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Like other people here, I have my quibbles with the exact math. But the general premise is true: yes, you can live in rural poverty for cheap. The problem is th

Like other people here, I have my quibbles with the exact math. But the general premise is true: yes, you can live in rural poverty for cheap. The problem is the vibes. A hundred years ago, you would have a community, a place in society, and all of your family and friends nearby. In 2025, the only actual local job the author of the piece can come up with is at a gas station. Top ten occupations, 1920: Farmers, farm laborers, clerks, salespeople, servants (bellboys, butlers, cooks), textile workers, machinists, carpenters, and teachers. All of those jobs, even the less respected ones, had infinitely more societal respect than the common jobs hiring in rural America today - such as stocking shelves at Walmart or working at a gas station. You could be a simple farm laborer and have a wife and kids and a place in society. Today, though, a young man working at a Walmart or a gas station will struggle to attract a stable partner or the respect of the world around him.

AstroBen 1y ago
Not saying I agree with the premise of the article at all but making life decisions based on how much others will respect it is a terrible way to live
- weregiraffe 1y ago
  Humans are a social species. Your happiness absolutely depends on what other people think about you.
  - AstroBen 1y ago
    Good luck making everyone like you
- tonyedgecombe 1y ago
  Yes, it seems the only thing the world around me respects is conspicuous consumption. It's better for your own wellbeing if you can avoid indulging that.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
- andrewrn 1y ago
  We're wired to yield to social pressures, it is what allowed us to create civilization. You're right, the energy spent to overcome it is well spent, but its not as trivial as you make it sound to be low-status and feel fulfilled.
  - AstroBen 1y ago
    Status is relative to who's doing the judging.. and everyone views things differently. I'd argue you don't have much of a choice whether you're low or high status in some people's eyes. Whether you feel it regularly heavily depends on who you surround yourself with Your career = your social status is a very American point of view Eat meat and vegans will look down on you Ride a bike for transport in America and you're poor, do it in Europe and it's normal Nomads will judge you on your experiences and travel, not your career. Wealthy CEO thats invested everything in their work but never left their home country? Low status Go out on your own and take a risk of starting a business in Asia and people will be confused why you'd do that vs the safe path Invest a tonne of energy into making money and anti-consumerist folk will laugh Skinny? Better bulk up lest the bodybuilders see you as low status.. but wait, if you bulk up people will judge you for being vain. Shit The status game isn't winnable. Best thing you can do is surround yourself with people of similar values
    - ryandrake 1y ago
      Letting go of social pressures, “status” and not worrying about what other people think of me was the single biggest quality-of-life improvement I ever made.
    - andrewrn 1y ago
      "Surround yourself with people of similar values"... so in other words, you mean find a group where you're of similar status. We're not in disagreement.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- owenversteeg 1y ago
  I used to be a guy that genuinely didn't care about what others thought. I did my own thing. As they say: those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter. That worked surprisingly well for quite a while. And then I slowly realized the benefits of society. It's nice to be a part of this big human experiment of ours. It's nice to have respect. And the thing is, it doesn't have to cost you that much. You don't have to go full-conformist. If you do a few basic things that are fairly low-effort you get a good bit of leeway in the eyes of the world. I'm still a pretty weird guy; just one that wears a squid on his head less often. Soul still intact. Coming back to the article topic, often times society's judgment saves people from making stupid decisions. For example, in non-HN circles, "I am going to go move far away from anyone I know to live in a dilapidated building in one of the most depressed towns in the Northeast and work at a gas station" would garner enough judgment to stop that person in their tracks. If you've ever been to a town like this, you realize that is a good thing! Statistically, they've just been saved from ODing on fentanyl! Same thing for all kinds of socially undesirable behaviors. If you think people do crazy shit now, imagine what they'd do without a society around them.
  - AstroBen 1y ago
