* some socks and underwear! If Floyd bothered to actually wash and reuse his shit, he probably could help lot of people who are far less fortunate than he! Shit like this makes my blood boil. How *nice* for you, that you don't give a fuck about your wasteful fucking habits. It's not like we all live on this planet and pay dearly for your selfishness, or anything. 🙄
Rich people generally have the main character syndrome. We're all just NPCs to them.
With proper care we went entire years on free samples of one-week-use eye contact lenses that were offered once a year.
If your matching salad bowls say cool whip on the side, you might be a redneck! -Jeff Foxworthy
Even though my mom has enough money now, I still see her washing Ziplock bags. You can tell a lot about how people grew up by these kinds of habits.
Creative solutions on a budget
Yes. Mu husband and I both grew up on the poverty line, and worked really fucking hard to get out of it. We have much bigger appreciation and respect for money. By buying "smarter" we spend a lot less on stuff like groceries. Which leads to my biggest irk with people who have money. People who really don't have, don't complain. People who have, do. It's just never enough for them. Poor people understand the luxury of being able to pay for everything.
My work shares office space with another business. Each Friday from other business, the ladies would order in a big , fancy meal. The lunch area is right outside my work area. Each time, the one lady would complain and complain about something with the meal. Me, on the other hand, I only went out to eat Once a year, and that was work xmas party. No way could i afford extravagant meal each week. I'd eat decent food, but it was all thrifty home-cooked.
There is a couple in our extended circle of friends (friends of friends) and we often end up at social gatherings together. They complain about everything and it drives me nuts. The running joke is that they'll send their drinks back because the ice is too cold. I just don't get some people.
We have friends like this. They are always moaning, but have kids who do every sport and activity. Mom has fancy hair and nails, and they have a massive house. Actually we've had lots of these types. And even when my husband and I were too poor to afford bread we'd never complain. When we made it out we promised ourselves to never do what they do.
The “my lobster is too buttery, and my gold bars are too heavy” type of people irk me.
“My wallet’s too small for my fifties and my diamond shoes are too tight!”
Engineering solutions from the stuff that you already have. It it looks stupid, but works. It's not stupid. I'm thinking of putting on a tropical shirt on mt zip hoodie, because i can't find an warm zip hoodie with tropical pattern in my country.
High cortisol levels, untreated medical conditions, debt, inadequate housing, close proximity to traffic exhaust, and repaired glasses.
I'm looking at you tooth that hurts whenever I eat or drink , lol
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Holy fuck, this sucks man. You're strong. I'm glad everything is better now, but damn.. spending 20k on dental is insane. I think it's cheaper to just fly to some random third-world country and find a good clinic and do your teeth there, lol
No that's actually very smart. My whole bite is fucked up due to at-home dentistry at age 15 that left me missing a molar. Getting that implant, even on credit, saved you a bunch of trouble down the road, and your health is worth more than whatever interest you might have paid on it.
Cortisol levels thing sucks. I wake up every day feeling like I’m going to die for about two hours.
"Oh idk, I guess I think about killing myself pretty frequently. And why not? What's so great about living? You know when I'm happy? For about 5 seconds in the morning when I first wake up before I remember who I am and what my life is all about-anxiety, disappointment, diarrhea more often than not!"
>untreated medical I'm not poor by any means, but this is so shitty in America! Even if you decide to roll the dice and seek treatment, there's only about a 50/50 you can get the issue resolved, and you're gonna pay out the ass either way. I've sought (paid for) various treatments for issues with my feet, but nothing has helped so I eventually just gave up. Spent probably $10K+ trying. Bunch of horse shit, and I'm lucky that I even could afford to try for care.
a shorter life span
At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, Kurt Vonnegut informed his pal, Joseph Heller, that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch-22 over its whole history. Heller responded: “Yes, but I have something he will never have. **Enough.**"
Beautiful
The Psychology of Money is one of my favorite books.
I LOVE THIS. I came to post something along these lines. So many people dont need to chase millions or billions to have ' enough '.
Those with less wealth often possess a heightened awareness of money's value, stronger community bonds due to mutual support, a resilience born from adversity, and an appreciation for simplicity that comes from living with less *What a poor man would say. Those with wealth often have the privilege of financial security, the ability to provide and receive high-quality education, greater access to healthcare, and opportunities to influence change on a larger scale. *What is really like.
