Things Poor People Loved Until The Rich Ruined Them For Everyone
Reddit user degreeofvariation asked: 'What was loved by poor people until rich people ruined it?'
They say money can't buy happiness, but it seems it can make a lot of other people miserable.
Whether it's the housing crisis or the high cost of living, people are pointing at the 1% to accuse them of ruining things for the 99% in a multitude of ways.
Reddit user degreeofvariation asked:
"What was loved by poor people until rich people ruined it?"
Accommodations
"Living in warehouses in the industrial, rundown side of town."
"historic brick warehouse gets torn down"
"Coming soon: Lofts"
~ SpecialpOps
"Yes! They tore down all the real lofts to build condos they call lofts."
~ StrainAcceptable
"Living in arty neighborhoods."
~ hinterstoisser
"This is what I was looking for. Creative poor people have been investing in poor neighborhoods forever."
"They use their talent to make it a cool place they enjoy living in. The rich say 'Hey, I want to be cool, let's buy this'."
"And then they price the poor out of the haven they created and turn it into a stale, crowded, overpriced place."
~ TwiceBaked57
"Dude what I find so frustrating about this is that when they move in, the corporations move in with them."
"Next thing you know, the cute cafe you liked so much is an apple store; the good thrift shop down the street got eaten up by a new whole foods; and the entire neighborhood has lost its soul."
~ Hollz23
"One of my favorite record stores just got evicted because their landlord sold the building to a bank that wants to be in the arts district."
~ Imakereallyshittyart
"Which will lead it to no longer being an 'arts' district."
~ Quacker_please
"Quiet out of the way country cabins sitting by lakes."
"Now they are over priced Airbnbs."
~ amyaurora
"I'd even say Airbnbs themselves. They started as a potentially cheap alternative to hotels run by people who have extra space they aren't doing anything with."
"Now people build guest houses specifically for Airbnb and treat It like a full on rental."
~ Jarf_17
"Van life and tiny house living."
~ Cooper_brain
"I live in my sh*tty van after almost being evicted from my apartment."
"Every once in a while I'll meet a rich couple with $100,000 van conversions and they ask me 'what's your build like??'."
"I'm like, there's a mattress and not much else. Can be truly offensive at times."
~ Tangelo_12
Shopping
"Etsy."
~ tattooedroller
"There are SO many accounts for cheap mass produced crap that you could get on a bunch of other websites as well."
"No, I come to Etsy for homemade stuff and support artistic individuals."
~ Physical-Primary-256
"I no longer use Etsy because of how terrible the platform has become (for buyers as well as sellers)."
"If you still want to use Etsy, always do a reverse image search on the product you are considering, and also look on Aliexpress, Alibaba, Amazong, and Ebay to see if you can find the same item there."
"Most of the time you can. And for less money too."
"Etsy is still coasting on the 'handmade' reputation but most of the listings that I've seen in the past 5+ years are for cheap factory-made stuff."
~ almalauha
"Going to the farmers market."
~ M-Squared804
"I went to a farmer's market where only one vendor was selling fruits and vegetables. There were three boutique honey stands."
~ randompedestrian382
"That's what our markets are turning into as well. It's gone from local farmers and affordable produce to artisanal creations for the elite."
~ KeepOnRising19
"Ebay. It used to be so useful to get all kinds of cheap or unique things."
"Then more and more big commercial sellers joined the club and eventually ebay itself forgot about what and who made their platform a success in the first place."
~ onesmilematters
"It was a treasure trove. I remember just searching for random things I had as a kid. Imported music. Some nights I would just sort and see what was selling for a penny within the next 10mins or so."
"My sister and I were still in high school in '98 and we would just browse for HOURS as if we were walking around a store. But that rating was so important. We took great pride in that and showed the same respect to others."
"Now I am constantly upset and disappointed by the entire process."
~ idontwantanamern
"Thrift shopping."
"I'm not "✨ thrifting✨ I'm f'kin broke."
~ Elduroto
"Sometimes I feel like it's cheaper to buy clothes at Target or Walmart brand new than it is to buy from a thrift store."
~ Urchintexasyellow
"I blame the thrift stores for the shift. They literally pay nothing for their inventory, and pay barely over minimum wage in most places."
