In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That’s 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country. After growing up, none of those kids take things for granted, and they can clearly see the obvious prerogatives that the privileged and rich are lucky to have.
So when someone posed a question to people “who grew up poor, what do you associate with being rich?” on r/AskReddit, it immediately turned into an eye-opening thread. Below we selected some of the most interesting and thought-provoking responses that make us question simple things like going to Disneyland, buying new, not used furniture, and not having to dread grocery shopping.
Scroll down below, and after you’re done, be sure to check out our previous post with small subtle things about wealthy people that scream they are insanely rich.
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Eating pizza because you want to not because it's $2. That and mom eating along with us normally instead of pretending that the crust is her favorite part and that's why she'd eat the crust we leave.
There's a line from Nick in new girl that describes being well off as 'filling your gas tank up all the way rich.' That was the rich I wanted to be. Comfortable. Also not having to do math in the grocery store to see what food you can buy.
Bored Panda reached out to the Redditor Awkward_Name5898 who said that “being able to buy something you need without having to ask yourself how badly you need it” is something they associate with being rich.
When asked what was the hardest part of growing up poor, the Redditor was honest to say that it was the “feeling like you’ve failed, you think you’ll always be poor and won’t be able to get yourself out of that situation.” They also added that “as a kid, I remember feeling like a burden and that was hard to deal with.”
Having enough money to go to a psychologist for mental health.
Hiring moving men. Especially if they're the ones who pack all your s**t for you, too.
So many times, I would borrow a friend's pickup (and buy my friend's help with offers of pizza and beer) to move from one s**tty place to another.
For my most recent move, my wife and I packed everything, but hired professionals to load and unload it. I felt like a king.
Being able to buy something you need without having to ask yourself how badly you need it
The Redditor shared that growing up on a tight budget made them learn some life hacks. “I did learn how to maximize my food purchases, if I was able to buy food I’d buy things that would have leftovers and be filling, Spaghetti noodles, instant mashed potatoes, hamburger helper or Mac n cheese if I had milk. I lived in a house that didn’t have AC, so in the spring/summer I’d get a towel, wet it, and then lay it over me to keep me cool, the house didn’t have blinds so I used foil to cover the windows to keep out the sun and help keep the room cooler,” they recounted.
Indifference. I realized what real wealth meant in high school when we cleaned up trash from a creek and the rich kids wore their Polo shirts, Guess jeans, and Jordan's because if they were trashed they simply would get new. The poor kids wore their grubby clothes they do labor in.
Wealth is shown most acutely by indifference, nothing matters because money will fix it and there is plenty enough to fill black holes.
Having nice teeth that don't cause constant, debilitating pain
Regular doctor's office visits or seeing a dentist at all for anything other than an emergency.
“The rich assume money isn’t an issue for anyone simply because they have lots of it. They tend to think that poor people stay poor because they don’t invest their money as they do,” the Redditor said. For anyone who’s struggling to make their ends meet, Awkward_Name5898 urges not to feel ashamed to ask for help. “People are more kind and generous than you might think. Hold onto hope, things won’t always be this way,” they concluded.
Those fridges with the water dispenser on it
Not knowing EXACTLY how much money you have at any given time.
Going to a store to pick out furniture. Like, actually buying NEW stuff, not just taking whatever you can find at thrift stores or garage sales. That seems so luxurious!
Hiring people to either cook, clean, mow the grass or do snow removal in the winter.
Showing my age but rich people didn't need lay away to afford back to school or Christmas shopping
I don't remember ever having name brand items, food or clothing. It was all generic Kmart. I bought my son a pair of Nike shoes and thought I felt rich for doing so.
Going back to school was always embarrassing because the other kids had new supplies and we didn't. My mom did the best she could.Teachers would get onto us for not having things on the list and humiliate us in front of the other kids, and the other kids could be so mean. On the other hand, sometimes there would be a kind teacher who would discreetly hand me some things, or a fellow student who would share.
Everyone having their own room. We all slept in a single room.
Getting an appetizer and/or dessert at a restaurant in addition to an entree.
Why do Americans call the main course an "entree"? It literally means 'entry', as in the first part of the meal.
