Poor People PURCHASES, That Ordinary People Know Nothing About

[@LINKINPARK262]

At one point, my husband & I only ate because we could buy food from a church for $0.14 a pound. Ever taken a shower in completely unheated water? Honestly, living without heat & electricity is difficult but not impossible. But, I gotta tell you that it's an odd feeling when the gang in your neighborhood brings you food from their own kitchens so you don't go hungry. They were good people when you came right down to it; they just had to defend their neighborhood.

[@toasterforsale5069]

kailani yates pretty sure everyone has taken an unheated shower

[@donutchan8114]

Unheated showers feel like you're being pelted with ice.

[@ballsackjuice4204]

cold showers are the best

[@benis9965]

cold showers are amazing, I don't do them i freezing cold winter but for like 10 months of the year I at least try to end my showers cold

[@benis9965]

@@toasterforsale5069 in negative degrees celsius though?

[@oreofudgeman]

A homeless man I was walking with one day once told me- "You are one severe accedent, layoff, or bad decision away from being homeless. Remember that."

[@gymmotivation.7360]

@That One trying meth

[@rodrigorebollos]

@That One You'd be surprised at how bad a mistake can ruin someone's life...not just Drugs...

[@yeetstreet4230]

@That One divorce

[@DerKommercial2008]

Been there once, when I was eleven years old. Now that I have a shotgun, I'm never going back.

[@Inrxz]

@That One become physically disabled and your government no longer cares about you

[@Shadowtiger2564]

15 dollar 30 pound bags of rice. Feds family for a month. Just add a little bit of protein for flavor, and you have cheep meals. Lived on this for years

[@rawtrout007]

but you have an iphone!??!?

[@antaresmaelstrom5365]

Yeah, Rice is the best. I generally just like to add one (or maybe two) tablespoon of whatever cheap store brand sweet chili sauce into it, and suddenly the entire thing tastes pretty good.

[@AnonymousUser77254]

raw trout 1. How do you know he has an iPhone? 2. He didn't say he still lives like this.

[@Phailox]

i never understand why ramen and bread is mentioned so much in these kinda poor story vids. Rice and rapeseedoil is the most bang for your buck calorie wise. Where i am u can get 25lbs bag of rice for like 10 bucks. thats like 40k calories

[@mitchellbuffington6558]

Phailox because $10 is harder to come by than you would imagine

[@APoetByAnyOtherName]

So you know the guy who got holes poked in his chip bags? well I have a story that's kinda the opposite where a guy noticed me and my brothers diving through a dumpster to retrieve the expired Little Debbie cakes that got dumped there every month. My mom was in the car keeping lookout for us, and the man who dumped the cakes off just walked up to her and handed her several boxes of cakes saying "Here, I think your boys will like the cakes better if they haven't been crushed first." Wherever you are Little Debbie truck driver, thank you.

[@minastar8602]

Gedrean Fyrestrom aww !

[@zzjus10zz85]

Glad to hear that! Some drivers usually give away almost expired debbie cakes to the workers they drop off to. Atleast the guy we had would do that for us. I dont know how many doughnuts i ate before they switched routes. Good times.

[@nerdtasticzelda1737]

That happened to my mom. Her and her cousin would take expired cookies in the boxes on the dumpster when they were children. Eventually the man noticed and directly handed it to them when they showed up. She said they were the best cookies ever. ♡

[@emmettdonkeydoodle6230]

Gedrean Fyrestrom he’s an angel

[@julic2594]

Gedrean Fyrestrom I reallyhope you’re in a better situation now, also unrelated but you’re cute lol

[@chibikomeh]

The mom with the pizza reminded me of a story I heard about my great grandmother. I believe this took place around the great depression. Apparently whenever my great grandmother would cook a chicken for the family, she pulled the matriarch card and insisted that since she cooked it she got first dibs and would always take the gizzards and the neck. Her children all grew up thinking she was hogging the best part and would grumble about it to each other.Then the father got next pick and all of her children (I believe there were 6) would basically fight for what was left. When the oldest left the nest, he celebrated by going to a butcher and asking for just a chicken neck and the gizzards. He thought he was setting down for a feast, but quickly realized what had actually been happening for years. He made sure to tell all his siblings that all those years she was taking the worst part of the chicken for herself so her children could have more food.

[@abigailrathbun4712]

Bless that woman 🙏🙌

[@MidnightPolaris800]

Pretty sad and honorable at the same time

[@99fruitbat]

Damn ! Who is peeling onions ? I am genuinely crying . Bless that lady ❤️💖💝💗💞

[@shortjohnsilver4605]

The gizzard is actually tasty. In soup especially

[@iamshadowbanned699]

That made me tear up actually. Thanks for sharing.

[@iimuffinsaur]

That husband getting the tampons for his wife is an amazing person imo.

[@Anna-tc6rz]

I work at an office with tampons (I clean) and I love the free ones. I generally use a cup instead since it's cheaper but I grabbed a bunch for backups

[@yeetus_reetus_deeleetus]

Oof

[@malinasworld]

That was good of him but I don't see how it's 'amazing'? If you can't afford store bought tampons, what are you going to do, tell your wife to use rags? He did the only right thing.

[@Mixeddrinkzombie]

Elise Duarte Have you ever heard of using toilet paper? Tampons and pads are soooo expensive.

[@malinasworld]

@@Mixeddrinkzombie Girl are you doing okay

[@yourimaginaryfriend9075]

The grocery store manager, ordering his employees to put holes in chip bags was heartless. What a schmuck.

[@ohonjah]

There was another thread talking about that story. I believe they said it was a liability issue and they could get into legal trouble if they let them keep eating the chips.

[@JaKingScomez]

They don't owe the people free food.

[@TheftTone6]

@@JaKingScomez Yeah they don't but it doesn't change the fact they were assholes.

[@thenoicemango1827]

Anon Slayer Maybe they could get fired. 7 11 emplyees aren’t rich themselves.

[@TheMusesOrg]

@@ohonjah idl, that seems like bs to me. The chips were disposed of and not the responsibility of the 7-11 anymore. Reminds me of something that happened when I was younger: I was walking through a nearly deserted shopping center at closing time with my sister. We passed a donut shop and saw the employees shoveling tray upon tray of left over donuts into a large garbage bin that was already full to the brim. So my sister, who dngaf, went over and asked for some free donuts since they were being thrown out anyway. They said no because if they did that then everyone would wait until closing time to get free donuts rather than pay for them.

[@leighbeers1736]

At one point, I was primarily living off dumpstered Panera Bread pastries/day-old loaves. The Panera Bread employees knew me and a few others were taking the food and they were actually kind about it. They'd double bag the bread trash and leave it conveniently at the top of the pile lol. They're the real MVPs 👏

[@alexiss5807]

I work at a Panera myself and there's an elderly man living in a nearby shopping center who started coming around some nights to ask for coffee that's about to be poured out, a muffin being bagged for donation, etc. He's very humble and polite. We make sure he never leaves empty handed. I hope he's able to get back on his feet one day... A Panera salary isn't really enough for any of us to help him financially so we do what we can, you know. I'm glad you were able to have the same blessing. :) I can't work nights anymore, now I wish I had taken the opportunity to ask him his story.

[@adarcus4053]

There is a pizza place on my University campus that puts out the left over pizza on a outside table for free after close. I wanted so badly to take it a few times but I knew I was not the most in need.

[@lazyhomebody1356]

Panera Bread employees are extra nice people. I've noticed that

[@cecilyerker]

My dad would do the same thing, only in Saint Louis it's called The Saint Louis Bread Company. Everywhere else wrongly calls it Panera. ;)

[@303Thatoneguy]

lazy homebody it’s cause if your not they make you wash dishes. Swear it company policy to put “less desirables” on dish duty.

[@TykusBalrog]

The story about the kid who never asked for toys, because he was used to being told no, made me realise that's exactly why i never asked for anything growing up. I was used to being told no when i asked for toys, candy or permission to visit a friend, so when i grew older i never asked for it even though my parents could now afford it. And because i never hanged out with friends as a teenager, my parents started thinking of me as a loser and would ask why i never did that, making me realise that they would probably say yes now. Despite of this i always had this feeling that they would say no, and so i continued to never make arrangements or ask. Now as an adult i love being able to make my own plans but looking back i have thought that i may have been too quick to think that i would be told no, and that i probably would have gotten permission every now and then had i simply asked. But suddenly it makes sense after reading that story.

[@onigireee]

This was the story of my teen years. But, there might be one upside to it. When I was grew up, it made me less dependent on others to get what I want, or even when I did want something, I'd always be comforted by the thought that I could earn it for myself one day. That regret about not having asked at all is real tho. :/

[@sleepysmartboy6287]

Same here. Though they never cared where I went or what I did, they'd say no to anything I asked for and usually made me feel bad by reminding me (starting at the age of like 4) what a financial burden I already was without it. To this day I never let anybody pay for me, and I have this problem where, if someone does something for me (like give me a ride or grab me some lunch) I'll thank them twice and apologize seven times. I just constantly feel like I'm burdening SOMEBODY at all times.

[@TykusBalrog]

@@sleepysmartboy6287 my parents wouldn't hold back on telling me how much of a loser i was either. And I assume yours were like mine in that, if you even hinted at them being bad parents you would recieve hell, and be assured that you had it wondeful.

[@sleepysmartboy6287]

@@TykusBalrog "There are kids whose parents don't even give them [insert something]. I don't starve you so I don't understand your comment on my parenting "

[@TykusBalrog]

@@sleepysmartboy6287 exactly

[@SpencerioQ]

Only those that have dealt with poverty know how broken the system is. But it’s also incredible how the poorest people are the first to give. My family lost everything in the Great Recession. Dad was self employed, Mom worked at a preschool that only payed the months it was open. My Dad had bought a store just a couple months before the crash, and so by early 2010 with gas prices super high and tons of bills due to the new store, we had to file for bankruptcy. Which is also expensive as shit because of court stuff. We had to move across two states for a job my Dad was able to get after months of searching. We only made it because the church we went to pulled together enough donations to pay for the moving van rent and the first month rent at our new home in Auburn, AL. What people don’t understand is how much you do without when you’re poor. Whatever you can get you cherish and squeeze every last drop out of. You survive by not throwing stuff away. We had a lot of difficulties, most of which I don’t remember very clearly, but nothing infuriates me more than when wealthier or even just middle class people say that poor people just don’t work hard. When my Dad had his store, he worked 60, 70, even 80 hours a week to keep a roof over our head. Both parents combined averaged 100 hours of work. And even that was not even close to enough to keep us out of poverty. Kudos to my mom though, she never let us go hungry, even in out worst days.