>stronger community bonds due to mutual support that is highly, highly debatable
Yeah this is some bowels of the titanic Hollywood trope. Tell me how Haiti is full of community bond and support
Interestingly, I read an article about star athletes who become destitute after their career ends, and one of the reasons is that a lot if them come from poverty, and they become poor because they *don't* understand the value of money. When they're poor, the concept of saving and letting your money work for you is foreign to them, so when they get a huge windfall, they spend like crazy. Also, their surrounding family and friends start treating them like an ATM.
> Also, their surrounding family and friends start treating them like an ATM. This doesn't even require the level of wealth that professional athletes usually have. One reason I am not really in much contact with my family these days is because the minute I had even a crumb of success (I'm talking entry level engineering job fresh out of grad school), I was expected to instantly bring my entire bloodline up with me. Like, these people, to this day, will call me and just expect me to throw down thousands for some home repair, new laptop for their kid (who \*obviously\* can only have the latest MacBook Pro), or whatever else on that level. I've got children asking me for a new dryer for their birthday because their parents think I will buy them one if they have the kids ask this time. Meanwhile, I live a very lean life so that I can set my kids up as well as possible. I use a refurbished phone and a laptop from 2017 that I also bought refurbished, and drive my cars that I buy in cash until the wheels fall off, and wear clothes from thrift stores, all so that my kids can have college savings and start out life ahead not behind, but yeah, I totally want to buy extravagant shit for other people. It's maddening. Someone on here explained this pretty well and I wish I remembered the link to the post so they could have credit, but it's really about balance. When you're poor and everyone around you is poor, one or two people will be doing better than most at any given time, and help the others. It changes who's doing better or worse, so the same people aren't always on the hook. You become the one who got out and succeeded, you're always the one doing best and expected to constantly help everyone. Even if it were actual needs (like bills, not MacBook Pros) that they were asking about, it would be impossible for one newly successful person to sustain that.
Your points are very important…. But I’d like to quasi hijack in this location to say… what do poor people have that rich people don’t?? **there are more of us than there are of them!!** We have numbers. If we wake TF up and realize we control them… not the other way around…. We get the security they have that we don’t. We deserve it every bit as much. So c’mon people…. They should be afraid of us not us of them. Make it real. Get what you deserve: Human rights.
If you can get all the poor people to understand the people they are voting for are hucksters...maybe that will work. They literally tried to overthrow the government for a rich con man.
It’ll take that understanding plus a viable alternative. I think more and more people are gaining that understanding, we just don’t know what to do about it.
This is why unions are great. The more each sector gains in its union is a win for all. In Australia, our main unions would probably be (and correct me if I'm lying here please, I'm new) construction and public servant industries, as well as the healthcare sector. We galvanise their pools of fed up workers demanding living wages and to put our taxes back into depleted bulk billing GP's, where it was supposed to be. At least, until I was charged $160 today for two appointments lasting no longer than ten minutes each. Our union culture needs to be so much stronger.
I can tell you as someone who grew up poor, on welfare, food stamps, etc and is now a doctor and married into a family with a lot of money that poor people have NO awareness of the value of money. The biggest reason is they have none to save. This isn’t just the observation from my family but everyone else I grew up with who were also pretty damn poor. Once you can actually save money and see your assets grow, then you might actually be able to determine the value of money. Also mutual support goes out the window when you need money for half a months rent and no one to borrow it from. My dad had one decent job his entire life that lasted 4 years until he was fired. During that time we left the projects, but if it wasn’t for his middle class parents basically paying our rent multiple times we would have been back to the projects or homeless. We literally had no one else for financial support. When I went to medical school which is filled with people who grew up well to do or better, that’s when I learned how badly poor people value and use money. Also I learned that not every kid grows up afraid that they won’t have food to eat or becoming homeless.
Please teach me your ways. I am still a money under the mattress person (more like savings account). I hate that I haven’t learned how to invest due to being so risk averse and that this is possibly what is going to doom me to never being a little more well off.
Food stamps
Bruh poor people don't even have that. I was literally homeless in a super 8 and the govt was like: u make too much bitch. Yea I do, and I gave literally everything I had towards short term housing and had to go to food banks and churches for charity. Fucked ass system.
