Category: poor

Posted on

People Describe The Best ‘Poverty Meals’ From Childhood They Still Love To This Day

Childhood poverty is no joke.

But there are certain aspects of growing up poor that people actually enjoy that upper and middle class kids usually don’t experience.

One of those is the so-called “poverty meal”—a go to quick meal for when you’re really broke made from inexpensive pantry staples like macaroni, rice, potatoes and canned goods.

The dubiously named Redditor laced-with-arsenic asked:

“What’s your favorite poverty meal that you still eat regardless of where you are financially?”

Steak Fingers

“Grew up poor, but my mom sure knew how to stretch a dollar. She would make steak fingers out of the cheapest meat cuts she could find.”

“Tenderize, fry them up make gravy out of the drippings and serve with mashed potatoes. The whole meal probably cost less than 5 bucks in 70s dollars, and I’m telling you nothing tasted better.”

“I made it for my kids when they were growing up and they still ask me for it sometimes. She would be 94 today.”

“Love you, miss you mom.” ~ markarlage

Cereal

“Bowl of cereal.” ~ ApocalypseSpokesman

“My nephew was so excited when he realised that people ate cereal for meals other than breakfast.”

“Didn’t have the heart to tell him.” ~ lilithpingu

“A bag of generic cereal is like 5 or 6 bucks. That’s easily 10-15 meals at least.”

“A gallon of milk where I live is 3 bucks. And that’s good for like 10 bowls of cereal.”

“That comes out to less than a dollar per meal.”

“Add in a banana or toast and you hit at a dollar per meal. Super cheap.” ~ bhfroh

Quesadillas & Chilaquiles

“I’m Mexican. For us, it’s usually quesadillas without meat, rice and black beans as the sides.” ~ Reddit

“For us it’s usually chilaquiles.” ~ mattylou

“Bruh, we can’t even explain to the internet how cheap and tasty chilaquiles are.” ~ SteamFoxx

“Enfrijoladas.” ~ Bob__Kazamakis

“My girlfriend is Mexican and she makes this for us. It’s so wonderful. Homemade everything.” ~ yabaquan643

Sh*t On A Shingle

“Shit on a shingle? Sausage gravy served over toast.” ~ phenomagasm

“SOS! My mom made the gravy from scratch, just flour, butter, milk, and pepper, and used sliced corned beef instead. Mmmmmmm!!” ~ motherfuqueer

“Chipped beef on toast!! My mom was literally the only person I knew who ever made this.” ~ 910ee

“We ate this growing up and we weren’t poor. My mom was very poor growing up.”

“This was comfort food for her. We’d have it once or twice a year in the winter.”

“I still love it and ask her to make it when I visit.” ~ StarryEyes8194

Potatoes

“Boiled potatoes and butter. Don’t care if I am rich or poor that is my go to snack.” ~ dapornaddict

“Aww man this hits hard. Was living alone in London didn’t have much money at all.”

“I’d hit up Aldi get a full chicken for £1.75, a broccoli for 55p, and some potatoes for 55p.”

“I’d make a full roast like a king and still have potatoes to boil and have with butter after. So f’king good.” ~ EnemiesAllAround

“My family does something similar. Put some red skin potatoes, fresh green beans, chicken stock, and seasonings in a pot (or slow cooker) and simmer it for an hour or more.”

“Use a slotted spoon to put some in a bowl, then add a bit of stock and plenty of butter. It’s heaven.” ~ FitChemist432

“Fried eggs with fried potatoes.” ~ MrOtero

“The only meal Romanian dads knew how to cook when mom was away.” ~ Fabulini

“Ukrainian too. My old man can’t cook for sh*t, but I loved every time he made that.” ~ ExtraBitterSpecial

“Same for my Russian dad. I miss his fried potatoes and eggs.” ~ BarefootHippieDesign

“Oven-baked potatoes with salt and margarine.”

“Cheap ingredients found in almost every home and easy to make. Also, the starch in potatoes makes you feel full for pretty long.” ~ trashturmoilavocado

“I’m Irish and that is my go-to.”

“I can cook potatoes 100 ways.”

“I could have made a 5lb bag of potatoes last a week in my university days.” ~ guinnesshappy

Macaroni

“We called it ‘Ghetto Mac’ where you make some pasta and add in whatever you can find in the fridge or cabinets. Cheese, lunch meat, spam, spices, etc…”

“No two meals were ever the same.” ~ RhondaTheHonda

“We always called it poverty pasta.” ~ TehGogglesDoNothing

“We called that white trash casserole.” ~ WonBigMayor

“We always just called it goulash even though it doesn’t resemble traditional goulash at all.” ~ koolaideprived

“Called it goulash. Usually ground beef, stewed tomatoes and a can of vegetables in elbow macaroni but my mom had been known to do hot dogs, ham, sausage or just extra veggies.”

“Goulash is traditionally a soup but this was more of a casserole.” ~ Urithiru

“All this time I didn’t even know it had a name we would just do this to try to make a meal.” ~ JtDeluxe

Dal

“Dal.”

“Aside from tumeric you can buy all the ingredients for less than $2 a pound.” ~ Spam-Monkey

“Oh yeah! Dal is magic. Lentils in general deserve more love.”

“They are SO GOOD FOR YOU, and are delicious. They make a great meat substitute if you’re broke or just want to go meatless.” ~ tomboyfancy

“As an Indian, I see where you’re coming from, but I really never saw it that way before.” ~ RupesSax

“Dal by itself? Nah. But khitchdi? Now you’re talking! My favourite comfort food.” ~ hsihsadna

Squash

“We used to eat (zucchini or yellow neck) squash and eggs growing up. Grew the squash and eggs are cheap enough, or trade with the neighbors.”