[@rogerwilco2]

Yes, there are a lot of myths propagated by the media, owned by billionaires, on the "American Dream" and such, that are just veiled greed and avarice. I am always astonished about the lack of welfare in the USA.

[@DoveAlexa]

The thing about never throwing out stuff was certainly how I lived my life till just recently. It's only been since a year ago now that something clicked in my head and I can now throw away things that are clearly broken and unusable. In a few more weeks I can use a room that had been filled with junk as a real room for the first time I've lived here. Just the thought of having to buy simple things like dishcloths and plastic bags used to fill me with dread. Living in a house filled with junk in every nook and cranny cause you can't replace anything makes you feel like junk yourself. I hope I at least get a year of this before finances go down again.

[@lorefreak94]

I know the great recession happened but my family was so poor before that as a kid I just thought it was great, prices crashed so we could finally afford things for a bit. I guess we were so broken

[@sleepyearth]

@@rogerwilco2 Tell that to the Republicans who just spread fake news and not only cut our education fund but also wants to take away medicare and welfare benefits. Even the vets are not spared by this greedy corrupted pedo party.

[@trevanminnig3499]

Ok, the poking holes in chip bags pisses me the F off. I don’t care how successful I become in my life, I would rather die than treat people less fortunate than most other that way

[@imacheckneck]

Ikr

[@edwardteach841]

there are some mean people out there but its very unlikely that it was done out of spite it was probably a liability issue

[@benis9965]

Yeah, like wtf, you're not gonna sell it, why throw it to waste?

[@Kokoniel]

@@benis9965 because why would people pay for it if they can take it from the dumpster ? capitalistic logic is fucked up...

[@knes167]

@@benis9965 Comes up from corporate I imagine. Would you risk losing your job over a stranger when you're barely above living paycheck to paycheck as well?

[@queless]

I love the discount tire story, I have been working there for a while and that happens, A LOT. Our promise is to have customers leave safer than they came in, not matter what we have to do.

[@ElliottsRevenge]

Awesome. There are doctors who took an oath and don't even care this much....👍

[@wojciechklisz8597]

U da real MVP!

[@rachelhughes8487]

Discount tire is a wonderful place. My dad owns 8 vehicles and all of them have tires from Discount and we always go there for rotation and balance. The nearest stores are about an hour away and we'll still go all the way there. They patched my boyfriend's flat for free. The people are always so nice. Highly recommended.

[@mcpoopenfarten]

I live in East Indy, and that same Discount Tire has saved my ass more times than I can count.

[@narratormusic3164]

You're a hero

[@doodles1486]

My parents both don't have a college degree. When I was born, they had to get married and move out into a trailer in the woods. For a while we ping-ponged around different houses and apartments in sketchy neighborhoods. They then started to grow pot, and that's when things got crazy. As a kid I thought our fluxuating income was normal. I remember times when I'd ask for something like a smoothie, and my mom told me that we couldn't afford it. Soon they had a store for marijuana, and our income was okay for a while. However, that changed, though, when our house got raided by the police. My mom threw us in the car, and drove so quickly down to my grandmas house where she hid us so CPS wouldn't take us. My dad was put in jail, the police lied and told the landlord that we were using the house for meth, and we got evicted. Now I am in college, and we are living a still unstable life. My little brother doesn't know much of our financial situation because I use some of my grant money to take him out to get a video game or lunch. I love my brother, and I hope he grows up without remembering anything that happened in the past years. I still have buyers guilt when I buy things like a hamburger, but slowly I am getting over it. I am learning how to budget, and that I have choices now.

[@Wbfuhn]

What are you studying for? I work at a aluminum smelter. No college degree needed, no prior training experience. Good pay, good coverage, 401k.

[@doodles1486]

@@Wbfuhn holy cow, that's amazing!! Rn I'm just in general studies trying to figure out what I want to do. I was thinking probably something in social services?

[@ingratus8160]

@@doodles1486 If your doing social services, try to learn some different languages on the side. Helps with pay rises and better job opportunities in that field.

[@doodles1486]

@UtahButImTaller i am, actually!

[@doodles1486]

@@ingratus8160 I know ASL, and I am partially fluent in french! :) but I plan on learning spanish

[@daillestlady]

I'm in tears. My mother sacrificed A LOT for me and I'm identifying with some of these stories. I knew that we were poor but it REALLY hit me how much she struggled. Weirdly enough, I used to get free lunch because of her income but then she got a raise. I remember her crying because she knew she couldn't afford to pay for lunch for me and still pay all of the household bills. I'm 100% sure that she went without eating sometimes. The craziest part...she always says that she's so thankful that I was born and that I saved her from my family continuing to use her.

[@zalf88]

Bless that woman.

[@notimportant4810]

Funny how children make all the misery on this planet worthwhile. Everything seems better when they say 'I love you'. Your mom sounds like a nice woman.

[@daillestlady]

​@@notimportant4810 She's she's fantastic. I go out of my way to pamper her and take her on vacays with me. At 61, she's way more adventurous than I ever thought she could be lol!

[@sskhussaini]

@@daillestlady bless you!

[@soxpeewee]

Stole onions froma farm field when me and my friends were literally starving. The farmer caught use and "sold" us the ones the pickers didn't get for around $1. I got tons of onions and lived off them. We cooked them in butter pats and seasonings we got from convience stores for free.

[@whatthehec108]

Being poor sure does suck, but it really has benefited me in regards to my character and expectations.

[@HughMiller98]

Growing up, me and my mum didn't have much money until she met my stepdad. I see my siblings expecting to get so much stuff for Christmas and demanding more all the time, but at their age I had to be happy with what I had. I feel the same, even now I have to be grateful for what I have and I can resonate with struggling people.

[@natalilandia]

Samee

[@Fruitium]

I’m glad i’m not really rich, I’m also glad I’m not poor.

[@paulmryglod4802]

I thought the food bank in our city was a regular place to get groceries. We also had family treasure hunts for cans, that we quickly turned in to $20 or so. That was fun times that I didn't know was because we were poor.

[@edgarlarios4718]

Wow. Your parents gamified poverty. Nice. I'm glad you're OK.

[@nickgames1892]

Atleast it whas fun?

[@JorgeRodriguez-xx8vx]

@@nickgames1892 "That was fun times..."

[@BlksHetare]

I worked as a volunteer at a food bank. One of the things they teached me is when someone with kids comes, actually 'fake' a grocery store treatment (not as being nice, of course you have to be nice to everyone, but as actually faking a transaction).

[@emilyhamilton8766]

4:50 I was always told no growing up as well, and my parents would tell me what they needed the money for(rent, food,etc). The result was me being afraid to ask for things because I thought if we spent money on the things I wanted we wouldn't be able to afford basic necessities.and my mom was known to break the budget and over spend every once in awhile, which resulted in me hiding whenever I wanted somthing for fear my mom would get it for me and we wouldn't be able to get dinner

[@miguellopes2452]

I know what you mean, from my 6 years old to my 16 I was very poor, like living on less than half the minimum wage of my mom poor, so now I have a problem with asking people for things, like I simply can't physically push myself to ask someone for money, a piece of clothing even help. Im lucky I don't live in that situation anymore but even now I simply can't.

[@Brievel]

Sounds like my husband and me...

[@slightly_sour4390]

It was the same thing for me. I remember not wanting to ask for toothpaste when I needed it, and going way to long with out deodorant as a teen. I still have a hard time buying things,but I am getting better

[@drive2160]

Miguel Lopes yup I got in trouble with some coworkers for never asking for help even when they saw I was hit by a car. Lol my coworker called out Jesus name when he saw my bike so dented lol even if your poor always get a backpack they help cushion the impact and always roll lol By bike I mean bicycle

[@KurenaiYuugure]

I was rarely said no to, but that was because I rarely asked for anything Hearing them sighed and argued a lot made me aware about the situation. We lived in a trashy, drug addict, fuck street, my parents always left before school so I never get to see them, and they came back super late, almost bed time for me. Uncle drove me to school and had to buy me breakfast. Luckily they saved up enough to move us to a better house in a safer neighborhood, and they earn a bit more income and able to support me and sibblings to graduate university, but the damaged had been done, I could not not feel guilty when asking them for anything, and they keep telling that it's ok, I just cannot.

[@bananaNnutella]

When I was a kid and my family moved to Canada, we were very poor. My parents couldn't afford to buy me lots of toys, and the only toys I had were the 1$ pack of green soldier figures that I got every year for my birthday. I remember for my 9th birthday I was so happy because my dad gaves me 2$ to choose any toy I wanted at the dollar store.

[@99fruitbat]

Well one good thing , you must have had a damn army of those soldiers ! Epic battle scenes !!! 👍💝💖💗💓💞

[@Notorious-AP]

bananaNnutella and you now have a phone accessible to KZbin? Did your father save or are u making money?

[@thepenguinking8337]

@@Notorious-AP internet access is free in library and schools you dont have to be able to afford an iphone to use youtube.

[@quabblestone]

Lmao "judgemental cuntwhistle" is my new catchphrase

[@japanpanda2179]

@@vidyajamesu Yeah, Canada is a modern country after all... a lot can change for someone in 20 years

[@donmangu.]

I’m crying while watching this, I never noticed how blessed I am.

[@DerKommercial2008]

Most people don't. It's hard to imagine having no options, without ever having been made to choose between _needs._

[@GnosticAtheist]

Lucky and/or skilled, not blessed. Unless you think there is a God that gives some people an easy life and some people a very hard one. Thats a pretty cruel God.