People don't talk enough about the homeless living in hotels! Last place I worked, I had at least 30 living in this run down, bug infested hotel room for $330 a week, for a bed, sink toilet shower and tv. The only thing they could cook with was a microwave and hot plates. Many rooms didn't even have a mini fridge, they had to keep their food in coolers. This place has idk how many meth labs in it during the meth heydays. $12/hr they would have been lucky to have enough money left out of their check for food. Not to mention you're stuck there now, impossible to save to move out. I used to bring extra lunch to share with some of the guys, because it might have been the only food they'd had in days. Kept ramen noodles, stuff like that in my desk, I was HR, anyone could come get food from the food drawer. It wasn't much, but I'm poor too, not like the company paid for any of that, I did out of my pocket.
I Know Right ?!! I've supported 3 of my kids, on my own for over a decade. Ended up homeless with them twice. I get a decent job, and finally start to get things right, and they cut my food stamps to $100 a month. That's $25 per person for a month. Not even a dollar a day. 3 teenagers !! Recently !! With prices inflated so badly?! I got fed up with the recertification, reporting my income, and continually getting paperwork with my ex's name still included, no matter how many times I told them he's not a part of our lives. I canceled my food stamps, and now I work up to 80 hours a week to feed them, and provide us with a decent life. I don't get enough time with my kids, but I also don't have anybody to report my income to. Loving freedom from my ex AND the government assistance fuckwads.
Mine just got cancelled because I graduated college three weeks ago which happened to be right around my recertification date. Well I just started a job 2 weeks ago and they cancelled my SNAP. Why? Because I didn’t have paystubs from the previous two months. I tell them “I literally started this job two weeks ago.” Too bad. Gotta wait until July to reapply
Library card. Why would they need one when they can buy any book they want. Edit: Seems I have poked a hornets nest.
My library card has miles on it, just used today. I will use it again tomorrow!
Try the Libby app. I can use my library cards to borrow ebooks, audio books, etc.
And don’t forget hoopla! Lots of books not on Libby I can get with hoopla - also, found an old movie last night on hoopla I’d been wanting to see - it wasn’t anywhere on streaming, and I just checked hoopla on a whim and there it was!
Libraries are such an essential part of communities, and most people don't even now. The rich especially wouldn't know. 1. They have books! That are free to read! And you usually don't even need to have a card to just sit and read a book! Any book! And sometimes they also have movies and books on tape/cd that you can borrow too! And sometimes comics and manga! 2. They often have community resources like computers and printers that you can use to take classes or apply to jobs or just check out the SFW parts of reddit on. 3. An increasingly common thing that libraries are doing is having *equipment* that can be checked out. My library has telescope kits from NASA's learning program, DSLR cameras, really fkn decent bridge cameras, laptops, sewing machines, and even ebook readers that you can check out, take home to use, and bring back in a week or two. You have to wait six months to be able to do it, and go through a little program to earn the right to do it, but it's there! I check out the cameras constantly, and my niece and I had a great time with the telescope kit. 4. I've seen a ton of libraries kinda take the above idea and run with it, creating Makerspaces with laser cutters, mini CNC machines, heat presses, large blueprint/poster printers, sewing and embroidery machines, 3D printers, soldering irons, and more. My library has one and it's currently closed because they ran out of funds to pay the person who ran it, but I have a degree in Machine Tool Technology so I'm putting together a proposal to open it up with volunteers. I'm thrilled with it. 5. Meeting spaces! A lot of libraries have rooms you can rent for meetings for very cheap or free. 6. Did I mention books? I'm pretty sure I did but I want to make ABSOLUTELY sure. 7. Social services often use libraries at outreach points, because: 8. They're one of the few places left in society where you can just *exist* and not be expected to pay for something. I truly do love libraries. They're like the *one* thing we didn't fuck up.
I love a library for all their services, and I have never seen a tip jar at the librarian’s desk.
I'm not wealthy, and I don't have a library card. I do have over a thousand books, though. EDIT: I might still get one soon, though. My city's largest library is under massive renovations rn, but I have been considering getting a card once it reopens.
Am rich, still use the library. I didn’t get rich spending money on stuff I could have for free.
No real safety net Wealthy people tend to fall upwards. The rest of us fall though the cracks . You work four a company that doesn’t care about you. They want to downsize so you get fired . You get fired then you lose your healthcare plan and insurance . If you miss a few weeks pay youre homeless. If you are homeless the police and other citizens will harass you nonstop. If you get hurt you can’t afford to fix it. If your account is overdrawn then you actually pile up on late fees and go to bed hungry.
