Most spiritual paths respect or require material poverty so that spiritual wealth may be acquired.
“Blessed are the poor” said Matthew in 5:3.
In medieval times they called it a “perfect poverty,” where the individual would give up material wealth and seek spiritual development.
In Islam, this quest for spiritual development through material poverty is called “faqr.” If in real life you are not poor, dreaming that you live in poverty or experiencing great poverty in your dreams may be considered a dream of the contrary or a compensatory dream.
Superstition based dream interpretations would say that if you are poor in your dream you will gain material luck in the near future. Dreaming about poverty may be interpreted in the light of what is going on in your daily life (as do most dream interpretations).
Thus, if you are on a upward swing and are doing really well financially, you may have a compensatory dream of being poor.
This is simply a way by which you obtain psychic balance. However, if you are experiencing financial stress, dreaming of being poor may be a way for you to cope with fear and anxiety that you are unable to cope with directly.
To dream of poverty, or that you are poor, means you may be taking on too many responsibilities and working too hard, and not taking the time to cater to your need for pampering and self-care. Have a bubble bath and make more time to feel good and relaxed!