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When we’re kids, we all feel the same—little courageous adventurers ready to soak in the world with open arms. Children have no prejudice about the world, and no sense of disparity that only emerges later in life.

When looking back at your childhood years, mixed emotions may come up. For some it’s nostalgia of carefree days, for others it’s things that they didn’t notice back then that struck a chord. Like, eating chili beans for days in a row or taking it as a usual thing not to expect anything fancy for Christmas.

In fact, these are among the tweets that people shared when Twitter user Trevor Donovan asked people “Tell me you grew up poor, without telling me you grew up poor.” The thread is an eye-opening read about growing up impoverished as told by the little details that often stay unnoticed from an outsider's eye.

#1

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Didn’t have enough food because mother spent our money on church. Paid tuition to parochial school. Put cash in 2 collection plates & an envelope for The Bishops Fund special collection on Sundays. Paid coins to light candles. Her piety kept her kids hungry & cold
I hate religion

s99_ron , Harry Metcalfe Report

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Marianne
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so twisted! Shouldn't a church care for those people and not the other way round?

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#2

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) One Christmas, all three of us kids each got only a letter from my mom. Beautifully handwritten with her ink pen. I still treasure it to this day, 45 years later. I can only imagine how painful that was for her, working so hard but still always broke.

14_Trixie , -l.i.l.l.i.a.n- Report

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Mohammad Ammar
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not a Christian or even someone from the west, but I find gift giving on Christmas kind of materialistic. I don't like the idea of expecting something from someone at a particular time. The best gifts are the ones given with genuine consideration ,when you least expect it.

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#3

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Making lots of friends meant you could go to other kids houses and get invited to stay for dinner. I would always sneak something to eat back home for my mom. She never asked me to do that, but I knew she was hungry.

Trifeen , slgckgc Report

#4

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Day 1 chili no beans Day 2 chili with beans Day 3 add macaroni to the remaining chili Day 4 add tomato juice to day 3 leftovers with paprika, it becomes goulash! Day 5 spoon remaining goulash over a baked potato How to Stretch your groceries at the end of the month

aft753 , Jake Przespo Report

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Jo Johannsen
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And still make it taste good. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention.

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#5

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Used to pray for clothing that my mom didn’t sew. Now that I’m older I look back and marvel at how she did all of those things for us and I just see so much love.

JadeDoubleDub , Matthew Paul Argall Report

#6

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) We had a school uniform, so that was fine. But the occasional 'non-uniform day' would be horrifically embarrassing. I often pretended to forget and turn up in uniform anyway. Now I earn a reasonable amount, I still can't believe I can buy stuff whenever, like a book or a coffee or a new shirt. Part of my 32 year old head of department brain is still a poor 8 year old waiting patiently for Christmas.

reddit , Charlie Report

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Eslamala
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country, all schools have uniforms exactly for that reason, so that kids who don't have as many clothes as others don't get bullied or don't feel different.

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#7

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Every piece of produce I ate at home, from 8-18 was grown in our backyard (and trust me we had it all). Seeds are cheaper, and weeding is a great punishment that doesn’t involve hitting your kids…

noneis , Karen and Brad Emerson Report

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Eslamala
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This. Exactly this. And, on the plus side, you know exactly what's in your food.

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#8

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) You can skip a meal by just going to sleep.

Kriiispy , Dekcuf Report

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Adam C
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never thought about it as a kid but we only eat twice a day in weekends since we don't get lunch in school.

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#9

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) That teachers and lunch ladies are godsends. My teachers always asked me if I was hungry, had clothes, etc. The lunch ladies always gave me my lunch and breakfast for free, with extra food, because they knew it was the best opportunity for me to eat that day.

reddit , Adrian Sampson Report

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El muerto
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in many countries people send the kids to school mostly because they'll get fed at least ones a day...

