You obviously didn't grow up poor, because if you did you'd realize how impossible that is to do when you are. Your parents are working 2 or 3 jobs and won't be home until you're almost asleep so you have to take the bus home; no afterschool activities or time with friends. That one thing alone selects the friends you can choose from. The well-to-do kids all hang out with each other because they have parental support that puts them in healthy environments they can relate to. You're speaking from a place with a lot of privilege.