Signs You’re Working Class

1. You have a wardrobe full of flannel shirts because comfort is key!

Image Source: Reddit.com

Flannel shirts are a huge wardrobe staple for you, and they are always your trusty go-to for absolutely every occasion, from the day-to-day trips to the store to buy milk to the more special events in your life.  The truth is, you have about twenty-three of these shirts and they have never let you down!

2. You can always be counted on to bring the potluck dish that will feed an army

Image Source: CNN

Whenever there's a gathering of ANY kind, you're always the one asked to cook a big pot of yummy food for the occasion.  And you don't do this by halves.  In fact, you own a pot big enough to feed hundreds of people so you're always the perfect person for the job!

3. You have a collection of beer cans from every state you've ever worked in

Image Source: Reddit.com

Of course, empty beer cans aren't for the trash!  They have a much bigger purpose in your household.  So much so, that you collect them from every state you've ever been to and proudly display the colorful cans around your home.  They're pieces of art and nostalgia that you don't want to just throw out!

4. You got a GED instead of a diploma

Image Source: Reddit.com

Receiving a high school diploma typically happens when you finish high school.  But you had other things going on at the time and had to drop out.  Later in life, you decided that it is useful to be able to prove that you have a high school level of knowledge so you got your GED!

5. You never turn down a good DIY project, because why pay someone else to do it?

Image Source: Reddit.com

You love a good DIY project, and if something breaks, there's no way you're letting anyone else do it for you!  And those handy people; they're way too expensive anyway!  Besides, you'll always do a better job than them.  If you want something doing, do it yourself!

6.You don't vote Democrat

Image Source: WIRED

It's surprising, as the Democrats have traditionally relied on support from the working class.  And there was once a time when they got it!  But this support has been slowly eroding over the years and lots of working-class people are showing more and more of their support for the Republicans!

7. You've not had a vacation in a very long time

Image Source: Reddit.com

Vacations are definitely not the norm for you and you haven't taken a trip for an insanely long time.  And to be quite honest, you just don't have the time or money to be able to do that right now.  It feels more important for you to stay at work and to keep your job!

8. You love your baseball cap

Image Source: Reddit.com

It's likely that you're job might have you working outdoors in all weathers.  And what better garment to own than a baseball cap, or a trucker hat.  In fact, the trucker hat has often been associated with the working classes and you might find that some people, usually from the middle and even upper classes may wear one to show their affiliation with the working classes.

9. You worry about healthcare costs

Image Source: Reddit.com

Healthcare costs are insanely high, and many working-class people are unable to afford to pay for their own medical insurance.  Any serious illness or injury would definitely put a huge strain on the pockets of those on lower incomes and cause horrendous money problems.

10. The recession hit you hard

Image Source: Reddit.com

The recession hit you hard and you, along with the family and friends in your community struggled.  It forced companies to lay off their workers, so there were fewer jobs and even failed businesses.  This, of course, reduced opportunities for those that needed them most.

11. You Always Have A Full House

Image Source: Romper

People from working-class backgrounds have often been found to have higher birth rates than those in the middle classes.  This shows that income and high birth rates are very strongly linked.  So growing up, you probably weren't a stranger to sibling rivalry!

12. You're job involves a lot of manual labor

Image Source: Reddit.com

You may find yourself in a job that demands a lot of physical labor from you.  Your job might be described as a job that doesn't require much skill or education.  This is a description that always feels a little insulting!  What would people do without you to actually do these jobs?

13. You didn't always get the best grades

Image Source: Reddit.com

Living in a working class neighborhood does unfortunately have its drawbacks.  And one of these is the serious underfunding of public schools.  In fact, it has been found that, collectively, public schools in America are underfunded every year by $150 billion!  This inevitably robs children of any decent resources they need to succeed and get good grades.

14. You didn't feel safe during the pandemic

Image Source: Reddit.com

It has often been said that in recent times, the working classes have not been looked after. And during the pandemic, this feeling was stronger than ever.  With no medical insurance to speak of, you might've been particularly worried, and even fearful, when the coronavirus began to spread across the world.

15. You feel forgotten

Image Source: Reddit.com

And this feeling hasn't just existed during the coronavirus pandemic.  It has existed for a very long time.  In fact, as a member of the working class, you may feel like you've been neglected in different aspects of your life, including healthcare and education!

