The gap between rich and poor is so wide that the two classes might as well be living on different planets entirely.
For every person who can purchase a takeaway meal without thinking about it or treat themselves to a nice vacation—and it doesn't have to be all the time—there are way more people who count their change before they head to the supermarket.
This was today's burning question from Redditor cv45fb, and it's an eye-opener:
"What's strange for rich people, but normal for poor people?"
Dental work costs an arm and a leg... and your teeth of course.
So embarrassing when this happens in public.
"Lack of choice."
Lack of choice.
If you're poor it's no longer a question of will I go out tonight, you won't because you don't have the money. Shall I buy a take away? Nope, you'll eat what you have at home or go hungry. When you're poor your life is emptied of many, many choices because you simply don't have the money to buy yourself options in your life.
Ain't this the truth. It's just the way it is. The rich definitely don't understand it.
Overdraft fees are just thievery.
"Grew up with a friend..."
Eating whatever you can afford, not whatever you want.
Grew up with a friend from school that just led a totally different lifestyle than my family. They were super rich. Dinner at their house, every night was like Christmas Eve dinner or a really special occasion in my family. How much was being spent wasn't even on the radar, it was just "what does everyone want?" If they didn't feel like cooking they would just take us out for a casual dinner at a restaurant I didn't even know existed in our town.
It was just a noticeable difference from my family where we'd try to make a dinner stretch for two or even three days before making something else. Then if we did well in school and were behaving well we'd get to go out for pizza on Friday.
The difference is like night and day–it's massive.
"Having a small house..."
Having a small house and siblings sharing a room. I went to school with a girl whose family was super rich, and she heard me talking about how my sister and I always shared a room, and it blew her mind. She asked me if we also had to share a bed (we didn't), then proceeded to tell me how her house was so big that they used an intercom system and had a laundry chute. She had siblings too, but she just couldn't grasp the concept of sharing bedrooms.
I shared a bedroom with my sibling most of my life, so that should tell you everything.
"Counting..."
Counting the money in your wallet before going into the supermarket. And mentally adding up how much you're spending as you shop. I round up to make sure I have enough money.
Been there. I know the struggle.
"It's a weird thing..."
Losing sleep over money. It's a weird thing, not a nightmare - just an uneasy state which wakes you up in the middle of the night. I had that really badly in my second degree. I was so badly in debt, and despite working two jobs I was barely staying afloat. I kept telling myself after my second degree was done it'd be better. It did get better, but waking up due to financial stress sucks.
So true. Few things could possibly feel worse. The world runs on money. When you lack it, life can suck.
"...instead of a minor inconvenience..."
A flat tire being a real disaster that takes months to recover from, instead of a minor inconvenience or setback.
If you live in a place without reliable public transit, this is the worst thing that can happen.
"Constantly knowing..."
Constantly knowing exactly how fragile your quality of life can be. Any financial emergency can totally screw the delicate balancing act you've managed so far.
Absolutely. Many people are only a paycheck or two away from homelessness.
"Having to walk everywhere..."
Having to walk everywhere because you can't afford driving lessons, never mind a car. Also being unable to get in public transit or get taxis/Uber's due to low funds. Imaging having to choose between groceries or being late to somewhere due to low money.
I have seen this in action. And I was also this person once upon a time. Thankfully things improved.
"Leftovers..."
Leftovers, looking at the price of gas before stopping to pump, shopping at several stores to get the best prices on everything possible, sewing a hole in pants or shirts, deciding what you can't do if you go out to eat, getting vacation from work and not going anywhere on it.
"Rich people..."
"Penalty charges" and "late fees". Rich people don't often miss payments, but poor people do all the time.
"Knowing you have to keep up a cash flow..."
Knowing you have to keep up a cash flow or your life will be ruined. Although there are "rich" people who do it too, most well-off people do not know the anxiety of living paycheck to paycheck. Even the wealthier people who do it, can get away with it for much longer in a large house versus a minimum wage worker in a 1 bedroom apartment. I heard of a family in Chicago area that stayed in a 1.5 million dollar house for 8 months before being evicted without paying a single statement - imagine a unit renter being able to have an 8 months grace period on their first rent payment.
It's daunting to take on life and know that any mistake could result in you not having a place to lay your head. And even more so nowadays, I see children who have gotten the green light from their parents that their financials will be handled for the rest of their life and they kinda just do what they want to do now. it honestly makes me angry for some reason.
"Working six or seven day weeks..."
Working six or seven day weeks for years at a time. Never taking a vacation. Not pursuing your dreams/interests because doing what you have to do to pay the bills takes every ounce of energy out of you.
