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Someone Wondered “What’s A Sign That Someone Grew Up Poor?” And 30 Folks Online Delivered
According to the World bank, the number of people living below the poverty line in the world is gradually decreasing, but this is still far from enough to say there's been a serious improvement in the situation. On the other hand, several decades ago, everything was much, much worse.
Yes, if today in the world less than 10% of the population live below $2.15 a day, then forty years ago there were more than 40% of such people. In other words, almost half of the modern population of the globe grew in poverty. And, according to people in this recent viral thread, there are special behavioral patterns and signs by which such a person can be recognized.
More info: Reddit
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#1
In USMC recruit training we had a dude in our platoon who was homeless for an extended period of time before enlisting.
Every morning at zero dark thirty the DIs would come in turn the light on, screaming, total chaos to wake us all up…. Every single morning for the first thirty days or so of basic this dude slept right through it 😂. Kid said he was so comfortable in his little rack and hadn’t slept so good in a long long time. He was always exclaiming how good the food was at the chow hall. It put a lot of things in perspective for me.
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#2
For me, I have what I call "poverty mentality", while I can afford new shoes and clothes, they have to be falling apart for me to replace.
RandomFrog(He/They️️) 3 years ago (edited)
I didn’t grow up super poor, but I still do this. My favorite pair of vans, had em for three years. Super glued the sole together , hand sewed the crease together a few times. Finnaly bought a new pair of shoes lmao. Idk why I do this but it saved me money for three years. EDIT:Wow, I’m honored, Finnaly been on BP long enough to get a spam bot reply lmao
#4
They are normally more generous than people who grew up in rich families.
Der Kommissar 3 years ago
This is absolutely true, as pizza delivery drivers have many stories about poor people who tip (when they can) and rich people who tip a little or nothing at all. A good example is NY Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who lives in a big-a*s mansion in Texas. He and his wife both reportedly tip $1
#5
The mental struggle to buy anything and not feel guilty.
Benita Valdez 3 years ago
Oof. I have a $50 bill in my wallet from Christmas. I am 39 and still in the process of convincing myself to buy the stupid video game I want. Cleary it is a gift so it's ok but man have I been resistant to buying anything with it
#6
Will eat all of the food on their plate, even after feeling full because they can't waste food.
#7
having a vast skill set! trust me, when you cant afford a repair man/hairdresser/seamstress/builder/roofer/welder/mechanic etc, you learn yourself.
#8
I'm really surprised I haven't seen "condiment drawer" here. When eating out, you save all of the unused condiments in a drawer. It took me until I was about 40 to finally recognize and stop hoarding ketchup and sauce packets.
#9
A personal anecdote:
For backstory, I'm the primary financial provider for my wife and I, but I really don't care what she does with our money. If our bills are paid and we have food to eat, I'm fine.
I grew up fairly poor, so I never really bought anything for myself, or asked for anything to be bought for me. A few months ago a video game I had wanted to play was on sale for like.... $2.50, and I said to my wife "hey, can I buy this?"
Not really because I wanted "permission" but because I hadn't logged in to check our financial state and didn't know if the money was already set aside for bills. But she looked at me and said "did you just ask permission to buy a $2.50 game with your own money?...."
So I'd say the hesitance to buy anything for yourself, regardless of how stupidly cheap it was.
MotherofGuineaPigs 3 years ago
My late husband did this, always asked if he could buy something (he was also the mayonnaise jar hoarder)
#10
I grew up poor and my husband grew up middle class. Whenever we have guests, I am constantly asking people if they got ENOUGH food. "Is anyone still hungry? I can make something else!"
My husband will inquire about the quality of the food and if it is to everyone's liking. I think when you grow up poor, food is very much quantity over quality.
#11
I went without food sometimes when I was growing up. It took a long time before I stopped hoarding food once I could afford it. My husband always commented on how long it would take me to go through the chocolate he would bring back from his international trips. I was always afraid it would be the last time we could get it and would make it last as long as humanly possible. I am quick to shut down spending and I am much better at saving money than my husband. I also keep our heat set at 63 for the day and I am usually the last in the neighborhood to turn on our air conditioning. I still shop sales and I don’t understand things like renovating a perfectly fine kitchen just because you don’t like the color of the countertop or cabinets.
Shelby Moonheart 3 years ago
One of my nephews was adopted into our family when he was three. My SIL said it took him a long time to stop hoarding food and realize he would get fed at the next meal.
#12
Lack of exposure to cultural events. missing out on experiences that others may take for granted, such as attending concerts, traveling, or participating in extracurricular activities.
SlothyK8 3 years ago
I tried out to be a cheerleader and made the squad. I was shocked and had to back out. I lied, saying that i'd hurt myself and my doctor has told me not to join, but the truth was that my parents could barely afford a pizza now and then, much less several hundred dollars worth the cheerleading gear. I never told them.
