10 people share how they got out of poverty and found hope amidst adversity

Money matters

It's become a very common thing to hear money can't buy you happiness. While that may be true to some extent, it can give you a comfortable life and basic necessities. People who have lost out on these will know the true value of money and will not take it for granted. Ask any self-made individual and they will tell you how important financial stability can be. This, of course, does not mean one should chase riches, but instead, strike a balance. Reddit user u/fromTheYear3969 asked the community how they rescued themselves from poverty. Here are the 10 best stories that individuals had to offer: 

1. Worked hard

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 business, 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. u/lostinKansai

2. Learned computer science

I went back to school at 24 to get a degree in [computer science], 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 overtime during the entire period I was in college. It was brutal, but ended up being worth it. u/Pwnskies. Same. I eventually managed to get off disability and get a [computer science] degree. I basically doubled my standard of living from when I was living on disability and still had boatloads of money to save and invest. I haven't needed to work since my late 30's but I still like solving problems so I'm still at it. I'll probably retire in my mid-40s. u/alpacaMyToothbrush

3. Took advantage of affordable education

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. u/Xapphire. I never really put 2 and 2 together for how countries could offer free universities and such. It makes sense though, more education, better-paying job, more taxes getting paid. It's sad that many countries could care less [about] having a more educated population. Canada for one, seems interested right now in having an uneducated population who will work to barely survive and make politicians and their friends rich. u/Iokua_CDN

4. Planning properly

As a former banker and Financial Adviser, the best advice is to 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. u/Offshore3000

5. Being passionate about computers

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 were 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 in 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**hole bosses. u/sukoshidekimasu

6. Learning mathematics 

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 led 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 opportunities. u/supersaiminjin

7. Job hopping

Keep job hopping until you find something that pays you what you're 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 every day. 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. u/fuzzyfoot88

8. Stop drinking 

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. u/hucksley

9. Being financially literate

Something that isn't said as much is the lack of financial literacy, at least in the US. The percentage of people who don't understand how to create a proper budget is shocking, and is a direct correlation to how many people either stay broke or become broke. The education system in the US is a complete failure. It does not keep kids engaged, does not keep them interested, does not pay teachers a living wage, and sets everyone up for failure. Financial literacy begins in grade school, and we need to do a better job of teaching good habits. u/4thMainCourse_

10. Stopped using credit cards

I took away my wife's access to credit cards. I made us both learn about good financial practices. I also learned to code when the job market was better which doubled my income. She learned a new skill too and makes about 3x what she used to make. I swapped brand clothing for the Hanes 5-pack that I replace once every two years or so. Our car is an old used car. We still live like we are broke minus the beach property, the best private schooling in our area for our kids, and occasional trips. u/MoesAccount