What, if any, have been the positive effects of difficult financial times/poverty in your life?

Recently, we’ve hit our lowest financial point. Consequently, we’ve had to re-prioritize and try out new ways of saving money such as getting into freeganism. As a result, we’re eating new and healthier foods. Our friends have come forward to help us with some of our expenses and that brought them back into our home (instead of interacting via the internet). Since we don’t watch TV anymore, we spend more time being focused on the kids. I look to all of these above positive effects as something we wouldn’t have experienced if we didn’t end up in this jam. Obviously, there have been negative effects as well but we’re generally trying to keep our spirits up and focus on a hopeful future.

So, I wanted to ask Flutherites about their financially hard times and what positive effects arose.