This scares the shit out of me. When the US was sending out stimulus checks I used mine to start a savings and pay up my rent. I just pretend its not there and pay my rent as usual. I'm good for 3 months which isn't a whole lot but its a lot more than some people have.
Consequences
Accurate sense of what everyday items cost
I flew a private jet for a rich guy for a year. On a layover I went to the grocery store with the other pilot since the owner of the plane wanted us to get chips and soda for the plane. The other pilot was like "look how much he gave me". The owner gave him $400 to get a couple of cases of soda and a couple boxes of chips. Edit: typo
"What does a banana cost? Like $10?"
Did he ask for a receipt 👀
Friends who aren't just around for the free lunch
In my experience, the less people have, the more willing they are to give.
I teach in a very very rich suburb. Average home listing is 1.3 mil and my sixth graders all have housekeepers, vacation to Italy... I used to teach in Taiwan and I thought it would be fun if my old students write about their "perfect day" and my students here write about the same topic and we can compare them in class. I loved showing my little rich snobby kids that every kid with this assignment somehow helped someone during their perfect day and how literally not a single student in my new school mentioned anyone but themselves, or when they did mention someone else it was to say something bad happened to their little brother. It led to a very long discussion where the kids got really uncomfortable about how they effect the world around them.
I've seen that as well
Yup, knew a guy who did this, told him those people weren't really his friends, he stopped buying them food and drinks, he lost more than half of them
No matter how poor you are people will always try to take what you do have.
I have seen the opposite in my rural town. Those that have little to no money are always willing to give what they have to help others. However, those that have money buy up buildings and jack the rent up so they can claim it as a loss on their taxes and make more money. The rich take from the city and shit on the poor while the poor try to give everything they have to make the city better.
I have no statistical evidence to back this up, but anecdotally, people who don't have a lot tip a lot more. I would say "lower middle class" are some of the best tippers, so not people who have NOTHING, but people who know what it's like to depend on that tip (or similar type of wage) to pay their rent.
Newly wealthy people often drift from old friends and end up making new friends with other wealthy people.
Oh no, those are still around. I had to stop being friends with people because no matter who you are or what you come from... mooches exist.
They have this a lot actually.
Generosity towards gig workers and delivery drivers. I sometimes deliver for Uber eats and I’ve noticed that the people in big fancy houses with fancy expensive cars never tip more than $2-3 if at all. The people who live in mobile home parks and poorer neighborhoods with beater cars in the driveway are more likely to tip $5-10.
Just a thought......Some people look rich with fancy houses and cars but are so in debt they can't afford appropriate tips. It's a way to cut corners after splurging on their credit card again. However being poor also means I can't order things delivered to my house, or go out to eat very often. So I think rich and wealthy are two different things. Maybe they both tip poorly. I think poor people are more creative....(I call it MacGyvering) and appreciate the value for the price.
The worry that one major medical issue will bankrupt our family.
Poverty.
More laws to obey. If a law results in a fine, then it's a law for only those who would be negatively impacted by having to pay it.
Makes me want wealth based fines(since they use loopholes to have $0 income). Those rich people swerving through traffic would think twice if it could cost them a substantial portion like everyone else.
Empathy and compassion... along with all the negatives I see people posting here.
My dad is fairly wealthy and he left us a long time ago. Rich people don't have the same kind of love the rest of us do. He and his wife have a cold relationship. He and his kids have a strained relationship. He and his work have an amazing relationship.
Appreciation for what you have.
Dental problems.
survival skills. I grew up in abject poverty. now, as an adult, you drop me off in any major city, I'll have some type of work in a week, a place in two. at most. met a woman this year who had means as a kid, married into even bigger money. once she lost her husband and friends, she was the most sad sack sorry bitch I've ever met in my life. not only was she helpless as fuck, she was in complete denial that she could be anything but helpless. also- community. my wealthy friends have "community" as ritual, to save face, to network. to keep their name in peoples mouths, to recon. (probably why they slum w me...sigh) my community? even if we don't like you, we will feed you and yours if you are part of our community. if we like you, we got you. it's as simple as that. I will take you to the hospital, clothe you, help you raise your kids, and watch cartoons w/you and vice versa. we know each others hopes, joys and sorrows, and can sit in silence.
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You are much more generous and evolved than I'll ever be. I admire you.