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#10

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Have you ever had a sugar sandwich? Because I have.

thehicklife Report

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Sonja
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope, never. I was a "fat child"- but when I look to the old photos from that time, it wasn't that bad, as they considered it. My mother refused to give me food to school(because "nobody gets fat if they don't eat"), which meant I was too hungry when I got home, so I ate whatever I could find. So it worked the opposite way. She was so "afraid" about me getting fat that she lied about me, that I have diabetes (I don't and never did), so nobody can give me anything sweet.

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N G
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The paradox of a lettuce sandwich. Dad grew lettuces on the allotment, so they were free, and a source of Vitamin A and fibre (white bread being cheaper than brown in those days). The paradox is comparing cucumber sandwiches eaten by the well off - they can afford to be nutritionally poor, the rest do it by necessity.

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Flopsy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes my dad used to soak bread in water and sprinkle sugar on it. It sounds so disgusting, but I loved it. Also, to this day I like having toast with a bit of salt on it.

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LadyDelynn
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would lightly butter a piece of bread, sprinkle on the sugar, and pop it in the toaster until the sugar/butter starts to bubble. *Chefs Kiss

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elStiJneriNO
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

why do you need to be poor for that. i had a sweettooth. i loved them sandwich with butter and brown cassonade sugar

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Claudia Dugral
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bread butter sugar. I liked that very much. But we had good bread and enough butter. And we did it by choice.

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Stacey Montebello
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We would have sweet rolls at restaurants for dessert. Save the free dinner rolls that Ryans, take a knife and make a hole in one side almost all the way through, put some butter in the hole and sprinkle some sugar in there.

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Tri Wahyu Yulianto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not too poor, even our former president likes breakfast with sugar sandwiches

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh my God. I had forgotten these. We rarely had bread or sugar, but this was a staple dessert if we could afford them... Man, this brings back a ton of memories.

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kim morris
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once had left-over cake from a wedding shower my aunt went to, she brought the cake for us. We thought 'Oh Cool! Cake for supper! it wasn't until DECADES later did I realize it was because of how poor we were that we had cake for supper.

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Randy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still do (34 yo) but now I toast them and put butter on it. The sugar gets a little caramelized this way

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Persephone
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Didn't try it as a sandwich but as a slice of bread with some butter on it and some sugar sprinkled on top. I still love it and eat it as a dessert from time to time. Yum!

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_*U~$~e~l~e~$~$*_
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve had sugar toast it’s when you get toast and then butter it and then add sugar it’s was really good

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had them too. Not because we were poor, but we liked to eat them.

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FlamingoPanda
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just learnt that other people had this too, growing up these often appeared in my lunch box at the end of the month and I just thought it was my dad been weird since he seemed to really like them.

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Jelo Alconaba
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

😋 At 54 still love this. Best midnight snack if you forgot, or in my case too lazy, to buy some. Just spread butter on bread sprinkle some sugar or if available some cinamon...et voila!! Now if I could only buy some Nido (powdered milk).

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Marie Bland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG I thought I was the only one to eat sugar sandwiches.....

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Kristopher French
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, put butter on a piece of bread, sprinkle sugar, microwave for 30 seconds.

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Tee Witt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved these, I really did. Since I moved from Lancashire to Yorkshire though they do not seem to be eaten here.

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Yolande Labbé
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes and I like it ,we were just middle class and we could eat what we want. When I was a kid I use to make sugar sandwich and I thought that it taste good. Some time I top it with strawberries.

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Leesa DeAndrea
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. And we were not poor but middle class. We called it a sugar bread sandwich & it was a treat we could make for ourselves.

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lakitha tolbert
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And other kinds of sandwiches as well, especially when all you got in the house is bread, and some condiments. I had ketchup sandwiches, and mayonnaise sandwiches, and fried bologna. I mean, we liked those things, but you couldn’t get me to eat such things as an adult today.

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Quynh Tam Nguyen Ngoc
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I eat this for breakfast all the time with my grandparents- My family wasn't rlly poor though, it just tasted delicious

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Sandy Miles-Blaxland
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it was a payday week, it was brown sugar bread! If it was inbetween, we'd get ketchup sandwiches! (I hated ketchup sandwiches.)