"Several times I’ve gone to thrift stores and seen items at or above what they cost brand new from the original retailer. Damn grift stores."
~ mrRabblerouser
Charities
"Food banks. My local food bank put out a news article basically saying that rich people need to stop using the food bank as a 'life hack' to lower their grocery bills."
~ ConfidantlyCorrect
"There were stories in the UK throughout the pandemic about it: those that needed it were having to walk to the Food Bank to get what they needed, but there was also people turning up in BMW's, Range Rovers. etc..."
~ Scotsgit73
"OMG. That's so evil. Some people really have no conscience."
~ BettyBoopWallflower
"I used to volunteer at a soup kitchen at a church, and it was kinda well known as having great food because the whole kitchen staff were actually a team of chefs from a nearby well known restaurant."
"They volunteered at the soup kitchen so they used it as like experience for some of their newer chefs etc...."
"Soon word got out that the food was good and you started seeing expensive cars pop up in the parking lot every now and then till they started coming more and more till one day like....80-100 rich people came and like basically ate so much that we ran out of food and had to let almost 50 homeless people go without food to starve that day."
"These rich people were literally coming to a SOUP KITCHEN for a free meal they don't need and literally preventing homeless people who, some of them this is their only meal in like 2 days, from getting food."
"AND WE TOLD THEM."
"We told them like we have a limited amount of food, we want to prioritize the homeless and those who don't have food security."
"Next week, the rich people would ignore us and bring even more of their friends."
"Plus it's not even like we got more donations once the rich people started coming either. F'k em."
~ ezodochi
Counterculture
"Counterculture-based festivals."
"Burning Man was on my bucket list until rich f'ks started showing up with bodyguards and started establishing private zones."
~ hgaben90
"Counterculture as a whole seems to be getting gentrified."
"In the Netherlands there are a lot of places you can go to that have a 'counterculture aesthetic', or more specifically 'squat aesthetic' but have exorbitant prices."
"Squatting used to be huge and multiple venues in the Netherlands (like Paradiso and Melkweg) have their humble beginnings as a squat. Ruigoord, a village close by Amsterdam that got squatted 50 years ago, also completely lost it's soul and is filled with yuppies."
"Counter culture is being gentrified, sanitised and sold back to people at exorbitant prices as something 'new, weird and hip'."
~ whazzar
Transportation
"Pickup trucks. They used to be much cheaper."
~ NCBadAsp
"They're luxury commuter vehicles for guys who think a $90,000 truck that will never see a dirt road is a smart move."
~ HauntedCemetery
Is there an affordable item you once loved that got expensive once it got popular?
Share it in the comments.
Inexpensive Purchases That Greatly Improved People's Lives
Reddit user degenerateunicorn asked: 'What inexpensive purchase improved your life greatly?'
As a society, we have made this general correlation that spending more means receiving a higher-quality item.
But sometimes we need to remember that affordable purchases are totally worth our time, and sometimes those purchases prove to be the true game-changers.
Redditor degenerateunicorn asked:
"What inexpensive purchase improved your life greatly?"
Long Charging Cables
"For once and for all, it's a ten-foot charging cable for your phone!"
- usuperavenger
"Not just one... but one for each room you regularly charge your phone. A 10-footer in the bedroom and a 10-footer in the loungeroom, changed my life."
- lhsofthebellcurve
Good Earplugs
"Earplugs. Just pop those in your ears and shut the world out."
- lapsangsouchogn
"I bought some to help me sleep and oh. my. god. I sat on this brilliant idea for seven years. I feel so ashamed of myself."
- DidDunMegasploded
A Library Card
"Does a library card count?"
- Lookimawave
"I'd say so! There's just so much you can do at local libraries! Especially in the bigger cities. The things they have to lend out are really interesting and definitely not just books!"
- appleparkfive
"I hardly ever even go into the physical library, but the card gives me access to e-books, audiobooks, and movies via Libby, Hoopla, Overdrive, and Canopy. Although the physical library does have neat resources like 3D printers, laser cutters, a recording studio, etc."
- Lookimawave
An Electric Toothbrush
"Electric toothbrush!"
