Besides checking being poor by yourself (which will come easy for a lot of people in the current economy), and/or hanging around poor neighborhoods and making f

Besides checking being poor by yourself (which will come easy for a lot of people in the current economy), and/or hanging around poor neighborhoods and making friends, I recommend "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_and_Dimed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_and_Dimed A small road trip in South Dakota, Mississippi, Alabama et al would also be insightful.