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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My family has been lucky to always be well off, and this is one of those things I could never ever bring up with anyone I know, but am secretly fascinated by poor people and wonder about so many aspects of their lives.

I grew up dirt poor on a farm in rural Appalachia.  It was wonderful.

Do you shop at WalMart? No then, shopped at Big Lots and Value City.  Cheaper than Walmart.  Now I shop at Walmart and Sam's.  I still buy hand soap, etc. from Big Lots.  I can't see throwing good money away for soap.

Do you eat fast food all the time?  No, then and now.  When I was a kid, we got one trip to McD's per year each, for a Happy Meal on our birthday.  I haven't eaten at McD's in years.  My dad was a self-employed construction worker and did remodel a McD's once, though, and they gave him a lot of expired happy meal toys for us.  I sat in the booth while he worked after elementary school and played with fry guys.  I kept them for many years.

How big is your home? Then, 3 BR farmhouse.  Now, 3800 sf modern.

What do you DO on weekends?  On Saturdays we got up at 7 a.m. and worked on the farm until 5 p.m.  In the summer, on the garden, fields or animals.  In winter we cleared new fields and made repairs.  Saturday evenings we could read or watch the 2 channels we had.  Sunday we went to church in the morning, ate lunch and worked from 2-5.  Now we take our son to different local events and places.  Hiking, playgrounds, etc.  Stuff we never did when I was a kid.  I do worry about it because I don't want him to grow up too soft and entitled so we do yardwork, etc. and he "helps."

Where do you go on vacations? Then, we didn't.  Now, to see family, the Caribbean, Europe.

Do you have very few clothes? Shoes? Then, a couple pairs of jeans and shorts, maybe 10 shirts, a pair of school shoes and a pair of work boots.  Most hand me downs from my brother.  Now, I still have very few clothes.  I have about a weeks' worth of business attire and another weeks' worth of play clothes, and get around a pair of shoes per year.  My running shoes I got before I got married  years ago but the holes are small so I haven't bought a new pair yet, though I've been thinking about it for a year or so.  I don't like to waste money still and I don't like to buy shoes I am not totally in love with.

If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends?  Eat, chat on the porch.  When I was a teen, we watched a lot of movies on our VCR.  The first time I was ever in a movie theatre I was 17.

Do you have any friends who are well off? Yes.

What do you do for fun? Read, work outside on projects.  I find working peaceful and am very handy.

What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor? You know it when you see it, as Justice Stewart wrote in the old obscenity case.

Do your kids know you're poor? Mine has no understanding whatsoever of my childhood.  My family is still poor, however my son thinks they are hugely lucky to have Tractors! Land! Cows!

What do they do after school? Then -- we came home by ourselves, ate a snack and did assigned tasks around the farm until 6ish, then I cooked dinner.  My dad got home 6:30 or 7, we ate and then either worked until dark or rested/read.  Some days we were allowed to goof off and go fishing or something, at least one day per week.

Do they get teased in school? Then -- no.  Lots of other poor kids in school and we had more than many.  Plus, we were strong and could kick your a$$.

I always watch movies about really poor people and this whole lifestyle just fascinates me. [/quote][/quote]

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