Parents that didn’t fight. Mine and my other poor friends’ parents were always fighting. Most of the time my parents fought it was over money. You could tell that they were just scared whether or not we were going to make it and that’s how it manifested. You just never really saw that same type of fighting at the friends parents who were comfortable.
Like obviously there’s more factors but there’s a unique chaotic tension in poor households that is hard to describe.
Paying all your bills without eating Ramen noodles.
Lol, brings back a sharp memory of mine from college. One week before a paycheck or national guard check arrives, no gas in the tank, and absolutely no food. Scrounge around car seats and couch and find $1.35. Free pop at work so I work extra shifts, and walk to grocery store and Ramen on sale for 12 for a dollar, (1990). That is what I did all week, walk to school and work, and ate Ramen at home. I now appreciate having $20 in my pocket and credit cards. Its a life changing experience to be THAT broke. It teaches you discipline when it comes to money.
Stairs. I've always lived in an apartment, so for me, I really hope that I'll one day have a house with stairs.
Also well balanced meals, three meals a day.
After you fall down the stairs a couple of times ( particularly if you wear socks but no shoes) you will find they are overrated.
Not having to worry about food or bills. Paying out of pocket at the dentist
Being allowed to go in the fridge and get something to drink or eat without having to ask or worry about being yelled at
This was my entire childhood. A lot of “food” issues as a result of this.
Fresh fruit and vegetables. Anything we ever got was frozen or from a can. Frozen and canned last longer too.
People that openly had fruit bowls on their tables was the epitome of lavish for me as a kid.
We only had that because we grew our own oranges, grapefruits, and peaches.
Kids that went to summer camp. I got sent to long distant family and worked on family farm.
Eating out. Birthday presents and Christmas presents that's not clothes or school supply. New clothes that's not hand me downs. And haircuts at a hair dresser.
Having food delivered. $5-$10 mark up?? Are you kidding?
For that matter, just going OUT to eat was a luxury.
Knowing what a duvet cover is and owning one. I remember when my wife and I were newly weds and she was telling me how we needed a duvet cover for our bed. I had no clue what a duvet cover was prior as I always though people just purchase sheets and/or the big ass blankets with the lion/tiger prints. Suffice to say, my mind was blown away.
Showing my age but having a shower in your house. Back in the day only people with money had showers, we all only had baths.
College.
Despite the amount of financial aid some people in poverty can get, the debt, no matter how much smaller it may be, will still strangle you until there is nothing left.
Especially when you're already in a financial class that already struggles with paying for food. That is one of the reasons I never personally bothered going to college; because I knew there was no way I would be able to pay it off without killing myself in the process
Having dinners that aren't 90% rice.
Parents having time to show up in school events or parents throwing birthday parties in school for their kid.
People who had marble counter islands in the kitchen
Sad thing is, lots of these rich folks have a kitchen we would die for since we both love to cook that do not even cook
Taking your kids to activities.
I dunno. Where I grew up churches used to host lots of free activities for kids ( and churches where where most of the non school activities happened anyway) and when I was in Girl Scouts girls from poor families could participate for free. And libraries frequently offer free children's programming
Parents not working 7 days a week.
My parent was self employed and set a higher rate for Sundays - we'd still find people who would pay it. That's how it is. When you're working, you get paid. When you're not, you don't.
Box Tops for Education. When I was a kid, a whole bunch of food companies ran some sort of fundraising thing where you could cut a little coupon called a box top off of whatever name-brand product you bought and they would donate money to public schools. My elementary school always had prizes for kids who brought in box tops. I remember the lowest tier prize was a scratch and sniff sticker if you brought 5 box tops. The trouble was, at the time my parents had just divorced and my mom was having trouble making ends meet so we could never afford more than the generic versions. I was never able to save enough box tops to get a prize.
Having a kitchen big enough that your gas stove is on an island.
Also a decent bathtub. The kind you can actually soak in if you’re an adult.
Kids who showed up to the dress-up days at school with an actual store-bought costume rather than an old t-shirt their mother adapted. Kids who came to the school disco and not only had the money to get their ticket, but also extra for sweets. Kids who always had the best stories about their exciting holidays and the cool things they did there. Kids whose school uniforms were brand new and had those sewn-in name labels instead of bought from the school second hand store. Kids who had so much food in their lunch boxes that they actually left some because they were full, and they had a snack for morning break.
