congrats on your hard work and acheivement...thats not really an example of the poor getting poorer though seeing as you became better off. You have a nice new car that will last a long time, long enough to pass down to your kids, then they will be on par with the others in their generation.

my story

My parents pulled themselves up from lower to middle class as well. When they got married, they had both just gotten out of high school. My dad worked while going to school and my mom got her associates as well as took care of the kids. (they had 3 during this). After getting out of college they were very careful how they spent and how they saved. They kept an emergency fund, and simply paid bills. My mom was a dentist nurse (not a rich dentist office by any means) and my dad was an accountant for a small company and did taxes in the winter as well. Now they are in their 60s, house paid off, cars paid off, my dad is about to retire, my mom did when I was born. They are solid middle class and are proud of it. My siblings are on the upper side of middle class thanks to being able to go to college because of my parents (as will I after college) and, following the same method, I plan to further climb the ladder. Hard work is still rewarded in our society, you just have to plan ahead.