Being poor is expensive

When I was in elementary school, a Costco opened in my local area.

From the day I learned of its existence, including what kind of store it was, I thought it would be one of those places that people without money could absolutely never visit.

After all, I thought Costco was a place for people who have some money but want to live frugally if possible, and definitely not a place for people who are truly struggling to make ends meet this month.

In a similar vein, when I was a university student, a friend once said, 'My boyfriend says he has no money, but he only buys a one-month commuter pass. If he really has no money, wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a three-month or six-month pass at once?'

People who are truly struggling to make ends meet this month cannot possibly afford to buy a three-month, let alone a six-month, commuter pass, even if it means losing money in the long run.

I had never visited Costco until I became an adult, and when I was a student, I spent my days only being able to buy a one-month commuter pass.

I could go on forever about how painful it was to have no money—I'd run out of drinks before I finished the story—but I believe one aspect is that you 'cannot look at things in the long term.'

Living day-to-day is exactly that; even if not literally day-to-day, I was just doing my best to survive the current month, so I had no choice but to discard anything that would yield benefits from long-term commitment without question.

Even if I knew it was wasteful, I couldn't afford to buy 5kg of rice for 2,000 yen today, so I would buy a single pack of pre-cooked rice for 100 yen.

What's painful about that is that from the perspective of people who are saving money while already having some, not being able to look at things in the long term clearly looks like 'luxury,' so they think, 'You say you have no money, but you're wasting it, right? Isn't that why you're poor?'
It's a strange story, but being poor is actually expensive.

The friend who complained about her boyfriend only buying a one-month pass in college looked genuinely surprised when I said, 'Maybe he only buys a one-month pass because he really has no money?' and said, 'Is that how it is? I didn't know... I was wrong,' and she fell into deep thought for a while (she's a good person).I, for my part, remember being surprised at how much people's common sense differs depending on the environment they are placed in.

Money is something everyone needs, and it looks the same to everyone, but it creates completely different values depending on the environment you grew up in, your current situation, and your community, doesn't it?

People who grew up in households with some money never even dream that there is a possibility they won't be able to live tomorrow.
They believe that a safe tomorrow will definitely come and that they will definitely be able to eat tomorrow as well.
But for those whose common sense was that there is a possibility they won't be able to live tomorrow, it's impossible to understand the mindset of people who believe they will definitely be able to eat tomorrow.

Therefore, not limited to money, I think we must not assume that what we have considered common sense is common sense for everyone.
There really are times when you cannot get empathy for something that is a surprise to you.And it can happen quite frequently.

In my case, I was from one of the poorest families among my friends (?), and because I always felt the gap between myself and those around me, I was able to notice that.Was that a good thing, or a bad thing?

By the way, the moment I felt I had escaped poverty for the first time was undoubtedly the day I went to Costco and was finally able to shop properly.

'This price for 10 servings?' 'If I freeze it, I can definitely eat it, right?' 'Isn't this cheap?'
For me, those were lines that made me feel incredibly happy. I was moved by how beneficial it is to look at things in the long term.

Now that I can think to some extent that 'I will probably be able to live safely tomorrow' and 'If things go on like this, I will be able to eat tomorrow,' I am savoring the gratitude of being able to 'look at things in the long term' every day.I don't know who I'm thanking, but I'm just grateful for every day.

When I think that this might be a happiness that never comes to those for whom looking at things in the long term has been a matter of course since birth, I think being poor wasn't so bad after all.That's a lie, I was completely putting on a brave face.