Poverty rates look different depending on where and who you look at. But in the U.S., for instance, among people under 18, it's 16.3% (3.7 percentage points higher than the country's overall rate).
Interested in all the ways the lack of money shapes us, Reddit user CursedButHere made a post on the platform's forum 'Random Thoughts,' asking everyone to describe the peculiar things they do because they grew up poor.
"I'm not talking about the usual things that everyone has heard of, like hoarding food or saving almost empty shampoo bottles," they wrote. "I'm talking about the weird things nobody thinks about."
To kickstart the discussion, the Redditor provided a personal example. "Mine is that even though I have a really good car that has never given me trouble, I only frequent the stores closest to me. I want to make sure if my car breaks down that I can easily walk home. If I have to go somewhere further like I do this week, then I am paranoid the whole way there and back that something will happen and I'll have a really, really long walk ahead of me." Below are the most upvoted replies that they've received.
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I count my blessings/ accomplishments. What I count is more reflective of my poor upbringing. “I have a car!” Or a driver’s license. Or a bank account. I haven’t dug for change in ages. I don’t know to the penny what is in my bank account. And now that I have a house, “That floorboard is mine.” Like mine mine. I came from no family in town, dead or absent parents, renting a quarter of an attic for $60 bucks a month with no car and no bank account and student loans. And every once in a while it hits me that this ordinary stuff I do or have was some past me’s out of reach. So I guess the weird thing I do is sit and stare in awe of the journey. And think, “I can buy ice cream.”.
Absolutely! I'll look down at my shoes (Crocs) and be like wow i have shoes.
I can relate. I can actually afford shoes now instead of putting cardboard into my only pair of old shoes with holes in the soles. I can afford underwear! I don’t have to wash them out every night and hope they’re dry in the morning for me to wear. (Damp undies are depressing). I can afford sanitary products instead of making them out of bits of paper. The list goes on. Everyday I thank God and the universe for my life now.
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It's sounds a bit weird, but you're richer in a way that most people with millions in their bank account are. You know the worth of things, whereas they only know the value. You might lack their millions, but I have a sneaking suspicion that your satisfaction with life far outweighs theirs.
I live paycheck to paycheck. Never have enough money to pay all my bills. It infuriates me when people with money tell you that you need to buy this or that. Things are falling apart in my household and I have no way of fixing thEvery dayyday is a struggle. Thank goodness for food pantries. It's j7st a vicious cycle that I and a lot of people can't get out of.
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I can so relate to this post! I think about this every day. For me, it’s my house. I was unhoused for years when I was younger, and every time I get home I think “I have a *home*! Thank you, Lord! 💙🤍💛
When I was a kid, my 3 siblings & I will share a burger. Now I can buy a burger just for myself.
I can now afford tickets to theater, opera, concerts, shows. Every time I go, I feel overly excited. Like, wow, I cannot believe that I'm actually here! That I can buy tickets to 5 or 10 or 20 performances, and I don't need to calculate every penny for food and bills. Just wow!
It's cheese for me. Now l have an inordinate amount of cheese in the fridge.
Load More Replies... I didn’t grow up very poor but quite there (I was sent to buy half of a salami stick because we couldn’t afford all of it). Now I look at my life: I have a house in one of the best countries in Europe, 2 healthy and smart kids, car, can afford any small thing and I think ‘wow, child me would be so happy to see this’.
Yes! Growing up on free trash from my grandma's thrift store that didn't sell...too small clothes, shoes...especially shoes! My husband says I have too many shoes. He doesn't know the pain of wearing the same pair of shoes that were too small to begin with as a child. I don't toss my old shoes either. I have a old pair for everything, and a couple of daily pairs and a couple of nice pairs for going out. Most importantly, they all fit! That's my leftover poor trait.
I take my dog to the chiropractor.I couldn't afford any type of doctor for most of my life. It's an odd dissonance.