“You just cut the squash into thin round and cook in a pan with a little oil until they’re just soft. Scramble the eggs with the squash, add a bunch of pepper, some salt.”

“Sometimes we ate it over noodles or rice.” ~ _Not-A-Monkey-St_

Soup

“Egg drop soup: – 1 quart chicken stock – 1 tbsp soy sauce – 1 tbsp corn starch – 1 inch grated ginger – whisk in 2 eggs – green onions sprinkled.” ~ csaszarcasa

“Soup boiled down with rice to bulk it up.” ~ StanMarsh02

“Dump a can of your favorite condensed ‘cream of’ atop a cup or two of rice. Best damn comfort food when you’re sick.” ~ Stargate525

“My grandma (who grew up during WWII) taught me that you can make soup from almost anything.”

“At least once a week I just throw a bunch of scrap veggies, left over meat, rice and whatever other random bits are left over from the week’s meals into a pot with some stock, boil it all together and bam.” ~ Reddit

PB & Sometimes J

“Peanut butter sandwich.” ~ Thinkpad200

“Nothing beats a good ole-fashioned PB&J, hold the J” ~ rezamwehttam

“My oldest son (about 4) would always say ‘I want a cooked peanut butter and jelly sandwich’, which meant peanut butter and jelly on toast.

“My middle son (about 2) would proceed to say ‘I want the same thing but not cooked and no jelly’.”

“I’d say so a peanut butter sandwich? ‘NO, I WANT A PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY NOT COOKED WITH NO JELLY!’” ~ ImNotBettyBoopg

“I had a PB&J recently and felt like a f’king fool! Why did I stop eating these when I became an adult?”

“Society lead me to believe this was the way. It is not!”

“Been having PB&J a couple nights a week since. I refuse to let societies unenlightened views dictate my dinner choices!”

“PB&J is a top tier dish for any occasion.” ~ Iminurcomputer

There are definitely regional and cultural differences. Many enduring comfort foods also qualify as poverty meals.

The recipes remain popular because they’re simple, quick and inexpensive.

What are the poverty meals you still love?

Posted on

“Tell Me You Grew Up Poor Without Telling Me You Grew Up Poor.” Here Are the Responses.

America is one of the wealthiest nations on the planet and indeed one of the richest countries in history.

And for a lot of people who’ve lived comfortable lives here, it’s easy to overlook the fact that that wealth is far from even. So many people grow up in a kind of poverty you might not even think feasible in a place like this. But it’s an ultra-common experience.

That’s a conversation that got kicked off by a thread started by actor Trevor Donovan who said:

So, how did the (mostly American) Twitter audience respond? Let’s look at some examples.

10. Kleenex as a luxury

Oh man, especially if you’re actually getting the name brand stuff.

9. The letter present

I mean, that’s going to mean far more to you as you grow older than some quickly forgotten toy would.

8. Out of the tube

For real though, get you one of those little plastic rollers. Does wonders.

7. Fee knowledge

Nobody’s more cost-aware than those who have nothing.

6. Old style food stamps

Wait, whose pictures are on those?

5. When summer came

That’s pretty ingenious, actually.

4. On the cheap

I kinda do too.

3. No such thing as Christmas

Santa has very mixed feelings about this.

2. Bigger than a bread bag

The poor man’s water lining.

1. The bunks

They look like some sweet, happy kids.

We may be rich as a whole, but never forget your neighbors in need.

What’s your ultimate poor experience?

Tell us in the comments.

The post “Tell Me You Grew Up Poor Without Telling Me You Grew Up Poor.” Here Are the Responses. appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

People Talk About Their Ultimate “Broke Food” Experiences

You don’t need me to tell you that it’s not easy growing up poor. Especially if you grew up poor.

My family’s never been wealthy but we did alright. The times when everything was the tightest, I was too young to remember now.

Nevertheless, I’ve had plenty of “broke food” experiences, which is a topic that came up a lot after prolific TV actor Trevor Donovan started this thread:

So, what were we all chowing down on when there was nothing to go around? Twitter tells all.

10. The sugar sandwich

Need the recipe? Bread + sugar. Bon apple teeth.

9. Banquet frozen dinners

Check out that price stamp. Half a buck. Dang.

8. King Vitaman

I don’t know what kind of land you’re ruling, sire, but it definitely isn’t Flavor Town.

7. The flexibility of bread

“I didn’t know I was poor.”

6. Beans and rice

Well that’s…horrifying.

5. Pork and beans sandwiches

Dude, broke or not, that’s a delicious fart treat right there.

4. The cheese preserver

I feel like there are better containers for this but ok.

3. S.O.S.

Who doesn’t love Kool Aid though?

2. A krafty choice

Even adult me who isn’t destitute is lookin’ at that like a fine meal.

1. Government cheese

Everything is better grilled.

Bon apetite!

What’s your go-to broke food?

Tell us in the comments.

The post People Talk About Their Ultimate “Broke Food” Experiences appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

People Who Grew up Poor Discuss the Unwritten Social Expectations of Their Worlds

I grew up in a middle-class household, so I have absolutely no idea what it’s like to go hungry or go without the basic necessities in life.

But, sadly, there are far too many people out there who grew up in poverty and still continue to do so.

Folks took to AskReddit to talk about the unwritten social expectations they had to deal with while growing up poor.

Take a look.

1. Don’t talk to anyone.

“My parents worked and were usually home about an hour or so after my elementary school got out.