#13
When I was in elementary school a girl asked me why all my shirts were just solid color and not brand name logo shirts. Made me feel insecure. So im going to go with an obvious answer here, clothing and style. I still wear my clothes until they have holes and stains. I have the money to buy new brand name clothes, but why. I'm not trying to impress anyone.
#14
Odd hoarding behaviours of things you probably should have gotten rid of out of fear you won’t be able to replace them easily. I keep a stack of boxes broken down because there’s still this fear in the back of my mind that I’ll have to move again at a moment’s notice. I make a decent salary now and have lived where I am for nearly 7 years, but I still can’t part with those boxes despite the space they take up. Under the bed, behind the chest of drawers… Yeah. I still have ‘em.
MotherofGuineaPigs 3 years ago
Mayonnaise jars, or any jar that has a good lid. Have to go on a jar purge every 6 months or so.
#15
Enjoying cinnamon, sugar, and butter on a slice of bread because we couldn't afford sweet treats 🥲 it low-key slapped though
#16
I'm a foster kid. I was always poor and pretty much had nothing. These are habits I have.
I hoard food. They're still edible if they're past their expiration date as long as it's not mouldy or something. My basement is stocked for a zombie apocalypse.
I never throw out old containers unless they're mouldy or something, clean that s**t out, good as new.
I also always have leftovers. I never waste food and eat everything on my plate.
I feel guilty when I buy something I don't necessarily need.
I add water to "empty" soap containers so they're full.
I cut "empty" toothpaste tubes so I get every last drop.
I reuse a lot of stuff. The "disposable" stuff don't need to be disposed most of the time. You can reuse them.
RandomFrog(He/They️️) 3 years ago
You should get one of those paint rollers. You stick the end of toothpaste or pain tube and it rolls it up all tight so you get every last drop. Saves me a lot of time and is so much more convenient than cutting them open.
#17
Scanning the menu for the cheapest options possible when at a restaurant. “It’s ok the soup is really enough for me”
Mary Kelly 2 years ago
we were trained that this is the polite thing to do if someon else is paying, and i did this even when i was paying well into my 30s.
#18
- Being hypersensitive to any light left on, door left open, opening the fridge too much, running water too long, etc, because you’re trained to minimize utilities.
- Never pouring more than 1/2 a glass of any drink when at someone else’s house (except water) because you don’t want to be seen as wasteful/gluttonous.
- Making weird snacks out of food that isn’t supposed to be a snack - ex. Eating dry ramen noodles like chips, koolaid with sugar and your finger to make your own fun dip, eating Kraft cheese slices/cold hotdogs/other things that are normally just a part of a meal.
Shelby Moonheart 3 years ago
"Eating dry ramen noodles like chips, koolaid with sugar" are some of my favorite things but I didn't grow up poor.
#19
In the US I’d say poor dental history or teeth - dental work is a luxury
Overall, I’d say many hoarders grew up poor because they are so afraid of not having something if they’ll need it so they keep everything
Kate Jones 2 years ago (edited)
Yes. I've never been to a dentist in my life and I have cavities that are bothering me. Th crazy thing is I now have dental insurance (basic plan that I got through my job. I could get a few free cleanings and some basic care) but I don't go because I'm so embarrassed that I've never gone. I know dentists probably don't care but ...I don't know. I'm paying for it so I should just get over it and go but...I just grew up in a house where you didn't go to doctors unless you were dying.
#20
Sentimentality. Not that wealthier people can't be sentimental.
But my dad, whose parents grew up in the rural South during the great depression, wants to keep every little thing of my mom's. Everything.
He would prefer to keep her bedroom as is.
I always wondered why he wanted to keep it like that. But then I realized, the only thing we have left is my mom's ashes in an urn.
There was no funeral, no memorial, (she didn't want any and there was no one to come anyways) no tombstone. Nothing that feels tangible, personal, etc.
We don't have the luxury of beautiful personal mausoleums, or headstones, or anything else in the Western death culture.
My mom's bedroom, and all her stuff is the closest we will ever have to a memorial for my mom. It's a tomb, without a body in it.
#21
I was told recently I was crazy for using bread instead of hot dog buns. That's just something I always did as it's what we had. Burgers, hotdogs all bread fellas.
#22
There's quite a bit, I didn't see them in myself until I was an adult and went to therapy.
1. Lack of basic wellness, e.g. no primary care doctor or dentist. Rationalizing this because there's a "financial cost" to it.
2. Serious guilt from buying anything you don't absolutely need. It's a feeling of "you don't deserve this" or "you're being stupid to ever want something".