Before Covid my husband and I, with three teenagers, were finally to the point that we could start to dream. Like we could get new couches and some kayaks (we live on an island. Kayaks are a very big treat) It had taken us YEARS to get to that point. Then Covid knocked us on our butts. We lost $60,000 in 2020. $40,000 in 2021. We are finally making some headway and making what we would have in 2020. But our family splurge? Iced teas at a local coffee shop.
i remember walking into my private office for the first closing the door and breaking down in tears at the wonder of how i got there. it took over a decade of making poor decisions, learning lessons, being homeless, working crazy jobs (many of them at the same time) and finally returning to finish my education. it was so hard to get to where i ended up. yes, there are some decisions i would have changed but, looking back, i can honestly say that for a person who basically lived a 9 to 5 life i did manage to squeeze in some amazing experiences before, during, and after.
Absolutely I can now take care of me and I finally have 2 cats that I can take care of!
I've been caught living rough a few times, fought my out and turned things around. I'm in a secure situation now, have enough money for my needs (and a couple of wants, lol) and it's impossible not to be grateful.
I have money in the bank. And by money, I mean lots of money. Enough money that, if I never recieve any more, I'd be good for a year. Enough time to find a new source of income.
🎶When I am worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. And I fall asleep, counting my blessings.🎶
There was a mom and pop grocery store on the corner from where I lived with my mom and dad in a cheap three room apartment. We bought only necessities from the store and one day when my mom had sent me there for something, a car with a family pulled up and stopped to buy a watermelon. The watermelons were huge and cost a dollar each. The store owner put the melon in the car trunk while I stood and watched in awe. I remember thinking, "Someday I hope I am rich enough to spend a whole dollar on a watermelon"! That was about 70 years ago, and today I can buy as many watermelons as I wish, but I am still very careful about how I spend my money.
When I make spaghetti, I pour the spaghetti sauce out, fill the jar with a little bit of water and shake the jar with the lid back on. Then pour the remaining mixture in the pot as well so none goes to waste. Something I learnt from my mum, and it was my favourite part because shaking the jar became a game.
Nothing wrong with that... the water should cook out, no sense in wasting it :)
I don't eat the last of anything. The last biscuit in the packet, or the last slice of bread in the loaf. There is generally a pile of various single items of food in packets etc around the place.
When I was growing up, we couldn't eat the last as there was always someone else who might need it more. Either my brother or one of my sisters coming home from work, or one of my parents when they were in...
Taking the last was selfish, and being selfish was the very worst thing anyone could be when we never had much...
Someone would eventually have to take the last piece or let it go to waste.
Hoarding instincts. Have to fight those constantly. .
Pandemic (and lockdown) was a period when hoarding turned out to have a positive aspect. I already had enough food, soap, disinfectant, toilet paper. But other than that... there's really no use in keeping old, broken, torn out stuff. Or to buy new items that you don't really need.
Oh boy... For reference growing up poor was about 45+ years ago.
* Unfortunately I still rush on the toilet. For many years we didn't have running water so the toilet was an "outhouse". Let me tell you there is nothing like -30 degree temps to motivate you to get your job done quickly. In the summer it was thousands of flies. So you just never took your time. Yes, this has taken its toll on me physically.
* I'm paranoid about losing access to water so if the weather says there is a storm coming I fill the bathtub with cold water as well some buckets so I can take a rudimentary bath and dump water in the back of the toilet to flush it.
* I always have a small wood stove and some firewood on hand so I have 100% certainty that I can boil water and/or cook food on top of it if I need to. This also doubles to keep the place above freezing if the electricity goes out for a long time. You don't want your pipes to freeze (and you end up without running water again).
* I hang my clothes to dry indoors with only a few exceptions (like bed sheets) because the dryer is so expensive to run. Note that I could run the dryer 24 hours a day and still afford my electricity bill, but I could never bring myself to use it except when I have to.