[@lorefreak94]

I had the opposite. I always thought I grew up middle class watching this most of it sounds familiar. 🤔

[@DerKommercial2008]

@@lorefreak94 The financial elite pulled a fast one on the public, tricking everyone into thinking they're _"middle class"_ if they don't live in a shack made out of scavenged truck hoods and corrugated aluminum. The actual median income would be considered obscenely wealthy to most.

[@alandgomez5905]

Lol blessed? Lucky, sure. Well off family, maybe.

[@camushii]

The guy getting tampons for his wife is the real mvp

[@wildfyah]

Ikr???

[@gaseousclay9529]

holy fuck, wth is that thing?!?!?!?

[@FatemaA.]

@@gaseousclay9529 lol

[@imjusthere1928]

Naw cause the chicks at his job might be shit outta luck. He just created like 3 bad days possibly.

[@twinkiesnails8857]

Then it sucks when someone else needs a tampon 😓 even when your poor you could scrape together money to get her a diva cup and save literally 100s every year

[@-4subscriberswithahammerad521]

this makes me extremely grateful for what I have im sad that I don't know about this

[@AmokCanuck]

never forget how privileged we are to be born into the first world. As sad as many of these stories are, i'm sure they are living in the lap of luxury compared to billions of people.

[@inhle1688]

That one Canuck I’m not born into the first world. I live in South Africa which is know as a 3rd world country to many. I however live a very shielded and secluded life and for that I am grateful. They’re are some things that I will never experience though because of where I was born and I see that, but I would never want to leave, this is my home.

[@sami5429]

Same dude. Feeling depressed at the end of this.

[@chroniccancer5186]

@@inhle1688 South africa is one of the richest countries in the world.

[@TryHardCentral]

I have seen you before.

[@Brievel]

Rathadin's story brought me close to tears. Drives my husband up the wall that I won't ask him for anything, and if I see something I like I comment on it and pass it by. It's been so long since he had to choose between paying the bills and getting that great new gadget, he just doesn't comprehend the mindset of someone who has spent 20+ years that way since from before they can remember. On the other hand for awhile he was skipping lunch every day (at work, 16+ hour workday) so we could get diapers for our son. Over-caution on his part, once I found out I made that change real quick. And I've found, since my homeless days, that there are none so generous as those who remember having "been there, done that."

[@FatedDestiny]

I was raised in a relatively well off family, and these almost made me cry.. No matter who you are, someone has it worse than you...

[@cecilyerker]

Actually useful life hacks for living well while poor that I've learned (your mileage may vary): -Learn how to coupon to get free or very inexpensive necessities like detergent, toilet paper, diapers, feminine products, etc. At CVS and Walgreens you can just clip digital coupons to your store card from your phone or computer. There are plenty of KZbin tutorials and websites like The Krazy Coupon Lady and Free Stuff Finder. -Buy clothes, glassware, books, furniture, etc. by the pound at Goodwill Outlet. You can buy to resell or just to use for yourself. Resist the temptation to hoard more stuff than you need because it's really easy with the prices so cheap. -Check your local Goodwill store at least once a week. Make a checklist of things you want to find and you just may find them. Purchase according to the weekly sale color, which goes up to 75% off at the end of the week. If you don't like Goodwill, hit up other thrift stores and charity shops. -Get a library card, go to the library and use their free wifi and computers and printers, most libraries have free events like job fairs too. -Check the Craigslist free section every day, morning and evening, because people post all times of the day. People give away extras after yard sales and garage sales. Sometimes people clean out their cabinets and give away free food. -Look up every food pantry in your area and see if you qualify for their services. They don't check between each other if you go to more than one per month. The high volume ones with state grants usually need a driver's license and your social security number, and maybe some finance related paperwork, which they keep on record. Be as appreciative as you can to the volunteers who are giving up their time, be polite, be on time, and be gracious. -Keep your kitchen in working order and teach yourself how to cook. If you don't have a stove, buy a portable plug-in burner. -Go to any free local events with music or art or food samples, ideally with all three.

[@kaydwessie296]

Cecily Erker Thrifting is also better for the environment!

[@lorefreak94]

Good will charges near new prices

[@daillestlady]

I make enough money (no spouse or kids) that I can spend freely...but I definitely clip coupons, still go to the dollar store/Family Dollar/Dollar General for all the household items and can goods, and hit the thrift stores. I go thrift stores and sometimes buy for me and sometimes to sell items online. This helps me to pay down my student loan/put money into emergency acct/travel. I am ALWAYS encouraging people to get a library card since it's free. Thanks to the library card, I'm learning Spanish and French for free!!!

[@carolinefeatherduster8123]

Thank you, much appreciated.

[@shinbakihanma2749]

My heart goes out to anyone with kids that live in poverty. I wish you all the best of good luck and I pray, that you're able to pull yourself out from that.

[@icecookie2953]

thank you

[@yeetus_reetus_deeleetus]

Hear hear

[@Amnamnei]

Instead of praying - vote in a way so the poor get help

[@denialxproductions127]

Amrei Praying is a practice and belief for some. No need to be an asshole just because you don't believe.

[@jakiebakie4385]

Yes because praying will definitely help

[@Gamerz00760]

Grew up poor, helped parents a lot with finances when I got a job, father passed. Sister in school mom unable to work never had a job. I was only income on minimum wage trying to pay an $830 house payment. I worked for 8hr and made 38,000 a yr working all the overtime just to survive, around 3000 hrs just over a yr and a half of 40hrs crammed into a single yr. Stuck with no money to move and a house owned by bank and government. 2 years later sister gets job, and my mom is finally old enough for disability claim on my dad's. Here I am 6 years later finally got my 15' f150 paid, sister with a 16' loaded fusion (almost paid). Now on to searching for a house. I can make a 10% down payment safely. To this day I'm over 30 haven't traveled out of state but to Kentucky and only had 3 vacations with family, only 2 of those was I old enough to remember. When your poor your ignored, don't have anything to say because your family has no money to go to movies or out to eat or things like bowling, you also don't have friends over when your in a small apartment next to a bar as a kid. No yard to play in, only on weekends a visit to grandparents, a thief stole one of our bikes that was there. My parents borrowed and used income tax refund to repay everyone or buy things needed. While financially things are getting better, I'm struggling with ability to move on to start my own family/life as my mom has significant need for assistance, $700 just doesn't allow for her to be independent, nor does her health, and sisters health and job not working out either. I also had no internet til I got a computer and a job, about 2 years after graduation, in which my entire class had multiple out of state trips to write for class assignments, I often failed to be able to write an essay on "what I did this summer". Also everyone in my class had a cell phone and a car and had communicated with each other for quite a few years... I was 2 years late for getting a vehicle after age 18, great uncle and uncle helped me out. Terrain, hills, speed limit 45mph at house made side jobs impossible for cash. In the meantime since I continue learning and reading online, started investing, computer programming, building, custom stuff, autos, mods, etc. Self taught, free online stuff. Setup some solar panels, will expand when I move. Off grid planned, free electric, food... everything possible off grid. I done wasted too much time to not finish and retire earlier or at least not be sufficient. Hopefully I will be set for a family when I meet the right woman, I'm not there yet though, unfortunately been lied to by some and taken advantage of. Most just won't understand.

[@francescafrancesca3554]

I wish you the best. Please never give up, internet is a powerful tool!

[@Gamerz00760]

@@francescafrancesca3554 Thank you... Things are getting better, but it takes a lot to dig out of it. For me I know what it is like and I still like to give to help people because I understand. Hopefully I can make it work out... I'd like to figure out how to help others more eventually, but I'm not in the clear just yet. It's quite backwards for my lifestyle... When someone wants to take time to go hangout or something or even comments like that, it means a lot more to me than it could possibly mean to someone who goes to events or places everyday and interacts with countless friends or people. I could be upset and mad, but I'm not. I feel I would of been better on one side or the other, either doing well to start or literally living homeless... It always bothered me growing up knowing what everyone else had time, money, friends and big family to do things with. If I was homeless and poor elsewhere I'd have never known the difference, but would it bother me being poor in another country since I wouldn't know?... Its been a struggle growing up watching others have a lot of what I never did have, it makes things seem that much worse. At least if I were homeless in another country or something there is a good possibility that some elsewhere have no idea such things exist. Watching and people going bye like you don't exist is pretty bad feeling. Really it isn't the things we own though, it is just the lack of ability to connect on a daily basis without something people relate to that bothers me most. In regards to my truck, I feel a need to explain, I got it with reasoning not for show, I like trucks, aluminum shouldn't rust where I am in the hills where salt is needed for snow, it is fuel efficient compared to others, it is 4wd which I need to be able to take care of family if I'm going to go to work and get groceries in the hills on curved roads. Also great for when I move. I was considering used, but if anyone has shopped back in 2015 they got less mpg, high mileage, rusted because prior years were steel, at 25,000+ used I felt better about a 5 yr warranty and better value for few 1000 more. I am thankful my one friend got me into a better job that pays nearly double my last one, so there is that.

[@sasi5841]

@@Gamerz00760 check out this channel: kzbin.info More specifically his older vids. You might find some of his vids relatable and/or useful

[@Brievel]

I ended up looking at it this way: I'm now prepared for hardships most people refuse to even believe exist, and can deal with so much more that would entirely decimate the ordinary person.

[@OmarMartinez-bn4hd]

I’m living it

[@ricya1982]

I used to volunteer to hand out free food, during the summer, to poor kids. I felt good about helping out and giving them company, but the food was bleh... but free. So, can't really complain. It was a ham sandwich, chips, and soda, and ONLY during lunch. Some would ask to take extra home to feed their family. I would allow it and sneak some out for them. Felt really bad for them...

[@jonsnow8550]

That tire story regarding the manager needs more credit. How incredible is that man!

[@metallkopf988]

A true bro.

[@Cold_Corndog]

Dollar store is where it's at. As the president of the poor people club, I approve this message.

[@fessniff8187]

You don't know how poor you are until you realize you know what all of this is.

[@Cheers.-]

Y'all talking about the Legos like you didn't just read the story of a guy who ate squirrels to survive.