- imvital
"Does it make a big difference? Lifelong manual toothbrush user, but I've been considering converting if it's worth it."
- ILoveLamp_1995
"A few years back I needed to get a new toothbrush and the cheapest in the store was a battery-powered electric. I thought why not and tried it out."
"My next dentist visit showed a marked improvement with just that cheap, crappy brush."
"I bought an Oral-B electric brush (with bluetooth!) right there in the dentist's office. Since then, my dentist checkups have just been a bit of scraping, with very little if any bleeding. Definitely worth it."
- nabrok
A Jogging Phone Holder
"A shoulder holster for my phone when I started to run again. It was the running that changed my life obviously, but having my phone within Bluetooth range for music made it achievable. Cost me all of seven dollars."
- EveryonesADose
More Pillows
"I got myself a third pillow last year. I don't know what it is about it but definitely has made sleeping better."
- potatosalade26
A Roomba or Equivalent
"Not necessarily cheap, but a Roomba. Now I HAVE to keep my place clean and decluttered so it can work. No more piles of laundry and whatnots."
- Pale-Dust2239
"There are cheaper ones out there and if you decide to give them a go 100% pay for the extended warranty."
"I got a Eufy which we love but have had it replaced twice in three years for free. Next time it dies we’ll be out of warranty so hopefully I can get enough cash together for a Roomba."
- MissingVanSushi
A Swiss Army Knife
"I got it as a gift but a basic Swiss Army knife. It fits in my pocket, and gives me a crappy screwdriver, bottle opener, tweezers, etc., in a pinch. It also doesn’t freak people out like other pocket knives."
- Mrofcourse
A Meat Thermometer
"A meat thermometer takes the guesswork and worry out of internal temps."
- 9umopapisdn
"Oh my god, do you have a Meater? My husband says it’s the best gift I’ve ever given him. It’s a meat thermometer that connects to your phone."
- degenerateunicorn
A Bidet
"A bidet."
- art8127
"Yes! It costs thirty dollars, and even a doofus like me was able to 'install' it in under 10 minutes."
- poppy-sparklehorse
A Sleep Mask
"A proper sleep mask."
"They're not too expensive. I wrap it around one of those microwavable bean bags shortly before bed and it becomes a warm mask for falling asleep. Super comfortable."
- zomboromcom
"I agree, mine was a great purchase. Not only does it help me sleep in later, but putting it on has now become the signal to my body that it's time to sleep."
- sedimentary-1
Glass Lens Cloth
"Glasses cleaner cloth. Such a little soft piece of cloth saves me from the frustration of constant smears, smudges, possible scratches, and ruining the anti-glare layer on my glasses. I hate looking out of dirty glasses."
- agbmom
A Bicycle
"I bought a second-hand bike for $60 back in the autumn of 2020. I took to cycling, and because of that, I lost 35lbs (but put 20 back on), it renewed my sex life with my husband and I feel healthier. It’s very calming (it’s a multi-use trail, so no vehicles and it’s flat and maintained)."
"I have some wonderful folks I talk to every time I go out and dogs I get to give treats to. I go out any morning I can Spring/Summer/Autumn for between 90 minutes to two hours, as long as it isn’t raining or too windy… I’ll even go out when it’s below 0°C. I’m early retired, so I have plenty of time."
- NickNNS
A Wet Pallet for Painting
"My homemade wet pallet. Leftover scrap container, some sponge, parchment paper, and a little water, and boom. Perfectly thinned acrylic paint and blending surface. It was a game changer for me as an artist."
- Adubya76
A Backscratcher
"A one-dollar backscratcher!"
- LazyHighGoals
"I keep a backscratcher on my nightstand, and now I don’t know how I lived without it."
- wholewheatscythe
Each of these purchases are items that we could not only see purchasing ourselves, but we can totally understand how these were life-changing for these Redditors, despite the price of the purchases. Sometimes the most life-changing things have the smallest price tags!
Every now and then, we fork over a rather large sum of money to buy something which we think will have a positive impact on our lives. This could be anything from a new home or car, an ice cream machine, or a super big flat-screen TV.
At the end of the day, we find ourselves justifying the purchase as money well spent, no matter how much damage the price tag inflicted on our bank account.
