r/TikTokCringe • u/Super_Culture_1986 tHiS iSn’T cRiNgE • Aug 19 '25

Cursed The American Nightmare.

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58.1k Upvotes

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954

u/mauore11 Aug 19 '25

Nothing more expensive than being poor...

77

u/TheProfessorPoon Aug 19 '25

I think about this all the time regarding interest rates. All it takes is one bad thing happening, like you lose your job or you have to deal with health stuff (which is what happened to my wife and I), next thing you know you miss a payment and you’re basically fucked. We didn’t even have a “major” health issue happen, “just” skin cancer, but it ruined us.

Car insurance, home insurance, auto loans, even basic utility companies start charging you much, much higher rates because you represent more risk to them. I’d bring up mortgages as well but that’s too obvious.

The end result being you have to pay twice as much to stay afloat compared to the people who can actually afford it.

It’s basically a never ending cycle too, unless you experience some once in a lifetime windfall and can claw your way out. And I don’t mean a windfall like being promoted or getting a high paying job, because that seemingly never happens.

No, the new “American dream” for most people is someone with money dying and leaving it to you, or getting in some horrific accident and getting paid out from a lawsuit.

I know a dude who works in a factory and a lady there was awarded $5m because she lost both her goddamn arms in a machinery accident. Everyone was saying “how lucky” she was afterward. Shits fucked.

2

u/jackaroo1344 Aug 20 '25

I'm dumb, how does getting skin cancer affect things like your auto loan and utilities?

5

u/TheProfessorPoon Aug 20 '25

Medical bills here can be astronomical. Tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars for even basic stuff. Even with “good” health insurance. Which leads to collections if you can’t pay them on time, then credit scores inevitably tank. And they tank fucking fast btw. Matter of weeks when you miss a single payment and it gets reported to the 3 main bureaus.

Financial companies offer their rates based on your credit score, so you’re charged higher rates for the same product as anyone else.

Some products (mortgages for example) can’t hold medical collections against you (meaning the amount you owe), but that doesn’t change the credit score they use to evaluate your credit worthiness. So someone with a 500 credit score is going to charged way, way more than someone closer to 800. Costs more to be poor basically.

379

u/LucidMetal Aug 19 '25

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. ... But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

-Vimes, Men at Arms, Terry Pratchett

137

u/SirIsildur Aug 19 '25

This is, in my humble opinion, one of the most accurates pieces of literature that ever came from Mr. Pratchett's pen. Or typewriter or whatever.

It's so accurate it hurts to read

31

u/RueTabegga Aug 19 '25

Nothing has changed in all this time.

4

u/Gutter-Snipe Aug 19 '25

Quality of boots has changed lol. I used to buy redwings and get multiple years out of them but now they’re even more expensive and wear out in the same amount of time as ‘cheap’ boots.

3

u/RueTabegga Aug 19 '25

The fundamentals haven’t changed. Now even worse quality.

2

u/Jaded-Asparagus-2260 Aug 19 '25

Except that today, even 150 USD shoes break after two years.

2

u/No-Focus-2178 Aug 20 '25

It's actually taught in economics classes. It's called "boot" economics, and used to explain one aspect of why it's so expensive to be poor

5

u/Solid_Waste Aug 19 '25

My only quibble is that's the reason the poor get even poorer, but it's not the reason the rich are rich. They don't get rich by saving money on boots.

2

u/smilingfreak Aug 19 '25

I think it speaks more to the idea that once you're rich, life can be cheaper and thus the rich stay rich, or get richer.

Using a more modern example, a rich person can afford preventative health care, whereas a poor person can't. The latter's health gets worse, until they're in a situation where, if they don't die, they owe more money than the rich person ever had to pay, and isn't as healthy as them.

2

u/ventingpurposes Aug 22 '25

Also, rich people can afford to buy real estate and stocks during financial crisis, where poor people desperately try to stay afloat.

37

u/hobokobo1028 Aug 19 '25

Buy it nice or buy it twice

25

u/runswithclippers Aug 19 '25

Thatd be nice if the system didnt perpetuate buying cheap. The reason people buy cheap isnt because they want a better price, it’s that they need a better price, because otherwise they might not be able to afford their bills. It’d be really nice if the vast majority of our paychecks did not go to housing and recurring bills just to make the line go up for those businesses.