[@C861986]

And dandelions! My mum and dad were poor when I was really little but had enough money for necessities. I found out that my dad used to work 2 jobs and would still sometimes have to go without food.

[@kimlindner4033]

You learn to shoot good very quickly when if you miss you and your younger siblings are not going to eat that day at least according to my step dad who has been there and yes jack rabbit and squirell are very stringy and in summer cottontails are apparently worm infested nightmares apparently. I can attest that quail and dove is delicious though even if they dont have a lot of meat on them.

[@luisvelasquezjr]

I was always curious about what squirrel tastes like. I guess I'm not gonna try it ever unless I really need to

[@wolfcub824]

@@luisvelasquezjr My brother says it tastes horrible if it's just plain, but with butter it tastes good. He was a boy scout and they had to eat what they killed.

[@asphodelale]

Squirrel's fine--a bit more dark-meat than dark-meat chicken was back in the day (factory farming prevents the chickens from exercising, so the dark meat doesn't get all that dark anymore), and you gotta know how to fry it right. But decent. (Now, goose, on the other hand, is frikken delicious--it's like the chocolate of meat. Just don't burn it when roasting it.) As for the dandelions, those things are so nutritious, it's a wonder they haven't put kale out of the market.

[@harambejr.4711]

Shout out to that tire shop manager. Not a lot of people like him in this world. 👏👍

[@ToolofSociety]

Discount tire people tend to be awesome in general. For a period of time due to several reasons I was living on very little money and I needed my car for my work. A local discount tire straight up patched two of my tires over the course of several months for free despite me having bought NOTHING from them. I have recovered from that dark time and now I buy every tire through them.

[@harambejr.4711]

somethingsomethingnickname Man, glad to hear there’s still good people around. 💯

[@wonniewarrior]

Had a steering box fail in my car and couldn't afford to get if fixed or repaired. The local wreckers lent me a steering box and I used it for another 3 years before things got better and a job. When I upgraded the car, I removed the steering box and returned it. Was very grateful. (Was a manual steering box so no hydraulic hoses or such to mess with). Also once in awhile as a kid, charities (usually church charities) would drop a food parcel or box off for mum for us kids.

[@seanporcelli3965]

Worked at a grocery store that gave nearly all of its expired food away. My boss worked hard to find places to give it to rather than throwing it out. We also sold "expired" food for basically nothing in the back.

[@gyatttdaym]

(A story of a friend, but explained from 1st person perspective because I'm too lazy to retyped it again) Wasn't dirt poor, but back then our family has a very unstable economy and we've always had to prepare for the worst. Both my parents worked hard jiggling 2 jobs and often would take turns to the care of me and my little brother. We would celebrate our birthday with 1$ pizza (we live in 3rd world country where everything's cheaper than in the US) and always cooked our own food with a traditional stone stove to cut down on gas. Sometimes my brother and I would hunt birds or crickets to fry as a snack, sometimes for the entire meal. We grow our vegetables from a patch of our neighbor's land (with permission ofc). We were poor but I had no bad memory about it because I didn't realize that we were poor. Now It's crazy how life turned around and I managed to study overseas, my parents to live in a comfortable house with a car and a motorcycle. I never though that I was this lucky not to experience what my friend went through. She graduated a year early and now working in a German car company (I think it's Mercedes or BMW, i forgot). She also paid her brother's tuition and now his brother is also studying overseas (japan). She's forever my role model

[@xxxxxxxxx1652]

my heart broke watching this, my parents always made sure i had everything i needed, gotta go hug them real quick brb

[@e_bw5901]

What are you doing on youtube, get back In the kitchen

[@oanxa]

@@e_bw5901 stfu

[@bobartbones7957]

@@e_bw5901 ✋✋✋✋✋hol’ up hol’ up ✋✋ looks 👀 like we got a master 🎓 memer 🐸🐸🐸 over here 👈👈👈👩👩 hold on to your 👙 panties 👙 ladies! 💋💁‍♀️ fuccbois better back the hell ⬆️ up ⬆️ this absolute 🙀🙀🙀 maaaaaadman!!1! 👹 all you other aspiring 🌽🌽 memers 👽👻💀 mmmight as wwwell give up! 👎👎👎👎 cuz 👉 this guy 👈 is a as good 👌👌👌 as it gets! 👏👏👏😹😹

[@lily-mr5zq]

@@bobartbones7957 uh

[@letsgotomarsman]

Give me some head too

[@htownsmookie6004]

Dear rich people,we don't blame you for our struggle just try not to make it worst or be insensible

[@drive2160]

And don’t be a prick and act poor yourself so you can get yourself sick on the expired food that’s given away so that they all stop giving the food to the homeless and starving people who can barely make it for a home.

[@drive2160]

Someone did that and sued them and that’s why the companies stop giving away the expiring food :(

[@gabrielfraser2109]

@@drive2160 There's actually a law in the US completely clearing companies of liability when they donate expired food, it's mostly an excuse stores use to avoid the logistics of donating their food - it's more work.

[@drive2160]

Gabriel Fraser this was years ago when I we were surviving on food so I don’t know if that law was around then

[@ragnkja]

Wolf Fortright Those who really need the food that gets thrown out aren’t the ones who can afford to sue in the first place.

[@bunsonbaker4156]

I remember when my dad said he took my mom and my brother and sister (I wasn’t born yet) to some burger joint and since we were so poor we had to split dollar menu meals. When he recalled the memory to me later in life his eyes were brimming with tears, he said that in that moment he never wanted us to feel like we wouldn’t have enough again. He went to school and became an engineer who makes good money and gave us kids a great life. Not rich but not poor. I am eternally grateful for all I was given. Not an extreme circumstance I know but I was moved to write it by this.

[@ppgbubbles28]

I remember as a little girl, my mom wasn't working at the time and my dad was the only one bringing in a stable income. But back then, we really had to pick and choose because we were living paycheck to paycheck. I was told that for my birthday, I would receive a Bratz doll. Around that time the electricity was cut off for maybe a day or so but I still got that Bratz doll as they promised me for my birthday. My parents chose to get me that doll than paying the electricity bill. I struggled a lot as a child but I will always remember the things my parents sacrificed for my brother and I for our happiness.

[@g4greed502]

I came here for advice and stayed for the realization

[@notimportant4810]

If you need help, there are free healthcare groups around now, even the medications are covered for those who fall through the cracks. And do a Google search for your area, a lot of states run free dental care clinics over the summer. Pennsylvania has two coming up, one in Pittsburgh and one in the east, north of Philly. They will do everything that they can in 2 days, meds are free also.

[@BlueFlameBird]

There is no shame shopping at the dollar store. I get alot of stuff from there because I can't afford quality sometimes. But sometimes it's better than you would expect. Also, there's places that can give you 99 cent pizza depending on where you live. If you find a job as a buser or waiter you can sometimes smuggle free food from leftovers. Coffee is filling for a while. Some corner stores sell them for a dollar a small cup. If you have to spare, buy bread from the dollar store too and dip it. It fills you up for a small while. If you can walk/hop the bus. Do it. Or somehow find or buy a bike. You save on car and bus fare if it isn't too far. Old hard bread can be saved usually if you cut off the bad parts and sprinkle a little water on it then put it in the oven or microwave for a little while. It makes it soft and warm again. Ramen noodles are very bad for you but when you're hungry? Fuck it. I can't think of anything else at the moment. Hope some of this helps

[@rustyshackleford1697]

I grew up pretty poor though we still usually had food to eat. So all in all I considered myself lucky. Not so much for my friend. He came from a household where his parents didn't know the first thing about money management or priorities. They often would never have food for their children but it never stopped them from buying cigarettes, beer, and drugs. I remember our teacher would give him food at school to bring home so he could have dinner. It's sad that some people will give into vices and basically purposefully drive themselves into poverty because they need their fix. He's doing okay now though.

[@navyclaw]

I consider myself blessed because I have a bed. My cousins spent the night and they slept on my mattress and I slept on the box under my matrress. It made me think of how people all around the world domt have matrresses.

[@rustyshackleford1697]

@@Howtomakepipebomb Unfortunately that's all too common, I get people asking me to buy their food stamps every once in awhile. My friend in the original comment's parents also did the same, so sad. Really sucks for people who actually need them. :/

[@ghoulbuster1]

Damn

[@lelnope30]

That's a disease called addiction. I am 3 years clean, luckily no kids. The main thing I wish is that people who are in extreme poverty and/or in active addiction don't have kids, but that's not gonna stop. I'm not defending the parents though. I'm just saying the issue doesn't boil down to bad money management. That's a symptom of the underlying problem, but addiction needs to be taken more seriously. I've been in several programs and all of them were garbage. Finally found one that was the first of it's kind; I can confidently say I'm in a much better place because of that program. If we had more money allocated to social services, better education, an economic system that actually benefited poor communities, etc. then we would see a lot less of that. But here we are. People keep voting against their own beliefs and interests without even realizing it most of the time. Do your research using different sources. Do research ON your sources to make sure they don't have an ulterior motive. Make sure you're well informed before you vote. Question everything.

[@adithyavraajkumar5923]

@@lelnope30 I wish I could give your comment more likes. So f*cking true

[@somerandomcat9852]

Beans and rice are really cheap and actually taste really good together. Make a large pot of beans, season it well and cook about a cup or two of rice in a separate pot plain. Put plain rice in a bowl and pour beans and the juice on the rice. That can feed a fairly large family for a good two days. Also if you're looking for a good alternative to expensive seasoning get a one dollar bottle of that off brand lemon or lime juice concentrate. It gives cheap, otherwise bland meals a nice zing and a little bit goes a long way. Rice also goes really well with just about every meat you can think of. To get good deals on meat look for those that are half off due to being near or after the expiration date. For cheap ground meat look for those small tubes of ground turkey that come frozen, most Walmart sell those for about 1.50 a pound and the meat tastes just like ground beef.

