Filthy Rich \ Dirt Poor

"I've been rich and I've been poor. And let me tell you, rich is better!"

Boy, is that a cornball line?! But it's curious to note that both extremes of the socio-economic spectrum are modified as being unclean.

From the idioms dot come I found:
Meaning

• extremely rich.
• someone who is rich beyond measure.
• often refers to someone who has become rich by using unfair means.

Origin
The contemporary use of the term “filthy rich” is generally attributed to its inception in the United States in the 1920s. However, one can trace its etymological roots back to equivalent phrases like ‘filthy lucre.’

Several derivations of “filthy rich” have emerged over time. “Filthy stinking rich,” a variation, carries a stronger negative connotation and is often used to insinuate the corrupt or immoral nature of an individual’s wealth.

On a less disparaging note, the term “filthy loaded” serves as another alternative. This iteration of the phrase is often used in a lighter context. It carries a less harsh critique of the individual’s wealth.

Filthy Rich first appeared in print in an Ohio newspaper, The Lima News, published in February 1929. The article criticized the exploitative, get-rich-quick attitudes prevalent during the economic crash. Some were benefiting from those who had to sell their homes at desperate prices.

Earlier influences on this idiom can be traced back to the Latin word ‘lucrum,’ meaning “gain,” and the related term “filthy lucre,” found in (1 Timothy 3:8).

In and around the 1400s, the word lucre meant money or riches, but pointed to it negatively. The filthy part of this expression points out something that has been done unduly. At the time, “foul or filthy lucre” was popular, which eventually changed to “filthy rich.”

The phrase ‘filthy lucre’ has been used since the 16th century to describe money gained through dishonorable means. But the phrase “filthy rich” turned this concept into a concise, biting critique of excessive and often unjust wealth. In 1526, William Tindale used it in his work.

The usage and interpretations of the idiom “filthy rich” have undergone significant transformation over time. In the early 1900s, it grew in popularity and started encapsulating a wider variety of meanings. It began to allude not just to wealth amassed through dubious means but also to the sheer scale of an individual’s fortune. And it is no longer used in just a negative way; it could be referring to the magnitude of richness too.

Source: theidioms.com

Dirt poor, by contrast, didn't get so much of a write-up.

Extreme poverty
The term "dirt poor" refers to extreme poverty, indicating a lack of basic resources and financial stability. It is often used to describe individuals or families living in very poor conditions, and the expression dates back to the 1930s in the United States, alluding to the idea that poor people often live in dirty or squalid environments. In essence, being "dirt poor" means lacking nearly all material means for living.

I belong to the middle class. That's the class that is also known as the dying class. We are sometimes distinguished as lower- vs upper-middle class. I'm guessing the lower-middle class are the ones who are referred to as living from paycheck to paycheck. It means they work, get little to no assistance from the government, and have to rely on frugality or tight budgeting practices in order to stretch a buck.

The upper-middle class have extra left over for things such as philanthropy, eating in nicer restaurants, making investments that yield interest. I used to take in boarders to make ends meet.

My income has pretty much been of honest wage, so I guess I don't qualify as filthy or dirt.