We lived around the corner and down the way, like… less than one km, probably half a mile or so… anyway, I had a cell phone to call when I got home.

I was prepped with “do NOT answer the door for ANYONE. Not your grandpa, not your uncle, not our friends, your friends, mailman, NO ONE. not the police or fire department UNLESS the house is already on FIRE.”

I never opened the door for anyone. If I knew who they were, I would shout through the paned window overlooking the porch. But even then, that was rare, I usually just stayed out of sight.

I also ALWAYS keep my front door locked now too. And if I’m not expecting someone, I don’t answer the door if I’m home alone. I also have a big dog with a big bark.”

2. Freezing cold.

“I lived in a place with bitter winters. while the thermostat at school and other public spaces was turned up past 70 degrees F, my home was always around 60 degrees, sometimes dropping to the 50s.

We’d offset the low temperature by sleeping with multiple blankets and wearing layers upon layers, sometimes even wearing snow pants around the house and to bed.”

3. Take care of those teeth.

“My dad made us brush our teeth for 5-10 minutes every night. And we never got sweets. Because we couldn’t afford to go to the dentist.

I think I went two, maybe three times until I got a job with benefits in my early 20s. My teeth are crooked AF but surprisingly escaped with very few cavities.”

4. Go the cheap route.

“You are perpetually young. Going to a movie? Only during matinee showings AND you are 12 years old until you’re 16. At a restaurant, you’re also 9 forever.

Going to fast food (with any adult), you only order off of the dollar menu.”

5. Don’t say a word.

“I was talking to a friend and she stopped me and said, “you don’t tell people what goes on inside of this house, do you?”

No of course not, I lied, because if I’d said yes, she’d manipulate my father into beating my a** within an inch of my life.

She pretty much got my father to beat me whenever she wanted it.”

6. Borrowing and burning.

“Generous borrowing and “burning” culture.

Everything you own is available to be borrowed by other poor people. My family had an extensive movie collection (especially when we could record movies from cable to VHS tapes), and our neighborhood friends were welcome to borrow what they needed.

Games, movies, CDs. We swapped and borrowed a lot. Often times, it was only long enough to burn a copy to have for oneself.”

7. Life lessons.

“My father was constantly driving these two things into my head since I was old enough to remember: 1). Hard Work will set you free 2). You WILL NOT get anyone pregnant.

He never meant that hard work would make you rich. He meant that if you’re willing to work hard, you can always work some s**t job that puts food on the table, and you’ll be so exhausted by days end, you can rest.

In my father’s eyes food on the table and a good night’s rest was all a person really needed. The pregnancy thing was totally about shame. He grew up in the deep South with a Baptist preacher father. My father was around 6-7 in the early 1950’s when his oldest brother (15) got a girl (18) in the church preggo.

The resulting shame and shunning from the community that ensued drove my father’s mother to suicide. I’m sure to some degree, he blames his current life on the pregnancy that he had nothing to do with.”

8. Hide it.

“Hide money or it will be “borrowed.” Also, don’t get attached to anything because if it’s any good it’ll be sold in a yard sale, and if it has any value it will be pawned.

I got the same CD player for three Christmases and birthdays in a row…out of pawn for birthday, pawned again a month later, out of pawn for Christmas, pawned again by March, etc.”

9. Wouldn’t trade it.

“Independence at a young age. But also responsibility.

You cook, clean, and pitch in before you are asked. If you’re waiting for an adult to make dinner, you’re going hungry. Also, poor doesn’t mean dirty. You keep what you have nice, clean, and well cared for.

Seriously, I wouldn’t trade my upbringing for anything in the world.”

10. Not all the way.

“Never fill up the gas tank.

You don’t want to be in a situation where you have gas in your car but no groceries.”

11. Hmmmm…

“”The second you become working age, 10+. You will help with bills. You have no choice. Your money is everyone’s money.”

Which is fine, until you realize the new tattoo mom has and dads new TV.”

12. Keep it to yourself.

“Keep your aspirations to yourself.

Telling anyone in your household/social strata about your plans to get out and do better may be met with bitterness and downright ridicule. People will call you uppity for wanting to go to school or stupid for having a career goal that isn’t modest and local and vaguely dead-end.

People will tell you that you have no common sense simply because you refuse to see the world in terms of pure survival.”

13. Just can’t afford it.

“Going to the doctor isn’t an option until your fever is sustained at 104, a bone is broken, or the tooth rotted and won’t fall out on it’s own.

I am in my late 30s with full insurance and still have a hangup about going for medical care.”

What do you think about this?

Speak out in the comments and let us know.

Thanks a lot!

The post People Who Grew up Poor Discuss the Unwritten Social Expectations of Their Worlds appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

If You Grew up Poor, What Were the Unwritten Social Expectations? Here’s What People Said.

Growing up in poverty has to be very tough on children.

In addition to going without material things, there are also certain expectations that they had to deal with because of their lack of money.

If you grew up poor, what unwritten social expectations did you have to deal with?

People shared their thoughts on AskReddit.

1. Ugh.

“I once told some friends we had mushrooms growing in our house. I thought it was cool. My mom was angry and told me to never tell anyone again. I realized as I got older why she was angry.

The floor of our house was rotting…thus the mushrooms. But she couldn’t afford to get it fixed. She was worried CPS would take me away for unsafe living conditions.”

2. Private.

“Do not answer the door. Do not answer the phone.

When the man is looking through the window, make sure you can’t be seen.

Do not tell anyone who knocks on the door where the parents work.”