3. Working yourself to death because of a serious insecurity about "returning to poverty"; my therapist called this the "never again" work ethic, it's toxic.
4. Eating your food so fast like you will never have another meal again. It's a sign of food insecurity growing up. My fiance pointed this out to me that I did this, and it clicked when I talked with my therapist about it. It's very common
5. General anti establishment beliefs. The system failed you, so it's hard to trust something that put you through abuse. This can manifest in bad financial literacy, or lack of belief in banks/stock market, etc.
#23
I have ”poverty toes”. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up so shoes were worn until they died, regardless of fit. My toes are curled and with prominent knuckles from being scrunched into too-small shoes.
Auntriarch 2 years ago
My mother was very frugal, but we always had shoes fitted, because growing up poor and in the war, she has ruined feet. Thank you mum
Widdershins66 2 years ago
Yep, we only have one pair of feet and one pair of eyes. And one set of adult teeth. We were as poor as a church mouse but no compromise on these things. Clarks feet measurement, and NHS Opticians and dental check ups, all annually.
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Whitefox 2 years ago (edited)
I guess growing up in a warmish environment saved me here. I hate shoes and used to go barefoot as much as possible. I did do a whole presentation to show my parents how spending a little more on a better shoe would save them money in the long haul and won that argument. To this day I will wear my clothes until they fall apart and will buy cheap to replace them. But I will spend decent money on my shoes. Granted I only have 3 pair at a time. Flip flops, flats and a boot.
karen snyder 2 years ago
Why the question mark, Marianne? Are you asking why some kids don't get new shoes? I told my parents my shoes fit, when they didn't, for two years, because I knew I would get the cheapest shoes at the store and my neighbor had given me her old Converse All Stars. I'm 5'11" with size 6/USA women's feet, because I didn't want to be humiliated by my peers over shoes.
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D3v1lD0ll 2 years ago
My great-grandmother, raised in the depression had foot issues like that. The problem was exacerbated by decades working on her feet in a department store. By the time I was old enough to notice the difference, her feet were practically square and her toes almost invisible. Thank goodness for house slippers, though my poor Darling still insisted on wearing pumps whenever she left the house. That tiny lady had class!
Kat Min 2 years ago
Jesus. Were there no thift shops, at the time? Where I live you can get 2nd hand clothes from charities for a few cents or even free when you go to the right places and events. Although it'S tough with children's shoes. People tend to toss them as it's conidered 'bad' for children to wear shoes worn down by someone else.
moon_magic 2 years ago
Me too. My little toes are crushed and curled under the one next to them. Fortunately they don't hurt
Cassi Lyris 2 years ago
I always wound up busting the heals out. I'd basically have duct tape shoes most of the year.
Dorian Dangerous 2 years ago
Same. I had a pair of shoes that I loved but I knew they were super expensive as I had massively wide feet as a child so I kept lying and saying they still fit until my feet were deformed and uh. Then the Dr was like wtf and gave my mom a Drs note for my school so I could wear flip flops so my feet would "relax" (they didn't)
Michele Reynolds 2 years ago (edited)
I have hard callouses on the bottom of my feet that nothing will fix. I walked around barefoot most of the time as a kid because I had one pair of shoes and those were for school.
Samara Messer 2 years ago
My grandmother had feet like that and had to have surgery for it later in life. It was from wearing too small shoes growing up.
Lynn Morello 2 years ago
All of a sudden I have realised that I now wear a size 11 shoe, (Australia). I have 5 pair of size 10 shoes that are hardley worn, I am still reluctant to give them up.
Duane Johnston 2 years ago
I only had2 pair of shoes. The ones for dress up and tennis shoes to wear to play in winter. After it would get above 60° f you went barefoot. I'm 62,own my own home and car. Guess what, I still only have 2 pair of shoes and go barefoot soon as it warm up. Also I will only get food after everyone else has been served. If I don't eat its because I wanna be sure everyone else has enough.
erica moya 2 years ago
Mine were too big. As was half my wardrobe, which were my cousin's hand-me-downs. He's a boy, 1 yr older, I'm a girl. 😒The other half my grandma made😊 or were from thrift stores.
Eliott Rodrigues-Medaglia 2 years ago
I used to always have shoes too big for my feet so I could keep them until they were worn out without it being too tight!
sparrowflock 2 years ago
Me, also. As a small child, mother put my shoes on me and I screamed in pain. She took them off, looked inside, then put them on again, and it was still painful. She made me wear them. I remember they made me walk funny to try not to hurt my toes. My toes are curled now, and have hammer toes. The shoes were too small.