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Lynn Morello
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sugar butties, Yummmmmm, Bread and Dripping, The fat from cooking a roast used to have a brown Gel collect under solidified Fat, this was known as dripping, Loved it as much as those Sugar sandwiches/butties.

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Rhonda Beraun
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My sister and I fixed the lunches for the younger ones, usually PB&J, if there wasn't enough, we made ours with whatever we could find, she made a mustard and mayo one, I tried cottage cheese and pickle. But if we ran out of bread, things got weird, sometimes a can of sardines and crackers (which meant our friends didn't want us to eat near them) once we found some small cans of cranberry sauce that our mom found somewhere, so ate those....btw, I'm the oldest of 13

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Nicole Holt
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did! My grandma started those :) My kids had them every now and then, too, but for them those were special treats reserved for special occasions.

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Elizabeth Gardner
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No but breakfast was often bread pieces and sugar with milk over it.

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Kimberly Buchanan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I made those all the time when I was a teenager. People look at me funny when I tell them that. My birth giver, did not cook for us kids or anything for that matter. She would for whatever man of the month was though. Or should I say week.

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Roberto Durante
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes me to, to take for my school time and I love it, and even now as adult, I do it sometime

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oddkiddo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a hard time wrapping my head around this. I never realized this is why we had these. Until 5 minutes ago I would have said that that was a luxurious treat. I'm 39. But true. I've never actually made one for myself since moving out on my own..

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Amanda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Occasionally. A delicious treat. Think I'll go have one now.

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Robert Thompson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even recently,... a customer of mine handed me a food box with a loaf of bread in it. I had a salt and pepper sandwich for lunch that day.

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T J
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I have. Bread, butter and sugar. We were lower middle class. Everything we had was form discount stores. Hand- me-down Clothes. Cardboard inserts in our shoe because of holes in the soles. We grew up to be self sufficient. I never envied better off folks it's just life. I am happy and able to enjoy life

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NeonDisco
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can honestly still feel the grit of the sugar and the chilled butter.

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Rodrigo “centoventicinque” Boschi
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i grown up in a small town, there was a huge parking with 0 cars every time and me and my classmates used to play in that parking spot, we used it as soccer field, tennis field, racetrack or whatever comes in our mind in mild 90's . there always was a grandmother of someone bring a plate of buttered bread with sugar for everyone !

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Heidi I
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That was pretty much the only breakfast we had, growing up. Bread, sugar and margarine....... not even butter, it was too expensive. I'm 43 now, and haven eaten margarine in probably 25-30 years.

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Cami Ereth
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once, on my own, I had one of these for dinner. Pregnant, starving, I hated this. Dinty Moore Beef Stew was my idea of heaven on earth.

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Samantha Becker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've had mustard sandwiches. Even tried peanut butter and mustard once. And had a lot of lo-carb lettuce wraps before they were cool.

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The Cute Cat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That still look very delicious for me.. I don't event eat bread back in my childhood..

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k1ddkanuck
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For me it was a bit of butter, cinnamon and icing sugar on toast. Still a nice snack.

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Lola
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On special occasions we would add butter, too :(

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Eric Mac Fadden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We call it "Poor's Dream" (a kind of fried pastry with cream fill) - Sonho de Pobre - in Brazil.

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Dawn Sardella-Ayres
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, a regular after-school snack. This or a peanut butter sandwich. Sometimes a mayo sandwich. During 6th grade, my lunch was almost exclusively PB&J on graham crackers.

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Rae Reyn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had honey buns, honey drizzled onto left over hotdog buns. It was my favorite.

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Debra Trayler
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had dripping on toast with salt for weekend breakfasts. Yum!

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John Montgomery
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We did cinnamon toast that was sugar sprinkled on buttered bread and broiled for a few minutes. I did do a honey sandwich at times.