3. Not enough to eat.

“Not eating lunch because it you either “just ate breakfast” or “dinner’s only a few hours away you’ll be fine”.”

4. No extra money.

“We weren’t allowed to do any kind of extra curricular activities.

So, no instruments, no joining any kind of sports or girl scouts or anything that required an upfront investment for uniforms or the season. Walmart shoes.

My dad once said I wasn’t really in need of glasses, that I just wanted to look like all my four eyed friends? lol (spoiler alert, totally needed them)

Off brand everything.”

5. We’re not trash.

“Keep your hair brushed, your clothes clean, and be articulate and polite in all circumstances. We were not going to be “trash” just because we were poor.

Also, no wearing ripped jeans, even if it’s the style. We’re not spending money on new pants that look like old worn out pants.”

6. Hot and sticky.

“A/C was only for company.

I lived in South Florida and didn’t know I could use the air conditioner without having someone over until I moved out of my parents’ home.”

7. Go cheap.

“If someone buys you food at a restaurant order as cheaply as possible even if they tell you order whatever you want.

Used to get glares from my parents if I ordered something 10 bucks or over at a place where average prices was 10 bucks.

If you can get a burger and fries for 8 you better be eating a burger.”

8. Better not get caught.

“Don’t do anything bad or illegal.

But if you do, don’t get caught.

Bail is expensive. Lawyers and court fees are expensive.”

9. Say nothing.

“Never tell your friends that you couldn’t afford food or give them any clue about what it’s like at home.

My mother used to ask me if I told anyone how we live and that’s when I questioned our situation.”

10. The rules.

“Never see a doctor or go to the emergency room unless you are actually d**ng.

And, if you touch the thermostat you will be d**ng.”

11. Don’t waste anything.

“Nothing wasted!

Mom had a dish called mixed-up stew which was basically a little mince beef, mashed potatoes and any leftovers from the fridge.

Good menu planning – she never called it that but one meal led to the next with last’s night leftovers included. Failing that, she always had a soup on the go using bones from chicken, dried barley and, yet again, leftovers.

Thing is they were all delicious, but that could be me just remembering her fondly.”

12. Not worth the bother.

“You never brought the field trip permission slips home because you knew better than to make your mom feel guilty she couldn’t pay the $5-20 fee to let you go.”

What are some more unwritten expectations of growing up poor?

Talk to us in the comments and let us know what you think.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The post If You Grew up Poor, What Were the Unwritten Social Expectations? Here’s What People Said. appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

People Shared Examples of “It’s Cheaper to Be Rich Than Poor”

I know that it sounds counterintuitive, but it really is cheaper to be rich than to be poor in many ways.

Those little things add up and minor inconveniences that wealthier people don’t have to deal with do as well.

Being poor is a grind…

What are some examples of “it’s cheaper to be rich than poor”?

Here’s what folks said on AskReddit.

1. Wear and tear.

“Remote work.

I’m practically saving the equivalent in a minimum wage job from reduced wear and tear / gas / servicing / insurance.

And that’s just the quantitative dollars.”

2. Low balance.

“Ran out of money in your checking account?

Well now you have to pay a $50 fine for not having any money.”

3. Think about it.

“Not being able to pay for medical appointments, which lead to accumulating health issues overtime, which is extremely expensive.”

4. Lasts a while.

“Furniture.

More expensive furniture is often made better and lasts longer so you don’t have to keep buying new.

Same with clothes.”

5. Not an option.

“Being unable to take a day off work is not an option when living paycheck to paycheck.

I respect the f*ck out of the hustlers out there, but also keep in mind that free time and mental health are important to your overall well-being”

6. Risky business.

“Entrepreneurship and investing become dangerous territory.

Risk tolerance is too low when funds are low as well.

Becomes almost as risky as gambling at this point.”

7. Teeth problems.

“Dental care.

If you can afford to go to the dentist even once a year, get preventative care, fix cavities early, and it’s significantly less expensive than more complicated restorations and treatment.

I know way more poor people who just wait there’s a serious issue, and just have a tooth pulled, because that’s cheaper.

I know someone who lost a chunk of jaw bone from a bad tooth and needed a bone graft.

Not to mention, dentists in the US have worked hard to prevent dental care being included in health insurance.

You need separate dental insurance, even though oral health is very much connected with your overall health.”

8. No missed payments.

“It’s cheaper to be “not poor” because you never miss bill payments. Poor people are more likely to have late bills, so they get all the late fees associated with that

It is harder to buy groceries and household items in bulk, thus missing out on savings per unit.

Transportation. Being poor means you might not have a good reliable car (assuming you can even afford one), so your 30-year-old junker breaks down regularly and thus costs more money to upkeep compared to a middle class person’s vehicle. And then, if you can’t afford to fix your car, you no longer have a source of Transportation to get to work, then you get fired….and it’s a vicious downhill cycle

There are soooo many things that are small costs that add up and end up being more expensive if your are poor versus rich.”

9. All about who you know.

“Rich people often have connections and can get things or services for free or reduced rates.”

10. One on top of the other.

“$250 ticket for not having your inspection up to date because you cant afford the $80 for registration.”

11. Free stuff.

“I don’t know how to categorize this but when you have/make a lot of money you end up in situations where you just get stuff for free just for being there.

Colleague can’t make it to the game, so here’s two free court-side tickets.

One of your friends has a house in Tahoe you’re welcome to stay at. Your mentor is a successful entrepreneur and asks about funding your venture when you only wanted advice.

The list goes on. Privilege snow balls like crazy.”