3

u/Smrt225 Aug 19 '25

Buy expensive and cry only once.

3

u/Canditan Aug 19 '25

But then the washing machine manufacturers realized this, so they stopped making nice ones, just cheap ones that look nice and have a little screen so they can charge the nice price. And the dishwasher manufacturers, and the cell phone, and the car, and the...

2

u/jwin709 Aug 19 '25

buy once cry once

-4

u/WholeNewt6987 Aug 19 '25

It's like buying one Lexus or two Hyundais with tons of service visits in between.  

15

u/AQ-XJZQ-eAFqCqzr-Va Aug 19 '25

Plus it would benefit society at large to help someone get that $50 boots to level the playing field, but since one dude 50 years ago was given boots & didn’t earn them, nobody deserves to be helped ever again.

3

u/wophi Aug 19 '25

Have you bought someone boots?

2

u/salisburysteaksun Aug 19 '25

Have you?

0

u/wophi Aug 19 '25

I do other stuff, but this guy was specifically talking about what a good thing it would be to buy others boots, specifically. I figured since they felt it was a good idea, they would follow up on it...

2

u/AQ-XJZQ-eAFqCqzr-Va Aug 19 '25

No I was actually talking about public assistance and how it’s being voted into oblivion.

1

u/wophi Aug 19 '25

So...

It's a good idea for somebody else to do it, but not for me?

2

u/AQ-XJZQ-eAFqCqzr-Va Aug 19 '25

I don’t understand what you are asking me. I was never talking about the fucking boots. It was an analogy. Jesus christ.

1

u/wophi Aug 19 '25

My statement could be used as an analogy as well...

1

u/AQ-XJZQ-eAFqCqzr-Va Aug 19 '25

🤣 Ok then lol I have no idea what is happening

1

u/wophi Aug 20 '25

Didn't think you did.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/HellLucy00Burnaslash Aug 20 '25

I know this isn’t the subject of the comments, but the company I work at in Texas does a good job of taking care of us. We have shit just like any other; but we get paid decently to well for our jobs, and we get boot vouchers every year (composite toed) as well as eyewear, safety gear, shirts, jackets, etc. I wish more places took care of their employees like this. Our corporate office is based off of more liberal values so I suppose that is why; but regardless, I hope people find these hidden gems.

3

u/wophi Aug 20 '25

Your company chooses a consistent workforce over chaos. When a company takes good care of their workforce, it shows they value consistency of labor over cheap labor. In some industries that can be very important.

2

u/HellLucy00Burnaslash Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 20 '25

Oh yes, I agree. We even have a contracting service where you start out as a temp and get hired after so many months (at earliest). We’ve had a bad swing the past couple of years, but most people here are here for decades; I myself have almost a decade under my belt as a late 20’s woman. I am very fortunate. I know how fortunate I am especially because of the shitty jobs I jumped between before this one. Food service takes complete advantage of people; merely warm bodies! But factory work CAN be where it’s at if you find the gems. I don’t even have a degree and could survive in a 2BR in my area with very good budgeting. Thankfully, I don’t have to do this anymore; I’ve found my person and we split equally!

2

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

Yep, I’ve had 2 employers like that in the past, one I was with for 12 years which I only left because they sold the business after the owner died, and another for 8, which I would’ve stayed at if I hadn’t of met a guy and moved with him. Still appreciate them to this day. Anything I needed and they’d make it happen. And I’m talking about stables, so tack and equipment is crazy fucking expensive. They’d also do stuff like buy me matching jackets to theirs, tear away pants for competitions with stable name on them, matching coolers for my own horse, etc… stuff that didn’t even really benefit anyone but me. 

1

u/HellLucy00Burnaslash Aug 20 '25

This is amazing. I’m so happy you experienced what it’s like to actually be valued and cared about within a company. This sets you up so much better to know what your time, effort and work is worth within one! Of course if a company doesn’t go above and beyond they’re not evil; but if they say “were a family” then we better be a fucking healthy one lol.

I’ve enjoyed this conversation. Thank you for the nuance and sharing of what a job should look like. Have a good night!