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Terri Zagst
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wonder bread, butter, sugar and I still eat them to this day

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Catlady6000
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still do this. Piece of white bread, margarine (butter too pricey) and sugar, it's major comfort food for me. Same with saltines and mustard

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Łukasz Em
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wczoraj jadło się chleb ze śmietaną i cukrem, nosiło podarte buty, a dziś się je krewetki, sushi i nosi się rolexy. Nie ma znaczenia co się je, co nosi i w jakim domu żyje. Kiedyś było lepiej. Życie było prostsze i byliśmy szczęśliwsi. Mo money mo problems,

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Ivana
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom made this for us sometimes. I know this sandwich well.

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BoopDaBirb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I literally used to steal and make these as a kid. We had chocolate chewy bars in a cupboard and cookies in a box that I could easily get but no. Sugar sandwiches sometimes with butter.

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Rens
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to do this because my ex controlled all my money. I was working 60 hour weeks living off scraps, and expired food

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infinite upvote
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tortilla chips and mustard on bread. My sister and I made it a joke and called it the "found object sandwich" so we wouldn't be sad about our family not having food

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Suzanne Haigh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved sugar sandwiches when I was young and nothing to do with being poor, we always had plenty to eat.

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Chewie Baron
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember one day when I was about 4 years old, and my sister would have been 2 years old, woke up to find no one around. We were hungry but I did t know how to cook or work a toaster, so I made us both sugar sandwiches. No idea who's bread I used as it was a shared kitchen in a hostel for homeless families.

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Mark Howell
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sugar butty was a must have after getting home from school in the 70's, or on a wealthy day a ketchup butty. ;o)

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Dave Morris
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Loved a sugar sandwich when I was young. Nothing to do with being poor!

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Dio
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My Russian grandmother would always make these for us in the 90's, it was pretty common as something to have with tea!

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Uncommon Boston
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With cinnamon it was breakfast. Never thought of it as a sugar sandwich, but there wasn't much cinnamon included

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Christopher Columbus
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In belgium, the most famous brown sugar brand has a painting of a kid on the packaging eating this kind of sandwich. We ate this a lot as kids. 25 years later it does seem kind of crazy.

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denzoren
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've had a salt sandwich...sprinkle of salt on some nann bread. Actually like it a lot.

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Arthur Waite
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How about Mashed-Potato sandwiches? They're so bland, that you can actually taste the butter on the bread.

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I I
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

red sauce sarnies , with sugar some times , marg not butter

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lavender
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my classmates invited everyone to his house party and told me: You can’t come because you’re poor.

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Sue Simmons
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. All the time as a kid. And none of us are fat. We were very poor.

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Psycho Cat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Till now, I didn't know that was a thing only poor people do. So maybe, my parents did a really good job making sure I don't notice the financial situation.

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Kirsten Kerkhof
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It may sound weird, but that was something that was a treat exactly because we had money. Brown whole-grain bread was healthier and we could afford it so my mother never bought white bread. But my grandma had white bread because as a child white bread had been the luxury item. So at her place we got to eat white bread sugar sandwiches. Such a treat!

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Jo Johannsen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We often had a flour tortilla, buttered, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar (or cocoa powder and sugar), and rolled up. We were not really poor and not Mexican, so don't know where we picked this up.

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#11

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) How bad powdered milk tastes after you've had real milk, and how good powdered milk tastes when you're truly hungry.

sculptedpixels , Marina Shemesh Report

#12

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Going to bed hungry. Or purposefully leaving food so your parents could eat the leftovers since that would be their only meal... That hurts to think about, even now.

Shabbatastic , Phil! Gold Report

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Vasana Phong
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When we first immigrated here back in the early 80’s, my parents of course spoke no English, they worked then went to night school, I remember my parents would have all of us 5 eat first, then whatever was left they would eat, after seeing that I only ate less to make sure they had enough

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#13

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Margarine and cinnamon on bread? Cinnamon toast! Ate that all the time growing up

sjone65 , jeffreyw Report

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Sandy D
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still love that, but I won't use margarine. It shouldn't even qualify as food. Butter isn't that expensive, especially if you use smaller acts per serving. Ate nasty margarine as a kid, tho.