12. It’s very real.

“When I worked for a non-profit making less than $40k/year, I worked 45/50hrs per week, and I paid the following:

paid roughly $60/month for my health plan at work, which was basic prescription coverage for $5/per, and limited dental. Nothing else was covered.

paid $20/month for my bank account, with 21% interest on my credit card, .01% interest rate on savings

had no sick days

had zero benefits as far as rrsp, stock, work from home allowance

spent $80/month on bus passes because I had to work from the office

I now work for a large software company, work 25-35hrs per week, make substantially more money and have the following expenses/perks:

$20/month for my health plan which offers full prescription, comprehensive dental and mental health coverage, massage/physio, etc.

pay $0/month for multiple bank accounts and have 18% interest, .05 interest rates on savings

$50/month subsidy for internet at home

free cellphone

stock purchase plan that offers matching stock purchases and discounts

sick days, flex days, and more than 2x the paid time off

$500/year budget for home office expenses

work from home, meaning saving on transit expenses

The high cost of being poor is very real.”

What do you think are some examples of this?

Talk to us in the comments and share your thoughts with us.

Thanks in advance!

The post People Shared Examples of “It’s Cheaper to Be Rich Than Poor” appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

People Share Reasons Why It’s Cheaper to Be Rich Than to Be Poor

If you live a pretty comfortable life, you probably don’t think too much about a lot of things that poor people do.

Like lugging your laundry to a place to get it done while you wait. Or having to repair the same car problems over and over again. Or always renting things instead of owning them.

Those things really add up and make being poor a real grind.

AskReddit users talked about why it’s cheaper to be rich than to be poor. Let’s have a look.

1. Cars.

“I worked in the business/accounting office of a car dealership for 2.5 years. I remember going through files and thinking “Man, I wish I could afford to write a personal check for $28,000.”

And that person who had $28k to spare is going to be paying less overall than the person who makes half that amount in a whole year, who gets forced into a 14%+ interest rate (yes, really. I’ve seen 24% at times) just so they can have a car to get themselves to work when theirs breaks down beyond reasonable repair.

We once had a guy (almost) max out four different credit cards paying for his car, and when our finance director tried to tell him “You’d qualify for a much lower interest rate on a loan with [manufacturer] than the interest rate on these cards,” the guy brushed him off and said “I’ll have all of these paid off in two weeks.”

So presumably he had the money to just hand us a check, but was getting a lot of cashback on these large purchases on his (very high limit) credit cards.

The difference between that and a 24% interest rate on an already used car is just so unfortunate.”

2. Laundry.

“I used to rent this apartment in Manhattan on Thompson St. by Washington Sq.

I’ve also lived in Chinatown, UES, Brooklyn, East New York, and Ridgewood, and always used coin-operated self-service laundry because “why would I pay more for someone to do my laundry?”

Well, The first day I moved to Thompson street I wanted to clean some sheets and clothes—good thing there’s a self-service laundromat across the street. I popped in and filled two medium size machines.

It was something crazy like 30 quarters for each machine and 4 minutes per quarter to dry. All in all it cost me about $45 and 2hours of my time to wash and dry everything. I told a few coworkers who live fairly close-by this story and they asked me why I do my own laundry because it’s more expensive.

The next week I canvassed the 2 block radius of my apartment and found a korean dry cleaners and laundry service. I started bringing my laundry to them, who export it out to BK or NJ, and they bill me $19 and tie a bow on top. I still can’t believe how much cheaper it was and that the self-service laundromats in “nice neighborhoods” are a scam

Poor me would never think a rich move like laundry service would save money over doing your own.”

3. Connections.

“Connections leading to more income.

Best job I ever had was at an engineering firm that got so many applications, if you weren’t referred by a staff member, your resume got tossed.

My dad was drinking buddies with the hiring persons husband so she referred me, hired me and was my supervisor for 2 years.”

4. A luxury.

“Travel.

I used to travel for work, expensing meals, hotels, flights, etc. on my personal card and then expensing them later.

I rack up so many airline, hotel, and credit card points that I can generally do at least one nearly free vacation a year or at least pay for two international flights.”

5. A big one.

“Healthcare.

Medicaid is cheap but isn’t taken everywhere. But my platinum plan costs me nothing (no copay, no deductible, no coinsurance).

Most jobs that have this benefit pay really well.”

6. Loans.

“Borrowing money.

Rich people with better credit ratings, when they DO need to borrow money, don’t pay as much for it.”

7. Interesting.

“Period products.

There’s been a debate in my country whether they should have them freely available in schools for everyone up until their 25th birthday (as we already do with contraception in pharmacies), since 40% out of all 14-25 year olds cannot afford them.

The amount of people saying that “they should just buy reusable pads if they can’t afford the single-use ones etc”…! They completely disregard the fact that one reusable product is more expensive than a pack of single-use pads, which 40% can’t afford already.

Not to mention the “they shouldn’t buy iPhones and make up then”-folks. Some people just don’t know what it’s like to be poor.”

8. True.

“Getting arrested costs way less if you have money.

Paying out of pocket for a lawyer may cost more up front, but if you can’t afford one (or even bail) you will be in a much harder spot. You could easily lose your job if you have to stay in jail until your trial. Court appointed attorneys are often incredibly overworked and will not work as hard to get you a better deal.

Then if you can’t afford the legal fees to seal your record that arrest could prevent you from getting a job that pays well enough to afford a lawyer.”

9. Knowledge gap.

“Growing up without a computer makes poor kids fall SO behind their richer peers.

My friend works as a teacher for inner city high schoolers and most never owned a laptop until the school gave them one for covid. They don’t know how to use the essential applications. At one point my friend literally explained to them how to Google anything they need. They were kind of dazzled.