[@janoahlee7499]

some random cat some chain stores in the US I know with grind your meat if you ask. I used to get the cheap reduced meat already packaged by by the meat dept, go to the butcher counter and ask for it to be ground. I was never charged and I could get ground meat for a price i could afford. I also needed meat cut into small hunks because I had three small children and working close to 70 hours a week and I could barely stay awake when I was home. I took a flank steak and asked the butcher could he put it in the machine so cut it smaller. My kids were always with me so usually they would understand. It’s not the big things but all the small things added up that can be helpful. I learned just asking can go a long way. Have more money now to be lower middle class but still do it.

[@asphodelale]

It also helps if you switch out the types of beans and rices--I personally favor either navies/Great Northerns or black beans among the common beans, though if you can get them, heirloom beans are da bomb. And I love heirloom rices which, granted, aren't cheap, but they're whole-grain and mineral-rich, so they're worth it, at least for special occasions. (Highly recommend both volcano and forbidden rices, if you can splurge a little or catch them on sale.) Also, don't think beans always need bacon--carrots taste wonderful with beans, and they're crazy easy to cook. (Just wash, chunk them, then throw them in the pot and let simmer till soft. But they will turn black beans a weird zombie-like color, LOL.) And you really can't get more gourmet than Senate bean soup.

[@Theoryofmars]

thank you

[@Lozza2993]

We used to make mashed potatoes and mix in fried rice. Super cheap, surprisingly tasty and super filling

[@racciacrack7579]

Everyone that sees this comment please take a moment of silence to be grateful for what you have in life.

[@mrnoob8850]

*screeches*

[@gothshu7954]

no

[@racciacrack7579]

Viktorij a 😎you sir have cool guy syndrome 👊🏻

[@winifredsanderson4532]

I'm thankful for comments like this because they really do make a difference 🤗

[@deacnx777]

Winifred Sanderson o k a y

[@TheTabascodragon]

I buy discount meats. You really can't beat $0.50 a pound chicken. I can buy 10 pound bags of chicken for 5 bucks each and freeze it. Lasts a long time, and you can do a lot of different things with chicken.

[@creativelychandra]

Chicken is the best.

[@sleepyearth]

So true. This reminds me of my college days.

[@amyx231]

I used to get the deli meat ends chopped up at grocery stores for cheap. Nowadays, those ends are almost full price. Actually MORE expensive than on-sale regular slices. Welp.

[@silverhawk7324]

Goodwill, that place helped me so much, went from barely living to college thanks to that store and all the stuff people gave away.

[@inspobitch1170]

I'm a 16 year old dude. Tough guy if i do say so myself. But this event broke my heart and had me crying like a bitch. When my dad was thrown in jail (without actual proof that he committed a crime) we were dirt poor. I took up a part time job and worked as many hours as they would let me. I even sold most of my stuff (from video games to clothes) so we could afford food. My dad's family had turned their backs on us and everyday was misery, but nothing hurt more than the time we we're so low on food we only had a plate of rice and 2 boiled eggs for dinner. My sister obviously got the bigger plate of rice and an entire hard boiled egg. My mother and i each got half. My sister ate her food and was just staring at us eating. I asked her what was wrong and she told me she was still hungry. That felt like someone punched me in the stomach with an iron fist. Before my mom could give her,her plate i gave mine to my little sister. She looked sheepishly at me and asked if i wasn't gonna eat. I told her i was already full and that she could have it. You best believe i cried the entire night, being poor is fucking horrible. Even now we're still struggling to pay rent but now that my dad is out of jail (thankfully) i can finish highschool and go to college. But seriously kids don't take for granted anything you have, it could disappear at any moment.

[@siliconeyez879]

The lego story made me break down in tears

[@awkward_fly1053]

Jamal McClain I aggre and would like but it’s at 69 soo

[@mikei6605]

Same, hit too close to home

[@happyjohn354]

@@mikei6605 i had a childhood like that... made money for things i wanted by doing odd jobs but i had these cousins that were in a much better off family that would steal my DS games... feels bad man...

[@olymolly3637]

Relatable. I became quiet because I've been told no many times too, & now I just dislike asking for anything from my parents.

[@yeetus_reetus_deeleetus]

Oof

[@604cpr]

This video unfortunately brought back a lot of childhood memories, and made me realize some things I didn't pick up on. I've literally eaten food bank cheese bread sticks that were mouldy and just ate around it. I started working when I was 13 to buy my own clothes and better food. I'm 24 now and have thus been working for over a decade, it really chaps my ass when entitled young adults my age have never worked a day in their life. I have even had a serious work accident resulting in an injury that took over a year to recover from. I now live in a fancy 12th floor apartment and never have to worry about food, clothing or essentials. I will never allow myself to be poor again, even if it means long hours (currently does not). I have almost broken the habit of hiding/stashing food, and or taking extra free food when it's around to bring home.

[@lolk7726]

excuse me what my parents wont even let me get a job at 13

[@donutchan8114]

@@lolk7726 Work is like being at school, but they're paying you to be there, and unless you can get a good job or a good boss, you'll never have vacation again. Just the day of the holiday itself. Dont get a job unless you really need it.

[@604cpr]

@@lolk7726 I had to have parental permission, and the employer has to be okay with it. It was working the grill at McDonalds

[@solarblast5959]

What's the problem with extra free food in any scenario? Why not take it?

[@knes167]

@@lolk7726 Yeah in college my mom didnt want me to have a job (to focus on school I presume). Both my parents come from big families (of like 6-8 siblings big) and they I assume they probably had sports scholarships and jobs to pay through by themselves. I tried to get one anyway sophmore year so I could get an apartment and a computer for my major. I had all B's in A's in my major but I felt like I was behind some of the other ppl in class even though we had all the same courses

[@Dutchman4real]

I am a goddamn 23 year old fully grown man (if you consider that to be fully grown/adult)... and at the legos Story, I absolutely lost it. never ever in my whole life, I would have thought that one of these text-to-speech videos would ever make me break down in tears...

[@AquaMarino]

me too, we had the same story. I had those childhood moments when I would not get any toys because my family was struggling but I loved Legos so I stole some from my Aunt's. I was horrified about it when they knew. Because of that experience, I never asked again about anything my whole childhood but I still liked Legos today.

[@hotaruFirefly2]

When I was 6 my dad died and money was extremely tight, my mum would skip meals to make sure my 2 younger brothers and I were fed. It wasn't until mum got her pension back, that she stopped skipping meals. I only found out about that a decade later.

[@dawntucker1131]

After I lost my baby girl I had a hard time getting back in to the work life. I slept a lot so I wouldn't have to feel hungry. I made sure my husband had the food because he worked. Because of this I always help people when I can. We aren't by any means rich, but we are better now. If I hear someone isn't well off, and needs help, I will always offer it if I can.

[@chapekfabrication2975]

This dude out here getting 40 tampons for $2

[@nb_knight5251]

yeah but probably no applicator

[@clockworkhearts4085]

Lauren Connolly who needs applicators? they’re not even a common thing in my country, only one brand has them and they’re never advertised. use the applicator god gave you and wash your hands before and after ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@FriedaMMartin]

I remember being so poor that all our furniture come from our apartment dumpster (furniture that people got rid of when they moved) and that for one week me and my now husband ate nothing but danish donuts because they were on sale for 10 cents for a six pack. I bought as many as I could

[@FriedaMMartin]

We both had full time jobs and made minimum wage. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough

[@ingratus8160]

@@FriedaMMartin Where I live it is relatively normal, to get some furniture from the street, if it was left in a good enough condition. While it is still worse, to be forced, to get all of the furniture that way, at least nobody would actually care or even realize that about you. I'm talking about the neighbourhood and not the country or city btw, but it could apply in the general sense too, since I only lived in these kinds of neighbourhoods and wouldn't know.

[@aawiz1234]

Ahh, good ol' Dumpster Depot

[@chrismorse3862]

Do you live somewhere it costs over $1500/mo for a 1br apartment and the utilities?

[@jeremyniels]

Not so weird i mean im not poor not rich but got most of my furniture for free , thousands of free good quality on sort of a eBay site here in Netherlands so have plenty of choice., its rather expensive and much work to get rid of couches tables beds etc so they just put iT on for free

[@abbynormal9050]

I’m middle class and still go to the cheap theaters. $4 a ticket versus $14.50 at AMC. Makes you realize what a rip off main stream movies theaters can be.

[@professionalcommenter]

We rent it off KZbin 2.99 or try to find a free version on YT.

[@cansofswine126]

The giant size lemon dish soap from the dollar store serves as your shampoo, laundry detergent, bubble bath, hand soap, all-purpose cleaner, and yes-dishwashing soap- for as long as the thing lasts

[@aurora-qn6lp]

a lot of these i can relate to...i feel so upset now because i didn’t realize those things when i was younger. i realize now why i don’t ask for things just like that guy did - i always knew subconsciously the answer would always be “no” so i just never asked for anything else ever..

[@altreon3608]

haha i love going to the $2 theater i wonder if the moldy roof is normal tho

[@AV-yk3ng]

Altrocado our movie theater is $2 too but all the movies are months late

[@Tfiend18]

kufe yeah same here. Those were the days

[@Cmon_bro12]

Not moldy roof but moldy ass floors

[@hello1735]

@@AV-yk3ng That sounds alright to me as I usually don't watch movies right after they come out

[@KayleeCee]

There's a theater that's about 10 miles from my house that only charges $3. They have $1 popcorn and soft drinks. They don't get the newest movies right away, but usually within a week or 2. It's totally worth the savings to wait and go to the cheap theater.