Bad Ass69 2 years ago
I had blisters. My parents always bought shoes at least two sizes to big because I could grow into them. My Pop made good money. And they didn't do this to my brother and sister. I was the middle child and some how got voted to be the family scapegoat! So while my brother and sister got nice new things I got Wal-Mart or garage sale clothes! I was poor but my family were upper middle class! Got the heck away from those people. And they do not acknowledge my existence.
Sarah Moeding 2 years ago
I have curled toes because that's my biology. I wonder if the person posting this just thinks they have curled toes from shoes being small because it's unusual that people have them and they haven't seen them on others.
Kathy Loman 2 years ago
Same. Until I got a job at the local flea market selling ladies shoes. I had to buy my own stuff and if it wasn't girly my brothers would steal it.
#24
Only shopping in the clearance sections even after I grew up and started making good money.
#25
Having duplicates of essentials. You develop a prepper mentality for every “just in case” situation.
#27
Someone asked me if my kid was going to do dance or gymnastics. I was confused as to why. Their response was didn’t you do it as a kid. No I that cost money. I was lucky to play with a knockoff Barbie.
#28
Realizing I wanted to have the house that all my kids friends came over to hang out at because that wasn't really an option for big chunks of my childhood.
Metalhead Turtle 🇺🇦 2 years ago
I felt that. I still kinda want to be able to have friends at my house. ... But that's just me.
#29
Still being marveled by an ice maker and side by side doors
Jeff Gabrisl 2 years ago
I hate side by side doors unless they both go to the refrigerator portion, and the freezer is a separate portion. The more cubic a compartment is, the more volume. Side by side freezer/fridge always feels like there isn't enough room in either.
#31
Spending any windfall money. The bone deep certainty that money will just...go away. There will always be another surprise bill or the car will break down. If you get some extra money, you buy the kids a trampoline because for once you don't have to say "no, we can't afford that".
Another Amy 2 years ago
Or finally being able to save up some money but then being too afraid to ever use it on absolutely anything
#32
Lots of Cool Whip & Country Crock containers
#33
I wasn't in the know with all the cool Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon shows.
But I did watch Arthur, Cyberchase, Clifford and Dragon Tales.
#34
Hesitant to go to the doctor when medical care is needed because of copays - even if they can afford it.
Widdershins66 2 years ago
We were Poor (UK) but thank goodness we had the NHS. No bill, no debt.
#35
Little or no financial literacy.
If you grew up poor chances are you had no one around to teach you about how to manage things like mortgages, large amounts of savings, or how to budget past the point of juggling bills.
It sucks because knowing how to do these things is such a useful skill, and can get you out of a lot of difficult situations if you play your cards right.
Knowing how to manage money also prevents you from being taken advantage of by people and companies that don’t have your best interest at heart.
While I’m here, if you identify with this comment, please check out r/PovertyFinance and r/PovertyFinanceCanada. They’re super helpful.
#36
One day my girlfriend asked me why I'm washing ziploc bags. I told her so we can reuse them later. It was only after the following discussion and some thinking that I realized it's not very normal.
Frando Bone 3 years ago
you should be doing that anyway to keep plastic out of the environment.
#37
Aversion to certain foods they had to eat ---- I won't touch cheerios
What do you think ?
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
Mom worked for New York Telephone in the '70s, but we lived in a town with an independent phone company, which meant she would have had to pay for phone service, so instead we had a cheap Radio Shack intercom and if somebody wanted to talk to us, they'd call the neighbors and the neighbors would call us on the intercom. We also didn't have a color TV till about 1978, but even that was an improvement from around 1970 when we had a little TV with picture but no sound sitting on top of a big TV with sound but no picture and we had to turn both on to watch and listen to a show
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
Wow. LOL... I look at most of these and think "Uhh.. I thought that was just growing up Asian". Seriously - my whole group of friends/acquaintances growing up (all a bunch of East Asian kids, most of them Chinese) we did SO much of this stuff just as part of daily life (Don't waste food, make sure your guests have MORE than enough to eat, if it ain't broke you don't need a new one, etc) - and I wouldn't really call any of us as having grown up 'poor'... and some of them were downright stupid wealthy.
JoyfulZebra 2 years ago
I wonder if that had anything to do with how prevalent Confucian thinking is in China and East Asia in general. It developed during the chaotic Warring States Period in China, and so is focused on order and tradition to maintain harmony (kinda like an inherent "never again" mindset).
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NamiKoa 2 years ago
My mother has always scraped out eggs with her finger when she cracks them open. She said years ago an acquaintance saw her do that and asked her if she grew up poor.
Mimi M 2 years ago (edited)
An older woman told me once that prospective MIL's would watch their potential DIL's to see if they did that because it was a sign that they would be a good homemaker - scraping out that bit of egg. I do it, b/c not doing it is wasteful.