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#14

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) McDonald's can be a place for special occasions only.

mtsiri , Mike Mozart Report

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Mihai Mara
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

39, been to McD only once to meet with a friend. Never understood the hype.

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#15

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Packages of socks and underwear and other necessities wrapped up under the Christmas tree. Funny thing was, I thought those were the standard Christmas gifts until I got married and my husband was like, what’s with the socks and underwear for Christmas?

Calabria630 , Jennifer C. Report

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Samuel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

one rich christmas and few weeks later I noticed that some of my mom's jewelleries are gone.

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#16

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) For fun, I would go to the city dump with my grandpa to peel proof of purchase labels off cereal boxes to be redeemed for refunds or prizes. I still have some of the dolls my grandpa got for me.

RachaelMarchini , Redwin Law Report

#17

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) I am not attached to the concept of "liking" everything I eat. My son hates it, because I'm like "It's what we're having, and if you don't like it, better luck tomorrow." He's never had to learn from actual experience to be grateful he was getting anything at all.

queenejizabeth , Mark Bonica Report

#18

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) My classmates used to make fun of me because I would wear the same shirt every day and my sneakers had holes in them. This is one of the reasons why we started our charity, Alice's Kids. Thanks for raising this issue, Trevor.

alicewillhelp , Carl Campbell Report

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#19

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) The guilt and anxiety in adulthood when you buy anything for yourself.

The need to not feel like you could lose everything at any minute.

Limiting your processions on the chance that any moment you may need to gather everything and leave never to come back.

Cpoh91 , Joe Hall Report

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Thay
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still living like this... Had a decent run for a couple months then lost it all again.

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#20

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Got a cold? Grab a roll of toilet paper. I still feel like kleenex is a luxury item for the Queen of Sheba but my partner has chipped away at that, apparently it's not actually that expensive.

piranhabrianna , Mike Mozart Report

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Pan Narrans
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still use toiletpaper. It's convenient and contains storage space for used paper.

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#21

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Feeling guilty about getting Xmas presents as a child

Romeo_Jordan , Allie Towers Rice Report

#22

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Never answer the phone. It was always the bill collectors looking for money. Same with the front door. Go away nobody's home.

cicalino , Denise Krebs Report

#23

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) We reused aluminum foil.

MissRussell20 , Marco Verch Report

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Yeah, you heard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do this. Not because I'm so poor i have to, but to be less wasteful. Everyone should reuse foil if they can

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#24

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Everything around you can be a toy. My action figure collection included a stick, a mason jar, an off brand Barbie given to me by an older cousin, and a bunch of melted green army men that looked like a giant. We had the best adventures.

thunderfunexpress , Leah Pete Kevin Report

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Sonja
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And you can dress a dough-roller in dress for dolls (made by my grandmother) and pretend it is a doll. I brought it to preschool. We weren't that poor, but my great-grandmother came from really poor family and told me about how she dressed a roller as a doll. In my eyes in those days- everybody had at least one doll, but nobody had a dressed roller. I thought it was something special. And my parents were called to the preschool and asked, if everything is ok at home, if we cannot afford a doll.. it is funny today, but wasn't funny for my parents that day 🙂

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#25

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) The only cheese we could get was the government commodities cheese ( which made delicious grilled cheese sandwiches BTW ) and the peanut butter that came with the commodities made yummy cookies

CallMeBella_74 Report

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grotesqueer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This breaks my heart. 💔 All these were kids had to worry about the money and wanted to / felt the need to help their parents financially.

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#26

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Drinking a lot of water before or during a meal makes you feel much more full

PopCanPipe , Gideon Report

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the food digests slower so you're not feeling hungry for a longer time.

