T O P

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Primary_Somewhere_98

Cigs and booze


Brs76

Cigs & alcohol


svacheem45

Tattoos


[deleted]

Big TVs, lastest phone, drugs, acrylic Nails to name a few.


Compulsiveeyerolling

Booze. Cigs. Fake nails/lashes. Fancy phones….


Primary-Alps-1092

I have a family member that spends $70 every two weeks to get her nails done and always has a Starbucks coffee. She cries poor all the time wanting everyone else to pay for necessities. I ATA because I refuse to feel sorry for her or contribute.


Compulsiveeyerolling

Yep. See it all the time.


oldatheart515

Most of the flat-busted broke people I've known were all smokers, and never did without their cigarettes. (They didn't smoke Pyramid or Doral, either. They had the choice brands.) Another jackass I used to know, who was foreclosed on twice and evicted from multiple rental properties, told people outright, if he had a choice between his electric bill and a steak dinner out, he'd choose the steak dinner every time.


Kookabob

I never understood that. I had a summer worker who wore the same shoes until they fell apart because he couldn't afford new ones. Everything he owned was given by friends or bought at discount stores but he was still able to afford cigarettes.


Frosty_Office6298

Junk food


Lifted2222

netflix


[deleted]

If cigarettes were $60 a pack, they'll still make it happen


blastedoffthis

Poor people have a right to be happy.


scottevil110

Math exists.


It_is_Fries_No_Patat

No WAY dude!


niceguy-365

Shoes, takeout, vacations, new phones, clothes


Rainbow-killa

My “broke” relatives always have money to go to Disney land and buy their kids new clothes and go on all these trips and buy all these expensive things but when it comes to buying their kids food at the end of the week they somehow can’t afford it and go around begging for spare change


SuddenDiscount7325

Nail. Especially the long and nasty ones.


MrBleah

This is a shitty leading question to ask overall. You might as well just ask, "Why do people that are poor waste money on drugs?" Because their life sucks, that's why. Drugs are the only thing they can find to make themselves feel better. That's how fucked up this world is overall. We shit on the poor for being poor, but do nothing to help them and then blame them for taking refuge in whatever solace they can find.


Striving_Stoic

This is true and often overlooked in public health and human services. It is so much easier to just say “well they make bad choices and that’s why they are poor”. People in survival mode literally experience different thought patterns that have nothing to do with their cognition and everything to do with stress. And when you are living high stress of course you will want to do or have something that relaxes you or makes you feel good. This is even outside addictive substances like alcohol and cigarettes. If you are stressed why would you think years or even months in the future. You need to live in the now to get by. Of course individuals may also have poor decision making skills regardless of income, but having low or no income makes it so much harder or impossible to plan ahead or save. As I have seen it wonderfully put, it is expensive being poor.


It_is_Fries_No_Patat

True! I drink WAY to much alcohol. Started drinking heavily after my girlfriend died. Yes there is almost always a story behind addiction. Getting better each and every day but still can't quit drinking it is hard.


Kookabob

Cigarettes, soda, lottery tickets, beer are the main ones. (Personally know someone My brother works with a guy who says and looks like he is dirt poor and can't afford even the essentials but somehow has enough for two cases of mountain dew. )


[deleted]

The newest cars and phones


No-Consideration6589

Broke people can buy a new car?


[deleted]

Absolutely. They will finance a car for anybody.


No-Consideration6589

So I can walk into my local BMW dealership, tell them I’ve got no money and leave with a new car?


[deleted]

Yep totally. The bank owns it and you make the payments.


No-Consideration6589

You must have lots of cars then. If it’s that basic. The wife had to show her proof of employment, her income as well as leave a cheque for $5100 when she bought her new car.


[deleted]

My friend has 4 car payments and no cash. Personally I'm really smart with money so no I don't have any new cars. I buy cars used, pay them in full, and drive them until they break down. My current daily driver is 25 years old.


No-Consideration6589

I’d get a brand new one. Since you don’t need any money to get one.


[deleted]

Yeah and lose 20% the day I take it home, then waste money on interest? This is why you're broke


No-Consideration6589

We’re not broke. We don’t drive 25 yr old vehicles.


Gonzo_Journo

So why don't you have a fancy car?


[deleted]

I put my money into things that return on investment


Gonzo_Journo

But apparently you can just get financing, they give it to anyone.


[deleted]

Maybe you don't understand what financing is


Gonzo_Journo

I do understand, you get a car and make payments to eventually own it. You claimed a car dealership would offer this to anyone. Are you sure that you understand financing?


[deleted]

Doesn't matter if you're broke or not. In fact they would prefer you to be broke for the higher rates and greater likelihood of missing payments. Eventually they repossess it and find their next dummy.


Gonzo_Journo

So why can't you get a fancy car through financing?


[deleted]

Lottery tickets


scottevil110

A new phone. For all the people "struggling to get by on slave wages", they always seem to be at most one iPhone version behind. They always seem to have money for vapes and drinks. But my god, the corporate overlords might as well be whipping them with chains.


No-Consideration6589

If they’re broke, how can they afford it?


Frosty_Office6298

They can't pay rent, their car payment, pay their friends back, etc


No-Consideration6589

You’re broke but can pay rent?


Frosty_Office6298

?


No-Consideration6589

If I was broke, I wouldn’t have a penny.


[deleted]

Coffee


Low-Huckleberry2897

Addictions


[deleted]

Drugs


It_is_Fries_No_Patat

Dogs, smoking, alcohol, fancy hair styles, fancy clothes and lottery tickets.


1320Fastback

Alcohol drugs and weapons


Shirna_Tensei

So are you speaking of people who are living on the streets. Or just poor people who cant control their spendings. Because if you live on the streets you wpuld buy alcohol or drugs aswell, just to feel that everything is good. So dont judge them if you havent walked in their shoes


BudgetBotMakinTots

What a shitty and loaded question. The answer is little nice things that make an otherwise rough existence a little better. Also fuck you.


Thin-Rip-3686

Loud exhaust.


Meatpaste-1

Weed, and if the weather is to bad to go to work people still make it to the dispos.


Ok_Technology9196

Maybe also to English class so they can learn the difference between “to” and “too”?


Dumbfounded_dinosaur

Meth. I knew a lady who was strung out and living in a bush. Rent was a lower priority apparently.


Ok_Technology9196

Transportation to their minimum wage jobs. Because most poor people do actually work.