Poverty is an incredibly difficult thing to get out of. It’s kind of like climbing a sheer cliff – it’s totally possible to get out of it with insane effort and a considerable amount of risk to your very real life. At the same time, you could lose your grip and fall to your untimely doom at the worst and have to start from fresh at best.

Today, we’ll take a peek at some of the funniest, most bittersweet, and sometimes even plain sad ways that netizens managed to get out of it. Or at least stop being broke.

More info: Reddit

#1

One phone call.

Short version – I was studying programming and got pretty good at some niche stuff that was in demand. I was pretty worried/afraid of the unknown but my gf was suddenly pregnant and she hit me with the ‘It’s now or never to get off your a*s’ and I took it to heart.

I finally put my resume out and applied to a few jobs. Got a call a week later.

Here’s the cool part, at the time I was making about $25k/yr – the person on the phone offered me $70. But I’d have to move 6 hours away and be able to start within 7 days.

I took it.

I was so excited to be making $70k.

Before the call ended the recruiter said ‘Well I’m going to put you down for $80, I have some wiggle room I left in to negotiate and I also get a little extra the more you make’.

I said that sounds great..

Then as she’s closing the call she says she’s got me down to start in 7 days, at $80hr.. see you then.

The reality is I took the job happy at $70k, but she meant per hour. She then upgraded me to $80/hr without me asking, and before the call was done I was making $165k/yr on a job that I had accepted for $70k.

By the end of the year I had made $275k with the overtime, basically 10x’ing my income all from that one call.

Image credits: drteq

#2

Being at the right place, at the right time, talking to the right people.

You can be the most talented person in the world, but if you don’t know how to play the social game, and have a lot of luck it sadly isn’t going to happen.

Image credits: ClearRefrigerator519

#3

Might sound harsh, but I dropped the group of people I was hanging with.

They all had no aspirations or drive to do anything or get out of the small town we grew up in.

I knew that if I stayed in that circle of people, I wouldn’t go or do anything with my life.

That was 8 years ago now.

I got a college degree, have my own house, and make $120k a year. Everyone back at home that I left still isn’t doing anything

Image credits: HackJarlow23

#4

After we married, my husband and I bought a small home at the time when it was low interest, we ate cheap and at home, when we had too we cut back on luxuries (Netflix, etc.)We did not go out to bars or night clubs, we paid our bills on time and we didn’t spend money we didn’t have. And we worked our butts off. Now my husband owns the business we work for we have three homes (two we rent out) and I became a stay at home dad.

Image credits: Glittering_Dinner118

#5

As a former banker and Financial Adviser the best advice is have an actual plan. I’ve seen so many people, even ones who make great money, who are always totally broke and can never achieve their goals because they have never taken the time to sit down and formulate a realistic plan to get there. They just have a dream and go through life always assuming “it will happen eventually”.

My wife and I set a goal to be mostly retired and living on our sailboat by 40. She used to roll her eyes at me when I pulled out my notebook every month or 2 and completely reevaluated every step in getting there. Well I’m sitting here typing this from my boat on the way to the Caribbean at 39.

Image credits: Offshore3000

#6

Made about $30k in the GameStop stock bonanza then proceeded to spend it it all on a master’s degree. I’m no longer broke, but the feeling still lingers. I like to call it “phantom poverty.”

Image credits: oc974

#7

Grew up poor. I am good at learning and my country has affordable education. Getting into university is a matter of getting a diploma from the right level high school, which I did. I then went to university and got a good job. I now pay more in taxes than my education cost the government.
It should be that simple anywhere.

Image credits: Xaphhire

#8

Hard work and a huge dose of luck. I was a rock star at my former job. My former boss got a new job offer, and he asked me to follow him to the new company. I got a ~$15k/year raise doing the exact same job. But that job never would have existed if he hadn’t taken the job he did. He created it for me. 12 years later and he’s long gone but I’m still here, and making just shy of double what I started off at after a few internal role changes.