However, not all purchases which could have a hugely positive effect on your life require a loan or a second mortgage to buy.
Sometimes, something we find on sale or a discount store might prove to be the very thing we were missing all our lives.
"What’s something $100 or less but is a total game changer?"
For Safety And Sanity.
"Musicians ear plugs."
"Mine cut down the sound level by 2/3 or so and I use them at every concert, but also on the subway, at loud bars etc."
"They don't make things sound muffled, just quieter."
"Your ears can't regenerate, ever, and my work depends on my hearing so I gotta keep 'em safe."
"And my pair only cost about $25 Canadian!"- bjackilly
No Change Of Getting Tangled Up!
"Under-mattress clips to keep your bedsheet from coming off at the corners."
"It was recommended to me on Reddit and remains one of my favorite possessions."- Nepentheiii
Your Wrist And Fingers Will Thank You Later.
"Nintendo Switch Pro controller.'
'Huge difference over the joycons."- BocTheCrude
Video Game GIF by Fall GuysGiphyThe Good Kind Of Pressure
"A nice shower head."- Astrosloth92
When You're Not Ready For The Sun...
"Blackout curtains."
"Especially if you work second shift or graveyard."
"The quality of sleep goes up so much."- Fourloken
Three Simple Items, One Life-Changing Result
"Vinegar and Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle."
"It's absolutely 100% the best cleaner I have ever used."- evilpigclone
Window Spraying GIF by Leah DubucGiphyLet There Be Light!
"An electric, USB chargeable lighter."
'I don't smoke, but I do light a lot of candles, use it to light my fireplace, etc."
"No more dealing with the stupid ones that run out of fuel or whatever."
"Or the little tiny ones with the rollers that I could never freaking get to work."
"Plus there's no flame to blow back at you."
'If something pushes against the electrical current, it just goes out."- beepborpimajorp
Office Mobility
"Roller blade wheel casters for your desk chair."
"Quieter, smoother, and don't damage your floor."
"I finally just got some and I love them, 20$."- bingwhip
Surf With No Interruptions...
"PiHole."
"It Basically blocks every ad in your home network from loading."
"Combined with an ad-Blocking browser extension you will experience the internet on another level."- schobaloa1
Internet GIFGiphyIt's The Little Things That Get You, And The Thought That Counts.
"I bought my dad a $2 letter opener and he acted like it was the best gift in 20 years."- writingwrongs
As the saying goes, money can't buy happiness.
And it's the simple things in life which make us truly happy.
When I was seven-years-old, I decided to use my allowance to buy one of those disposable cameras. It was less than $10, and my life was never the same!
Since I was so young, I wasn’t allowed to use my dad’s Nikon, in case I dropped it, so I never understood the joy he got from taking pictures until I got my own camera. Once I took my first photograph, I never stopped.
Now, I’m the one who gets pictorial evidence of special events or documents family trips. I’m the one who makes sure memories are preserved, and I love it.
You never know what purchase is going to be life-changing, but chances are, something was. Usually, these life-changing purchases aren’t even that expensive.
Curious about this or perhaps hoping for a recommendation, Redditor stampoutreality asked:
“What life-changing item can you buy for less than a hundred dollars?”
Kept Me In Food
"Rice Cooker. That kept me fed during covid when I barely had the energy to get out of bed"
– ArkadyKirilenko
"Chinese families know this. Got addicted when I married into one. We keep soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar around for condiments."
– ihbarddx
For A Good Night's Sleep
"A good pillow"
– wilsonianuk
"Completely changes the way you sleep am I right?"
"I had trouble for months getting good sleep, brought a under pillow and a memory pillow for the top and I swear a nuke could go off and I'd just sleep through it."
– viking_raider94
To Heal
"First aid kit. They are handy when you least want them to be."
– ThePhoenixBird2022
"My family is very outdoorsy, and my grandpa was a medic in the National Guard. He always stressed having a basic first aid kit wherever you go, and making sure to throw out anything that’s expired. That bag has more mileage than my grandpa’s ‘55 Chevy lol"
– IllurinatiL
"Exactly, you never want to need it but when you keep it handy it turns form a minor inconvenience to have near you to a potential literal lifesaver."