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#27

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) The generic isle at the grocery store. White boxes with black lettering.

eyeswideopentx Report

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Vasana Phong
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh man memories, back then our Pathmark super market had their own black and white label brand , was called no-frills

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#28

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) My parents dumpster diving at the mall for birthday presents for us.

BlueWaveCollect , Oran Viriyincy Report

#29

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) When you're at the end of your pay it is possible to live off instant coffee and biscuits stolen from the office tea room just so your cat can have food.

ratdarkness , jgbarah Report

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Adam C
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Two colleague from Poland was in London for training for a week. Company would pay for the food if you get receipt. Course-leader only said there's only 1 vending machine. So they never had lunch they just had some free biscuts from hotel. Day 3 I found a food truck and you'll get a receipt.

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#30

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) being excited to watch a Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network show at a friend's house

reddit , camerazn Report

#31

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Picked up soda bottles from along the roadside to turn in for the deposit money.

StorchDiane , ella Report

#32

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Our Christmas toy was from the S&H Green Stamp store. New PJs & underwear completed the gifts. Fridays was soup Mom made from little bits left over during the week. It was pretty random. It emptied the frig, Sat was grocery day. She knew the price of everything in the store.

twodogsmama , Wikimedia Commons Report

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother was a faithful S&H Green Stamp saver! I remember her stamp books, and how happy she’d be when the6 were finally full.

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#33

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Good hygiene isn't always an easy thing to have.

FrogginBullfish_ , Jim Winstead Report

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MellonCollie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I want to refer to a deleted comment about how personal hygiene is not a difficult thing. For someone who does not know anything about poverty, it may be difficult to understand that it can in fact easilt become a difficult thing. Dental care for example can be expensive, and the fear of needing an intervention can keep people from making an appointment, leading only to more problems and more fear of the costs. People in poverty do not always have access to the necessary information that seems so obvious to those in a better situation. This lack of access (or even knowing you can access this information) can lead to all sorts of missed opportunities. Good hygiene is not always an easy thing to have, and that's a sad truth.

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#34

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Used plain bread for hotdog AND hamburger buns. Also had a big container of powdered milk in the pantry for the kids to use.

EllistonScott , tracy ducasse Report

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Sonja
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do you know that you can make a soup from old bread? Oh yeah, we did it at home..

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#35

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) We cut open the toothpaste to get every last drop out of the tube.

CynicalMother , Fuzzy Gerdes Report

#36

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Did you have lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches? On a good day we had bologna on it, too.

VioletaQSmith , justapinch Report

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Daria Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I eat lettuce and cream cheese sandwiches for breakfast because I love them :)

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#37

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Nothing was name brand. Instead of Fruit Loops we had Fruity O's
Instead of Fruit Punch we had Red Juice (gallon with a sticker on it that said Red Juice), instead of Chip Ahoy we had Captain Chipleys.

JoieJoliette , Robbie Sproule Report

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Slinkman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still get the cheaper knock-offs when they taste good. Some of these even taste better then the product they're based on. Not al that is more expensive is automatically better or tastier.

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#38

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) My mother washed aluminum foil.

TMo4Cards , Public domain Report

#39

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) How to invent foods based on the limited amount of what you already have

EggsAndBeerKegs , Luz Report

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Sonja
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I will always admire my great-grandmother (that survived 2 world wars and a long period, when there was not enough of almost everything). She was scrappy, resourceful as nobody I ever knew. She made soup from carrot, beetroot and potato peels. She made spinach from early grass and nettles. She made "schnitzels" from elderflowers...and thats how we found I am alergic to them. Almost died, if she didn't ran to the nearest house with phone (not everybody had phone at home) and called for an ambulance. She was over 90yrs old that time, but ran for my life. Still miss her.

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#40

People Are Revealing How They Grew Up Poor Without Actually Saying It (40 Pics) Boiled wieners for lunch... wiener water soup for dinner

sunnylass_17 , Mike Mozart Report

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think I threw up in my memory just now. My sister would drink the hot dog water on egg noodles. ....

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Note: this post originally had 72 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.