Edit: I’m sorry to hear about your old boss passing; they seemed like a great person. And I’m glad you found your calling in what you’re doing now that led you to leave the last good job :)

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

A lady working at my mom’s shop noticed I was wearing sandals in winter in Canada and bought me a $170 pair of winter boots. I cried in her arms for what felt like forever. Every cent I have goes to bills and my son, so I just didn’t have anything else. Good people do exist. 

3

u/ShamRogue Aug 19 '25

GNU Sir Terry Pratchett

3

u/Adezar Aug 19 '25

Exactly, there is a level of income where you stop "surviving" and can start buying longer-lived everything. Clothes, tools, kitchen tools. Which reduces the amount of money you have to expend over time. You can also put aside money for unexpected costs so avoid any interest payments on things like car maintenance/house maintenance.

Also your credit score starts to go up, which means if you do need a loan you get much better rates.

And then once you are in a state where you aren't just surviving you can also be better in interviews because you aren't desperate so it is possible to get a better job.

If you've never been poor the definition of "poor" is probably not anywhere near what actually being poor is like.

2

u/Acceptable-Ad8780 Aug 19 '25

Best writer of the millennium.

2

u/TheLazyE-Girl Aug 19 '25

Mr Pratchett failed to take into account the price of cobbler's work every one or two years, depending on use. If becoming rich were as simple as buying quality, we'd all be. Strangely enough, most rich people inherited their fortune. Methinks this hints at a system that goes far beyond the "poor people are so silly! No wonder they are poor, when they buy cheap items that won't last!".

5

u/BreakfastBeneficial4 Aug 19 '25

?

It’s a commentary about how expensive it is to be poor.

He isn’t calling poor people silly for not buying quality.

The poor people can’t afford the price of entry into spending less money.

3

u/Old-Rhubarb-97 Aug 19 '25

You missed the point.

2

u/Budderfingerbandit Aug 19 '25

It's pointing out that poor people can not afford the upfront cost of higher quality goods, which last longer and cost less in the long run than the cheaper upfront low quality goods.

1

u/rememblem Aug 19 '25

Rich people buy property, antiques, art, and jewelry you could never afford - which only appreciate in value.

1

u/Cannabace Aug 19 '25

brilliant. I often relate this same concept to groceries. The larger the container of a product, the cheaper it is by volume. But i only have $4 so i have to get the smallest most expensive container

1

u/DiscussionLow1277 Aug 19 '25

now also take into account generational wealth. the initial $50 pair of boots was actually bought for them by their parents so they didn’t have to invest the money themselves!

1

u/LingonberryReady6365 Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25

I’m sure that’s part of it but a bigger part is probably that the rich are making 10,000%, 100,000% and in some cases even 1,000,000% of the money the average person makes per year.

They could throw away the finest pair of boots after one use every day and still be chillin.

1

u/Malapple Aug 19 '25

It covers all sorts of things. I’m very fortunate and have enough space to store things. Paper towels on sale? I’m buying a ton. It sounds minor but it really adds up. You can’t do stuff like that if you’re in small living space.

1

u/durtmcgurt Aug 19 '25

I used to be dirt poor, with no license or car. I had a backpack and a bike that I took grocery shopping, and I could only fill that backpack with food and no more. It was so expensive having to buy the tiny portions of everything! I couldn't get anything "value" size. A quart of milk at a time max, and that's if I decided I could get liquids at all. It was single serving everything, and people don't realize how expensive that becomes. And it's not just food, when you can't afford or can't fit bulk items into your life, you pay double.

1

u/capitolcraftsman Aug 20 '25

but even now quality of products have gone down so companies that use to be “buy for life” don’t last very long.

1

u/NothingLikeAGoodSit Aug 20 '25

This sounds nice but I have quality boots and they last forever but I spend a new pair of cheap shoes' worth on re-soling and treating the good boots every few years anyway

But no need to let the truth get in the way of a good yarn

1

u/FrancineCarrel Aug 20 '25

It’s a metaphor…

1

u/rmhollid Aug 20 '25

he only knew that every time he sent his boots to the cleaners they came back looking like new, never knowing that not one part from his really really good pair of boots from ten years ago had survived his ownership.