– MrPers0n30
"Yep. My freshman year of college I used lots of band aids on myself and my floor mates, and once had a girl come to my apartment at 2am to splint her broken hand until she could get to the doctor in the morning as she couldn’t go to the ER."
"Ironically I didn’t have it the day I ended up in a serious biking accident and had a nasty head injury. The off duty EMT who found me had a first aid kit with him and did more to actually treat me then the crew that showed up in the ambulance."
– IronDominion
Caught It On Camera
"A decent dash cam. I scoffed at the idea of a dashcam for years. A friend told me to try it out and it helped me out when I got in an accident a couple years back."
– Froggy-of-the-butt
"I keep thinking about getting a dash cam, but I also have an irrational fear that as soon as I get one I'll really need it like I'm tipping probability somehow."
– RomanSeraphim
Protect Yourself
"Condoms"
– DucoNdona
"Not buying them would be more life changing"
– rippin12000
"An even cheaper birth control method is to tell your potential mate how you spend 8 hours a day on reddit. Works every time."
– FartingBob
Arthur Said It Best
"A library card--free if you live in the library's district, a fee if you are a non-resident. So many resources for self improvement and growth...and so many free alternatives to paid services."
– TheSanityInspector
"Hot tip: Librarians want you to have a card, so they are very often willing to very liberally interpret the requirements to prove that you are in district."
– TrineonX
"Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card!"
– psiv92
Can We Fix It?
"Basic tool set."
"A little youtube/Google work, a $100 worth of tools and you'd be amazed at the things you can fix on your car, around the house, etc."
"Bonus points if you're a man - chicks dig dudes that are handy"
"Bonus points if you're a woman - dudes dig chicks that can turn wrenches with them"
"Everyone wins!"
– 86Logs
"people love people who can handle their own sh*t**"
– granth1993
Once You Grind, You Never Go Back
"Pepper grinder. Seriously I will never use regular pepper again"
– Deleted User
"Same goes for coffee!"
– realityGrtrThanUs
"Recently got a salt/pepper grinder set and bulk peppercorn medley and pink Himalayan salt off Amazon and it’s been a great decision. We also buy bulk dried Thai bird chilies and grind our own for spice at home."
–swimsuitsamus
Run, Run, Fast As You Can
"Running shoes."
"Can easily get a quality, long-lasting and versatile pair under 100."
"Running can have such a massive positive effect for anyone struggling with their mental health I can’t recommend it enough."
– forreverendgreen_
"Been running a mile a day for the last few months. It may have unnoticed benefits to my mental health outside of the time spent running, but on a conscious level it's brought nothing but misery - whether hating the act of running itself to the tiredness that follows."
"I hope someday to feel the mythical runner's high. So far it feels more like a kick in the gut."
– texanarob
"Blackout curtains"
– Ny_Mike27
"Every time I date a guy and spend the first night over the next morning I’m always like “we gotta get some black out curtains for this room.” Knew I met the love of my life when he already had them lol"
– AndyJCohen
"I'm going to ask for this for Christmas."
"Here in the UK especially in the north, it can get sunny from about 4AM onwards in summer"
– Peniche1997
All of these are totally justified, but that last one is definitely the best!
Whether it's their childhood or their college years or when they first move out on their own, at some point in life most people have to survive on a tight budget.
Part of that survival is learning to eat with few resources.
But some of those cheap meals are actually pretty tasty.
Redditor Imawildedible asked:
"What is some 'poor people food' that you will eat no matter how wealthy you get?"
Tomato Mayo Sandwich
"On behalf of my father."
"He grew up in genuine poverty (non-canned meat only on Sundays kind of poverty) in the South, and so tomato and mayo sandwiches on white bread were a staple for him."
"Fast forward 60 years, I went to visit him a few weeks ago for his birthday and watched him get home from the gym in a luxury sedan, walk into his nice house, plug his new iPhone into the charger, and promptly make a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich for Saturday lunch."
"He told me that, no matter how far away he gets from his childhood, he’ll always crave that sandwich."
- Womens_Lefts
Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
Popcorn
"Microwave popcorn, which fueled my entire time in college."
