Poor Person Shares What Poverty Really Looks Like When Speaking With A Rich Person

This description of poverty sheds light on how invisible poverty can be.

Rachel

• Published in Funny
• March 29, 2019

We're all quite attuned to the idea of poverty as it may be for a person in a developing country: widespread, with no (or limited) food, shelter, education or healthcare. But what about in a developed country? Poverty can be completely different in a country where poverty may not be so visible. Poverty is, of course, terrible in all circumstances, regardless of whether it is in a developed or developing country and we should be doing what we can to alleviate poverty and improve people's quality of life.

Tumblr user rrojasandribbons took to explain what poverty looked like for them. Poverty is cyclical, generational and deeply entrenched in our society. Poverty can also be invisible; as people try to keep up the guise of being financially secure.

Thinking of poverty as a "cycle" means acknowledging the external factors that make, and keep, someone poor.

"Just saving money" isn't easy when the majority of your money goes towards living expenses.

Having a savings account is a safety net that a lot of poor people can't afford (literally) to fall back on.

Sometimes you can't wait to make purchases, you have to make them when you have the money; in case you don't have disposable income again for a while.

Clothes, and other basic needs, cost money.

Public schools are often severely underfunded, meaning that children don't always get the highest quality education. These kids start life off behind the rich kids and they don't always get to catch up.

People who have never struggled financially don't know what it's like. They will probably never truly understand.

Poverty doesn't always look like Oliver Twist and some people have a hard time grasping that.

Just because someone lives in a nice house and goes to a nice school; it doesn't mean their parents aren't working their asses off to get there.

Hand-me-downs are a common thing for poor families.

People whose parents are poor and more likely to remain poor. That's how the poverty cycle works.

Healthcare and education are two of the biggest expenses for people. They're also two of the biggest driving factors to get people out of poverty.

Hence, the poverty cycle.

Poverty isn't always visible.

The perception of poverty means that a lot of people don't really understand the struggle of those who aren't "obviously" poor.

Poverty is different in developed countries.

Others have shared their experiences with poverty

Poverty is EXPENSIVE

Can't afford, or don't have access to, nutritious food? Then you'll end up eating cheaper, processed foods.

And literally paying the price for it in healthcare bills later on.

Rich people don't realise how expensive it is to be poor.

Some people get lucky and are able to escape poverty cycles.

But it is a luxury not all are afforded.

It's hard to save money when you have little disposable income.

Not buying a coffee everyday isn't going to mean that someone can afford rent.

Working hard does mean that some people can escape poverty.

But it is not the case for everyone.

The structural and institutional nature of poverty means that it is hard for people to escape the cycle.

Rachel