    > would garner enough judgment to stop that person in their tracks I don't agree the judgement itself should be the factor that stops them. Having that as an overly strong measuring stick is incredibly limiting. It's an indicator of something, sure.. but you should look for actual reasons and where it's coming from If you ask "everyone seems to think this is a terrible idea.. why?". Well in the 'dilapidated building in a depressed town' case you'd pretty quickly find 100 reasons not to do it, as you pointed out. In a lot of other situations though there are none. Everyone is just following everyone else and no-ones truly considered the alternatives on their own merit I'm with you that there's a good balance. I don't see a reason in being actively non-conformist or anything. There's an innate drawback to not conforming.. it makes you a little weird and un-relatable. Just need to make sure the benefits make up for it
tuna74 1y ago
"You could be a simple farm laborer and have a wife and kids and a place in society." You could not afford a good life as a farm laborer.
- wyclif 1y ago
  I don't think the OP was suggesting it would be a good life if by "good" you mean a life of relative comfort. I think his claim was much more modest. The point is that at that time a farm laborer was valued by the local community.
  - tuna74 1y ago
    Farm laborers were probably at the bottom of the social ladder for working rural people. They were usually fully dependent on the owner of the farm that they worked on. Think of the cowboys in the bunkhouse in "Yellowstone" except way worse.
    - sarchertech 1y ago
      That’s exactly right. Especially during the time my great grandparents were young—the Great Depression. A farm laborer certainly wasn’t a respected member of society. Many of them became hobos traveling from town to town looking for any work they could find.
kingstoned 1y ago
"Today, though, a young man working at a Walmart or a gas station will struggle to attract a stable partner or the respect of the world around him." True if they are not good looking. If a guy is really handsome, he could attract a partner easily and people will like him due to halo effect.
- sarchertech 1y ago
  It’s very easy for someone hard working to move up a few ranks at Walmart. Spend a little of that extra money on clothes, and a $29k house. Then a little of your spare time on grooming, and maybe a little working out, and you won’t struggle attract a stable partner.
icameron 1y ago
I think you’ll meet most of the community and could gain some standing working at the town gas station actually, especially if you try to be even a little bit friendly with the locals.
testing22321 1y ago
> a young man working at a Walmart or a gas station will struggle to attract a stable partner or the respect of the world around him. From personal experience I can tell you confidently you are wrong. The part you are missing is you only need to work 10-20 hours a week MAX. That means you have an enormous Amount of leisure time to do what you want with your life. Trust me when I say plenty of young women love the idea of not working a lot and instead having wilderness adventures. Want to see it for yourself? Go spend a summer in the Yukon. If you love it, stay the winter. It’s nothing short of epic.
- dangus 1y ago
  Wilderness adventures will be the only option within your budget.
  - aziaziazi 1y ago
    Lest's say you are serious and it's only a lack of imagination [edit: or taste obviously but as the article author points out: it's only on you to choose what you like]: - learn music instruments, perhaps join a local band or share samples on the net with enthusiasts - draw, paint, sculpt, all of which has many options of techniques and cheap materials. As with music, the only limit is yourself and the the expense of your instrument but you don't need to use expensive techniques to enjoy - make a year-round vegetable garden, thats' often time consuming and you won't need much terrain - read tons of books, learn philosophie, math, history, whatever makes you find interesting. And in 2025 there's the option to read blogs for those that feels like it. watch movies, listen podcasts. - cook whatever you eat, get creative and share the food with your neighbor or the receipt with the internet users - do more sport. 1.5h/day practice of yoga, tai chi, swim or whatever will influence the rest of your day - participate in local NGO or crate the one you want to, from homeless shelter to business and startups free guidance, animals caring and astronomy enthusiasts. - to support your cheap live, learn to like the chores: hand wash your dishes and clothes. Sounds super boring, but how boring is an Amazon warehouse job ? I'd choose the dishwashing+podcast. - use the bus or walk or bike to the wilderness, you got time. You don't need to get to the super-far-and-wild spot to enjoy the nature anyway. - in the wilderness you can: walk, run, off-road exploration, climb trees (yes, that's still a hobby), listen and learn to recognize birds, mushrooms (beware), plants, insects, draw (that you can do anywhere), get aromates for cooking or leaves for tea, sleep in a tent, collect fossils and minerals. Become a local guide. - get a cheap computer and play (not that) old games. Bonus if you live somewhere where internet is cheap, try some MMORPG (ok not too long to stay sane). Here in France unlimited 1Gb connection is 25€/month. - learn to knit, wave, sew. Some people find those fun, and make extra money on local handmade shops.