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Matthews 2 years ago
One thing I haven’t seen in the list is the near pathological fear of being robbed / burgled because there’s just no possible way of replacing anything.
BluEyedSeoulite 2 years ago
We were never worried about being robbed because we had nothing anyone would want. Until a neighbor girl's druggie bf found out my mom had cancer therefore probably had pain pills. Besides the meds though, nothing worth a damn to resell
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censorshipsucks 2 years ago
Couldn't read this, too many familiar things. Only thing I don't do on this list is control spending. Once I got a decent salary I was like WOOOOOHOOOOOOO. But still hoard condiments from takeout and still re-use their containers as tupperware and still only chuck clothes once they get lots of holes (one hole is easy to fix).
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
It's hard to give up favorite shirts even with holes in them and a quite few. I got a Tshirt on my 30th birthday that said 30th on it. I was in my 40s before giving it up
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Mary ey? 2 years ago
I disagree that things are "much much better today". Inflation is up by 189% from 40 years ago.648 million people are living in EXTREME poverty (less than $2.15 in today's money) ( Please remember down vote spam not what you disagree with. People get kicked off bored panda for to many down votes)
Victoria 2 years ago
Worldwide extreme poverty has considerably been reduced in the last 30 years. Mostly because of China and India, but still.
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Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 2 years ago
Couple things: we weren't poor growing up but my folks did know the value of hand me downs. I usually inherited my older sisters clothes when she outgrew them. Then I went to live with an aunt who got rid of everything every year and bought new. Heaven forbid you wear something a little too big. It had to fit, never mind if you only get to wear it once because you had a growth spurt. I didn't understand for a long while; my only explanation is that my older cousin hid the fact she was pregnant under clothes that were too big. My other comment is about presents. We did the standard Christmas/birthday stuff. Otherwise if you wanted it you saved up your allowance. As an adult I still save up for things; I get uncomfortable when people buy me things, especially if it's expensive. I've learned not to mention certain things that are cool around friends because one of them will get a wild hair and buy it.
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
We weren't poor poor but we did Christmas on small scales. Decorations made by hand. But saving for something special I still do. To make extra money at home we'd get a penny a piece to pull stickers out of the carpet. Lived in the country lots of stickers and shag carpet I still pick up pennies. Despite people they're not worth anything. My answer 5 pennies make a nickel a hundred pennies make a dollar. I always have a change jar to put change in for anything I might need but don't have the money, count my change.
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Kalleanon 2 years ago
Seriously America - healthcare *should* be a basic human right in any civilised country. Not going to the doctor or dentist because you can't afford it in the richest country in the world is seriously, seriously wrong.
LordSiravant 2 years ago
Agreed 100%. But a lot of boomers sneer at that because of the bootstraps mentality. Even as they collect their paychecks from the very same social programs they hate so much.
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Ray Arani 2 years ago (edited)
Not seeking medical care until death is an actual strong possibility. Checking bank balance before every single purchase all the time. Knee jerk reaction to possible stolen wallet, "what they gone do? Fix my credit? Get my account outta overdraft? Good luck being me my dude, but it doesn't pay." Still having anxiety and staring at register at check out until it says "approved" even after checking bank balance, and always knowing what card to try next if that first one doesn't work...even when you know you got money now. Always have a few side hustles and a back up plan. And finally, my personal fave, the go bag. For years everything I owned fit in my backpack. I carried a backpack with my essentials all through my twenties, even after I was financially secure. Even to work, the grocery store, on a date. Slept with it literally in my bed. I just never broke the habit or thought about why. Still keep all essentials for starting over in my car.
BluEyedSeoulite 2 years ago
Buying name brands. I still refuse to buy name brand cereal. It's usually packaged at the same place anyway
Noho 2000 2 years ago
My grandmother at Christmases. While us kids were tearing open the wrapping like savages, my grandmother would carefully take off the bow and put it in a bag with a bunch of other bows. Then she would very carefully slice the tape of the wrapping paper and carefully fold it up. One year, I finally asked her why she did it. Long story short: being poor during The Depression and paper rationing in WWII. Still stays with me.
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
My great aunt did this too and she too grew up during the depression and wwii
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W0lfiest W0lfAlive 2 years ago
My grandma used to save tinfoil. She'd rinse it off and use it again. She'd save slivers of soap bars. Just about anything that could possibly be reused was reused.
zena bena 2 years ago
Funny both my hysband and I grew up very poor,but whereas I save and pinch pennies and dont waste or have many vices,he is the exact opposite like money grows on trees and want to "spoil" himself as much as he can.