Image credits: lollipopfiend123

#9

Grew up in poverty, trailer, no power, no food a lot of the time, hoarding food when I got it, watering down milk, etc.
Joined the USAF, got a B.S., broke my body, went to war, PTSD etc., saw friends die, almost died myself, medically retired 10 years later. Had to reinvent myself when I got out by changing careers since I wasn’t qualified to do the job I was doing in the military (very common) nor was I physically able to anyways. 8 years and 5 jobs later, I work for the government making 6 figures. So yeah. That.

So f**k everyone who say all you have to do is work hard or just get a better job. Everyone I know is still back home besides one (and he’s in the USAF Academy).

Still live like I’m broke and still do a lot of the things I did when I was poor. So does my wife. It doesn’t leave you, really. No matter how much money you make.

Image credits: Bladorthin37

#10

Quit drinking. Turns out it’s tough to get out of crippling debt and the cycle of homelessness if you’re slowly killing yourself with alcohol. I was suddenly able to hold down a job and be a reliable, dependable, contributing member of society. I’ve got a fiancée, just bought a house in a decently middle-class suburb of a major city and have hobbies, interests and commitments that I honor.

Outside of overcoming addiction, the biggest learning for me has been not allowing my spending to increase as I make more and more money.

Image credits: hucksley

#11

Married my way out of it. I had no idea her family were doing well because they live so frugally, but when I moved in with them to “save money” after marrying her as they put it, I was put in charge of managing everyone’s bills and credit cards.

When I saw my father and mother in laws bank accounts, I at first thought it was a mistake, but when I raised it with my wife she was like like no that sounds normal. I nearly fainted.

I know for bloody sure that their grandkids are going to want for nothing.

Image credits: An_Draoidh_Uaine

#12

Luck. There was a fair bit of hard work involved, but we’d never have made it without a generous amount of luck.

Image credits: Kitchen_Victory_7964

#13

I worked hard, didn’t spend much, put money on the side when I could, worked even harder, tried doing many different things to earn money, diversify baby !

Then my mom gave me 100 000€ because she sold her house for way more than what she paid for it in the 80’s and had money to spare.

So I bought a small house in a village where life is cheap, and now I just work part time. Crazy how life is so much easier without mortgage or rent to pay.

PS: if you wonder, the working hard and harder never gave me anything, I was still desperately poor, everything I did either failed or brought such little income it barely paid my bills.

Image credits: GussDeBlod

#14

Learned a trade

Image credits: another-horny-guy-

#15

I got completely clean. Then got a non-union apprenticeship, then went union

Image credits: Cremefraiche007

#16

I grew up with addicted/alcoholic parents. I’ve worked every day since I was 16 and stay far away from my family. My wife and kids are my rock and keep me working hard and pushing to be better. Pro tip: leave your small town and never look back. Take control and grab life by the horns.

Image credits: ForlornCouple

#17

Live like you only get half of your paycheck and throw the other half in a saving account you don’t touch

#18

Keep job hopping until you find something that pays you what your worth. Believe me though…being broke never leaves your thoughts.

It’s something my girlfriend has never had to deal with and it’s difficult to get her to understand that in our relationship. I go home every night and make dinner. I bring lunch to work everyday. She eats at restaurants for lunch and fast food for dinner almost every day and she makes 15K less than I do annually.

Once you’ve been poor and get a taste of freedom, you NEVER want to go back and do everything in your power to stay out of poverty from then on.

#19

I’m a child of poor immigrants. I just happen to love science and especially mathematics. I obsessively studied it because it was cool. Enrolled in a community college because I wanted to learn more before getting a “grown up job.” One thing lead to another and now I’m a faculty at a university.

I think people should choose something interesting and focus on doing it well, learning, and developing as a person for a few years. After a few years, then decide if you want to continue or not. If not, then look for ways to use your new skills to take a step in a different direction.

Working hard and having a growth mindset is huge. But I have to acknowledge that I was **super lucky** that I just happen to love mathematics. Mathematics is one of those things that everyone needs yet everyone refuses to learn so I have a lot of opportunies.