Ngl we had some pretty creative Halloween costumes on a budget. I was a tin of McCormick brand ground nutmeg once, painted a cardboard box, wore a red outfit, and cut out holes to fit my head, arms and legs.
Choosing not to eat food you were given because you don't enjoy it.
it is nice to not have to eat things just because its what you have. Even though it tastes nasty.
Try eating only musty cabbage or boiled eggs every dinner for years and then tell me you enjoy them
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Having proper buns with hot dogs or hamburgers instead of white bread was living high class to me.
51 and bread still comes from the day-old shelf (unless I make it myself)
Glassware designed for certain liquids (wine glasses, martini glasses, beer steins, etc.). I grew up with plastic cups and coffee mugs.
Eating meat that actually looks like meat: steak, chops etc. As opposed to sausages, meatloaf, pies etc.
Where I grew up it was common for families to go shoot a deer or two to get through the winter or have household hogs and do butchering so we always had meat that looked like meat, you just had to process it yourself. My dad butchering deer freaked me out horribly as a kid.
Not having debt collectors coming round.
a dishwasher machine, a trash disposal, air conditioning and hot weather
Vacation house
Having space. House is too damn small for all of us and my parents can be pretty toxic
Having the crayons that have the sharpener built into the box.
Automatic payments.
Going to Disneyland.
Going to any amusement park. Nearest Disneyland is halfway across the continent, so even wealthy people can't go there very often.
a) Throwing away leftovers and b) cooking the same quantity again next time.
Throwing away the ketchup when it's "empty" instead of putting water in it so you can use what is left in the bottle.
Playing games and going on rides at a carnival.
That we could do. Just don't ask for anything to eat or drink. Put a water bottle in the freezer before you go and walk around with a purse full of $ store stuff
Hand towels for drying your hands in the washroom
Not having to use the oven to heat the house up during winter.
Isnt that an expensive way to heat a room? Also read that if it was a gas oven it could be dangerous unless you had a window open (making it a lot less effective).
Buying icecream in the lunch line
I don't remember ice cream even being an option. Only occasionally would we get that "vanilla ice cream" ( don't think it was legally ice cream) at school for some kind of event. The one that came with the wooden stick and tasted like stick.
Owning a newer car or holidays abroad.
Not making payments on a car, just buying it.
Not a sign of wealth. Lots of people buy cars without taking out loans. In the Netherlands most people think that you're a special kind of stupid to take out a loan for a car. That's why the average age of Dutch private cars (11 years) is one of the highest in Europe.
Basketball hoop in the driveway.
Getting cold lunches (parents would pack them lunch that would have a ton of goodies in them)
I never got cold lunch because school lunch was free. Definitely felt like it was just for the wealthy.
Not living in an apartment complex
Most poor people I knew lived in trailers or borderline derelict houses. Apartments are rare and expensive
Silverware that isn’t plastic. Toaster oven. More than one frying pan
Wait, no. You can buy metal silverware for $10 or less. I know because I bought the set at Walmart and used it for 15 years and guess what, just checked on the Walmart website and the set that lasted me for 15 years is $7.48. So who on Earth is buying plastic silverware to save money?
I once heard someone say "If you have to ask the price then you can't afford it" and for some things it's true but it sounds very arrogant.
Many rich people are extreme penny pinchers... so I don't know if the saying is true or not. But I guess they don't HAVE to ask, they just choose to ask.
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Anxiety caused by growing up poor is also such a big thing. Not wanting to do something or buy something because you're scared you wouldn't have enough in case something happens. This still plagues me to this day and I can't take risks or invest because of it.
This! The real damage is after growing up poor (we) continue to "think poor," and do things like settle for lower pay than we are worth, don't dare to spend money (the whole save it for a rainy day thing but it gets spent on fixing cars/ replacing appliances, so never ends up for fun)... Yeah, the poor thing is W A Y overrated, Highly NOT recommended!
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I am 58, and it has been many years since my desperately poor childhood. But those anxieties still reside in my personality. I can't stand it when anyone throws out food or leaves lights on when they leave the room or uses too much water for something, etc. It is definitely a neurosis.