- Iamwinning2022too
"To me, microwave popcorn is the luxury. My parents weren't poor or lacking a microwave, they just were really price-conscious and never saw the need to spend on bags when a big ol' jar of kernels was cheaper by the ounce."
"I was amazed when I was at sleepovers and those parents just used a bag."
"So convenient! No shaking! No melting butter beforehand! No cleanup! Everyone got their own bag! And it has an exotic, artificial taste just like the movie theatre!"
"I prefer the pan-made now (more flavor control, and the bags are irreparably salty), but man, nuker-corn seemed like it was just so cool."
- SymmetricalFeet
GiphyTacos
"Tacos!"
"They're alwaysso cheap to make, and many times cheap to purchase."
"Tacos just make you feel happy. I don't know what it is."
"They also seem to fill you up!"
- jabba-du-hutt
GiphyPB&J
"Peanut butter and jelly. Never forget the ones who were there for you when you had nothing."
- I_Love_Small_Breasts
"Have you tried a grilled PB&J? It's insane."
- TitaniumReinforced
"Variations on peanut butter sammiches are all must tries:"
"PB & Honey"
"PB & Nutella"
"PB & Banana (& Honey)"
"PB & Fluff"
- RonYarTtam
GiphyRice
"Rice with fried egg and soy sauce."
- damnwhale
"Rice with pretty much anything and soy sauce."
- t_e_e_k_s
Rice
"Rice with just soy sauce."
"This was literally the only thing I ate as a kid, my parents would tell me I refused to eat anything else even at restaurants unless it was rice with soy sauce."
- Aschentei
Mgg Vitchakorn on Unsplash
Frozen Pizza
"Frozen pizza. I LOVE pizza - fancy pizza, good pizza, mediocre pizza."
"But something about controlling how your own frozen pizza comes out and devouring it will always be satisfying."
- Eldrick84
"I actually like the super cheap Totino’s pizza."
- YetAnotherJules
"I buy those bad boys by the box at Walmart. Had one for dinner tonight. They are so cheap but always seem to just hit the spot when you're hungry and don't want to get together a meal."
‐ Archer1407
GiphyPotatoes
"Any and every variation of potatoes. I’m like Bubba from Forest Gump with them."
- swagga74
"When I was a kid my mum always used to put potato in her curries. As I got older I couldn't understand why other people didn't do this or why this wasn't an option in restaurants."
"Was then told this was something poor people did to make their food last longer."
"So I learned to cook this for myself and it's the only way I like to eat curry. Potatoes rock but are also enemy as I get older as my belly is constantly rewriting it's boundary."
- Dark_Moe
"Potatoes are an astounding source of potassium."
"Sweet potatoes are almost as good by the same metric. WAY better than bananas."
- thenerj47
Eric Prouzet on Unsplash
Franks & Beans
"My favourite would have to be beans and wieners."
- C_Woodswalker
"My family calls it beenie weenies."
- DJisanotherRedditor
"Franks and beans here."
- Aperture_TestSubject
GiphyMac & Cheese
"Cheap powdery 39cent Mac & cheese."
- JamesTheMannequin
"We had a big family growing up so one of my moms specialties was tuna Mac."
"Add a can of tuna fish, and that canned peas/carrots mix. Boom balanced meal 😂"
- PrimaryImpossible467
GiphyCup Noodle
"Cheap instant noodles for the win."
- neuroticteletubby
"Sometimes, when I am feeling risky, I buy the EXPENSIVE instant noodles."
- JollyNeedleworker1
"I have an awesome Asian market by me with aisles for different countries but my favorite thing is the two big rows of nothing but instant noodle meals."
"Half of them have zero English and weird pictures so I never know exactly what I'm getting. It's sort of a ramen lottery for me to grab a few random packs when go. I love it!"
"Some of them get crazy though. Some have a chemical pack included that'll boil the water for you."
"Some are a bit larger bag with a dozen or more little bags of stuff inside, and those can be a challenge to figure out what you're supposed to do."
- diiejso
GiphyWhile several of these suggestions aren't exactly poverty meals, most are still fairly inexpensive.
So did your cheap eats make the list?
What's your favorite inexpensive meal?
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