Image credits: supersaiminjin

#20

By not allowing yourself to be content (yet), hustle every night and day until I can provide for myself and my family. Accepting any job (it can make a lot of connections), being humble about your journey, and always looking back at where you came from

Image credits: leahlucciano

#21

Read, learned, exercised, went to night school, got a GED went to university (got a loan for that) learned to live on beans and rice for 6 years got a contract job in my industry worked, studied, learned took every minute of work that came my way. Gained the trust of the middle class people around me, made them believe I wasn’t some white trash loser, read learned exercised, saved up $10,000 started my own buisness, struggled for years, failed many times and finally got here. I am 52 and still working 6 days a week 12 hours a day. Sad but true. No easy options for me, unfortunately.

Image credits: lostinKansai

#22

39 now grew up p**s poor most of my childhood and paid my parents mortgage since like the age of 21 with my brothers .

You suffer and work 70-100 hours a week if you need to and save and do whatever it takes .

I took off 3 days a year from work for probably a 6 year stretch of working 7 days a week

you will lose friends , miss vacations and some drunk memories but I assure you taking a vacation at 35 years old with a savings account is far far superior than at 25 and broke .

Zero regrets trading in my early 20’s freedom for 40 year old freedom

#23

Been a computer guy all my life, tried to go to community college for CS, but dropped out cus I was paying my own way and didn’t want any loans. But picked up the fundamentals of programming over the years. Pursued other careers for a few years, before realizing none paid what I wanted.

Then had a buddy help get my foot in the door at a programming job. Now make great money, with significant raises coming soon. Also live in a low COL area.

The saying “it’s all about who ya know” has rung true for me most of my life.

Image credits: justbrowsing618

#24

Good scholarship to private Uni, got the first major related job by being able to talk to ppl not necessarily skill. Made a bunch of connections. Those connections got me references and doors opened to other better paying jobs. Never burn bridges. Words are powerful and even when you think no one is listening. Also, a lot of f*****g luck.

Image credits: Plum_pipe_ballroom

#25

I mean I’m less impoverished and less broke? I got on disability. Got tired of trying to work like everyone else and get punished and passed over because of my health issues.

Like, if I’m heading towards homelessness because my health won’t allow me to work 40hrs a week on site then call me disabled I guess.

The thing is, if more places allowed remote work I could work fine.

Image credits: BarbarianFoxQueen

#26

I went back to school at 24 to get a degree in cs, got an internship at a big tech company and converted it to a full time offer at the end of the internship. Now I make insane money.

I worked full time with a lot of mandatory over time during the entire period I was in college. It was brutal, but ended up being worth it.

Image credits: Pwnskies

#27

Taught myself a second language between the ages of 16 and 17, impressed some Rotarians and they whisked me away from the horrors of the trailer park and made me an exchange student. So then instead of being a trash man or at best a truck driver, I became a linguist.

Of course later in life I reverted back to abject poverty but that’s a different story.

Image credits: rrosai

#28

I got lucky.

I liked computers, and I could study a vocational degree in my country which was free at the time.

Then my family kicked me out so I had to move to a big city to get a low pay, entry, thousand hours job, completely alone. There was 0 opportunities or support for me. I was broke, sharing rooms and flats with… “interesting” people.

Then it turns out computers are a field with a lot of workers needed, so in a big city your skills are on demand and I got a better pay progressively.

Then I studied English and that opened international opportunities so I could work in a better field, maybe remotely.

Then I opened my own small company and I don’t have to put up with a*****e bosses.

Image credits: sukoshidekimasu

#29

Taking a loan and going back to school, studying hard, making good grades, getting an industrial degree, and moving 1,000 miles away from everything I know. It was terrifying, the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken. It was a calculated risk but I was dirt broke, and had skipped meals for years. Making that decision at 22 changed my life. Now 10 years later I’m happily married, a home owner, and make over 100K a year.

Image credits: Allstarr39

#30

My Mum worked 3 jobs to put me through uni, I worked a job at near full time hours. If I wasn’t at uni, I was at work. If I wasn’t at work or uni, I was studying. If I wasn’t doing any of those things I was sleeping. Literally had no social life.