[@BlightBreedOfficial]

I was once working at a pawn shop (still currently do) where the pay was decent but I had a huge amount of bills to pay each fortnight due to some bad decision in my teen years. After rent, phone bill, food and these huge bills. I would have maybe $100 to my name to last me two weeks, and that wasn’t considering Petrol. I would be basically broke once petrol and stuff was considered. While I wasn’t poor it wasn’t a fun time as I couldn’t do anything besides go to work and sit at home. Now, the company I worked for had this deal for employees, where if an item in store was sitting on the shelf for more than two weeks, we could get a 30% discount, no questions asked, no matter the price, as long as the discounted price didn’t go under what we paid. If it went under what we paid? No worries, just bump it up to the price we paid and you can purchase it. This store was tiny and fairly secluded. So really good things would most likely not sell in two weeks. I would buy things such as, brand new iPhones for sometimes less than half of what they are new. Laptops, other phones, video games, consoles etc....I would buy up all these things all the time and make an absolute killing on the side selling on gumtree and Facebook. There was one week where I made $2000 in pure profit. Of course, this was against company policy as the rule was, if you’re buying with discount you’re not allowed to buy with the intention to sell for profit. Long story short, never got caught (close a few times) I’m still at the same place and my bills are basically all paid off. Good times! People have been doing this for a long time at this company, and the policy still stands. Though there was a crack down recently and any staff purchase over $500 has to go through the area manager. My area manager is fucking amazing and approves everything and doesn’t blink twice. Other stores aren’t as lucky.

[@kayceecee-]

We were extremely poor growing up, my parents worked in the fields and would often leave us locked up home alone for 15 hours a day. When we would go grocery shopping, we could never buy much, until one kind man bought our groceries (3 kids, 2 adults). He went to the manager of the store and told him whenever our family was in the store to put the total on a tab for him and he would pay it the following Saturday. He did that for about 5 years; I don’t remember him much (saw him only once), but I am so grateful he did that. He saved us many nights of hunger. My mother would usually just buy some mozzarella cheese and put it in a pan and melt it all, then she would give us tortillas and we would just pull cheese out the pot!! My childhood wasn’t great, but I’m so glad for the lessons it has taught me!!

[@kariscoyne1886]

Flour = 75c/kilo. 1 kilo of flour makes 2 loaves of bread. Loaf of bread at the shops = 80c at the cheapest. There was a while when I was doing my internship that I ate basically nothing but tuna melts and cheese toasties on homemade bread.

[@SovietReunionYT]

The actual making of homemade bread that's edible is a non-trivial step.

[@kariscoyne1886]

@@SovietReunionYT I mean define 'edible'. It doesn't have to be like. French bakery good, it just has to feed you. After 3-4 tries you pretty much get the hang of it.

[@TheKoprusInspiration]

so ive never actually been "poor" my grandma is fairly wealthy and has always helped my mom when things got tough. (she's a single parent) she always did her best and provided for me in every way. i remember when i was in middle school my mom lost her job and money was pretty tight. she was doing the dishes one afternoon and i asked her for some spending cash to go out with friends. she said she didn't have any for me and she was trying to budget what we had. i remember getting pretty upset and raising my voice about this. i went to my room but came back and saw her crying over the sink while washing dishes. if youve ever seen your mom cry you know how sad it is. it made me feel like shit in the moment and i still think about it sometimes today. it breaks my heart to think that i was so ungrateful back then. since then she got a new job and was making decent money and a few years after that she transferred to a new job and makes a good living.

[@autumn557]

I was close to (but not quite ) that poor both as a kid and then for 1.5 years after moving out on my own My roommate always brought me home her leftovers. I started making her actually pack up her food from restaurants instead of leaving it there like she used to. I could afford maybe 50$ in food a month and always got BOGO tomato sauces and eat that with white rise left overs, the saved BBQ packets from McDonald, and some other scavenger type things. She realized I’d eat anything after eating some burnt food, slightly expired food and really crappy food I was nicknamed the garbage disposal. I remember getting my water and electric cut off a lot at my parents house before moving out too. Putting 5$ of gas in my car with quarters because it’s what I could afford to drive to university and back home with change I found. Luckily, like most, I never just gave up and now live alone with my pets who eat premium food and have a savings account for the first time ever.

[@texasgun2731]

whats a savings account? thats a thing of the past... next youll say you have a severance package. good for you though

[@wanderingwatcher3981]

@@texasgun2731 I hope you´re joking. Everyone should have a savings account with at least two months salary for if something happens.

[@gbreeze99]

That's great dude, I'm on a similar path. I've def paid for gas in quarters as well. Things will get better

[@KeetahSpacecat]

I grew up incredibly poor in the deep country. If I wanted to eat I had to hunt and forage for my food. Everyday i'd go to the river and fish for my supper and perhaps there would be spring onions or wild blackberries or something in the woods. You can eat acorns and all sorts of things if you know how to cook it right. My brother and I used to get tooth brushes for christmas and all i had to eat at school was a single slice of bread i'd be sent there with. I know cps got called because we couldn't afford new clothes so i had to wear too small clothes to school with my pants unbuttoned and with the sleeves cut off t-shirts. (tho my father really deserved to get cps on him for other reasons) Nowadays I still love butter bread sandwiches cause that's what I used to eat a lot with perhaps a bit of sugar sprinkled on the inside if we had it!

[@jumbo4billion]

Man I hated those white bread and margerine sandwiches. Dad called them nothing sandwiches.

[@ragnkja]

john Taylor Butter is completely different from margarine in that regard. A slice of bread so fresh that the butter melts and soaks into it is delicious.

[@KeetahSpacecat]

@@ragnkja Truth. Margarine is awful. There were a lot of dairy farmers where I lived so it wasn't too difficult to trade any produce we could grow or forage for a fresh pot of butter. I'd spend all day picking a full bucket of wild blackberries to trade for butter and that butter was so goddamn good.

[@nisteven]

Your story is so close to my own.. But no dairy farms. Also from seeds started a garden that we kept going for years. So much work, like 70% of are time was spent hunting or gardening to stay alive. Also we took 2 piece of bread put them together and called it a wish sandwich. Because you wish something was between them.

[@GermAntibody]

Nillie that depends on preferences. I grew up dirt poor, often no food or power. My extended family all used country crock marge and so when we had that I always wanted it with my bread, even if I was going to have jam also. I prefer eggs cooked with it and since I grew up with it, I hated butter. It just tasted like grease. Country Crock chose to recognize science that hydrogenated oils aren't good for us so they switched to non hydrogenated oils over a decade ago, so it's still what I have in my fridge to this day. I have nice butter but I only use it for baking or for making steaks.

[@Kj16V]

2:02 This is 100% true; being poor is more expensive than being well off because you can't afford to take advantage of discounted goods and services. When I was a kid, my mother couldn't afford the monthly gas and electricity bills, so they put her on pay-as-you-go meters. Those things cost an absolute fortune. Way more than a normal tariff paid by direct debit. Only poor people get put on PAYG meters and it's disgusting.

[@Fae_the_faerie]

Redditer: untouched Machine: uNtoúcHéD

[@whynot9899]

I never thought one of these videos to get me bawling in public but here I am. I feel for these people because I grew up in a similar situation and I'll never go back and it's why I work so hard. My girlfriend was raised in a middle-class environment is never experienced what I have sometimes it freaks her out how cheap I am. be excellent to everyone you meet you never know what they are going through.

[@ijustshitmypants8301]

Hell yeah bro 😅😪

[@FunSizeSpamberguesa]

My mom was a regular at the food bank when I was a kid (after rent and bills, she had only $200 left to cover everything else for the month), but the thing is, they can only give you what they have on hand, so we ate a whole hell of a lot of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Also ate a lot of canned peaches and fruit cocktail, with the occasional omelette for variety if eggs were cheap. The occasional walk to 7-11 for a slurpie was a huge treat. Fortunately, grunge became a thing, so my ratty secondhand clothes came into style right at the time I started caring about how I dressed. I can't say it was great, but it gave me an appreciation for what I have that my ex-husband, who grew up wealthy, never did understand. He was always blathering on about "standard of living", and I was sitting there thinking, "we have good food and a roof over our heads, why does our lack of an Xbox and flatscreen TV bother you that much?"

[@charlie_mario6292]

*the poking holes in the chip bag is just plain wrong. I really wish that coffee shops would sell drinks that were made improperly (maybe a shot of caramel instead of vanilla, soy milk instant of normal milk etc) for a reduced price. People just don’t want others to eat cheaply*

[@stutir.5242]

Exactly I don't get get... You're throwing it away anyways so why don't you want someone else to have it? That was just plain evil!

[@mars9399]

I remember that it had to do with freshness. If their ‘bad’ or expired food made someone sick, they could get sued.

[@Vesperidone]

Cheria that’s a myth actually. You can’t sue in most places for charitable donations like that. It comes down to these companies not wanting to give their stuff for free. It’s greed.

[@mars9399]

Vesperidone ohh hopefully that’s the case

[@madman2u]

@@Vesperidone To make it even worse, a third of the food produced in the world each year is thrown away. Nobody would have to go hungry if we just made an effort to not throw away so much food and donate it instead. Then people could get free food at the cost of a drive or walk down to the closest food shelter.

[@cactuscamo9685]

This seriously hit me of how much I take my life for granted. Holy shit.

[@holyfrijolesvlogs1554]

The one where the mom said im not hugry almost made me cry because i realized that my mom did that too and i was just like wow

[@Joe-kb1sm]

I grew up in a big fancy house. My folks were generous. At 13, my dad starting teaching me mechanical contracting. I learned how to work hard, and work smart. Now I am 62, and a master electrician. I live cheap and am ready to retire. All I am today is due to my father, rest in peace Dad, you did good by me. I never forget his lessons on life.

[@alexstone9099]

Good to hear, sounds like he was a good father.

[@nikotarkov193]

Pretty impressive grammar for a mechanical contractor...

[@gdshade6876]

@@nikotarkov193 are you saying mech engineers can't be smart in multiple areas? Wtf

[@marcoscruz6104]

Until I was 7 yo my family was doing good financially we were low middle class, here in México the middle class goes a long way so as long as you have a car, more than 1 tv, an AC unit and a balanced diet you fall inside the Middle Class. Life is cheap in México, but at that time life was way cheaper, I'm talking 2 pounds of tortillas for 8 pesos(2006/7), that at the time would be a little under a dollar. But then came a crisis in 2008, my parents wasn't getting paid enough to feed 3 children. Those times were hard as fuck, but my parents and my older sister did a good job at hiding it from my sister and I. The lowest I remember was when we ran out of food and my dad went to buy a kilo of tortillas and asked the convenience store lady if he could get some cheese and sour cream that he would later pay for and she agreed. That day we had cream and cheese soft tacos and at night we ate some tostadas (made with those tortillas) with salsa and cheese. That lasted 3 days only that the tortillas ran out and we started eating white rice. At the time I didn't realized we were doing bad financially but I never asked for anything that year, not a candy bar, not a toy, I didn't even tell my mom I wanted to drink milk with breakfast because I knew we didn't had it but I didn't knew why so. I just don't imagine what we would go thru if instead of living in México we lived in the US :((

[@lemon-iu7bo]

I feel your pain its hard when you live like that and come to the us for a better life and basically get bullied for being mexican and wanting a better life.