"The look on your friends' faces..."
The look on your friends' faces when you have to say again that you can't afford to go on that trip, camping, hell, even certain restaurants.
A little perspective can go a long way.
Do you have a similar experience to share? Let us know in the comments below!
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Just the other evening, I was walking home, and I barely survived.
I tripped on a dead tree branch.
The next thing I knew, I was flying in the air and landing on my back.
My belongings were strewn about.
And my to-go burger was dead.
A simple walk.
A simple dead branch.
And almost lights out.
Redditor Typical_XJW wanted to hear about the times people eluded death, so they asked:
"How did you almost die?"
Don't even get me started on any and every car ride.
We're always moments from the end on highways.
Back in the Day...
Hunger Games Student GIFGiphy"Almost drowned when I was 5 or 6, been hospitalized twice for sepsis between 2016 and 2019, and had a stroke this year. I'm 29."
ChristmasKid88
On the Disk
"MRSA infection in the disk on my lower spine between L5 and S1. Showed up two days after a cortisone shot but the hospital said it was from something else. Was in hospital 25 days multiple emergency surgeries."
EatA**FromBack
"I worked for a doctor who did these in-house and other procedures, and it 100% made me not trust medical facilities, cleanliness, and sterilization procedures. Had about twenty patients all come down with the same gut infection, 'coincidentally,' the same patients who came in for endoscopy procedures the same day."
dimlylit_
Saved
"Saving a younger friend from drowning, he panicked and almost took me out."
loztriforce
"Had that happen with a younger cousin when we were kids. His brother and I went to save him, he climbed on both of us and pushed us under. Lifeguard didn’t even see us until he pulled younger cousin out of the water, then we popped up gasping for air."
coffeejunki
Shucked
"16-year-old farm kid me, stepdad told me to go pick up a load of corn seed for planting. I had gone with him many times before, and driven the truck (full ton dually diesel) and hauled light stuff with it. Nobody told me how different it is to haul 10,000 lbs of seed on a big flatbed trailer on gravel. I had a lot of common sense and was driving slowly and carefully."
"Still… 10,000+ lbs pushed me down a gravel hill skidding, praying to god I stopped before the stop sign at the T intersection to a busy highway. I came to a grinding halt JUST as the front of the truck crossed the plane where the gravel turned to asphalt. A semi was coming from one direction and regular cars from the other. I shudder thinking about what if on that one. Don’t let untrained kids tow potentially deadly, heavy trailers, with zero training."
datnetcoder
Finding Tracks
College Sports Sport GIF by Sealed With A GIFGiphy"Was backwoods camping in Yellowstone and if I hadn’t considered for 30 seconds if I REALLY needed to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I would have walked out of my tent headfirst into a brown bear, which I heard before leaving and found tracks of next to my tent in the morning. Spookiest moment of my life in hindsight."
danvo5
Bears are a no go for me.
Camping is an even bigger HECK NO!!
Several Strikes
Reassuring Jimmy Fallon GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy"Twice. 1. Woke up to my apartment on fire."
"2. Hit head-on by a drunk driver on a small bus, just after everyone got off bus exploded."
lizard_king0000
Oh Barb
"Lmao okay, so I was getting my teeth cleaned, and I got nitrous oxide because I have so many exposed roots. Well, my hygienist at the time was this lovely lady from Minnesota. Kinda flaky, but super sweet, and talked about her family all the time. So I'm in the chair and she hooks up my mask, and away we go. I actually fell asleep! Except not so much."
"Turns out Barb had forgotten to turn the oxygen on and had been feeding me straight nitrous. She only noticed because I started gasping for air while unconscious. So that's how I almost died at the dentist. I never saw Barb again, but I tell you, that was the best nap of my life!"
CharismaticAlbino
Climb Up
"I was snorkeling. I had my other stuff stored on a rock by the water, about 3 meters high. When I got out, I decided to climb straight up. Almost at the top, the rock I was hoisting myself up on came off and I fell back first onto the coral. If a friendly wave hadn’t come in, I would have broken my back, at least."
Yugan-Dali
Blood Loss
"I was diagnosed with a rare fatal blood disorder from birth, doctors projected I’d live till about 6 and then die from massive blood loss. As this was the mid-90s, they tested the idea of using stem cells from my sibling's umbilical cord; administering the first successful stem cell transplant from a sibling donor and I’m still here to tell the tale!"
Material_Cry1697
These were some tremendously close calls.
Do you have any near-death experiences to share? Let us know in the comment below.
