Rich People Who Dated Or Married Someone Significantly Poorer Than Them Answer What Shocked Them About Their Partner's Life Experiences

The gap between the rich and the poor is more insurmountable than ever. The wealthy live a vastly different lifestyle than their less fortunate counterparts, who are struggling to scrape by.

Millennials are even considered to be the most educated generation, yet they are the poorest in comparison to their parents at that age. On the other hand, billionaires have doubled their wealth in the past two years alone.

There's no question that poverty has a significant impact on those who have suffered from it. Studies have shown that children who grow up impoverished have a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and experience complex, lasting trauma that persists well into adulthood.

In the fairytale story of Cinderella, when she married a prince and transformed from a servant into a princess overnight, no one shared how she adjusted to the wealthy lifestyle. They brushed past that part and went straight to happily ever after.

No one talks about how the prince reacted to Cinderella's life story. The juxtaposition between their ways of life must have come into play at some point in their marriage.

For example, how did Cinderella react to having servants when she used to be one? Was the prince appalled on her behalf for how she was treated by her family?

Thanks to Reddit, we don't have to rely on a fictional story to figure this out. Rich Redditors answered the question of what shocked them about their poorer spouse's way of life before they got together.

Here is the original question posted on AskReddit:

knakworst36

1. Earning enough money for that month to pay rent is an achievement

colombodk

2. Buying all the grocery items you want because you can afford them

PonyPuffertons

"Now I can afford whatever I want, so I like to look at everything I could have."

PonyPuffertons

3. A filling sandwich is a treat

unknown

4. "Peanut butter spoons" are delicious no matter how much money you make

OneMoreAstronaut

5. You have a panic attack whenever an appliance breaks or your car refuses to start because you can't afford to replace it

DigitalSheepDream

6. Talking to customer service when your TV breaks and arguing about the warranty

unknown

7. That's a future-me problem

Fluxxed0

8. Food insecurity should not be a thing anymore, but it sadly is

r-cubed

9. Buying barely used items at the flea market

PorkchopSquats PorkchopSquats

10. The humble hamburger helper was a survival meal

throwaway_dkhlgmo

11. Can't afford any type of insurance

captainslowww

12. Pets mean a lot, especially when you don't have much else

blueeyes_austin

13. A warm and safe place to stay plus a free meal

aiyahhjoeychow

14. Fancy restaurants are not a novelty for the rich; going to fast food places is

genericlogin1

15. Credit cards shouldn't be used unless it's an emergency

frnoss frnoss

16. "Family, hold back"

Cartoonlad

17. Basic hygiene and cleanliness are not guaranteed

uselessartsdegree uselessartsdegree

18. Live with your grandparents or live on the streets

Amazingawesomator Amazingawesomator

19. When you start earning good money, the tendency to spoil other people because you can is difficult to resist

shawn77 shawn77

20. Budgeting won't be taught because there's not enough money to budget or put towards the future

kyrira1789

21. Fresh fruit is lavish

TheDJFC

22. The three paycheck months are a blessing

appleciders

23. An unkempt home for some

unknown unknown

24. The heat must have been brutal

cactusjackalope

25. Food scarcity can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food consumption

scratchnsniffy

26. You mean, you mow your own lawn?

IGotYouThisBox

27. Med school student loans will take forever to pay off

intergrade

28. A meal with several courses? Are we the royal family?

missyelliottontap

29. You can do things by yourself?

ResurgentRS

30. 'Boots' Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness

keepthebear

As sad as those realizations are, it was good to read that formerly poor people are doing better now, and it's not just because they married a rich person. They worked three times as hard to live comfortably.

That doesn't erase the trauma they went through growing up poor. In an ideal world, these inequalities wouldn't exist, but they do in ours, and until our systems are fixed, we can only keep working to earn a modest and comfortable life.