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People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
CuriositiesNOV 17, 2021

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)

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In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That’s 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country. After growing up, none of those kids take things for granted, and they can clearly see the obvious prerogatives that the privileged and rich are lucky to have.
So when someone posed a question to people “who grew up poor, what do you associate with being rich?” on r/AskReddit, it immediately turned into an eye-opening thread. Below we selected some of the most interesting and thought-provoking responses that make us question simple things like going to Disneyland, buying new, not used furniture, and not having to dread grocery shopping.
Scroll down below, and after you’re done, be sure to check out our previous post with small subtle things about wealthy people that scream they are insanely rich.

#1

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Eating pizza because you want to not because it's $2. That and mom eating along with us normally instead of pretending that the crust is her favorite part and that's why she'd eat the crust we leave.
224points

#2

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
There's a line from Nick in new girl that describes being well off as 'filling your gas tank up all the way rich.' That was the rich I wanted to be. Comfortable. Also not having to do math in the grocery store to see what food you can buy.
214points

#3

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Vacations that weren't visiting family.
205points

Bored Panda reached out to the Redditor Awkward_Name5898 who said that “being able to buy something you need without having to ask yourself how badly you need it” is something they associate with being rich.

When asked what was the hardest part of growing up poor, the Redditor was honest to say that it was the “feeling like you’ve failed, you think you’ll always be poor and won’t be able to get yourself out of that situation.” They also added that “as a kid, I remember feeling like a burden and that was hard to deal with.”

#4

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Having enough money to go to a psychologist for mental health.
195points

#5

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Hiring moving men. Especially if they're the ones who pack all your s**t for you, too.
So many times, I would borrow a friend's pickup (and buy my friend's help with offers of pizza and beer) to move from one s**tty place to another.
For my most recent move, my wife and I packed everything, but hired professionals to load and unload it. I felt like a king.
193points

#6

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Being able to buy something you need without having to ask yourself how badly you need it
191points

The Redditor shared that growing up on a tight budget made them learn some life hacks. “I did learn how to maximize my food purchases, if I was able to buy food I’d buy things that would have leftovers and be filling, Spaghetti noodles, instant mashed potatoes, hamburger helper or Mac n cheese if I had milk. I lived in a house that didn’t have AC, so in the spring/summer I’d get a towel, wet it, and then lay it over me to keep me cool, the house didn’t have blinds so I used foil to cover the windows to keep out the sun and help keep the room cooler,” they recounted.

#7

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Indifference. I realized what real wealth meant in high school when we cleaned up trash from a creek and the rich kids wore their Polo shirts, Guess jeans, and Jordan's because if they were trashed they simply would get new. The poor kids wore their grubby clothes they do labor in.
Wealth is shown most acutely by indifference, nothing matters because money will fix it and there is plenty enough to fill black holes.
177points

#8

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Having nice teeth that don't cause constant, debilitating pain
168points

#9

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Regular doctor's office visits or seeing a dentist at all for anything other than an emergency.
163points

“The rich assume money isn’t an issue for anyone simply because they have lots of it. They tend to think that poor people stay poor because they don’t invest their money as they do,” the Redditor said. For anyone who’s struggling to make their ends meet, Awkward_Name5898 urges not to feel ashamed to ask for help. “People are more kind and generous than you might think. Hold onto hope, things won’t always be this way,” they concluded.

#10

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Those fridges with the water dispenser on it
160points

#11

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Not having to panic if your car breaks down
154points

#12

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Not knowing EXACTLY how much money you have at any given time.
149points

#13

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Parents buying a car for your 16th birthday
146points

#14

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
A new mattress.
139points

#15

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Going to a store to pick out furniture. Like, actually buying NEW stuff, not just taking whatever you can find at thrift stores or garage sales. That seems so luxurious!
134points

#16

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Hiring people to either cook, clean, mow the grass or do snow removal in the winter.
Showing my age but rich people didn't need lay away to afford back to school or Christmas shopping
I don't remember ever having name brand items, food or clothing. It was all generic Kmart. I bought my son a pair of Nike shoes and thought I felt rich for doing so.
132points

#17

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Everyone having their own room. We all slept in a single room.
126points

#18

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Getting an appetizer and/or dessert at a restaurant in addition to an entree.
121points

#19

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Parents that didn’t fight. Mine and my other poor friends’ parents were always fighting. Most of the time my parents fought it was over money. You could tell that they were just scared whether or not we were going to make it and that’s how it manifested. You just never really saw that same type of fighting at the friends parents who were comfortable.
Like obviously there’s more factors but there’s a unique chaotic tension in poor households that is hard to describe.
120points

#20

People Who Grew Up Poor Share The Subtle Signs That Show A Person Is Rich (30 Answers)
Paying all your bills without eating Ramen noodles.
118points
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