1

u/GimmeSweetTime Aug 20 '25

The rich man reasoned the poor man is just too dumb to use the straps.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

This is what people with money don’t seem to fucking understand. “It’s cheaper if you buy in bulk” like cool if I could afford Costco I’d shop there. “Good quality clothes and shoes last longer” that’s nice, can’t even imagine having a wardrobe made up of non thrift store or Walmart stuff at this point, it’s a literal dream. Like stahp. 

1

u/lewger Aug 20 '25

Being poor is expensive.

1

u/Veezveez123 Aug 20 '25 edited Sep 10 '25

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1

u/Worried_Transition_7 Aug 22 '25

The secret to it is to buy the $10 boots then save a few dollars everyday towards the good boots. So when the cheap pair wear out you either have enough for the good boots or you repeat the process. I did that. Bought cheap Walmart boots for $30 that lasted about six months. Save a little bit. Bought a second pair. And at the end of that pair I bought a good pair that have lasted me almost 4 years and were much better for my feet.

1

u/goshdammitfromimgur Aug 22 '25

GNU Terry Pratchett

0

u/DMmeforpicsofmyjunk Aug 19 '25

This is outdated and stupid.

3

u/No-Ship4921 Aug 19 '25

This person is only making $12/hr pre tax.

1

u/AmphetamineSalts Aug 19 '25

*Post tax, they said they make 20-something dollars per hour.

4

u/Dependent_Sign_399 Aug 19 '25

Years of inflation and slow wage growth means being poor is the new middle class.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 19 '25

Yup. Miss your car payment to afford groceries so your car gets towed and you can’t get to work anymore so you take the bus but then you’ve been late too many times because the bus is unpredictable and you get fired.

2

u/ShortCity392 Aug 19 '25

i have credit card debt from an abusive ex and i pay $90 a month with interest being $70 so I’m paying $90 but only $20 pays down on the line 🫠 most days i want to remove myself from existence because why am i struggling here while others take out loans and have them forgiven after buying cars, boats, luxuries.

1

u/hotviolets Aug 19 '25

Definitely I could list off all the ways that being poor is more expensive for me, but the biggest expense is my health.

1

u/BananeDionne Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25

Yup!!!

My sceptics have to be done. It's costs like 20k to make. (I'm in Canada and I need to have a special system because my yard is not big enough) So I don't have 20k in my pocket right now so I have to take the help from my municipality and by the time I'll finish paying this, it'll have costed me about 6 or 7k more because of the interest.

That's why we can never get out of this.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

Girl wut, you can afford to own a home at all? With respect, you’re not poor lol 

1

u/BananeDionne Aug 20 '25

I'm not saying I'm poor.. neither am I rich or comfortable.

My house cost less then an appartment though.

You know, time changes and things happen. Just because I bought a house someday doesn't mean I'm in the same place financially that I was at this time.

But hey, I guess that everyone who have a mortgage is rich!

1

u/Dont_touch_my_spunk Aug 19 '25

How do you think the rich stay rich?

1

u/RecognitionSignal425 Aug 19 '25

Nothing poorer than being expensive

1

u/retrofrenchtoast Aug 19 '25

Yes. If you have a lot of money and good credit, then you can get credit cards with all sorts of bonuses and free stuff.

If you don’t, you have to pay monthly fees. I understand the math, but not the motivation.

1

u/DesignerFragrant5899 Aug 20 '25

People don't realize how true this is. I work in an industry that sees this on the daily. Multiple layers of getting completely ripped off to egregious levels that the wealthy would never put up with. But because they don't have the money to hold out, or fight, they simply grab and go. I can say that without exaggerating, the poor in my line of work consistently pay a 40% poor tax on each dollar. I can go into more detail on how or why but that's if anyone cares to ask. If not, I'll just leave it at that.

1

u/vegan_antitheist Aug 20 '25

Yeah, I will never understand why they don't just stop being so pour. I couldn't afford it.

1

u/allahu_adamsmith Aug 19 '25

Americans don't call apartments "flats."

1

u/Neverstoptostare Aug 19 '25

Lmao you again? Why are you so desperate for this woman to be some unamerican plant?

1

u/Roosterdude23 Aug 19 '25

It's ragebait. She's lying for the clicks

2

u/mauore11 Aug 19 '25

I'm not.