Talking about poverty often involves looking at the cold, hard numbers but those digits barely scratch the surface of what it’s like day-to-day. People living in poverty have to deal with a bunch of challenges & experiences that many of us might not ever think about. Let’s look at 13 unnoticed aspects of poverty. Unfortunately, these are everyday realities for those who live it.
Featured Image Credit: VitalikRadko /Depositphotos.com.
Constant Uncertainty
Not knowing if you can afford your next meal or if you’ll have a home next month is a daily stress for many living in poverty. Every decision, from what to eat to how to get to work, is clouded by uncertainty and feels like you’re walking on a tightrope. They’re always unsure of when they might fall—or what they’ll fall into.
Limited Choices
For those struggling financially, every choice has weight to it and it’s usually a toss-up between necessities like heating or groceries. Instead of being choices, they’re forced decisions. It’s a way of life for many who simply can’t afford the luxury of multiple options. They just have to choose the cheaper option.
Social Isolation
Being broke is a financial status but it can also isolate you. Costs like eating out & seeing a movie or even just having a coffee with friends are out of reach. Why? Because they’re an unnecessary expense. Eventually, this causes loneliness since so much socializing revolves around spending money.
Impact on Mental Health
The stress of living paycheck to paycheck—or not having one at all—can seriously mess with your head. Constant worry about money affects your mental health, which makes you anxious or even depressed. After all, it’s difficult to find some peace of mind when you’re stuck in survival mode.
Education Barriers
If you’re poor, trying to get a good education feels like you’re hitting a brick wall. Sometimes, kids have to skip college to work & support their families or they might be stuck in underfunded schools that barely have the basics. Education can be your way out of poverty—but only if you can reach it.
Health Risks
Being poor often means you can’t pick healthy food or live in a clean & safe place. After all, junk food is cheaper than fresh veggies and poor neighborhoods are often close to pollution sources like factories. All these issues add up to higher health risks and more medical bills—yet another cost that’s hard to pay.
Compromised Housing
Speaking of homes, living in poverty often means settling for more dangerous housing. Sometimes, it’s in a rough neighborhood and sometimes, it’s a home that’s falling apart—either way, it’s all they can afford. Instead of being a comfort issue, it’s a serious safety & health problem.
Lack of Safety Net
For many poor people, there’s no cushion to fall back on, meaning that an unexpected expense like a car repair or a medical bill can push them over the edge. They have no savings or backup plan—so how on earth are they meant to pay for this? Even a relatively minor issue can be too much for them.
Work Exploitation
When you’re desperate, you take whatever job you can get—even if it pays peanuts and you’re treated poorly. People living in poverty often have to endure bad working conditions. The alternative? Having no job at all and that’s even worse. They’ll settle for menial & underpaid jobs just to have some money coming in.
Higher Costs for Basic Services
Ironically, being poor often means paying more for everyday things. If you don’t have enough money for a decent grocery store haul, you’ll end up buying food daily at corner stores where prices are higher. Poor folks also get hit with higher fees for banking or credit and this only makes things harder.
Invisibility
Many poor people usually feel like they’re invisible because government policies & the media often overlook their struggles. After all, it’s hard to fight a battle against poverty when it feels like nobody even sees you. Being invisible causes all kinds of mental health issues and puts any solutions out of reach.
Stigma and Misconceptions
Unfortunately, a lot of people have misconceptions about being poor—such as that it’s always the result of bad decisions. It’s just not true! The stigma is heavy and can prevent others from showing empathy, which only makes the struggle lonelier & harder. How can you solve a problem when you don’t even understand it?
Barriers to Help
Even when help is available, it’s not always accessible because there are so many hoops to jump through to get assistance. For example, filling out mountains of paperwork or meeting strict criteria gets overwhelming. It feels like the system is set up to make getting help as difficult as possible.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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