Submission timeline
2007–2026One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.
First comments on top threads
HN comment orderI lived this. Being poor is growing up between the trailer park and the dump. Being poor is skipping homework to help repair the $600 car so dad can make it to work tomorrow. Being poor is your mother crying over a $100 invoice for the dental service you just received for the first time in living memory. Being poor is quitting junior college early, because your Pell Grant ran out, and a $12.15/hr opportunity is over double your fast-food…
Being truly poor is not being able to imagine anything else. Both of my parents grew up with absolutely nothing. My mother shared a bed with her sisters and wore nothing but hand-me-downs until she got married. My father never had 3 meals in the same day until he joined the army. They both tried to explain what life was like to us many times, but every story ended with, "Never mind. You just wouldn't understand." They were so determined…
I consider myself extremely lucky that I grew up middle class and now earn a pretty nice buck (for European standards). However, halfway there, there was a period where my wife and me had to turn around every penny. Strict budgeting, shopping at ALDI only, no takeout, etc. "I hope the kid doesn't get a growth spurt" definitely resonates. We were nowhere near as poor as some people, and it was only for a few years, and it was self-inflicted…
No, this is not off-topic. You have just read an article on how you have to hack every system connected to money just to maintain continuity (let alone dignity). Did you miss those?
The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.
- Breakout years
- 3
- Total points
- 742
- Total comments
- 678
100+ points or 50+ comments
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
Every submission
| Date | Title as submitted | By | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-09-21 | Being Poor by John ScalziFirst breakout | skmurphy | 257 | 218 |
| 2015-10-14 | Being Poor | ecopoesis | 31 | 7 |
| 2017-08-17 | John Scalzi: Being Poor (2005)Best thread | brudgers | 262 | 237 |
| 2021-03-01 | Being Poor (2005) | brudgers | 1 | 0 |
| 2021-05-22 | Being Poor (2005)Hall induction · Latest 20+ point return | sturza | 187 | 216 |
| 2026-05-14 | Being Poor (2005) | chistev | 4 | 0 |