[@luismontes7885]

Mi familia pasó por la misma situación, no tan grave, pero con 6 años entendía que no podía pedir cosas, claro que no entendía que era por dinero...

[@hatchixnana]

I remember my mom would make me my lil sis and cousins tacos of sal 😂😂😂😂 we were some poor fucks

[@JaKingScomez]

@@lemon-iu7bo you don't get bullied that's dumb. You get deported from coming illegally that's not bullying that's basic border security.

[@nope-xe2lx]

@@lemon-iu7bo just don't come illegally. Come legally and seek asylum. That's Trump's policy.

[@ecyor0]

Similar story but from a different angle: growing up we were at the lower end of middle-class/higher end of lower-class (not anywhere near the poverty line, but high-school teachers for small towns do not get paid generously) - basically, our school stationary was low-grade enough that it showed. Then, one year, our mum entered a contest at a petrol station for a year's supply of petrol and won... second place, which was a PS2 (this at a time when the PS2 had been out for maybe a year or so). All of a sudden my siblings are getting people going "oh man, you own a playstation, you're rich!" This despite the fact that we were very open about the fact that no, we won it in a raffle, we didn't pay a dime for it. Didn't stop the shift in attitude from the other kids in primary school. A very interesting lesson in how incredibly superficial and materialistic class divisions can be.

[@elainehill6504]

Years ago, my mom ran into a former neighbor of hers from when they were kids and used to play together. They were reminiscing and he said how he loved being able to play at their house because they were so rich. My mom laughed and said "Rich? We were dirt poor!" Living in a tiny cabin with an outhouse, all her clothes were home made, etc. He said, "But you had a cow and chickens and a big garden and lots of food. That made you seem rich to me." He said sometimes the snack my grandma would give him would be all he ate that day, so to him my mom's family were wealthy. That conversation really changed my mom's perspective about her childhood, she may not have been given fancy clothes or toys, but she always had enough to eat.

[@xanbell7723]

The computer voice pronunciation of "Burjer" is killing me

[@Longinous]

“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.” ― Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms: The Play

[@TheHolySC]

I find that very true. Places like Family Dollar and Dollar general are good because you pay for a small amount of stuff. But if you went to Costco or Sam's Club, you could get it WAY cheaper, but have to buy a lot.

[@TheHolySC]

@Kevin Lee Absolutely. Since I am in Texas, I have perhaps the best grocery chain on the planet, H-E-B. Many things are cheaper there than Sam's Club or Costco. For example, rotisserie chicken, produce, bread, and even spices. It's the snacks, like goldfish or muffins and stuff like that where Sam's is cheaper. Nothing can beat the Costco patio though. $1.50 hot dog combo or $2 massive pizza slice.

[@lauralooh5033]

I've come from a 5 kids, single parent family (fortunately I'm the eldest one) and life was incredibly hard for us. Constant hunger, no money whatsoever or very little income, cold days in our single room apartment during the winter. I will never forget that. I've left home when I was 18 and moved abroad from the little money I saved up. I still consider this to be the best thing that has happened to me. I now have a stable job earning more in a week than we would have to life off for a month. I can now support my family, send them money, nice clothes, things for school that my mum cannot afford to buy and everything they ever need and still live my best life not worrying what I'm gonna eat today. I will always be grateful to have the most amazing mother there is because even tho life was incredibly hard for us, she managed to go through things the best way she could. I hope I'm making you proud mommy. love you to pieces

[@randomnessemeraldfire9746]

I'm very happy to hear you're in a much better situation and can help your mom and siblings live well, that is so kind of you

[@lauralooh5033]

Randomness EmeraldFire it was really hard for us. Especially the fact that we have no other family apart from mum. She is a single child and all our so called relatives are either dead, or they think we're not worth their time because we're not rich enough for them to even admit we exist. They knew we were struggling and did nothing or even mocked my mum for being sick and not able to provide. But that's all over now. She will never have to worry about money again

[@randomnessemeraldfire9746]

@@lauralooh5033 That is so messed up that your family did that to you guys, your mom sounds like she did such a good job raising you

[@lauralooh5033]

Randomness EmeraldFire she did what she could and I couldn't be more happier to have her as a mother in my life. She is the brightest, strongest, most giving person I know and I hope maybe my future kids will see my the way I see her 💛

[@zyler9030]

i relate to the lego set story. i never ask for anything, since my step dad no longer lives with us i can’t ask for anything. i’m at my library right now

[@dez0002]

Same

[@jellybeans9283]

I hope things get better for you. I hope abundance finds you❤️

[@sophiadundys7996]

see my family isn't insanely poor, I'm very grateful for what I have. I never needed to scavenge for food or share tiny meals with my family. what my family had was handme downs and food stamps. people from our church would give us heaps and heaps of clothing, underwear, shirts, pants, bras, boxer, you name it. this is what saved us from this extreme poverty along with food drives and those kind generous people who kept alive who'd give us meals sometimes. please please please if you ever have a kid who has outgrown their clothes, give it to a family in need. they'll be forever in your debt

[@mistyminnie5922]

where i live we have these giant containers where you can dump your old / outgrown clothes in and even shoes. homeless people can take out of it what they want and the rest gets taken to this homeless facility. we also have this toy store that takes old toys for no money from people wanting to get rid of it and they sell it for like 50 cents so that children from poor families can have toys. we're not quite there yet to solve the poverty, but until then what we can do as a society is make it easier for them to live.

[@jamescellio6504]

Yo I wasn't expecting a feels trip man

[@Voltanaut]

I'm somewhat similar to the boy who never asked for toys. I actually grew up rich until I was 14. I went to private schools, went on luxurious holidays, and had a very privileged life before my dad's business partner stole all the money. My parents, me, and two younger siblings had to move to the other end of the country to rebuild. Before turning 14, my parents basically said, If you want it, ask for it, and I'd get it. After turning 14, because my parents could barely afford food, I never asked for anything. I got a job at 16 in a fast food place and gave my money to my parents to help pay for things, which made life easier for everyone. I'd earn £53-£84 a week. By the time I was 18 or 19, Dad was making livable money and life got good again. Enough money to enjoy a holiday abroad, and it was lovely. We appreciated it more than all previous holidays, knowing how well Dad had done, and how we pulled together. My story is shit compared to other people's stories, but I still wanted to say it. I'm somewhat similar to the boy who never asked for toys, whereas my siblings aren't because they never had to work to help pay for groceries, but what I have noticed is how strong my dad is. He is the definition of self-made, and it is pure injustice what happened to him. My dad worked his bollocks off for 20 years, deserving to be a millionaire, and this evil greedy bastard stole everything.

[@finnegan4246]

I remember being a kid living in cheap motel with my family. One day we went to walk our dogs and I just felt so defeated that day then I saw somthing moving under a car. It was a 10 dollar bill, I started crying and gave it to my parents to help pay the motel bill. That is still one of the happiest day of my life.

[@ijustshitmypants8301]

At least you guys had a car

[@finnegan4246]

@@ijustshitmypants8301 It sadly wasn't our car it was just some car in the parking lot.

[@ijustshitmypants8301]

@@finnegan4246 oh ok I feel you. I wasnt trynna be mean. Just seeing a positive 😉

[@finnegan4246]

@@ijustshitmypants8301 You weren't being mean. I was just trying to clear things up. Also thanks :D

[@adnabaaa5887]

sea star Your family could afford taking care of dogs?

[@blaufeder9477]

Welp aand now I kinda feel bad cause in my country I can get two full bags of bread, fruit and vegetables for like 7 dollars by our charity and I don't need to buy drinks cause our waters so clean thanks to our strict water quality laws you can drink it directly from the tap, a entire packet of tea costs only like 0.79 cents and lasts for weeks, toilet paper 10 rolls ca. 2 dollar the cheapest and sugar ca. 0.70 ct kilo. For people with 2 or 3 kids it gets a little trickier but at least in the big city you kind of don't need a car thanks to the busses and trains. Living life while being poor is hard but you can get by month to month if you're smart.

[@arandompieceofinternettras6461]

Dude, WHAT KIND OF PARADISE IS YOUR COUNTRY?!??!?!?! *(It's Canada, isn't it?)*

[@markusbernard5180]

I think its germany

[@dookieman7662]

Switzerland?

[@doktorduggieducker9615]

Germany OFC But it wont be Like that for ever Thanks to uncountable invaders coming in here and destroying the country

[@ayleenb1395]

A 500g pack of Spaghetti is 0,65€. If you buy different kinds of Pesto (1,50€ a jar) you can easily live a week on 5€.

[@yeetmetothemoon8434]

One thing people doesn't seems to know is that everything can be bought in lower quality: toilet paper, shoes, ect. My family isn't poor enough that we can't afford food, we're lucky on that. But in exchange, the place we live in cost less because it's terrible. I've taken more than a couple of showers in cold water (in winter and I'm Canadian), I don't have heating in my room, ect. Also, we make things last and repair them constantly. Most of our furnitures was found and repaired, all my underwear/bra/socks have holes, some of shoes and clothes do too, ect.