BluEyedSeoulite 2 years ago
This is either a great match or very a frustrating match
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Craig Silberman 2 years ago
what's with the near-daily grew-up-poor or poor-vs-rich posts on Bored Panda? they've become more common than bridezillas, AITAs, malicious compliance, historic photos, and the other overused themes on this site
Alice Liddell 2 years ago
I have thick, curly, hair, but I keep my head shaved because hair products are a luxury and there are more important things to spend money on.
Reece Aster 2 years ago
This was kind of mentioned, but the amount of electricity, water, gas someone wastes in a home. Not just true of poor, but can be a sign.
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
When I moved out on my own I couldn't afford movies or any type of extra entertainment except a TV. I had to retire at 53 and considered low income but I found a way to enjoy Ren faires or steampunk faires, I volunteer and I get in for free. I costumes I put together from what I have or I play games on my cell and get Amazon cards that I use to get things I don't have.
Erica Politica 2 years ago
As a kid, I always thought that a sign of being rich was owning two cars. I remember my parents selling candy to kids in the neighborhood out of our apartment to save enough money to buy their first car, and that took about 2 years. Now that I'm in my 30s and married, I still feel the same way. I would love for my husband and I to have our own cars, but it's just too expensive since we only have one income. Most of my friends have two-car households, and I marvel at how they pull that off.
Kenneth Brown 2 years ago
You know those suburbs where all the houses look the same? Those are like my dream homes.
R Dennis 2 years ago
I think not caring so much about money. I know that seems counterintuitive, but it isn't. Growing up poor and having to start helping pay bills at 10-11, I just never had much money. Being used to having nothing, when I started having money I had fun and had some nice things. When I started having more money than I could easily spend, it was nice but I didn't fear not having it. When my wife and I got together, we instantly became a family of 5 and money was tight again. So we basically started back at poor. Eventually we got back to a position where we have good money. I had a manager job where my boss hated that he couldn't dangle money in front of me to get me to do really hard jobs that no one wanted - I told him money wasn't a motivator for me... when you grow up broke and get some money, people can't manipulate you as easily.
boredkitten 3 years ago (edited)
Growing up poor also might mean that when you start working you might need to help family members financially. I had to and have to and I don't find this fair. Also you are on your own, family cannot support you, it could be other way around. It ads a lot of stress to life. I was noticing a friend has a sure inheritance when her grandparents pass away so she finds studio to rent instead of sharing house with people and renting just a room like me so I can try to save money. She goes for massages while I am hesitant to spend money on it even when I need it too.
boredkitten 3 years ago
I grew up poor. However, the way it showed up is that I gained a lot of unhealthy weight when I got to money. Also overworked myself and didn't leave toxic working environment. Also closing doors, turning off lights, using minimum tap water. Looking for cheap rent accommodation. Using phones, laptops until they break. Being careful when spending money but sometimes not. On the other hand, there are things where it wouldn't be guessable. I like better quality groceries, freshest possible even if it will cost me more money. I might sometimes throw away food which is past due date because I am afraid to eat it - maybe some aversion against it but I had this from childhood. My aunt was very annoyed each time I asked if it is not passed due date and I was just a little child. Also since seeing my family of hoarders and how awful it makes their life, I am trying to practice minimalism.
Lady of the Mountains 2 years ago
I asked what the price limit was whenever we went out to eat, but when I did that at events, I got looked at weird. Surprisingly it made selecting a meal more stressful without a budget, even though I wasn't buying
Susan Stead 2 years ago
Not one mention of not trusting wealthy people. Is it just me and my family? We were suspicious of wealthy people and treated them like they lived on another planet. I still shake my head when I see yachts, mansions, expensive cars, and clothes that are so ugly or impractical that they must be fashionable.
LordSiravant 2 years ago
Oh, there's a lot of that. Most people just don't want to start fights over it because rich folks WILL get offended.
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Joe Chlimoun 2 years ago
Anybody else used to save unpopped popcorn kernels? After a few bags of popcorn, it's like you have a free bag of popcorn
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
Mom worked for New York Telephone in the '70s, but we lived in a town with an independent phone company, which meant she would have had to pay for phone service, so instead we had a cheap Radio Shack intercom and if somebody wanted to talk to us, they'd call the neighbors and the neighbors would call us on the intercom. We also didn't have a color TV till about 1978, but even that was an improvement from around 1970 when we had a little TV with picture but no sound sitting on top of a big TV with sound but no picture and we had to turn both on to watch and listen to a show
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
Wow. LOL... I look at most of these and think "Uhh.. I thought that was just growing up Asian". Seriously - my whole group of friends/acquaintances growing up (all a bunch of East Asian kids, most of them Chinese) we did SO much of this stuff just as part of daily life (Don't waste food, make sure your guests have MORE than enough to eat, if it ain't broke you don't need a new one, etc) - and I wouldn't really call any of us as having grown up 'poor'... and some of them were downright stupid wealthy.
