Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
“How To Use And Repair Everything”: 40 Skills That Help People Thrive In Tough Times
Money makes life easier, but even folks who don’t have it find ways to make do. That is even more true for people who grew up without money. As people often do, they take a bad situation and make the most of it.
Someone asked “People who grew up poor, what's a skill you developed that rich people don't have?” and netizens shared their examples. From all the experience any handyman could ever want to wholehearted respect towards service workers, get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
This post may include affiliate links.
RELATED:
#2
I treat my stuff with care and it stays in good shape long after I purchase it. I also perform maintenance. I take the extra few seconds to prevent damage rather than dealing with the aftermath.
#3
Gratefulness. Learn how to be grateful for everything because there are people in situations that are worse than your own.
#5
I (wife) fixed our broken dishwasher today ( took me a couple of hours) I didn't even see a dishwasher in real life until I got married. My husband and I are from verrryy different backgrounds I'm from the depth of Russia and he is from Manhattan. He was very impressed and surprised 😊😊😊.
#8
Strong work ethic, when my coworkers gripe and complain over minor stuff, flashbacks of praying for a job like this comes to mind.
#9
I automatically add groceries up in my head as I shop so I am not embarrassed by having to put things back. I do it automatically now, even if I can afford the food.
#10
My mom would brown ground beef and then she would make a batch of bisquick dough (she used bisquick almost every day). She would roll the dough out and sprinkle it with the ground beef and then roll it up lengthwise and slide it like cinnamon rolls (but with ground beef inside). She’d bake them and then pour cream of mushroom soup gravy on top. She could feed six of us on less than a pound of ground beef that way lol.
#11
The ability to respect everyone's dignity equally and never consider anyone as my servant, domestic, or slave.
I've seen rich people being street smart, eating the same low quality food all day, having excellent DIY skills... But I've yet to meet someone rich and able to realize homeless people, maids, or cashiers have the exact same amont of human dignity as they do.
#14
Resilience.
How to be more resourceful on my own since we couldn't pay people to do stuff.
How to be happy without the need for a lot of material possessions. So, even now, I still don't have a lot but it's by choice.
Finally, generosity. When you live in a hood where everyone is poor too, you learn to share what you have when you have it and vice versa,.
#16
Making food last and turning left overs into other meals. My partner tried to just eat the breast off a whole roast chicken and throw the rest away… absolutely not.
#17
Keeping myself entertained without spending much money when I have long periods of time off.
#19
Being comfortable in an ugly space. Although, I notice this more with my middle class peers. Walls the wrong color, flooring is off, layout of a space not ideal? It's fine. I've definitely seen worse. As long as it has four walls, a roof, the toilet works, flooring isn't there, and I can afford heat and AC, I'm really happy.
#20
Being able to determine the difference between quality and marketing.
Unfortunately, a lot of poor people can't. That's why you got people buying mattresses on monthly payment plans, why Coach, Louis Vitton and others make record profits off people who make less than $50K, why terrible things like Robux exist, etc.
#21
I’m not afraid of poverty, I know how to navigate it. In the same token because I came from poverty, I’ve set myself up to not experience it again.
#23
Not having an emotional connection to pretty much anything, because I know it could go anyday. I could lose it all, everything, and just start again.
#25
Entering a grocery store with a handful of coins and leaving with a combination of products that maximizes total calories and filling effect, and costs exactly what I have, without anyone noticing that's what I'm doing.
#26
I would say caution out in public. i grew up poor. My wife grew up rich. I stay with and blend with crowds. She counts her money at ATMs.
#28
You learn to fix everything. Everything can be fixed, buying a new item only happens when I consider fixing it to be more of a hassle than making whatever cash the item costs new is, which isn’t often. New items just eventually wear and turn used within a week or so.
#31
Getting out of bad situations by myself and my own wits.
I can create a delicious meal from whatever; my wife is stil bamboozled by how tasty my random meals are, even after 10 years pf being together.
There is nothig too terrible that cannot be fixed by a sincere excuse. Lies will only get you intoo deeper s**t.
I can repair at home any elwctrical appliances or gadgets.
I am grateful for anything that happens. Even if I find 50% discound maturated ribs. Or a parking spot in the shade.
Karma is real.
#32
Being able to see trouble brewing while it's still miles away. I believe this is called being hyper-vigilent, as if it were a negative thing. And being like Felix the Cat when confronted with an obstacle, able to pivot on a dime when thwarted, then come at the problem with different tools and a different strategy.
#33
Knowing hunger. I don't think you can truly know yourself when there's a part of you that will kill for food or die. It is strangely empowering. Not facing serious adversity is a gift and a curse.
The people who don't know discomfort or hunger are the same as the person who's never been punched in the face getting into their first fight, they about to learn on the fly, and the stakes are high.
#35
The ability to DIY a lot of things, even computer software or hardware problems. Saved me a lot of money in my teens. This only compounded into my 30s.
My peers think I'm a genius just because I know how to make a slow or sluggish computer fast or because of the way I can use duct tape.
Heck, I even saved my folks money when I fixed their water heater, the "fix" was to use a coin to press this black button that tripped.
#37
How to sharpen pencils with knives, attached papers together using rice or some special folding techniques, cut papers by folding, and tearing it carefully.
#40
I know that you can fill up the bathtub with water stolen from the next door neighbor’s garden hose and use a bucket to fill the toilet tank so you can flush when the water gets shut off due to nonpayment.
What do you think ?
Kara Knapp 1 year ago
Agreed. For example, being nice to service workers isn't unique to the non-rich. Maybe rich people are also nice to service workers.
Load More Replies...
Joy 1 year ago (edited)
Being content with less. I'm happy with my crocheting and public tv. I can eat the same cheap meal for days on end. I can live in a house that's not the prettiest on the block. I don't mind driving around in my 20 year old truck. That's what I grew up with when we were dirt poor and even though I have a good paying job now, I don't see any reason to pay extra money just because something is "nicer". eta: I just realized how "rich" I had it growing up. We had an actual house and a tv. As someone in my thirties, I have a house. I am rich. I guess I just don't see the need to make it "fancy" because I can. Maybe I should just delete this comment.
Kara Knapp 1 year ago
Agreed. For example, being nice to service workers isn't unique to the non-rich. Maybe rich people are also nice to service workers.
Load More Replies... Joy 1 year ago (edited)
Being content with less. I'm happy with my crocheting and public tv. I can eat the same cheap meal for days on end. I can live in a house that's not the prettiest on the block. I don't mind driving around in my 20 year old truck. That's what I grew up with when we were dirt poor and even though I have a good paying job now, I don't see any reason to pay extra money just because something is "nicer". eta: I just realized how "rich" I had it growing up. We had an actual house and a tv. As someone in my thirties, I have a house. I am rich. I guess I just don't see the need to make it "fancy" because I can. Maybe I should just delete this comment.
Related on Bored Panda