The world would be such a better place if everyone stopped such wasteful habits! Regarding food, about 40% of food in the US is wasted. With such disregard being so commonplace, we can imagine how much of our other resources are wasted as well.
Load More Replies... I don't have much, but I appreciate what I do have. My background of growing up in poverty has helped me to see the big picture. It also taught me how to budget and stretch a dollar.
All of these things, for most of them are actual necessities. Things all humans need equally. Crazy that we've been made to think needs are a luxury or you have to be rich to afford them.
Parents needing to feed you food that would fill you up versus healthy food. It's much cheaper and goes much further to buy a cake mix than to buy fresh fruit. It's expensive to eat healthy, not to mention embarrassing and stressful. Poverty trauma is real.
Yes. It can lead to really screwed-up behaviors as a result: Controlling attitudes about money, food, possessions, and it's terrifying how it can manifest. Some people become downright abusive due to it. I know poverty led into my dad's abusive behaviors. (His childhood.)
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not be stuck to a job you hate because you can't affort to not working for few weeks or days to looking for a new job
Which is why you look for a new job before you quit. Who quits before they have something new?
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I appreciate so much what I have now after my relatively poor childhood. Choosing the products I want in the supermarket, eating out whenever we feel like it, going on vacations to foreign countries, going to the hairdresser and decent clothing stores, buying new pieces of furniture, buy a house instead of lifelong renting. All things that were certainly not evident when I grew up. I know my parents have been struggling to make ends meet for a long time. Fortunately, healthcare was never a problem in my country. I feel lucky about that, it could have been worse. Now I'm definitely not literally rich, as in being a millionaire or so. But I do feel rich, just because of all those things I can do now, knowing I can afford them.
For me growing up I considered my friends rich if there was fresh cooking every day and because the kids had ballet and piano lessons...
These examples remind me of the kind of modest life we lived as a family when I was a child/teenager. I find it interesting that some examples that could be considered part of a "rich lifestyle" holds no interest for me. If I ever win the lotto, no one will be able to tell from my lifestyle!
Going to McDonalds as a child and getting a happymeal, not a single cheap item. We would get just a hamburger, or just small fries, and wouldn't even think of asking for a happymeal.
Single mom, here. When my son was young there were some cereal boxes had a coupon for one free item from the kids menu. That coupon, plus the change in my purse, was enough to feed my son dinner between paydays. I had a full time office job but still couldn't afford both rent And food; yet I made too much money for government assistance. I went hungry as a child and I went hungry as a young mother. Now I'm pushing 55, (too old to hire, too young to retire) and I'd really like to turn on the heat but, ya know.
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lots of so called rich people or people with money are doing it for show...they dont have the money but spoil their kids to shut them up..they have massive dept. living within your means is hard but doable. keeping up with the jones is just foolishness. People with less are generally happier and love each other more.....
Agree...if you have to use a credit card or take out a loan to buy it (other than a house of course) then you shouldn't be buying it. You're only paying twice as much anyway once you pay the interest. Shutting your kids up by spoiling them pretty much guarantees they won't appreciate anything and worse they will expect this treatment the rest of their lives...I don't know about you but I've had enough of spoiled, entitled, whiny adults who don't want to work but expect to collect a paycheck to last this and my next lifetime!
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For me it was having a car from the current decade. Doesn't matter if it was a small economy car; just the fact that it was less than 10 years old made it look like 'the cars on TV'. I even struggled to understand new car dealerships; I see them everywhere, but they felt completely inaccessible to mortals.
First time I bought something ina furniture store... it was 50% off b/c it was a return. I couldn't make myself buy actually-all-new.
Being able to have real milk in your breakfast cereal, not powdered milk mixed with water.
Or being even richer and being able to shell out extra for the more responsibly sourced, sustainable milk. Regular dairy farmers get a raw deal when it comes to selling their milk, because the supermarkets want to sell it at a budget price.
