Poverty rates look different depending on where and who you look at. But in the U.S., for instance, among people under 18, it's 16.3% (3.7 percentage points higher than the country's overall rate).
Interested in all the ways the lack of money shapes us, Reddit user CursedButHere made a post on the platform's forum 'Random Thoughts,' asking everyone to describe the peculiar things they do because they grew up poor.
"I'm not talking about the usual things that everyone has heard of, like hoarding food or saving almost empty shampoo bottles," they wrote. "I'm talking about the weird things nobody thinks about."
To kickstart the discussion, the Redditor provided a personal example. "Mine is that even though I have a really good car that has never given me trouble, I only frequent the stores closest to me. I want to make sure if my car breaks down that I can easily walk home. If I have to go somewhere further like I do this week, then I am paranoid the whole way there and back that something will happen and I'll have a really, really long walk ahead of me." Below are the most upvoted replies that they've received.
#21
I'm basically a hoarder because "what if I need that specific thing" sometime"? And not particularly useful things. Like, bread ties and old food containers, like the plastic tubs margarine comes in.
99points
#22
I never throw away clothes, and I rarely buy new ones.
I wouldn't say I grew up poor, but my mother took mine and my siblings paychecks. So we never got to use them ourselves. She would use this to fuel her shopping addiction. I got to spend my money the way I wanted to when I was 24. I had no means of getting away before that. And even before that, I took my appearance very seriously. It was my main means of survival.
I wouldn't say I grew up poor, but my mother took mine and my siblings paychecks. So we never got to use them ourselves. She would use this to fuel her shopping addiction. I got to spend my money the way I wanted to when I was 24. I had no means of getting away before that. And even before that, I took my appearance very seriously. It was my main means of survival.
I have a hierarchy for clothes now. Outside and public wear, Indoor and pyjama wear, make in to new clothes, make in to rags.
I also mend my clothes, fix broken seams, patch torn pockets, replace buttons, etc. I also do this with my husbands clothes, but he is more willing to throw away garments than to put me through work to fix it... unless he likes the item alot.
Report
97points
#23
When I bought a TV for $170 it felt like I bought a house.
Report
97points
#24
For the longest time, I wouldn't go to the doctor or dentist until I absolutely had to. Didn't get regular cleanings until I was in my 20s because my parents didn't have a dental plan (and their teeth prove it--okay, my teeth prove it).
Report
96points
#25
I specifically throw some things away that are still useful because i had to save everything as a kid. I feel guilty every time i do it, and i have to force myself to do it.
My mom still washes out and reuses zip lock bags, and my dad had a drawer full of dead batteries that had enough juice in them to make a flashlight useless.
Report
95points
#26
I often swaddle myself in the blanket in bed and I think it’s because it used to keep most of the ants and other bugs out when I was sleeping.
Report
91points
#27
Shoe cleaning day.
Being a poor kid in NY, in the 80's and early 90's... that was tough for MANY reasons.
As an adult, I really appreciate what I have now, especially having shoes that I purchase new, for me, AND they fit my feet. If they were $5, or if they are 5 years old, I keep them clean.
Shoe cleaning was something I did since I was very young, trying to clean up the handmedowns as best as possible, gluing up loose bits with Elmer's Glue, being yelled at and hit for wasting Q-Tips and bleach on my shoes, because I knew I'd be stuck with them until my toes poked through or they fell apart completely.
Maybe not unusual, but definitely a poor kid habit.
Report
89points
#28
I eat a lot of things cold that most people like hot.
Report
84points
#29
Dilute dish soap.
Growing up we always had one bottle of liquid dish soap and another that was 1 part soap to 1 or 2 parts water. I went all the way through my college years thinking all dish soap was concentrated.
81points
#30
I check prices of everything and sometimes will choose a brand I don’t like as much to save even a few cents.
I reuse teabags. Not save for the next day or anything like that… but if I have tea and want a second cup, I’ll reuse the same tea bag.
Report
78points
#31
I don’t eat the last of anything. I’ll only use half the mayo I want because I don’t want to get in trouble for using it all.
Report
72points
#32
Not eating strawberries. I always have it in my head they are pretentious. I finally made the connection that my parents didn’t buy them much cus they were expensive.
71points
#33
My weird thing is that I associate bananas with poverty to this day.
Back story is that trying to make ends meet somehow my dad was doing some night shifts in a grocery store unloading trucks with fruits and veggies. He was allowed to take for free a couple of crashed or otherwise unsellable pieces every now and then, which were mostly bananas. This was quite a treat back then. But now I cannot eat them without thinking of the poverty we lived in..
Back story is that trying to make ends meet somehow my dad was doing some night shifts in a grocery store unloading trucks with fruits and veggies. He was allowed to take for free a couple of crashed or otherwise unsellable pieces every now and then, which were mostly bananas. This was quite a treat back then. But now I cannot eat them without thinking of the poverty we lived in..
Report
71points
#34
We never threw out phone books growing up. They doubled as toilet paper.
70points
#35
Wherever I live, it’s got to be on a bus route, even though I have a car.
Report
69points
#37
Anytime I make a big purchase, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get arrested or something.
Going on a trip in anything but a car, then renting a car, a hotel, paying to visit things, and going out to eat, just feels somewhat luxurious.
Still, I will be miserly and try to find the best rates for everything that I can. But I’ve learned enough to know, somethings too cheap, there is a catch. So, I do avoid the bottom tier of pricing.
Pretty much anything I buy in the grocery store, it’s by going on sale prices. If it’s not on sale, it’s not in the cart, unless I find a cheaper alternative.
I’m 52 and my 25 year old buddy gave me so much c**p for trying to cheap out buying Doritos. My 16 year old wanted a small bag of Doritos with this Saturday night dinner. Well, the small bag was $2.99. Way too much for a 2 serving bag. But the regular size bag was not on sale. It was $5. But it’s a better value than the $2.99 bag. But it wasn’t on sale. Who’s got that much money to spend on chips that aren’t on sale? It’s just ridiculous to pay that much for junk food.
I bought them anyway, because I knew it’s what the son wanted. But I get so much c**p for worrying about the price of Doritos.
Report
62points
#38
God! Having a reliable car is a must for me too.
My dad was a mechanic & always drove old beaters that broke down all the time when I was a kid, it's left me very paranoid as far as cars go lol.
Report
61points
#39
I'm so used to a cold house that I turn on the heating only a handful of times a year, even though I can afford to do it whenever I need to.
Report
59points
#40
For the longest time, if I had to go to a restaurant, I wouldn't get drinks, ever.
Now I live in a place where water from the sink isn't drinkable at all so if I am really thirsty I may get a bottle of water.
Report
58points
