Poverty isn’t just about living with less. It’s also about the small, quiet moments that can cause humiliation — even when there’s no need to feel embarrassed. One Redditor posed a question in r/povertyfinance that got to the heart of the matter: “What’s the most embarrassing thing poverty has made you do?” And boy, did people who were struggling have tales to tell.
A number of Redditors told stories about digging through trash, often for receipts that could lead to free items or a chance at winning money.
“I don’t know if Burger King still does this, but they used to put a survey on every receipt and if you completed it you would get a free Whopper,” wrote u/Interesting-Tank-160. “I would rummage through the trash out front for someone else’s receipt and take their survey.”
“Dollar General prints coupons on the backs of their receipts, usually like $5 off your total if you come in and buy on Saturday,” shared u/LadyLoki5. “I used to fish those out of trash cans and break up my shopping list into multiple purchases and go in several times on a Saturday. It was a huge help.”
Others shared stories of asking fast-food employees for receipts that were left behind, or digging through trash for fresh produce. The response to those dumpster divers? Pure respect.
“I have nothing but respect for people who dumpster dive, be it for hobby or necessity,” wrote u/SammyTrujillo, one of many Redditors who praised these people for their resourcefulness.
Pawning Heirlooms
Others shared stories of being ashamed at selling items they loved.
“The only thing I ever inherited was a gold pocket watch that my grandad got on his retirement,” u/O_C_Demon wrote. “I’ve had to pawn that multiple times to pay rent before … I’ve literally sold everything I’ve ever had that’s worth selling now but pawning that watch always leaves me feeling so low and embarrassed to be in this position in my 40s.”
“I’ve pawned/sold so many things I loved. I hated it,” vented another Reddit user.
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with dumpster diving or pawning things you love to make ends meet. The embarrassing part is that our country is still home to such drastic displays of inequity. According to Oxfam, 43.7 million people live in poverty in America, and the federal minimum wage has been officially declared a “poverty wage.” For a country that leads the world in billionaires, that’s particularly shameful.
Paying With Pennies
One of the most frequently mentioned “confessions” was about paying for items in change, whether it was gas or household necessities.
“Paying for Dollar Tree toilet paper in change because that’s all I had until pay day and it was only Wednesday,” shared u/DangerousBlacksmith7, while another Redditor told of a time they paid for $3 in gas with quarters.
Others talked about paying for a carton of milk with pennies, which you won’t even be able scrounge up in the near future since pennies are no longer being produced.
There were plenty more “embarrassing” poverty moments Redditors wrote about: selling ADHD medication, not going to graduation because they couldn’t afford a cap and gown, wearing wet clothes to school because they didn’t have dryer money, using coffee filters for a week instead of toilet paper, shoplifting toothpaste, stealing food, and more.
One creative Redditor shared a poverty meal they’d once made: “Two words: Onion Soup,” u/sock0puppet wrote. “Trust me, you get real creative when you open the fridge and all that’s in it are three onions.”
Any stories you can relate to? Tell us about the moment you realized poverty hit home.
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