JoyfulZebra 2 years ago
I wonder if that had anything to do with how prevalent Confucian thinking is in China and East Asia in general. It developed during the chaotic Warring States Period in China, and so is focused on order and tradition to maintain harmony (kinda like an inherent "never again" mindset).
Load More Replies... NamiKoa 2 years ago
My mother has always scraped out eggs with her finger when she cracks them open. She said years ago an acquaintance saw her do that and asked her if she grew up poor.
Mimi M 2 years ago (edited)
An older woman told me once that prospective MIL's would watch their potential DIL's to see if they did that because it was a sign that they would be a good homemaker - scraping out that bit of egg. I do it, b/c not doing it is wasteful.
Load More Replies... Matthews 2 years ago
One thing I haven’t seen in the list is the near pathological fear of being robbed / burgled because there’s just no possible way of replacing anything.
BluEyedSeoulite 2 years ago
We were never worried about being robbed because we had nothing anyone would want. Until a neighbor girl's druggie bf found out my mom had cancer therefore probably had pain pills. Besides the meds though, nothing worth a damn to resell
Load More Replies... censorshipsucks 2 years ago
Couldn't read this, too many familiar things. Only thing I don't do on this list is control spending. Once I got a decent salary I was like WOOOOOHOOOOOOO. But still hoard condiments from takeout and still re-use their containers as tupperware and still only chuck clothes once they get lots of holes (one hole is easy to fix).
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
It's hard to give up favorite shirts even with holes in them and a quite few. I got a Tshirt on my 30th birthday that said 30th on it. I was in my 40s before giving it up
Load More Replies... Mary ey? 2 years ago
I disagree that things are "much much better today". Inflation is up by 189% from 40 years ago.648 million people are living in EXTREME poverty (less than $2.15 in today's money) ( Please remember down vote spam not what you disagree with. People get kicked off bored panda for to many down votes)
Victoria 2 years ago
Worldwide extreme poverty has considerably been reduced in the last 30 years. Mostly because of China and India, but still.
Load More Replies... Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 2 years ago
Couple things: we weren't poor growing up but my folks did know the value of hand me downs. I usually inherited my older sisters clothes when she outgrew them. Then I went to live with an aunt who got rid of everything every year and bought new. Heaven forbid you wear something a little too big. It had to fit, never mind if you only get to wear it once because you had a growth spurt. I didn't understand for a long while; my only explanation is that my older cousin hid the fact she was pregnant under clothes that were too big. My other comment is about presents. We did the standard Christmas/birthday stuff. Otherwise if you wanted it you saved up your allowance. As an adult I still save up for things; I get uncomfortable when people buy me things, especially if it's expensive. I've learned not to mention certain things that are cool around friends because one of them will get a wild hair and buy it.
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
We weren't poor poor but we did Christmas on small scales. Decorations made by hand. But saving for something special I still do. To make extra money at home we'd get a penny a piece to pull stickers out of the carpet. Lived in the country lots of stickers and shag carpet I still pick up pennies. Despite people they're not worth anything. My answer 5 pennies make a nickel a hundred pennies make a dollar. I always have a change jar to put change in for anything I might need but don't have the money, count my change.
Load More Replies... Kalleanon 2 years ago
Seriously America - healthcare *should* be a basic human right in any civilised country. Not going to the doctor or dentist because you can't afford it in the richest country in the world is seriously, seriously wrong.
LordSiravant 2 years ago
Agreed 100%. But a lot of boomers sneer at that because of the bootstraps mentality. Even as they collect their paychecks from the very same social programs they hate so much.
Load More Replies... Ray Arani 2 years ago (edited)
Not seeking medical care until death is an actual strong possibility. Checking bank balance before every single purchase all the time. Knee jerk reaction to possible stolen wallet, "what they gone do? Fix my credit? Get my account outta overdraft? Good luck being me my dude, but it doesn't pay." Still having anxiety and staring at register at check out until it says "approved" even after checking bank balance, and always knowing what card to try next if that first one doesn't work...even when you know you got money now. Always have a few side hustles and a back up plan. And finally, my personal fave, the go bag. For years everything I owned fit in my backpack. I carried a backpack with my essentials all through my twenties, even after I was financially secure. Even to work, the grocery store, on a date. Slept with it literally in my bed. I just never broke the habit or thought about why. Still keep all essentials for starting over in my car.
BluEyedSeoulite 2 years ago
Buying name brands. I still refuse to buy name brand cereal. It's usually packaged at the same place anyway
Noho 2000 2 years ago
My grandmother at Christmases. While us kids were tearing open the wrapping like savages, my grandmother would carefully take off the bow and put it in a bag with a bunch of other bows. Then she would very carefully slice the tape of the wrapping paper and carefully fold it up. One year, I finally asked her why she did it. Long story short: being poor during The Depression and paper rationing in WWII. Still stays with me.