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I grew up in a tiny old house that we rented that was falling apart around us. The rent was cheap because it was not in great condition, an apartment would have been amazing! We had to avoid parts of the floor that were rotten. No air conditioning in south Florida, couldn't afford to use the heat in the winter but there was a fireplace and we'd sleep around it when it got cold, which wasn't a lot thank goodness! We could see our breath in some parts of the house when it got cold enough. My brother and I thought it was neat! My mom was great at figuring out cheap meals. She got chicken necks and boiled all the meat off and made casseroles and such. We had a retired neighbor who would bring us fresh fish from his fishing excursions. Hot dogs can go a long way sometimes. I've really learned to appreciate everything I have now. My husband and I don't have kids, and we rescue dogs. We currently have 3, we have had 5 at a time in the past. I would love to rescue more, but my health isn't goo
I'm very and i really haoe every person going through poverty gets the help they need.
Ok, many of the things on this list can definitely be considered "luxuries" but some of this stuff and some comments is what rich people do to GET rich (penny pinching, counting every dollar, living as cheap as possible, eating as cheap as possible, using hand-me-downs, etc).
When my dad was going to med school we lived in a housing project. Rent was 35 bucks a month. Two bedroom, one bath, kitchen and living room. We only got candy on Christmas when our Papa would send a box of stuff for us. We were poor, but so was everyone else, it never occurred to us that we were poor. I thought that the girl who lived next door was rich because her grandmother gave her 5 cents to buy an ice cream bar when the ice cream man came around. I wore hand me downs until I was a senior in high school, never bothered me because, why should it? I rode the bus to school and before that I babysat at 50 cents an hour and bought all my own stuff.
I personally loved hand me downs because I was the eldest in the family and the clothes I got usually came from families that were more well off so were better quality and lasted longer than ones we could afford.
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Once again, some people really ought not to reproduce. And this list is a competition to see who grew up poorer. The people who grew up the poorest aren't even going to be on this list.
I once heard someone say "If you have to ask the price then you can't afford it" and for some things it's true but it sounds very arrogant.
Many rich people are extreme penny pinchers... so I don't know if the saying is true or not. But I guess they don't HAVE to ask, they just choose to ask.
Load More Replies... Anxiety caused by growing up poor is also such a big thing. Not wanting to do something or buy something because you're scared you wouldn't have enough in case something happens. This still plagues me to this day and I can't take risks or invest because of it.
This! The real damage is after growing up poor (we) continue to "think poor," and do things like settle for lower pay than we are worth, don't dare to spend money (the whole save it for a rainy day thing but it gets spent on fixing cars/ replacing appliances, so never ends up for fun)... Yeah, the poor thing is W A Y overrated, Highly NOT recommended!
Load More Replies... I am 58, and it has been many years since my desperately poor childhood. But those anxieties still reside in my personality. I can't stand it when anyone throws out food or leaves lights on when they leave the room or uses too much water for something, etc. It is definitely a neurosis.
The world would be such a better place if everyone stopped such wasteful habits! Regarding food, about 40% of food in the US is wasted. With such disregard being so commonplace, we can imagine how much of our other resources are wasted as well.
Load More Replies... I don't have much, but I appreciate what I do have. My background of growing up in poverty has helped me to see the big picture. It also taught me how to budget and stretch a dollar.
All of these things, for most of them are actual necessities. Things all humans need equally. Crazy that we've been made to think needs are a luxury or you have to be rich to afford them.
Parents needing to feed you food that would fill you up versus healthy food. It's much cheaper and goes much further to buy a cake mix than to buy fresh fruit. It's expensive to eat healthy, not to mention embarrassing and stressful. Poverty trauma is real.
Yes. It can lead to really screwed-up behaviors as a result: Controlling attitudes about money, food, possessions, and it's terrifying how it can manifest. Some people become downright abusive due to it. I know poverty led into my dad's abusive behaviors. (His childhood.)
Load More Replies... not be stuck to a job you hate because you can't affort to not working for few weeks or days to looking for a new job
Which is why you look for a new job before you quit. Who quits before they have something new?
Load More Replies... I appreciate so much what I have now after my relatively poor childhood. Choosing the products I want in the supermarket, eating out whenever we feel like it, going on vacations to foreign countries, going to the hairdresser and decent clothing stores, buying new pieces of furniture, buy a house instead of lifelong renting. All things that were certainly not evident when I grew up. I know my parents have been struggling to make ends meet for a long time. Fortunately, healthcare was never a problem in my country. I feel lucky about that, it could have been worse. Now I'm definitely not literally rich, as in being a millionaire or so. But I do feel rich, just because of all those things I can do now, knowing I can afford them.