AstroBen 1y ago

Not saying I agree with the premise of the article at all but making life decisions based on how much others will respect it is a terrible way to live

weregiraffe 1y ago
Humans are a social species. Your happiness absolutely depends on what other people think about you.
- AstroBen 1y ago
  Good luck making everyone like you
tonyedgecombe 1y ago
Yes, it seems the only thing the world around me respects is conspicuous consumption. It's better for your own wellbeing if you can avoid indulging that.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
andrewrn 1y ago
We're wired to yield to social pressures, it is what allowed us to create civilization. You're right, the energy spent to overcome it is well spent, but its not as trivial as you make it sound to be low-status and feel fulfilled.
- AstroBen 1y ago
  Status is relative to who's doing the judging.. and everyone views things differently. I'd argue you don't have much of a choice whether you're low or high status in some people's eyes. Whether you feel it regularly heavily depends on who you surround yourself with Your career = your social status is a very American point of view Eat meat and vegans will look down on you Ride a bike for transport in America and you're poor, do it in Europe and it's normal Nomads will judge you on your experiences and travel, not your career. Wealthy CEO thats invested everything in their work but never left their home country? Low status Go out on your own and take a risk of starting a business in Asia and people will be confused why you'd do that vs the safe path Invest a tonne of energy into making money and anti-consumerist folk will laugh Skinny? Better bulk up lest the bodybuilders see you as low status.. but wait, if you bulk up people will judge you for being vain. Shit The status game isn't winnable. Best thing you can do is surround yourself with people of similar values
  - ryandrake 1y ago
    Letting go of social pressures, “status” and not worrying about what other people think of me was the single biggest quality-of-life improvement I ever made.
  - andrewrn 1y ago
    "Surround yourself with people of similar values"... so in other words, you mean find a group where you're of similar status. We're not in disagreement.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
owenversteeg 1y ago
I used to be a guy that genuinely didn't care about what others thought. I did my own thing. As they say: those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter. That worked surprisingly well for quite a while. And then I slowly realized the benefits of society. It's nice to be a part of this big human experiment of ours. It's nice to have respect. And the thing is, it doesn't have to cost you that much. You don't have to go full-conformist. If you do a few basic things that are fairly low-effort you get a good bit of leeway in the eyes of the world. I'm still a pretty weird guy; just one that wears a squid on his head less often. Soul still intact. Coming back to the article topic, often times society's judgment saves people from making stupid decisions. For example, in non-HN circles, "I am going to go move far away from anyone I know to live in a dilapidated building in one of the most depressed towns in the Northeast and work at a gas station" would garner enough judgment to stop that person in their tracks. If you've ever been to a town like this, you realize that is a good thing! Statistically, they've just been saved from ODing on fentanyl! Same thing for all kinds of socially undesirable behaviors. If you think people do crazy shit now, imagine what they'd do without a society around them.
- AstroBen 1y ago
  > would garner enough judgment to stop that person in their tracks I don't agree the judgement itself should be the factor that stops them. Having that as an overly strong measuring stick is incredibly limiting. It's an indicator of something, sure.. but you should look for actual reasons and where it's coming from If you ask "everyone seems to think this is a terrible idea.. why?". Well in the 'dilapidated building in a depressed town' case you'd pretty quickly find 100 reasons not to do it, as you pointed out. In a lot of other situations though there are none. Everyone is just following everyone else and no-ones truly considered the alternatives on their own merit I'm with you that there's a good balance. I don't see a reason in being actively non-conformist or anything. There's an innate drawback to not conforming.. it makes you a little weird and un-relatable. Just need to make sure the benefits make up for it

tuna74 1y ago

"You could be a simple farm laborer and have a wife and kids and a place in society." You could not afford a good life as a farm laborer.