* I never eat canned foods. Canned foods were cheap and so every meal was a canned vegetable, potatoes (also cheap), and then some protein (usually fish because we could catch that ourselves and it was free). We never went hungry, but I buy fresh vegetables and nice cuts of meat for myself now. I still long for fresh fish though.
* I do all my own vehicle maintenance. I bought a motorcycle in 1992 for $600 and to learn auto mechanics I stripped it right down to the frame, head off, valves out, carbs completely disassembled, etc. and then put it all back together. My time is now valuable and I know it is really stupid to do my own work, but after decades of doing it because I had to, I can't seem to bring myself to pay someone else to do it.
I could probably keep going, but at some point this turns into a therapy session.
I have an odd thing I consider a luxury.
Hand towels and kitchen towels. I probably have 50 of each. Overkill, I know.
But growing up we never, not ever, had a hand towel for drying your hands in the bathroom. It was 'just wipe them on your jeans or dress'. In the kitchen, it was the same. Not a single hand towel for kitchen or bath--ever.
Bath towels, we were each assigned our own (six kids) and they got washed once a month. So disgusting. If you really wanted to p**s off a sibling, use their bath towel.
So I also have a ridiculous number of luxurious bath towels, bath sheets. High quality ones and yes, it feels so luxurious and I feel rich!
Dilute fruit juices. My mom would dilute a quart of oj or fruit punch to a half gallon to stretch it between all my siblings and cousins that lived with us. To this day, bottles of fruit juice are too strong for me and I’ll water them down.
Watering juice down is actually healthier for you because you are watering the sugar level down, too. So refreshing in summer! But this is better done with sparkling water which makes it more expensive, yes.
Every bit of leftovers go in the fridge, and I eat them, usually for breakfast or lunch the next day.
Nothing goes to waste. Ever. Every container is scraped clean before going in the trash.
Lock doors anytime I'm walking away from it. I can literally be going from the back door, to the backyard and if I can't see the door, I'll lock it.
Open presents without ripping the wrapping paper and reuse.
It might not sound that unusual but I walk everywhere even though I can afford the bus. Doesn't matter how tired I am, I'll still walk because it feels wrong to spend money frivolously that I might need someday.
I bike everywhere because it's free and it's actually faster than the bus.
I can never have enough in my savings account to make me feel safe. I don't trust the future and take all precautions I can whilst I have money. I nest up on dry foods. And I get irrationally tense when my partner uses up the last of something and doesn't replenish it straight up.
Something happened to me today and I realized my "future" could be in jeopardy. I have to save, save save. Life stinks sometimes.
I forget that "going to the doctor" is a thing. Whenever I describe an ailment or minor injury, people ask if I got any antibiotics, or stitches, or the like, and I'm always just like... No?..
I over cook.
We always have left overs. I never want to be faced with not enough food for someone to have more.
Just the boring stuff I heard for 2 decades. Turn those lights out when you leave the room. Close the door your letting the ac out or the cold in. But I added to it & also unplug stuff i barely ever use.
I still find having my own washer and dryer a luxury. I can come home and immediately toss dirty clothes in a washer, not scrounge for quarters all week. If it's chilly out I can put my clothes in the dryer instead of the oven to get warm.
Have an anxiety attack when there’s a knock at my door, it comes from having to hide when bailiffs would turn up to my house when I was a kid.
I also have anxiety attacks when someone knocks, I've even hid on the floor almost suffocating. I can't answer the phone either. It's almost like my brain has switched off and I've forgotten how to act. I'm 53 btw.
I never bring up cost when going anywhere ,dinner vacay etc ,I got it! If I invited you I would never expect you to pay for anything even if you have more money then me I just want to have fun,something that never happened much when I was young price tag on fun!!
I am constantly staring at the ground because that's how I got my allowance as a kid; change I found on the street.
It's habitual and I'm trying to break it.
My mom always made a huge deal about how expensive shoes were. I have only recently realized how that has followed me. I need a new pair. My current reeboks are 7 yrs old. Zero traction. No holes, but one damp surface and I'll be on my tush.