For me growing up I considered my friends rich if there was fresh cooking every day and because the kids had ballet and piano lessons...
These examples remind me of the kind of modest life we lived as a family when I was a child/teenager. I find it interesting that some examples that could be considered part of a "rich lifestyle" holds no interest for me. If I ever win the lotto, no one will be able to tell from my lifestyle!
Going to McDonalds as a child and getting a happymeal, not a single cheap item. We would get just a hamburger, or just small fries, and wouldn't even think of asking for a happymeal.
Single mom, here. When my son was young there were some cereal boxes had a coupon for one free item from the kids menu. That coupon, plus the change in my purse, was enough to feed my son dinner between paydays. I had a full time office job but still couldn't afford both rent And food; yet I made too much money for government assistance. I went hungry as a child and I went hungry as a young mother. Now I'm pushing 55, (too old to hire, too young to retire) and I'd really like to turn on the heat but, ya know.
Load More Replies... lots of so called rich people or people with money are doing it for show...they dont have the money but spoil their kids to shut them up..they have massive dept. living within your means is hard but doable. keeping up with the jones is just foolishness. People with less are generally happier and love each other more.....
Agree...if you have to use a credit card or take out a loan to buy it (other than a house of course) then you shouldn't be buying it. You're only paying twice as much anyway once you pay the interest. Shutting your kids up by spoiling them pretty much guarantees they won't appreciate anything and worse they will expect this treatment the rest of their lives...I don't know about you but I've had enough of spoiled, entitled, whiny adults who don't want to work but expect to collect a paycheck to last this and my next lifetime!
Load More Replies... For me it was having a car from the current decade. Doesn't matter if it was a small economy car; just the fact that it was less than 10 years old made it look like 'the cars on TV'. I even struggled to understand new car dealerships; I see them everywhere, but they felt completely inaccessible to mortals.
First time I bought something ina furniture store... it was 50% off b/c it was a return. I couldn't make myself buy actually-all-new.
Being able to have real milk in your breakfast cereal, not powdered milk mixed with water.
Or being even richer and being able to shell out extra for the more responsibly sourced, sustainable milk. Regular dairy farmers get a raw deal when it comes to selling their milk, because the supermarkets want to sell it at a budget price.
Load More Replies... I grew up in a tiny old house that we rented that was falling apart around us. The rent was cheap because it was not in great condition, an apartment would have been amazing! We had to avoid parts of the floor that were rotten. No air conditioning in south Florida, couldn't afford to use the heat in the winter but there was a fireplace and we'd sleep around it when it got cold, which wasn't a lot thank goodness! We could see our breath in some parts of the house when it got cold enough. My brother and I thought it was neat! My mom was great at figuring out cheap meals. She got chicken necks and boiled all the meat off and made casseroles and such. We had a retired neighbor who would bring us fresh fish from his fishing excursions. Hot dogs can go a long way sometimes. I've really learned to appreciate everything I have now. My husband and I don't have kids, and we rescue dogs. We currently have 3, we have had 5 at a time in the past. I would love to rescue more, but my health isn't goo
I'm very and i really haoe every person going through poverty gets the help they need.
Ok, many of the things on this list can definitely be considered "luxuries" but some of this stuff and some comments is what rich people do to GET rich (penny pinching, counting every dollar, living as cheap as possible, eating as cheap as possible, using hand-me-downs, etc).
When my dad was going to med school we lived in a housing project. Rent was 35 bucks a month. Two bedroom, one bath, kitchen and living room. We only got candy on Christmas when our Papa would send a box of stuff for us. We were poor, but so was everyone else, it never occurred to us that we were poor. I thought that the girl who lived next door was rich because her grandmother gave her 5 cents to buy an ice cream bar when the ice cream man came around. I wore hand me downs until I was a senior in high school, never bothered me because, why should it? I rode the bus to school and before that I babysat at 50 cents an hour and bought all my own stuff.
I personally loved hand me downs because I was the eldest in the family and the clothes I got usually came from families that were more well off so were better quality and lasted longer than ones we could afford.
Load More Replies... Once again, some people really ought not to reproduce. And this list is a competition to see who grew up poorer. The people who grew up the poorest aren't even going to be on this list.