16. You're not planning on retiring any time soon

Image Source: Reddit.com

You work hard.  Really hard, in fact, and it doesn't seem to pay off.  But when do you get a rest?  When you finally retire?  Well, if you are wishing away your working life, waiting for retirement, you will be well aware that you are going to be waiting a very very long time...

17. You live right near where you grew up

Image Source: Reddit.com

Your roots mean a lot to you and they are so strong that you have never been able to (or wanted to!) escape the town where you grew up.  Day after day, your wall around the same old streets and run into the same old faces and nothing ever changes.  And to be honest, you probably wouldn't be able to afford to move anyway.

18.You're a millennial

Image Source: Pinterest

A recent study has found that fewer and fewer millennials in America see themselves as belonging to the middle class.  In fact, an increasing number of millennials are actually identifying as working class.  Even being born into a higher social class didn't affect this and many have changed their social class when they've moved out of the family home and begun to establish themselves financially and socially.

19. You learned skills from your parents

Image Source: The Times

Despite being described as 'unskilled', the truth is that you actually do have skills.  And, admittedly, very very useful skills.  The type that other people can't do, like plumbing in the washing machine, building house extensions, and fixing the wiring in plug adapters, to name a few.  And it is likely that you learned these skills from a family member!

20. You find yourself single most of the time!

Image Source: The Times 

Studies have found that people from poorer backgrounds are up to twice as likely to be single in their early 40s than people from much richer households.   This is mostly true for men but women are also likely to be affected by this too.  This could be a result of lower rates of marriage and also relationship breakdown.

21. You've been described as unskilled

Image Source: Reddit.com

People who belong to the working class have been found to hold jobs that are described as low-skill jobs.  These include manual labor-type jobs, retail sales, and clerical work.  You don't need a certain educational level or qualification to do these jobs and they are usually low-paid, and sometimes even quite insecure!

22. You don't own your house

Image Source: Reddit.com

Part of The American Dream is to actually own a house that is yours.  But, alas, this dream always feels just completely out of reach for you, leaving you wondering if you will ever have a place to call your own.  You have always lived pay-check to pay-check and you've never been able to put any away to save for a home.

23. You are independent

Image Source: Positive News

Your parents might've been working a lot during your childhood to make ends meet!  And it sounds sad, if you didn't get to spend as much time with them as you would've like.  But, the truth is, this taught you an extremely important life lesson: independence!

24. You are resilient

Image Source: Reddit.com

And with your possible struggles growing up: being from a low income household, needing to work as soon as you could, and having more challenges at school, you have also learned another valuable skill.  This skill is resilience which means that you are able to adapt really well to challenges and overcome them.

25. You are from a close-knit family

Image Source: Reddit.com

Close-knit families have special bonds where each family member tend to choose to support and uplift each other.  As parents, it is an incredibly difficult task to make sure this happens amongst their children and it might be prioritized along with food and shelter.

26. You have stopped voting

Image Source: Newsweek.com

Feeling forgotten by the government has made you become completely disillusioned and you have struggled to find the energy to vote.  Or, indeed, see the point in it at all.  You have put your faith in government officials before and their empty promises are just getting old.  So you don't bother voting anymore.

27. You drink beer instead of wine

Image Source: Reddit.com

And old stereotype, yes.  But how true is it?  Beer is actually less expensive than wine, so if you do decided to have an alcoholic drink, is it not the wisest choice?  You're not going to have a grand old dinner party to impress your boss any time soon, so why buy wine?

28. You don't have time to cook

Image Source: Signatures Liverpool 

You have to be pretty clever with your ingredients so you can make your food go further but making things from scratch can just take too long!  You eat more convenience foods, which is not always very economical, but time is precious when you're that busy everyday! And sometimes, that take-out is just all too tempting!

29. You don't get paid enough

Image Source: Reddit.com

Yes, unfortunately, your commitment to super long hours and extremely physical labor doesn't get you more cash.  And you feel like it should!  You might be risking your health for your job and your pay just doesn't reflect that at all.  And in order to earn enough to make ends meet, you decide to work more so you work-life balance is completely off.

30. You feel misrepresented

Image Source: Pinterest

Working class families have often been portrayed in the media, movies and on the TV as incredibly chaotic.  There's missing fathers, teenage moms, lots of feral children running about, lots of beer and very little structure.  And you feel like this is just not you at all!