I'm basically a hoarder because "what if I need that specific thing" sometime"? And not particularly useful things. Like, bread ties and old food containers, like the plastic tubs margarine comes in.
Please take my advice, you will get to a point after saving so much for "the future what if", you'll forget what you have. Just remember everything has its place and so do you. Live simply, the Earth will thank you for it!
I never throw away clothes, and I rarely buy new ones.
I wouldn't say I grew up poor, but my mother took mine and my siblings paychecks. So we never got to use them ourselves. She would use this to fuel her shopping addiction. I got to spend my money the way I wanted to when I was 24. I had no means of getting away before that. And even before that, I took my appearance very seriously. It was my main means of survival.
I have a hierarchy for clothes now. Outside and public wear, Indoor and pyjama wear, make in to new clothes, make in to rags.
I also mend my clothes, fix broken seams, patch torn pockets, replace buttons, etc. I also do this with my husbands clothes, but he is more willing to throw away garments than to put me through work to fix it... unless he likes the item alot.
Knowing how to do basic sewing stuff is a great skill for any gender/non-gendered people!
When I bought a TV for $170 it felt like I bought a house.
For the longest time, I wouldn't go to the doctor or dentist until I absolutely had to. Didn't get regular cleanings until I was in my 20s because my parents didn't have a dental plan (and their teeth prove it--okay, my teeth prove it).
I just went back to the dentist.... after 20 years.... They've printed off three pages of stuff that needs to be done....half of it involves extractions or root canals.... Yeeeegch... take care of your teeth, kids......
I specifically throw some things away that are still useful because i had to save everything as a kid. I feel guilty every time i do it, and i have to force myself to do it.
My mom still washes out and reuses zip lock bags, and my dad had a drawer full of dead batteries that had enough juice in them to make a flashlight useless.
I often swaddle myself in the blanket in bed and I think it’s because it used to keep most of the ants and other bugs out when I was sleeping.
Shoe cleaning day.
Being a poor kid in NY, in the 80's and early 90's... that was tough for MANY reasons.
As an adult, I really appreciate what I have now, especially having shoes that I purchase new, for me, AND they fit my feet. If they were $5, or if they are 5 years old, I keep them clean.
Shoe cleaning was something I did since I was very young, trying to clean up the handmedowns as best as possible, gluing up loose bits with Elmer's Glue, being yelled at and hit for wasting Q-Tips and bleach on my shoes, because I knew I'd be stuck with them until my toes poked through or they fell apart completely.
Maybe not unusual, but definitely a poor kid habit.
I eat a lot of things cold that most people like hot.
Cold Italian (pizza, sketti, etc) is the best for breakfast!
Dilute dish soap.
Growing up we always had one bottle of liquid dish soap and another that was 1 part soap to 1 or 2 parts water. I went all the way through my college years thinking all dish soap was concentrated.
I use dish soap for body wash, shampoo and shaving cream. Just a big bottle of Palmolive or store brand in the shower to cover everything.
I check prices of everything and sometimes will choose a brand I don’t like as much to save even a few cents.
I reuse teabags. Not save for the next day or anything like that… but if I have tea and want a second cup, I’ll reuse the same tea bag.
Supermarkets and online retailers in Australia must comply with Australia's Unit pricing code if they sell certain food-based grocery items, which seems to be most supermarket items. It makes it easy to compare costs of the same product in different sized containers & cost of the same product sold by different brands
I don’t eat the last of anything. I’ll only use half the mayo I want because I don’t want to get in trouble for using it all.
Not eating strawberries. I always have it in my head they are pretentious. I finally made the connection that my parents didn’t buy them much cus they were expensive.
My weird thing is that I associate bananas with poverty to this day.
Back story is that trying to make ends meet somehow my dad was doing some night shifts in a grocery store unloading trucks with fruits and veggies. He was allowed to take for free a couple of crashed or otherwise unsellable pieces every now and then, which were mostly bananas. This was quite a treat back then. But now I cannot eat them without thinking of the poverty we lived in..
