Rich People Ruin Everything: Poor Folks No Longer Have These Options After the Rich Took Over

When you’re poor, you do what you must to get by. Poor people throughout the ages developed innovative solutions to their poverty, using scraps to build mansions and relying on “unfavorable” foods for sustenance. 

That is until the rich discover their secrets and commandeer poor folks’ ingenuity to stuff their pockets. 

Here are the best “poor people” solutions that no longer work now that the rich got their greedy hands on them. 

Warehouse Living

Modern apartment living. A tiny luxury apartment in a giant warehouse space.
Photo Credit: Jokiewalker via Shutterstock.com.

Poor folks used to rely on abandoned warehouses in questionable parts of town for shelter until the rich decided living like a pauper was “en vogue.”

Affluent investors transformed the old warehouses into trendy housing and offered their rich kids the option to live like the poor for a hefty rent payment. 

Etsy

woman working on a cheap hobby, like making jewelry at home, to represent cheap hobbies
Photo Credit: Monkey Business Images via Shutterstock.com.

Big corporations couldn’t stand a platform where regular folks sold competing creations. Although you can still find individual creators on Etsy, it’s been inundated with cheap stuff from overseas, making it ever harder to support small creators. 

eBay

Person shopping online on the ebay platform.
Photo credit: DenPhotos via Shutterstock.com.

eBay used to be the best place to sell your old stuff. Now, most sellers are business owners rather than individuals, and it’s harder than ever to get good deals for both buyers and sellers. 

Blue Collar Neighborhoods

Row of expensive brick brownhouses in Manhattan.
Photo Credit: Brian Goodman via Shutterstock.com.

Most cities used to have affordable neighborhoods where the working class could find housing, but investors saw the land and couldn’t allow people with low incomes to have nice things. 

Gentrification destroyed these neighborhoods, and affordable housing was replaced with “luxury” apartments costing four times as much. 

Quiet Cabins

A small rustic cabin in the woods.
Photo Credit: Jesse Seniunas via Shutterstock.com.

People experiencing poverty used to vacation in quiet cabins in non-touristy towns on little lakes. However, the Airbnb craze destroyed many of these hidden enclaves, morphing everything into short-term rentals that the poor can no longer afford. 

Airbnb

exterior of a large, pretty grey house
Photo Credit: Artazum via Shutterstock.com.

Speaking of Airbnb – it used to be a cheap alternative to hotel rooms until the wealthy investors saw the potential profits. 

Now, a quiet neighborhood rental is even more expensive than a hotel room. Airbnb is slowly destroying the housing inventory as investors rush to convert homes into short-term rentals. 

Fixing Old Houses

A dilapidated single family home that would make a great fixer upper.
Photo Credit: TheCreativeBrigade via Shutterstock.com.

Buying an old house and slowly fixing it used to be a solid path to homeownership for the lower middle class. Unfortunately, rich folks realized they could make massive profits by buying up old houses and modernizing them with the cheapest interiors. 

Not only did they destroy a path to homeownership, but they also destroyed the charm of millions of houses that only needed a little tender loving care to return to their former glory. 

Van Life

Two people lounging in a van. You can see the scenic mountains from the open back door.
Photo Credit: Pawel Gluza via Shutterstock.com.

Millions of poor people lived in their cars before rich kids made it cool. Vans, tiny homes, and RV park space are more expensive than ever as rich people want to experience “rugged living.”

Thrifting

Stall full of random items at a flea market.
Photo Credit: InnaFelker via Shutterstock.com.

Thrift stores were great places to get name-brand clothing and housing essentials for less. That is until rich kids decided thrifting was “cool.” 

Now, it’s often cheaper to shop at Walmart than the thrift store. 

Farmer’s Markets

Close up of local produce at a farmers market.
Photo Credit: Arina P Habich via Shutterstock.com.

The farmer’s market used to bring farm fresh produce straight to consumers. Now, the biggest markets are filled with artisan creators selling high-end junk. 

Festivals

Pretty woman taking a selfie at a festival.
Photo Credit: gpointstudio via Shutterstock.com.

Music festivals used to be the mecca of the counterculture, but now they’re all geared to stuck-up rich people. Even the quintessential punk festival, the Warped Tour, sold out to its corporate overlords. 

All the Food

American food like hotdogs and hamburgers on a table for a BBQ.
Photo Credit: JeniFoto via Shutterstock.com.

Many poor people’s foods morphed into rich people’s delicacies over the years, making it harder and harder for the poorest people to feed themselves. 

Things like crawfish, bones, organs, beaks, feet, and wings used to be tossed aside and sold for cheap, but now trendy gastropubs use these items to create culinary delights for rich palates, pumping up the price for everyone. 

You May Be Poor, But You Don’t Have to STAY Poor. Financial Freedom is Within Reach for Most of Us

man working on a laptop while laying on the beach
Photo Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds via Shutterstock.com.

Financial Freedom is more than just a buzz word. It’s achievable for a lot of people. 

Here’s your ultimate guide to achieving financial independence

Except Those Experiencing Generational Poverty

A woman on the street in Portland holds up a sign saying she's a single mom and needs help.
Photo Credit: Victoria Ditkovsky via Shutterstock.com.

Poverty is a generational problem. Here’s how folks get trapped in cycles of generational poverty

Build Impressive Wealth for Your Family

Happy woman holding a fanned out wad of cash in her hand.
Photo Credit: Dean Drobot via Shutterstock.com.

Many of these rich people enjoy generational wealth. Start building the same for your family so future generations can enjoy fabulous lifestyles. Here’s how to build lasting wealth

You Don’t Have To Be Rich To Live Your Dream LifeMan raising arms looking at the veiw after climbing a high mountain

Photo Credit: solarseven via Shutterstock.com.Your dream life is within reach. Your passion is buried deep inside of you, aching to burst free. Here’s how to rediscover your passion and life the life you always wanted

Is America Actually Dystopian?

Panaoramic of a city with the top mirroring the bottom in a fantastical manner.
Photo Credit: akimov konstantin via Shutterstock.com.

Although there are many fantastic things about living in the US, some of our systems and laws leave many scratching their heads, wondering if we’re already living in a dystopian nightmare. 

Here’s the evidence that makes us wonder if America is actually a dystopia.  

Source: Reddit

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