In comparison, my boyfriend’s son is 9yo (middle class) and literally making spreadsheets and video games. He knows how to Google anything he wants and works a computer as well as an adult.

This gap in knowledge is going to greatly affect poor kids in the future as computer knowledge will be a must in almost any job.”

10. Right on the money.

“Everyone’s gonna say rent vs mortgage, but there’s more to it than just equity.

Another aspect is that there’s an opportunity cost to buying that’s not immediately obvious – and that cost is significantly reduced, if not outright inverted to a benefit, the better off you are.

And that is jobs.

Say you and your neighbor are competing for a job. The job is in another city with a comparable cost of living — it’s not going to be any more or less expensive to live there rather than here.

The job pays 20% more. A significant raise.

Except… you can’t really afford both a mortgage and rent. You need the proceeds from the sale of your current home to buy a new one. And that’s on top of the huge expense that is moving your stuff to another city.

It’s going to be a pretty significant hardship to actually accept the new job. Sure, once you’re there it’s a clear benefit but you can’t actually afford the transition.

Your neighbor, on the other hand, is a bit more well off than you, they have more savings, pay a smaller % of their income in housing. Even though the job is only a 10% raise for them, they can actually afford to move and take it.

They can afford to pay rent and the mortgage for a couple of months while waiting for the house to sell so that they can buy a new one while maintaining adequate reserves.

Your other neighbor on the other hand, makes even more money than either of you and has even bigger savings. Sure, the job is only a 5% raise, but they can afford to just outright buy a new house in the new city and retain the old one, hiring a rental management firm to get in some tenants.

Sure, between landlord expenses and the management company’s cut they don’t even pay for the mortgage from the tenants, but it’s close and they keep on building that equity for very little cost.

You other other neighbor makes more than all of you. He gets a management job at that company for a 10% raise, but the company pays for all of his moving expenses, including 4 months in an apartment while he secures a new house.

He has basically zero cash outlay to move except for the fast food and gas on the drive over to the new city. He doesn’t understand why some people turn down jobs that pay better because they can’t afford to accept.”

11. Can’t get sick.

“Being sick. At least in the USA.

The sick policy is usually more generous the more $ you make and if you’re an hourly employee with no sick days you work or you do not get paid.

If you have to seek treatment or, god forbid, go to the hospital then you better hope you have decent health insurance or it will cost you an arm and a leg.

Many Americans are one medical emergency from total financial ruin.”

What do you think are some prime examples of this phenomenon?

Tell us what you think in the comments.

We’d love to hear from you!

The post People Share Reasons Why It’s Cheaper to Be Rich Than to Be Poor appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

How Is It Expensive to Be Poor? Here’s What People Had to Say.

I know that it sounds kind of confusing, but it really is expensive to be poor.

Life can just be more difficult when every little task is a challenge and every little penny has to be stretched to the limit.

Folks on AskReddit discussed the ways that it’s actually expensive to be poor. Let’s have a look.

1. Nickeled and dimed.

“I saw a lady coming out of a laundromat, loading her baskets of clothes into a taxi (there is zero other public transport where I saw this happen and only a few taxis).

Not being able to put enough money together at one time to buy a car or a washing machine (she probably rented so this maybe wasn’t even an option) was costing her a fortune. Just being nickeled and dimed to death.”

2. What do you do?

“My car has a leaky seal on the transmission.

It’d be about $250 to replace the seal and flush the transmission. I don’t have $250, so I keep topping up the fluid and keep driving it because I’ll never get $250 if I don’t get to work.

But, in time, that’s going to destroy the transmission, which will be about $1200 to replace.”

3. All kinds of charges.

“There are late fees for everything.

Overdraft fees at the bank. Sh*tty jobs usually don’t have good healthcare plans. If you’re poor, you need credit cards just to survive, but interest rates are higher for those with low credit scores (see late fees above).

Sh*tty cars are always breaking down, and that’s expensive…”

4. Good point.

“If you’re well off, you buy 1 pair of boots for $150 and they last a lifetime.

If you’re poor, you buy boots for $30 and they last a winter.”

5. It adds up.

“Renting to own anything is really bad.

You pay 4x the value of whatever it is you’re renting to own. And if you miss a payment they repossess it. Not only that you very well might be paying 4x the new value for a used item.

And only low quality items are sold rent to own. Ashley furniture, sh*tty used cars, the cheapest big screen tvs available at wholesale. Houses might be better, but rent a center, and JD Byrider are worse than loan sharks.”

6. Quicksand.

“If you’re ever desperate enough to take out a title/payday loan you’ll discover you just stepped in financial quicksand.”

7. A great example.

“Not having in-home laundry is a great example.

Say it costs you $4 to do your laundry each week (which I think is very cheap). In 5 years you will have spent over $1,000 on laundry.

For $1,000 you can get a good washing machine that would last you through those 5 years, then another 5 years, and maybe a lot more. And that doesn’t count the time saved doing laundry at home, and any transportation costs.”

8. A big one.

“Healthcare. That’s the big one.

If you don’t have a healthcare plan, or have a sh*tty one you don’t go to the doctor unless it’s life or death.

That means small problems that could have been caught in the beginning become hugely expensive problems later on.”

9. Horrible.

“If you can’t maintain a minimum balance or don’t have a bank in your neighborhood or were raised to be suspicious of banks and don’t have a bank account, you’ve got to pay fees to cash your paychecks.

Then there are fees to buy money orders to pay your bills– or the cost of getting TO the utility office or car dealership or wherever to pay in cash.”