It's funny because in my country bananas were exotic fruits and associated with rich people who can afford them so name "bananas" described rich kiddos who went to private schools, had chauffeurs etc. Edit: it was 30 years ago, so obviously now bananas are super common and cheap
We never threw out phone books growing up. They doubled as toilet paper.
They also made good booster seats my parents wrapped them in duck tape so they wouldn’t soak up spills.
Wherever I live, it’s got to be on a bus route, even though I have a car.
Day dream a lot. Pretend to have friends lol.
I'm 53 and don't have a friend in the world, but I'm okay. You have to learn to love yourself and also find a couple hobbies. The Universe loves you!
Anytime I make a big purchase, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get arrested or something.
Going on a trip in anything but a car, then renting a car, a hotel, paying to visit things, and going out to eat, just feels somewhat luxurious.
Still, I will be miserly and try to find the best rates for everything that I can. But I’ve learned enough to know, somethings too cheap, there is a catch. So, I do avoid the bottom tier of pricing.
Pretty much anything I buy in the grocery store, it’s by going on sale prices. If it’s not on sale, it’s not in the cart, unless I find a cheaper alternative.
I’m 52 and my 25 year old buddy gave me so much c**p for trying to cheap out buying Doritos. My 16 year old wanted a small bag of Doritos with this Saturday night dinner. Well, the small bag was $2.99. Way too much for a 2 serving bag. But the regular size bag was not on sale. It was $5. But it’s a better value than the $2.99 bag. But it wasn’t on sale. Who’s got that much money to spend on chips that aren’t on sale? It’s just ridiculous to pay that much for junk food.
I bought them anyway, because I knew it’s what the son wanted. But I get so much c**p for worrying about the price of Doritos.
God! Having a reliable car is a must for me too.
My dad was a mechanic & always drove old beaters that broke down all the time when I was a kid, it's left me very paranoid as far as cars go lol.
There's a phrase used in Scotland - "The cobbler's bairns aye gang bare-fit" - roughly translates as "After the paying customers have taken their shoes, there may not be time for the shoe-maker to make for his family". Food and heat might be more urgent than footwear.
I'm so used to a cold house that I turn on the heating only a handful of times a year, even though I can afford to do it whenever I need to.
I use to keep my place at a cooler level, but eventually I got tired of being cold so I keep my thermostat at a comfortable level.
For the longest time, if I had to go to a restaurant, I wouldn't get drinks, ever.
Now I live in a place where water from the sink isn't drinkable at all so if I am really thirsty I may get a bottle of water.
Memories of living in the North-East of England , having a 'sit-down' fish and chips at a restaurant, where they *would not* bring your cup of tea until you had finished your plate. Not comfortable!
I will lick my plate clean.
I will do,this to. Not because I didn't have enough food. We also had good meals and plenty of food. There was always left overs. I do this because I like food. I only do it in private, never in public.
I often forget uber/taxi is an travel option.
In the UK very few areas are scary - so walking is an option, too, for shorter distances. But in some places I'd be looking for a taxi, too
The only way i could cook as a young teen was with a microwave, so once microwave meals got boring i started experimenting, per se. pasta, eggs, even certain meats if you nuke them long enough, and more. *everything* i ate was microwaved. tough times and not-so-tasty meals were had...
We didn't have a microwave as a kid so when i was a student and had one on college I learned to cook a lot of stuff in the microwave because it was such a novelty. If I'm just cooking fir myself I still use it. Beaten eggs for 1 minute with herbs and butter still tastes great!
I keep my underwear until they’re not even distinguishable as underwear. The waistband it still fine! Drives my girlfriend nuts.
If it has holes in the crotchal or assal regions, please toss it. XD Holes in the waistband/loose or broken elastic/holes in the leg areas, ehh, it's still good XD
I refuse to take out the trash. Not because I'm lazy. But trash bags are a dime a piece. I hate literally throwing money away. So that thing will he busting at the seams before it goes out the door.
