10 "Poor People" Secrets the Rich Overlook

The wealth disparity between the poor and the rich grows ever greater daily. With the two living completely different lifestyles, here’s a look at ten essential things the poor people know that the rich don’t, according to the internet.

1. The Exact Price of Everything

10 "Poor People" Secrets the Rich Overlook — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

If you’ve not looked at your grocery receipt recently, chances are you are unaware of the cost of each item. On the other hand, a user mentioned how they noticed fluctuations of even a cent on their shopping list because it significantly impacted their daily budget at the end of their grocery run.

2. Being Left Out on School Trips

This one gets to me. One user described the feeling of watching all his friends go on a field trip without him simply because his parents couldn’t afford it. So instead, he resorted to doing his homework. I don’t know what’s worse – not being able to go on the school trip or doing homework.

3. How Long It Takes For Utilities to Go Out

I’m no stranger to skidding through utility bills, but one user takes it to a new level. They’ve mentioned how they are very aware of when the electric company shuts their lights out due to missing out on bill payments. While I enjoy a candle-lit dinner, it is pretty dreary to imagine that’d be the only luminance source I would have access to.

4. The Fear of Being Poor Again

One user shared that once they’d finally escaped that vicious cycle and lived a comfortable life, they still lived frugally because they didn’t want to become poor again. Instead, hoarding has become the norm for them.

I’d rather have money in the bank as savings than splurge on a lifestyle I can’t afford. But a healthy balance between spending and saving does make you wonder. What else are you even making money for if you can’t spend and enjoy it? Responsibly, of course.

5. Being A Potato Connoisseur

If you know more than a hundred different ways to cook a potato, chances are that’s all you can afford at a certain point in your life. Many in the thread mentioned how they developed recipes that involved boiling, frying and grilling potatoes to add variety to their otherwise starchy diet.

6. Money Does Buy Happiness

I know, a controversial take. But many on the thread have suggested that money does indeed buy happiness. According to one, “There’s an incredible amount of freedom and joy that comes from being able to just buy something without having to check your bank account every time and budget for it.”

Honestly, while money can’t make you happy in every scenario, it does buy you a lot of creature comforts that can improve the overall quality of your life, increasing your chances of happiness.

7. Being Homeless Is Hopeless

The despair one goes through knowing that their friends, family, and siblings have abandoned them and they now have to face the reality of living on the streets is quite dreadful.

A user mentioned how getting out of that slump can feel like a monumental task simply because of the mental and physical stress one has to endure because one can’t afford the comfort of a bed. Additionally, many cities are implementing benches they can no longer sleep on.

8. The Lack of Public Transport Makes It Impossible

While sprawling motorways are the textbook definition of a developed city, many on the thread have mentioned a severe lack of public transport, making commuting from one place to another almost impossible if you don’t have a car.

So, most who can’t afford it will either have to walk or spend a lot of money on ride-sharing services, which takes a further hit on their budget and then disallows them from ever purchasing their own car. A vicious cycle indeed.

9. How to Fix Your Own Things

Inviting a handyperson might not be very handy for everyone (apologies for the poor pun.) According to someone on the thread, knowing how to fix your things, from clothing to furniture to electrical equipment, is something many wealthy people do not know much about. While I can fix my lightbulb, I can’t imagine the pain I’d have to endure if I had to do my plumbing!

10. You Don’t Need A Lot of Stuff

Perhaps the most insightful comment in the thread mentions how everyone forces you to buy a lot of stuff you don’t need. And, when you are poor and can’t afford most of it, you tend to realize the importance of a few items and how useless the others may seem in the grand scheme.