10. Hard to get out of it.

“Debt.

Basically if you’re poor you need to borrow some money to either get a house or buy food and after a while the debt keeps getting bigger and bigger.”

11. Tire problems.

“Tires!

Used tires cost 1/3 price and get about 20% of the life of a new tire. Also you are paying mount and balance every time, plus worry about blow outs. Even a new tire at $80 with a 30K mileage expectancy or a $100 tire at 65k mileage warranty.

Over twice the life, little more than 20% in extra charge.”

12. Caught in the system.

“The justice system.

If you can’t pay a fine, the state will make things more expensive by adding fees on top of fees on top of fees, then they will incarcerate you for not paying the inflated fees.

Then you have to pay the parole officer who is keeping an eye on you while you care unable to get a job that pays enough to pay him.”

13. All about power.

“When you have less money the power relationship is flipped in nearly every financial interaction you have.

When you have money, banks and companies compete to get access to your reliable spending, be it with low interest rates on borrowing or better deals for early payment. They have to compete because you have the option to go to someone else who will gladly take your payment history and stable income.

You’re a safe bet, so you have the luxury of choice.

When you don’t have money institutions know you have nowhere else to go. So they happily gouge you knowing agreeing to horrendous loan terms is your only option.

I teach econ and always remind my kids that commercials boasting about “no credit, low credit, no problem!” know exactly who they’re getting in the door.

People who have nowhere else to go.”

How about you?

Do you know some more ways it’s expensive to be poor?

Talk to us in the comments and let us know what you think!

The post How Is It Expensive to Be Poor? Here’s What People Had to Say. appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

People Who Grew Up Poor Discuss the Unwritten Rules They Had To Live By

If you grow up with no money, you are instilled with a different set of codes and rules than people who were more fortunate.

Some things that relatively comfortable folks took for granted seem totally foreign to them and there were certain things that they just had to deal with because of their situations.

People who grew up poor talked about the expectations and unwritten rules they had on AskReddit. Let’s take a look.

1. Hide it away.

“Hide money or it will be “borrowed.”

Also, don’t get attached to anything because if it’s any good it’ll be sold in a yard sale, and if it has any value it will be pawned.

I got the same CD player for three Christmases and birthdays in a row…out of pawn for birthday, pawned again a month later, out of pawn for Christmas, pawned again by March, etc.”

2. Hmmm…

“I am the second of 8 kids of high school dropout parents.

“It doesn’t matter of you don’t like the (food, clothes, shoes, toys etc) take it, say thank you and be appreciative.”

“You can do anything you want, as long as it’s free.”

“You will survive. If someone needs it more, let it go.”

“Never tell anyone you are hungry or need something, it makes you seem weak and needy.”

“The second you become working age, 10+. You will help with bills. You have no choice. Your money is everyone’s money.” Which is fine, until you realize the new tattoo mom has and dads new tv.”

3. On the down low.

“Keep your aspirations to yourself.

Telling anyone in your household/social strata about your plans to get out and do better may be met with bitterness and downright ridicule. People will call you uppity for wanting to go to school or stupid for having a career goal that isn’t modest and local and vaguely dead-end.

People will tell you that you have no common sense simply because you refuse to see the world in terms of pure survival.”

4. Be proud of yourself.

“Stand up straight and speak with confidence.

It was so easy for people to look down on the poor kids, so we made it just a bit harder for them.”

5. How sick are you?

“Going to the doctor isn’t an option until your fever is sustained at 104, a bone is broken, or the tooth rotted and won’t fall out on it’s own.

I am in my late 30’s with full insurance and still have a hangup about going for medical care.”

6. It’s all a secret.

“Never tell your friends that you couldn’t afford food or give them any clue about what it’s like at home.

My mother used to ask me if I told anyone how we live and that’s when I started questioning our situation.”

7. Hunger.

“Not eating lunch because it you either “just ate breakfast” or “dinners only a few hours away you’ll be fine”.”

8. Don’t waste anything.

“Nothing wasted!

Mum had a dish called mixed-up stew which was basically a little mince beef, mashed potatoes and any leftovers from the fridge.

Good menu planning – she never called it that but one meal led to the next with last’s night leftovers included. Failing that, she always had a soup on the go using bones from chicken, dried barley and, yet again, leftovers.

Thing is they were all delicious, but that could be me just remembering her fondly.”

9. That sucks.

“We weren’t allowed to do any kind of extra curricular activities.

So, no instruments, no joining any kind of sports or Girl Scouts or anything that required an upfront investment for uniforms or the season.”

10. Embarrassed.

“We were very poor growing up.

You never ate the last of anything without asking first. Portions were small and limited. When I was 11 I was invited over to a then friend’s house. I was floored by their house and furnishings. Very opulent compared to mine. Lunch time came. Her mom had set the table for sandwiches. Everything laid out, 3 different breads, all sorts of meats, condiments and fruit.

At my house lunch was a sandwich with white day old bread with peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes we would have those land o frost thin sliced meats. We were only allowed 2 slices of the meat per sandwich. So, at this friends house, I make my sandwich with one slice of ham because it was way thicker then the stuff at home. The mom kinda freaks out…”what kind of sandwich is that? You need to put more on it, thats not enough.”

I explain that’s what we do at home. They were horrified. Ended up sending me home with a “care package” of food. My parents never let me go to her house again because they were embarrassed I told them we were poor.”

11. A tough one.

“You never brought the field trip permission slips home because you knew better than to make your mom feel guilty.

She couldn’t pay the $5-20 fee to let you go.”

