4 ms·

It’s expensive to be poor.

• Liron 5y ago
  On the contrary, we should appreciate that every single item in the dollar store is a marvel of modern economies of scale that benefits all customers, poor ones most of all. Show a modern dollar store to a Soviet Russian in 1989 or anyone from 100 years ago and they’d go nuts.
  • thenanyu 5y ago
    You’re never gonna get anywhere with that argument unfortunately. The hedonic treadmill is too quick and everyone you’re responding to grew up taking all of these modern miracles for granted. I remember what buying snacks was like growing up in China in the early 90s. You brought your own rice and a dude on the side of the road would pop it for you in a lead pipe. We shopped at dollar stores after landing in the US and it was mind boggling.
  • timbit42 5y ago
    Not with the inflation since 100 years ago.
    • gruez 5y ago
      Why 100 years? Soviets were around as recently as 30-ish years ago. Also inflation makes it even more impressive, if we look at the goods you can get relative to what you can buy with a median hourly wage.
  • kaptain 5y ago
    That's not my point. Yes, someone poor benefits greatly from a dollar store, but they're paying a premium that someone that is more wealthy does not pay because the wealthy person can take advantage of economies of scale: a wealthy person can buy 100 rolls of toilet paper for $50 where a poor person can only buy one roll for $1. This extends beyond just the dollar store. A wealthy person has access to a vehicle which allows them to go to Costco that is 10 km away. A wealthy person has storage in their home to house the discounted goods they buy. A wealthy person has access to financing and financial investments that a poor person does not; you cannot buy a portion of share of stock.
    • gruez 5y ago
      >you cannot buy a portion of share of stock. Robinhood (and other many other brokers) support fractional shares