After uni I got an entry level job in my field (Marketing) and still worked a second job on top of that so I could make ends meet. Eventually I moved into the Marketing team at big corporate retailer and worked up from there. I didn’t quit my second job until I started making over $80k/year. 3 years later and I now earn $135k/year at the same company and love it. I also own an investment property with my brother and SIL, shares, a motorbike and was just able to purchase a new vehicle in December last year (I have ALWAYS gotten the hand me down cars from family members).

It was not easy. It was f*****g hard. I missed out on so much in my late teens and early 20’s to make sure I could get ahead. There were times that I had to ask Mum and Dad for help here and there which at the same time, they were just getting their own businesses off the ground.

I did all of what they tell you not to do (was first in the office, last to leave. Always said yes to extra work even though there were times I thought I could be taken advantage of etc.) and it paid off big time. I have never been on major overseas holidays (Europe, America etc.) and instead used that money for my down payment on my investment property. I am also open and honest about the fact I wouldn’t not have been able to afford the investment property without my brother and SIL going halves with me and I’m forever grateful for that.

The sacrifices I made help me sleep at night because I now know I’ll never live paycheck to paycheck ever again.

Image credits: Misstori122

#31

Had parents who instilled in me things like positivity, hard work, and self improvement while also granting me autonomy and the freedom to pursue interests and explore my creative potential.

Also grew up with many siblings and cousins who we visited often which allowed me to develop interpersonal and social skills.

The social skills allowed me to meet and get along with lots of people growing up which then allowed me to find great friends, many of whom I’m still in touch with today (20-30 years later).

I also got extremely lucky when it came to having positive influences in the form of teachers and eventually professors.

We weren’t the least well off, but did grow up on food stamps. Not sure what counts as poverty.

TLDR: involved parents, social skills, luck

#32

I always had a pretty good income (150 – 300k) but my ex could outspend any increase I received. One day, after 24 years of marriage, she informed me she was leaving me and my 3rd child ( a 4 years old).

She managed the finances and just handed everything over to me….after reconciling everything, and given it was after the 2008 financial crisis, I understood why she left…I was operationally bankrupt. My net worth was -450 – 500k at 48 years old. My situation affected my focus on the job and I felt someone breathing down my neck…I was a senior executive and I knew what was about to happen.

I took a new position, before getting fired; commuting 2 hours each way in a job shutting down a company. My luck changed, I met a new lady who supported my endeavors. In 8 years, I was out of debt, a decent portfolio and I retired at 56 years old.

Those 8 years were intense, lots of travel and stress but my new wife supported me by understanding what was at stake and not badgering me about never being home…ironically, now I’m always home. Never give up, disassociate yourself from losers and bad influences, even if they are family. I wish everyone success

Image credits: Dubdude13

#33

My mom died and I inherited some money

Image credits: upchuck-1312

#34

Have you ever listened to the song Money by Pink Floyd?

Seriously, listen to it.

I started out in manufacturing when I graduated trade school. I got four certifications in IT and telecommunications. I want to go to college someday. I hated that job, but it was easy to get in through a tenp agency. The hours sucked (12 hour night shifts) and the pay sucked (15 an hour, which isn’t enough for me to make rent and stufd)I had a disagreement with the supervisor who was a total a*****e. I got fired.

I started searching for jobs in other cities nearby. In Northenr Utah, all cities are clustered together and are relatively simple to get to if you take public transportation (which is infinitely cheaper than driving your own car) I got a job in telecommunications and RF for 20 an hour to start. Basically unfucked my situation. The only issue is that it’s 45 minutes away from me.

Just get a good job with more pay.

I suggest, if you have a skilled trade, not looking for local jobs. Look at the surrounding towns for small businesses and companies. Be prepared to make the commute every day. Set the bar somewhere in the middle.

EDIT: Before I got this new job, I was about 1500 in the hole. That’s a lot for an 18 year old. And scraping by by the skin of my teeth

#35

I saved up. Stoped buying weed and booze. Stopped getting books. Stoped paying for Netflix. All I spent money on was food and home “dads house”. My dad waisted all his money my step mom didn’t worked and when she did she worked 2 hours and stole my money. I got done with it. Stoped buying anything but what we couldn’t live without.
Source: boredpanda.com