wyclif 1y ago
I don't think the OP was suggesting it would be a good life if by "good" you mean a life of relative comfort. I think his claim was much more modest. The point is that at that time a farm laborer was valued by the local community.
- tuna74 1y ago
  Farm laborers were probably at the bottom of the social ladder for working rural people. They were usually fully dependent on the owner of the farm that they worked on. Think of the cowboys in the bunkhouse in "Yellowstone" except way worse.
  - sarchertech 1y ago
    That’s exactly right. Especially during the time my great grandparents were young—the Great Depression. A farm laborer certainly wasn’t a respected member of society. Many of them became hobos traveling from town to town looking for any work they could find.

kingstoned 1y ago

"Today, though, a young man working at a Walmart or a gas station will struggle to attract a stable partner or the respect of the world around him." True if they are not good looking. If a guy is really handsome, he could attract a partner easily and people will like him due to halo effect.

sarchertech 1y ago
It’s very easy for someone hard working to move up a few ranks at Walmart. Spend a little of that extra money on clothes, and a $29k house. Then a little of your spare time on grooming, and maybe a little working out, and you won’t struggle attract a stable partner.

icameron 1y ago

I think you’ll meet most of the community and could gain some standing working at the town gas station actually, especially if you try to be even a little bit friendly with the locals.

testing22321 1y ago

> a young man working at a Walmart or a gas station will struggle to attract a stable partner or the respect of the world around him. From personal experience I can tell you confidently you are wrong. The part you are missing is you only need to work 10-20 hours a week MAX. That means you have an enormous Amount of leisure time to do what you want with your life. Trust me when I say plenty of young women love the idea of not working a lot and instead having wilderness adventures. Want to see it for yourself? Go spend a summer in the Yukon. If you love it, stay the winter. It’s nothing short of epic.

dangus 1y ago
Wilderness adventures will be the only option within your budget.
- aziaziazi 1y ago
  Lest's say you are serious and it's only a lack of imagination [edit: or taste obviously but as the article author points out: it's only on you to choose what you like]: - learn music instruments, perhaps join a local band or share samples on the net with enthusiasts - draw, paint, sculpt, all of which has many options of techniques and cheap materials. As with music, the only limit is yourself and the the expense of your instrument but you don't need to use expensive techniques to enjoy - make a year-round vegetable garden, thats' often time consuming and you won't need much terrain - read tons of books, learn philosophie, math, history, whatever makes you find interesting. And in 2025 there's the option to read blogs for those that feels like it. watch movies, listen podcasts. - cook whatever you eat, get creative and share the food with your neighbor or the receipt with the internet users - do more sport. 1.5h/day practice of yoga, tai chi, swim or whatever will influence the rest of your day - participate in local NGO or crate the one you want to, from homeless shelter to business and startups free guidance, animals caring and astronomy enthusiasts. - to support your cheap live, learn to like the chores: hand wash your dishes and clothes. Sounds super boring, but how boring is an Amazon warehouse job ? I'd choose the dishwashing+podcast. - use the bus or walk or bike to the wilderness, you got time. You don't need to get to the super-far-and-wild spot to enjoy the nature anyway. - in the wilderness you can: walk, run, off-road exploration, climb trees (yes, that's still a hobby), listen and learn to recognize birds, mushrooms (beware), plants, insects, draw (that you can do anywhere), get aromates for cooking or leaves for tea, sleep in a tent, collect fossils and minerals. Become a local guide. - get a cheap computer and play (not that) old games. Bonus if you live somewhere where internet is cheap, try some MMORPG (ok not too long to stay sane). Here in France unlimited 1Gb connection is 25€/month. - learn to knit, wave, sew. Some people find those fun, and make extra money on local handmade shops.