The Consequences of Being Poor

I recently wrote an article shedding light on what it’s like to be a broke gamer. For most people, their financial hardship extends beyond gaming. There are many hardships that myself and others face daily because of our difficult financial situations. While my financial situation fluctuates, I decided to further explore those hardships.

You can’t have nice things if you’re poor.

I had just moved to a new town and accepted a job at a local grocery store. It paid little, but I needed a job and I figured I could look for another job while working at that one. For whatever reason, one manager at that job looked down on people who were less fortunate than her. She put a Payless coupon in my till when I told her I was having issues affording the specific shoes that were required for my job.

The store that I worked at accepted WIC, which is a program that helps people with babies and toddlers to afford things like formula and vegetables. The cashiers weren’t allowed to process these transactions, so the managers had to come to the checkout whenever we had someone using the program. Unfortunately, that manager seemed to always come over whenever someone was paying with WIC. I’ve witnessed her comment about the clothes, jewelry, and handbags of those she had to help.

For whatever reason, it’s become a popular belief that you shouldn’t have nice things if you’re poor. Others seem to have no issue commenting on the things you own when they know you’re not doing well financially. You’re often told to sell things that matter to you, like your wedding band, or something a deceased relative has passed on to you. Sometimes, you have to sell those things, but it should be your choice, not that of a stranger in a grocery store or a judgmental neighbor.

Sometimes you are forced to sell things you love.

After a tough breakup, I was left financially unstable. I had had little money during the relationship, but breaking up had depleted most of my funds. I made the tough decision to sell my PSP. I ended up getting eighty dollars for my PSP plus eight games. I spent days leading up to the sale beating the odd Sims 2 PSP game and playing Mortal Kombat Unchained. I can still remember how crisp the graphics were…

I know I’m not the first to sell things that I love, and I won’t be the last. Pawnshops and online marketplaces are full of things that people have once loved and had to leave behind to temporarily better their situation.

You get judged for using programs like food stamps.

One of the first places that I worked at was a family-owned grocery store. The grocery store gave yearly raises, but the maximum that a cashier could earn was eight dollars per hour. I ended up staying there so long that I had reached the maximum amount, and I was still struggling financially. I assumed most of my coworkers were facing the same hardships, but my opinion soon changed whenever a coworker made some negative remarks about a couple who were buying chez-its with their food stamp card.

I found it odd that someone who was likely eligible for the program themselves was judging a customer for using food stamps. Shouldn’t she have known a similar struggle? After all, she worked in the deli where the max pay was eight dollars and fifty cents, so she might have qualified for food stamps as well. Despite whatever hardships she may have also faced, she focused on ‘what her tax dollars were paying for’. Sadly, she isn’t the only one who I’ve heard judging others.

It costs money to be poor.

You might have seen the header and wondered how it could cost money to be poor. Sadly, there are many ways it’s costly to be poor. The most common is probably overdraft fees, but there are many other ways that the poor are punished for being poor. Usually, you’re forced to buy the cheapest items (paper towels, toilet paper, cooking supplies, etc.), and these items usually need to be replaced faster than the more expensive versions. Some of the paper towels are so cheaply made that you use about half the roll cleaning up a spill.

You might also have to visit the laundromat if you don’t have a washer and dryer. The laundromat is expensive, and sometimes damaging to your clothes, which causes you to have to buy new ones. Other patrons of the laundromat don’t care about keeping the machines clean, so they’ll sometimes wash clothes that contain blood, vomit, and other bodily fluids.

Another way you must pay for being poor is if you get a fine. For example, car insurance is very expensive, and if you occur a fine for a lapse in insurance, it could cost you up to eight hundred dollars. If you don’t pay the 800 dollars, you won’t be able to renew your driver’s license and it will put a lien on your vehicle.

What about those who don’t have a vehicle, or have had to sell their vehicle to pay the rent? If they’re lucky, there might be a bus in their area. If not, they could end up taking an Uber to work every day. If they can’t afford either of those options, they’ll end up walking to work or riding a bike, which could be unsafe depending on the area they live in.

If you do have a vehicle and can keep it, likely, you won’t be able to keep it maintained. Suddenly, oil changes and tire replacements become luxury items that you can no longer afford. The lack of care your car receives usually leads to bigger issues, like an oil leak, and it ends up costing more to repair.

You have struggle meals.

Once upon a time, I was working two jobs and still struggling. For whatever reason, it never occurred to me to reach out for help, so I ended up eating spaghetti every day. Spaghetti was the only thing I could afford so I ended up eating it for every meal. Payday was a special treat for me because I could buy a loaf of bread to eat with my spaghetti.

I ended up eating the meal so often that it would make me physically ill. After I achieved a slightly better financial situation, I couldn’t eat spaghetti for a year.

You get judged for having pets or children.

If you have a pet or a child, there’s no doubt you’ve heard cruel remarks. “You shouldn’t have them if you can’t take care of them.” While I’ve fallen on hard times many times in the past, I’ve never had this directed at me. Possibly because I put my dog’s needs before my own, even when I’ve had to figure out a way to get her to the vet. I have heard this multiple times about other people, mostly those with more than one child.

You can’t live in a ‘nice’ neighborhood

Money doesn’t buy happiness, but sometimes it can buy a house in a safe neighborhood. Unfortunately, if you can’t afford to live in a nice neighborhood, you may not access to a safe neighborhood, and your kids may not get the best level of education.

You’re told to work multiple jobs and side hustles.

If you’re poor, you’ve likely been told that it’s your fault. You’ve been accused of not working hard enough, despite possibly working more hours than anyone you know. You’re expected to work past the point of exhaustion. You’re also told that you should attend college on top of all of this.

It takes a toll on you mentally.

Being financially unstable extends beyond the bank account. It usually hurts mental health. I have suffered through this myself, as I was working over forty hours and had very little to show for it. I can’t afford to upgrade my car or get a nice house. Sometimes, I was even afraid that I wouldn’t have the money to pay the bills I have.

It’s not just the big things that were beyond my grasp. I didn’t have money to go to the gym, and I couldn’t afford entertainment. Even Netflix was outside of my budget. The only entertainment I could afford was found at my local library or on free streaming apps, like Tubi. Luckily, the library has an extensive selection of both movies and books. I also played video games that I already owned and have rarely spent money on a new release.

Some of your hobbies may even be out of your grasp, as some of them are too expensive. Hobbies that cost little, like writing or drawing, often require time that’s usually taken up by work.

You also are forced to put up with things you shouldn’t in the workplace, such as harassment, if you want to keep your job. In some workplaces, they use fear against the associates to make them do things like come in on their off days, or not report their employer to the board of health or OSHA for violations. It also becomes more difficult to find another job or attend school, because you spend so many hours working.

While it may seem like this article is negative, I only meant to shed light on a situation that many of us find ourselves in. Money isn’t everything, and there are plenty of things you can do without money to better yourself and your life. You can learn skills for free on YouTube or go outside to exercise. You can spend time with your family or go to the library to pick up a book or movie. Sometimes, the library even has video games.

You also cherish your free time more, even if you’re only staying at home and relaxing. You take better care of the things you can afford, and you make time for the things and people that matter to you.