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Poverty and the worry that goes with it uses up so much mental energy that the poor have little room in their brains for anything else.

As a result, people of limited means are more likely to make mistakes and bad decisions that may be amplified by—and perpetuate—their financial woes.

A new study suggests that being poor may keep some people from concentrating on ways that would lead them out of poverty. Cognitive function is diminished by the constant and all-consuming effort of coping with the immediate effects of having little money, such as scrounging to pay bills and cut costs.

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