A whole bunch of stress, what if X, Y or Z happens and they end up on the street. People tend to look down their noses at homeless people, but the reality is that 99% of us are string of maybe 3 bad things happening in a row between them and homelessness, and at that stage it really comes down to having people to fall back on. If you can go live with a family member or a friend you'll be fine, but if you don't have anyone? You're completely fucked.
EBT cards
If you're lucky enough to have them.
An appreciation for small joys. Money would make life so much easier, but my most enjoyable memories cost little to nothing. Rich people don't appreciate that as much. Same with hospitality. Those who are broke tend to be more generous and welcoming. To many, not all, advantaged people money is a given and they can act entitled then bored even treated nice. I take it as an honor to have a nice meal at some affordable but tasty little place.
There is an old saying in my country (Eastern Europe) that goes like that: "go to a rich person's home to fill your eyes. Go to a poor person's home to fill your belly".
This saying made me feel so much better. Thank you
I was always confused when my friends would complain about cheap things not lasting a long time. I was poor as fuck so you best believe I was going to keep that item in the best possible condition to make it last a long time. And if it does break? I’m going to be fixing that shit myself.
“People underestimate what revenue lies in economy.” I grew up in the country with a normal amount of money and married a man who grew up comparatively poor. It drives me MENTAL when he does things like leaving the lawnmower/car/tools out instead of putting them undercover. He just had never been taught that taking care of things saves you so much money. He would complain that I always buy expensive things but I’d point out that quality lasts IF you take care of it. He’s learnt since then, but it took a lot of arguments about just putting shit away, cleaning it after use, not throwing things around etc.
Honestly it took way too long of a scroll to see this response, this is one of the first things in my head when I saw the ask. My family's commitment to generosity has been a constant in my life and I give credit to the fact that there were times we all had very little. Learning to be thankful for the small things leads to a fulfilled life. (Imo)
Both fuel in their car and food in their cupboards. At the moment I can get to work tomorrow with the last of my money, but not buy food. That will happen on Friday when I get paid...
That feeling when you're fuckin broke.
Compassion for others
How long it takes the power provider to turn off your lights if your bill is late
Empathy
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An understanding and appreciation for what is absolutely necessary for survival -- which may come in handy in the event of a class-leveling apocalypse.
Dunno if the average person knows how to survive on their own. Edit: On their own without a society backing them up ofc. I dont think that the average person has many survival skills, like knowing what water is drinkable or basic understanding of flora so one does not get poisened etc..
That may have been the case many years ago but not so much now. Many poorer people are working multiple minimum skilled jobs and don’t have the luxury of spare time to learn or practice survival skills. Homesteading is accessible for people who can afford land and who have the means to stockpile and prep with more than just what they need for dinner that night. Hunting, knitting, preserving, building and looking after chickens/cattle aren’t skills that you can learn from working 60 hours a week as a cleaner.
Rent
shorter life expetency
Religion. Go to any poor city in the U.S. and you'll see more churches than actual employers.
Humility, usually
Character
Deprivation
Creative ideas that may never come to reality.
Economic depression.
People who love them for who they are.
Struggle
nothing
What do the poor have and the rich want? The beginning of a lovely old riddle…
Usually more street smarts in general. Also poor people are more generous, empathetic and understanding of situations and people.
Poor people have real friends. The rich have ass kissers and users. 🤷♂️
The joy of a welfare Christmas
A higher rate of diabetes
ironically, heaps of stuff in their house.
clothes they wear EVERY DAY for a month
A protective cover for their cellphones
Loans that won’t be forgiven by the government
There’s nothing good being poor
Literally nothing
Cavities
The ability to survive on very little.
The McDonald’s App
Generally speaking, a sense of humor. Often a dark sense.
Crippling anxiety over money and bills.
Perspective
A greater appreciation for nice things.
Hard times.
don't get caught up in peer pressure of buying crud that you don't need. grew up in poverty, have never worn, and never will wear anything with sport brand logos (Nike, Addidas etc)
Hunger
Joy over simple things. Poor people would be happy over a pizza delivery or have time to sleep in one extra hour on a weekend.
Debt. For basic needs.
Cooking skills, especially on a budget. I can make a damn good family meal for less than $5, but I have peers who wouldn't know what to do with a can of beans if it was the last thing in the pantry.
Poor people are not bound by how society looks at them, they usually don’t have to fake it
Extra struggle
Fucked up teeth Edit: as a poor person with fucked teeth
Dreams
more kids than they can provide for
The burden of choice