There are some perspectives you just can’t understand until you’ve been in the same situation. There are things that have to be experienced and learned before they can be understood, and we cannot truly judge someone else in that situation until we’ve been there too. Rich people and poor people see things very differently, especially regarding how and where they use resources. And if you’ve gone from having lots of money to spend to being poor and broke or vice versa, there might be some things that only “being poor” would teach us.
Can you think of some things you didn’t know firsthand until you became poor? In this blog, we’re exploring eleven of those concepts.
How to Make $20 Last for a Week
If you’re living paycheck to paycheck and just lost your only source of income, which is your job, making $20 last for a week is likely to be on your list. If you add the rising cost of living and inflation, $20 would definitely make you homeless faster than the speed of light. One person from Reddit pointed out that the foods that could get you through the week for $20 include ramen, rice, potatoes, and cheap pasta.
How to Make $20 Last for a Week
In today’s economy, there’s really not much you can get with $20, unless you’re in other parts of the world, such as in Asia like Philippines or Thailand. However, if you’re in America, cheap fast food is the way to go. That’s why it’s no surprise that poor people have higher obesity rates.
Which of the Bills to Pay First
Poor people are salary men and women, and most are living paycheck to paycheck. When all those bills come together and you know well that you can’t pay for everything, it’s a nerve-wracking moment where you have to figure out which comes first. What’s worse is that some of these bills may already have a letter of demand, or the interest keeps adding until you’re completely broke and just a step away from being homeless.
Somebody on Reddit is going through the same situation, and it’s becoming an endless cycle of catching up on payments.
Normal Errands That Take Twice Much of Your Time
When you’re poor, you will have to take public transportation and limit yourself when getting groceries or buying things because it’s too much of a hassle on the bus. When time is money, clearly being poor is expensive, and it also means limiting yourself because you don’t have the convenience of a vehicle for errands.
Sleeping on a Hungry Stomach to Ease Hunger
When you’re poor, you learn to manage your hunger not through diets but through sleeping. Starving yourself is a double standard between the rich and the poor. When you’re rich, you call it a fancy name like “intermittent fasting,” but when you’re poor, it’s literally just hunger, and you’re fit because of poverty, not on some rich-protein diets these fitness influencers love to preach on social media.
How Expensive It Is to Be Poor
With all the previous reasons stated above, it really is expensive to be poor. When you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, there’s no way for you to plan things deeply or get into effective budgeting. Another reason why it’s expensive to be poor is that you don’t have any money to fall back on, so you resort to borrowing money from banks or other people and become buried in debt, making it even more difficult.
Shame at Not Being Able to Participate in Social and School Events, Especially as a Kid
It’s hard when you’re a kid and you can’t go on fun field trips, join clubs, or watch various forms of entertainment because your parents can’t afford it. There’s a huge amount of envy you feel for other kids who can afford those things. You’ll be like, “Mom, I want to go on a field trip with my friends,” and you’re mom will reply, “No, son. Our money is only enough to buy food and get us through the week.” It’s really hard.
Resenting Your Parents as a Kid
Some people on Reddit resent their parents for being too religious in the sense that they’re donating their last money to church while there’s no food in the fridge and they’re so close to being evicted. Others have also resented their parents for another undesirable thing, such as putting their money in lotteries or smoking. It’s okay to give it to church, but make sure your family is also comfortable with it.
Being Forced to Use Your Creativity and Resourcefulness Because You Have Nothing
If there’s ever a positive thing about being poor, it forces you to be creative and resourceful. Does your last dollar only get you a couple of potatoes? Well, be creative with it—you can boil it and eat it, make some fries, or do a dish that would require a potato without spending much. Do your kids don’t have toys? Make them a toy or TV made of cartoons and let their imagination take them places. Being poor makes you creative without spending a penny.
Money Can Actually Buy Happiness
Do you also believe that money can’t buy happiness? Well, it really can once you become poor and have to do your best to make your food last for many weeks. There’s a meme that has been circulating on social media where you are asked which one is better: crying on the streets or crying inside a Lamborghini. Well, it’s pretty clear that the latter is better. When you have money, it solves 90% of your problems. Yes, money can buy happiness.
Learning to Deal with the Discomfort of Being Comfortable
If you haven’t been poor, you wouldn’t know what it feels like to have nothing and have to make everything last. Somebody on Reddit shared their experience from growing up poor to now-living-comfortably. Apparently, she’s dealing with the uncomfortableness of being comfortable because she’s not used to it. Maybe her brain is still living on a survival mode of thinking about what to eat or how to make a $20 bill last. So there’s the uncomfortableness of being comfortable, and it’s a good one because you’re reminded of where you come from and how you made it in life.
Dealing with Dark Thoughts, Such as Stealing
When you’re alone, cold, and hungry, it’s easy for dark thoughts to come to your mind. However, while stealing a few foods would ease your hungry stomach for a while, the consequences of getting caught are enormous. It’s one of those fighting your inner demons moment that most poor people do.
Source: Reddit.
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