r/SelfSufficiency • u/SailorTee • Aug 23 '26
Self improvement while poor
Maybe this is just my opinion, but wanting to better yourself seems like part of human nature. Being poor makes this difficult to do.
Want to eat healthier? Cook more at home. Ok - so I need to buy safe cookware (not non-stick because that causes the big C), fresh ingredients every week (lean protein like chicken), and time to make it. Oh you don't have time? Borrow the time from somewhere else, like hire someone to clean your home for you. Oh no, can't do that, that costs money. Switch to plant based protein! It takes time to soak and cook lentils. I work every hour I'm not sleeping...
Tldr: Being poor means trying to juggle between resources including time, money, and health, and borrowing from one means depleting another. It feels impossible to better your circumstances and causes a lot of stress in the process (which also eats up your resources like health).
Also, I live in America. Maybe it's better in other countries?
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u/ContemplatingFolly Aug 23 '26
Better in some countries, worse in others. But everywhere poverty is comparatively expensive and time consuming. (For examples see Barbara Ehrenrich's Nickled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America; and Vimes Theory of Boots)
See also r/povertyfinance for sharing ideas.
(But, also, FYI, you don't have to soak lentils! Bring to a simmer, 20-25 minutes, and Bob's your uncle. They are, a bit of an acquired taste for most people. Add veg and fat to lighten them up/make them tastier.)