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
My great aunt did this too and she too grew up during the depression and wwii
Load More Replies... W0lfiest W0lfAlive 2 years ago
My grandma used to save tinfoil. She'd rinse it off and use it again. She'd save slivers of soap bars. Just about anything that could possibly be reused was reused.
zena bena 2 years ago
Funny both my hysband and I grew up very poor,but whereas I save and pinch pennies and dont waste or have many vices,he is the exact opposite like money grows on trees and want to "spoil" himself as much as he can.
BluEyedSeoulite 2 years ago
This is either a great match or very a frustrating match
Load More Replies... Craig Silberman 2 years ago
what's with the near-daily grew-up-poor or poor-vs-rich posts on Bored Panda? they've become more common than bridezillas, AITAs, malicious compliance, historic photos, and the other overused themes on this site
Alice Liddell 2 years ago
I have thick, curly, hair, but I keep my head shaved because hair products are a luxury and there are more important things to spend money on.
Reece Aster 2 years ago
This was kind of mentioned, but the amount of electricity, water, gas someone wastes in a home. Not just true of poor, but can be a sign.
Angie Falzarano 2 years ago
When I moved out on my own I couldn't afford movies or any type of extra entertainment except a TV. I had to retire at 53 and considered low income but I found a way to enjoy Ren faires or steampunk faires, I volunteer and I get in for free. I costumes I put together from what I have or I play games on my cell and get Amazon cards that I use to get things I don't have.
Erica Politica 2 years ago
As a kid, I always thought that a sign of being rich was owning two cars. I remember my parents selling candy to kids in the neighborhood out of our apartment to save enough money to buy their first car, and that took about 2 years. Now that I'm in my 30s and married, I still feel the same way. I would love for my husband and I to have our own cars, but it's just too expensive since we only have one income. Most of my friends have two-car households, and I marvel at how they pull that off.
Kenneth Brown 2 years ago
You know those suburbs where all the houses look the same? Those are like my dream homes.
R Dennis 2 years ago
I think not caring so much about money. I know that seems counterintuitive, but it isn't. Growing up poor and having to start helping pay bills at 10-11, I just never had much money. Being used to having nothing, when I started having money I had fun and had some nice things. When I started having more money than I could easily spend, it was nice but I didn't fear not having it. When my wife and I got together, we instantly became a family of 5 and money was tight again. So we basically started back at poor. Eventually we got back to a position where we have good money. I had a manager job where my boss hated that he couldn't dangle money in front of me to get me to do really hard jobs that no one wanted - I told him money wasn't a motivator for me... when you grow up broke and get some money, people can't manipulate you as easily.
boredkitten 3 years ago (edited)
Growing up poor also might mean that when you start working you might need to help family members financially. I had to and have to and I don't find this fair. Also you are on your own, family cannot support you, it could be other way around. It ads a lot of stress to life. I was noticing a friend has a sure inheritance when her grandparents pass away so she finds studio to rent instead of sharing house with people and renting just a room like me so I can try to save money. She goes for massages while I am hesitant to spend money on it even when I need it too.
boredkitten 3 years ago
I grew up poor. However, the way it showed up is that I gained a lot of unhealthy weight when I got to money. Also overworked myself and didn't leave toxic working environment. Also closing doors, turning off lights, using minimum tap water. Looking for cheap rent accommodation. Using phones, laptops until they break. Being careful when spending money but sometimes not. On the other hand, there are things where it wouldn't be guessable. I like better quality groceries, freshest possible even if it will cost me more money. I might sometimes throw away food which is past due date because I am afraid to eat it - maybe some aversion against it but I had this from childhood. My aunt was very annoyed each time I asked if it is not passed due date and I was just a little child. Also since seeing my family of hoarders and how awful it makes their life, I am trying to practice minimalism.
Lady of the Mountains 2 years ago
I asked what the price limit was whenever we went out to eat, but when I did that at events, I got looked at weird. Surprisingly it made selecting a meal more stressful without a budget, even though I wasn't buying
Susan Stead 2 years ago
Not one mention of not trusting wealthy people. Is it just me and my family? We were suspicious of wealthy people and treated them like they lived on another planet. I still shake my head when I see yachts, mansions, expensive cars, and clothes that are so ugly or impractical that they must be fashionable.
LordSiravant 2 years ago
Oh, there's a lot of that. Most people just don't want to start fights over it because rich folks WILL get offended.
Load More Replies... Joe Chlimoun 2 years ago
Anybody else used to save unpopped popcorn kernels? After a few bags of popcorn, it's like you have a free bag of popcorn
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