I'm really good at surviving with a very small amount of money. For a while I also would steal food from wherever I could get it, I thankfully don't have to do that anymore but the skills are there.

how to avoid appearing like you just escaped the lower classes:

• stop keeping everything, just in case you might need it
• stop buying random crap without seeing how it can justify your space/money/time.
• stop eating garbage. eat consciously, expect you will need to feel great instead of stopping hunger.
• stop keeping in touch with toxic people just because you might need them someday.
• stop seeking attention with the way you dress and talk, etc. don't appear needy. aim for tasteful.
• preventative maintenance. fix things that are wonky before they fail at a bad time.
• appear competent and secure, give eye contact, listen.

I used to keep EVERYTHING under lock and key, or under my direct supervision. I have been robbed multiple times. Turns out, not everyone is a shitty person. TBH I kinda still do it. Not to the extremes I used to though.

"the sticks" doesn't mean poor, it just means in the countryside (at least in the UK). On the estate(s) would be correct for us.

I didn't grow up particularly poor, but became poor upon moving out of the family home. This led to making do with very limited ingredients, finding bargains, and that has stuck with me ever since. I've saved a lot of money down the years, can live very frugally for a period of time when I really need to, and as such became a homeowner because I knew how to knuckle down and avoid unnecessary expenditure, perhaps to the detriment of my health at times.

Casual racism that only intensified the inequity. Realize it's the billionaire class that's benefiting from the in fighting.

I've CPTSD

A big thing is thinking about finances constantly and asking those kinds of questions in social settings. It's more of a common thing to do when you're in a poorer environment.