[@regularfather4708]

First off, I live well below the poverty line and support a family of 5. My house is warm and dry, my kids have clothes, my car runs. I have A/C in the summer, a smart tv with Internet and we can take a trip to any fancy tourist destination within driving distance every year. How? Here's a few of the hints that have kept us living well on a tight budget: 1. Buy meat when it's cheap. Always shop the sales and make sure you have a 20 spot tucked away just for that reason. Hamburger logs at Walmart are the best thing ever. 2. Nothing wrong with used tires. They usually cost about $20 each + mounting and balance. Learn to do basic repairs yourself. Replacing brakes is stupid easy and can be done in your driveway for free. 3. Dawn dish detergent. I use it for just about any cleaning job. 4. Scrounging is not a sin. I have gotten a refrigerator, kitchen table, hardwood bureau, windows, bicycles, snowshoes, a canoe, tires, a mitre saw, dishes, space heater, vacuum cleaner, swing set, and many other things for free or dirt cheap, just by keeping my eyes open. In most cases, the items were in great condition or required only a modest repair to bring it back to spec. My table merely needed the joints tightened with a wrench! 5. Recognize that the poorest American is still living better than king Louis the XIV and be thankful for what you have. In 2019 you can buy a brand new set of clothes for $25. You're not suffering, you simply lack perspective.

[@yeetmuffin9008]

The story about the kid never asking for anything because his parents told him no when they were poor made me cry a little

[@Bigfoot_With_Internet_Access]

Ok, who tf is purchasing poor people?

[@travisvalentine9012]

How else am I supposed to stock my thunder dome?!

[@zanahernast4071]

Quatar

[@TheTaquitoProject]

Private, for profit prisons. Get caught with a small amount of weed? Off to prison. Considering the wages they pay people for prison labor, and all the non-violent drug offenders locked up, it’s basically the modern day equivalent of plantations

[@knes167]

@@TheTaquitoProject 3 hots and a cot in jail is alot more than some ppl have out in the free world. Really makes you think how bad some ppl have it when living in jail is more appealing

[@werewolf4358]

Capitalists. They get an amazing deal because they don't have to feed or house their slaves. Don't even have to worry about keeping them healthy.

[@iamastanchion3598]

For Christmas the lodge my grandma used to be apart of would give us a big box of canned foods. That was always the best because we would eat well for awhile after that.

[@thajarin]

You might be surprised at how much bologna and raman a person can eat before it rives you flicking insane....

[@Brievel]

I will probably never eat peanuts or peanut butter again.

[@happyjohn354]

rice and lentils...

[@shambolicrhetoric6143]

Stale bread ... the thought of it makes me want to vomit. Tasting the occasional bit of moldy bread because you missed cutting a piece off (shudders).

[@LordWeregerbil]

Yeah for me it's barley & lentils, or brown rice and beans. I'm a college student and those two meals probably constitute 2/3 of the calories I eat

[@maxxcreese9911]

@@happyjohn354 lentils and rice lentils and macronis, lentils and dumplings for them special occasions

[@DescartesRenegade]

When I was in middle school, my younger brother and I used to visit the local Holiday inn after school and eat the leftovers people left on the floor in the hallway to be picked up. We also used to take the McDonald's Monopoly game stickers from newspapers in hopes for a free small fries.

[@sp2ring]

that moment of happiness when you find a 5 dollar bill in an old pair of jeans

[@chesterGoatCafe]

You should do a video on " things ordinary people buy that rich people can't believe are real"

[@silverletter4551]

I have more in common with the poorest person than a rich person. In fact, I probably have nothing in common with the rich. I hate the rich.

[@happyjohn354]

@@silverletter4551 meh i grew up dirt poor but later in life rented a room from an upper middle class family... its mainly a difference in lifestyle... for instance i noticed they NEVER drank soda i asked them why and they strait up looked at me and said "its a poor person food" and "its empty calories" the guy was ex army and had a good full time job but even then he would still take night classes to get all sorts of extra qualifications which he would use to jump to a better job... the woman was a paralegal... best advice is to join a federal or military agency... it will set you up with perks as well as higher education and a healthier physique so you can go from there if your smart...

[@silverletter4551]

@@happyjohn354 So I can act like a snobby, entitled rich bastard too? Rich people can go to hell.

[@astrodreamer946]

@@silverletter4551: You know, most "rich people" had to work their way up from nothing to become successful. They didn't start out rich, and many donate their disposable income to charities helping the less fortunate. You can't just call all of them assholes. Doesn't seem very fair.

[@chipbowdrie8910]

@@silverletter4551 Being rich =/= being an asshole.

[@pandoraheartsvd]

I remember when was a child,the local McDonald's had a sale on cheeseburgers. They were like 28 cents each. My family ate only McDonald's cheeseburgers for a whole week straight. To this day I don't really prefer McDonald's burgers because of this experience.

[@liladuke7489]

I grew up poor from the day I was born to the age of 12. We would only buy clearance on anything and sometimes not eat a day or two. My parents couldn't afford Christmas presents, so she would sew stuffed animals herself. One of my favorite presents is actually a stuffed animal she found in the garbage and washed We lived in a crappy trailor home, but it had a lot of land (60 acres) only because our neighbor let us stay for dirt cheap. All we had to do was keep it looking nice with the things HE bought. At 13, my dad became a little more well known with his job. He worked from home and had gotten a big "promotion" with it. We now live in a 2 story house, have A LOT of animals, and are able to spend $200 splurging every month. I still don't ask for anything from my parents and only get it if I REALLY want it. It doesnt matter if it just a buck. I will restrain from buying anything so that my family doesn't have to live in poverty again. I skipped out on dozens of school lunches because I didn't want my mom to have no money left. My sisters joined in. (2 siblings).We are still considered low middle class, but just to think how poor we were then really gets my emotions going. Thank you mom and dad. I really love you!💜

[@pavv7741]

For the first 8 years of my life I spent almost 2 days a week at my grandparents while my parents worked 12 hour shifts, my grandparents had a farm and could feed us actual food, at age 8 my father got a job that took us from maybe $1000 a month with 3 kids all the way to $9000 a month. He got a signing bonus and took me and my 2 other brothers to Walmart to buy anything we wanted, I didn't pick a thing, was the only one to go home empty handed because I said "it's not my money it's yours" I was his favorite after that.

[@burn_out]

Long term investing lol

[@stadiumemperor9285]

Awwww man. You know you grew up pretty rough when you audibly chuckle at how relatable some of these are 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@sallyibrahim9135]

I broke down in tears actually

[@pablovargasfuentes817]

Creeper

[@carlcarlington7317]

The poorest I've been is living in a trailer in a family friends drive way but a friend of mine used to be homeless in one of the native American reservations in Arizona for about five years. I went to his house with a flat tire and damaged wheel one night and my friend and I got the tire off and brought it in the apartment he filled the tire up with a bike pump and patched up the hole with some weird thing he bought at the store for 5 bucks. After he went out to the bent wheel picked up a fucking rock and beat it back into place for half an hour. My car always had tons of issues mostly because it was a minivan that I'd drive through the fucking Rockies and this guy always had some weird fix that would cost almost nothing that I would have never thought of. Once my van got stuck on an ice patch in the mountains couldn't go forward and going backwards would mean slipping off a near mile high cliff. My friend broke off like 50 tree branches and made a short track I could safely drive on. He'd use a pinch of salt on the pan instead of non-stick spray. I was a bit more well of then him when we meet (as in I had found a minimum wage job at a call center using my mom as an in and he would work for people ready when they needed someone) I'd usually by him stuff he asked for if I could afford it and in return he'd cook the most delicious food for me whenever we hanged out. Never been to the reservation other than driving through but from what he's told me all of this is pretty common there, that and suicide tons of people on the reservations kill themselves apparently.

[@drive2160]

carl Carrington there’s an opioid crisis and the rich Indian folk that delegate why happens in the reservation stop anything that they don’t like or goes and ruins their “face”. Even if it makes everything worse

[@cecilyerker]

@@drive2160 that's like a lot of Asian culture

[@drive2160]

Cecily Erker true, you’d be surprised how many regions in America are heavily similar to mainland China when it comes to celebrities at least we have more chance to act back, but there your screwed. At least I haven’t heard much from them to say otherwise take care and have a good day ok

[@Cloudy0x0]

So over the last couple of months my family has really gone down hill we used to have expensive cars and all the food we could want then suddenly we were broke and my parents were getting a divorce. This video made me realize that we’re not as poor as we could be. We may not have enough food for all of our meals but at least we have a full dinner. We don’t have many of the luxuries we used too but we have water, electricity, and a home to live in. I get to go to a wonderful school with understanding teachers who let me have lunch for free. I guess I need to start looking on the bright side of things. Edit: the best purchase we’ve made is a water filter we now have clean water that we can drink and also we buy tons of powdered fruit juice so we don’t have to buy any drinks besides milk

[@nobrainsnoheadache2434]

I guess I need to start looking on the bright side of things. Maybe not, sounds like you're going through some shit, and a lot of us have been there :) You *should* be thankful for what you've got, but it's OK to know there are and will always be bad days. No one can tell you how you should feel, but a smile always helps you feel better. Hang in there, be strong :)

[@spiritsfromsomewhere]

I wish more people realise what they truly have. You really don't know what you've got until it's gone. Peace and love ❤

[@TheCommanderFluffy]

My mother used to fill bathtubs up with pots of hot water from our stove top because we couldn't afford hot water.

[@99fruitbat]

We didn't have a bath when I was a kid , actually we didn't have a bathroom ! Outdoor toilet shared with 4 other families . 1969 Scotland UK ! Friday night was bath night , big tin bath filled up by boiling water on the stove . Cleanest got washed first lol !

[@DeathSeed32]

Dude, my fam used to do that for years when I was little (for about 5 years). We had an old rusty water heater but eventually broke down and didn't have money to repair or replace it. We would boil water, pour it in a bucket (around 1/4 of it) then fill the rest or up until it was warm enough and then scoop it with a plastic jar to wash ourselves. We weren't crazy poor but had just enough to make ends meet with the basic needs covered.

[@99fruitbat]

@@DeathSeed32 lol! That was basically my life back in Scotland 1960's ... Perfectly normal..Tin bath think once a week 🤣 Somehow we were always clean !

[@clispyleaf]

My story was similar to the legos one. Except my family never really got a break. It's not really over, either. It's thanks to the food bank that we all survived Christmas. Glad for that guy in the story, that he had it easier. Being poor can make you feel less than human.

[@FreakySei]

The less than human feeling is so true.