12. Sounds miserable.

“A/C was only for company.

I lived in South Florida and didn’t know I could use the air conditioner without having someone over until I moved out of my parents’ home.”

13. Advice from Dad.

“My father was constantly driving these two things into my head since I was old enough to remember: 1). Hard Work will set you free 2). You WILL NOT get anyone pregnant.

He never meant that hard work would make you rich. He meant that if you’re willing to work hard, you can always work some sh*t job that puts food on the table, and you’ll be so exhausted by days end, you can rest. In my father’s eyes food on the table and a good night’s rest was all a person really needed.

The pregnancy thing was totally about shame. He grew up in the deep south with a Baptist preacher father. My father was around 6-7 in the early 1950’s when his oldest brother (15) got a girl (18) in the church preggo. The resulting shame and shunning from the community that ensued drove my father’s mother to suicide.

I’m sure to some degree he blames his current life on the pregnancy that he had nothing to do with.”

Did you grow up poor?

If so, what were the unspoken rules that you understood and that were expected of you?

Please share your stories with us in the comments. Thanks!

The post People Who Grew Up Poor Discuss the Unwritten Rules They Had To Live By appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Folks Who Grew up Poor Share the Items They Thought Were Luxuries

I didn’t grow up poor but I didn’t grow up rich either, so I remember believing that some things were definitely luxuries.

But if you truly grew up in poverty, your whole perspective is different about how you view the world.

And those kinds of things stay with you forever.

AskReddit users who grew up poor talk about what they considered to be luxuries.

1. Hot water.

“A hot shower.

Cold showers were always available, but when you scraped enough cash to get some diesel fuel and get the burner to kick on long enough to have a hot shower man, absolutely nothing better.”

2. Clothing.

“New clothes.

I grew up pretty poor (no TV, no toys, but had a Sears catalog). My dad got in a serious accident when I was in 4th grade and almost lost his life. He won a small settlement from the community college he was working at and I was able to buy new clothes for the first time in my life.

Before this all I ever had were hand me downs from my cousin and donation clothes from the church. Most were worn to the point of having patches on the knees.

The worst part about getting new clothes for the first time is I felt terrible the whole time picking out new clothes because I always felt like a financial burden to my parents. I remember going to Miller’s Outpost and picking out typical 80’s clothes (OP, TnC, etc.).

It’s funny how growing up poor affects my everyday choices, for better or worse. I’ll never outgrow some of the feelings I had as a poor kid and I feel for any kid who has to endure a childhood of poverty.

It will affect them and their choices for the rest of their life.”

3. The good stuff.

“Honestly, I didn’t know that Pasta Roni was $1 until I was a grown man. I thought that was some gourmet sh*t.”

4. Going hungry.

“Having breakfast.

It’s gotten to the point where I can’t eat in the morning because my body is so used to waiting.”

5. No movies.

“Going to the movie theater!

I saw a grand total of, like, three movies at the theater when I was in high school. My classmates would be discussing movies that had just come out and I never knew what to contribute to the conversation because I had not seen them yet.

Finally started seeing movies at the theater when I started earning my own money.

We weren’t really poor, it’s just that most of the money went towards our education, basic necessities, and luxuries like an internet connection. Pretty middle class, but I guess there’s a huge difference between first world middle class and third world middle class, ahaha!

It also wasn’t very common for high schoolers to hold part time jobs, although I’m not sure now?”

6. Instruments.

“I don’t know if anyone can relate, but in about 3rd maybe 4th grade, me and my twin brother had a music class where we were both required to buy a recorder, like a plastic flute thing.

Well my mom said we didn’t have the money so my twin brother and I tore the whole house up in search of $6 for two recorders. We brought a ziploc bag full of change pennies, nickels, dimes etc.

I think the teacher felt sorry for us, cause she paid for our recorders when the rest of the students left the room. Gave us the ziploc bag back.

Thank you Mrs. Albrecht.”

7. Brand name.

“Brand name cereal was for the upper class, man.

Every time I saw Reeses Puffs on top of the fridge, I knew tomorrow was gonna be a good day.”

8. Wow.

“Grew up pretty poor in Arkansas in a trailer.

I literally got a door to my bedroom for Christmas one year.

It probably still was the best gift I ever received.”

9. Scraping by.

“In middle school I was on reduced school meals so it would be .40 for lunch.

So my parents would always give me 2 quarters every morning for lunch, now the cafeteria would also sell cookies which wasn’t part of the lunch set for .50 each.

So saving .10 each day I could afford one cookie by Fridays lunch. Good times.”

10. Trying to stay warm.

“A new winter coat.

I don’t remember having a new winter coat until I was probably 14 or 15, they had always been hand-me-downs from my cousins.

They were usually at least ten years old by the time I got them and the stuffing would be all clumped up.”

11. Sad.

“School parties where everyone brought something to share for lunch.

“If you don’t bring something, you don’t get to participate…”

I brought two carrots after not being able to afford school lunch for two years. Even the teacher laughed at me.

My young self just decided that day that some people don’t deserve lunch.”

12. Hiding.

“Staying at someone’s house who wasn’t poor, like a relative or friend.

Their house was also so clean, beautiful, pictures on the wall, knick knacks on the counter, and carpet you could play on because it was clean.

I spent my entire teenage years hiding where I lived.”

How about you?

Did you grow up poor?

Whatever the case, we want to hear from you.

In the comments, tell us what you considered a luxury when you were growing up.

The post Folks Who Grew up Poor Share the Items They Thought Were Luxuries appeared first on UberFacts.