Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Which Things You Only Know If You Grew Up Poor

People Share Which Things You Only Know If You Grew Up Poor

The rich lead radically different lives from the poor.

But so do the middle class––and others with even less means than they.


When you don't have any money to spare, you'll find creative ways to survive. You quickly learn that you can add cheap "bulk" to your meal by eating plenty of rice and beans. You discover that drinking water can satiate you when there's no food around to speak of.

"What is something you only know if you grew up poor?" is today's burning question from Redditor walterwhite997, and it's an eye-opener.


"Your mom..."

Giphy

Your mom having to borrow money from you to pay for food/bills.

Also the embarrassment of people comparing Christmas gifts with you when they got expensive electronics and toys. I used to hate when teachers asked the class what they got for Christmas.

svartepest

"You can skip..."

You can skip a meal by just going to sleep.

Kriispy

"Everything..."

Giphy

Everything around you can be a toy. My action figure collection included a stick, a mason jar, an off brand Barbie given to me by an older cousin, and a bunch of melted green army men that looked like a giant. We had the best adventures.

thunderfunexpress

"That McDonald's..."

That McDonald's can be a place for special occasions only.

mtsiri

"Going to your extended..."

Going to your extended family's houses usually resulted in leaving with bags full of tinned food.

itsashleyjohn

"Knock-off brands are..."

Giphy

Knock-off brands are enjoyable when you first get them but can quickly become a point of ridicule when found out.

atlienk

"A slice of bread..."

A slice of bread = hotdog buns, hamburger buns, biscuit and gravy biscuit, makes a sandwich from any meal/leftover to make it more filling, sloppy joe bun, dip in soup...

Bullywalker

"Walmart is typically 24 hours..."

Walmart is typically 24 hours and is a good place to escape the cold and riff raff of the streets when you're a homeless kid. Also back when arcades were a thing a lot of people would drop coins under the machines so that was a good way to scrounge for food money.

Also learned how to turn the water and power on in empty houses when I was willing to risk getting thrown in jail, which honestly would have been an improvement. My brother and I grew up harsh and with no support system other than each other. We still only have each other but we made it through and the experiences made us better people.

ShanClark

"Making lots of friends..."

Giphy

Making lots of friends meant you could go to other kids houses and get invited to stay for dinner. I would always sneak something to eat back home for my mom. She never asked me to do that, but I knew she was hungry.

Trifeen

More from People

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less