It is somewhat ironic that the thing the garbage bags come in (usually) has to be thrown out itself--they're in a box or a bag that's too small to use as a trash bag.....
When I walk around a new city, I still find myself scanning for "hiding spots" where I could sleep at night without any trouble. Then I remember I have a bed now.
Dang. This hit much harder than others. Good to hear you're past it!
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These were bittersweet for the most part. Brought back lots of memories of just how broke we were when I was young. Nobody mentioned the commodities foods. Mom used to get canned chickens (yes, whole chickens in a can), dried everything. Powdered milk, that $hit is nasty on a whole other level, powdered eggs, I sure hope that's not around any more. Dried fruits of all kinds. I wish my mom was still around so I could thank her again for trying so hard. RIP Mom, I miss you lots.
I still use powdered milk. It’s disgusting with cold cereal but it’s great for everything else (I don’t drink plain milk so I wouldn’t know about that). With runaway inflation I’m back to eating canned meats too. It all tastes like tuna to me, which is kind of a bummer.
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I still do! If it's clean, l fold it and reuse it later
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I have learned to darn socks, repair shits and pants so you couldn't 't see the sewing, and to 'extend' clothing until its painfully out of style. Hell, I have some items of clothing that are returning to mainstream, and some of my friend even compliment me on my vintage items. I didn't know when my next set of shoes would be, or when I may get new clothing, so I did my best to keep from ruining anything. Acid-washed, pre-torn jeans, faded off the rack? I never understood they don't last as long. And that was a look, at least in my youth, that you wanted to avoid.
I've never bought expensive clothes they're either second hand or a really cheap brand and somehow I don't know how but they always last years. I have clothes that are over 20 years old. My niece recently raided my closet for some "vintage" items! I don't use a dryer and I think that might help with their longevity.
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My take away from being, well not poor poor, but definitely on a strict budget, has been a lifelong problem of eating too much of the yummy things. As kids, we either just didn't get them or if we did, we only got half of it. Mom could get 3 donuts for the 6 of us. Half popsicles, half gum, half of any type of sweet that was meant as a single serving, no soda, no real orange juice or milk (always half powdered mixed into the real stuff). No kid cereals or crackers. Well you get the pix. Now still make up for that.... 60 years later.
Half a popsicle is just plain common sense, nobody could eat a full one before it was a puddle on your toes or broke in half and you barely got any.
Load More Replies... i think i have come full circle. there were some really lean times growing up so i learned to be frugal in everything. then when i became a single parent i continued to be frugal as well as learning to make sure that my child never felt that we were living day by day by doing things like telling him i had a big lunch so he wouldn't know that i would eat the leftovers on his dinner plate while he took a bath. when i finally got in a good place i made decisions like making sure my towels matched, not have to mend clothes, etc. now, i am back to my frugal ways not because i have to but because i realize that i didn't need to be an over-consumer in order to feel secure. but, having the choice rather than having the need makes a big difference.
When I was a kid, we hit a rough spot. My Mom decided that Pancakes hit 3 out of 4 food groups (grains, dairy, protein from eggs) and that tomato soup = vegetables (they're actually fruits, but you see where this is going, right?) so we lived on JUST tomato soup and pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner for months at a time. Once that was over, my older brother didn't touch a pancake for 12 years. He ordered pancakes in a restaurant, and I was shocked! "You're ordering PANCAKES?" and he just said "I thought it was time ..." Funny part was he never stopped liking tomato soup.
There are some things I cannot bring myself to spend money on now, because of how we were raised. Like, I can buy strawberries but not blueberries or blackberries. Blueberries & blackberries are berries you pick for free in the woods, why am I gonna pay for those? I will buy cod but I won’t buy trout or bass because I can catch trout and bass at the lake, why would I pay for that? Even though I haven’t been berry picking or fishing in years.
When someone asked me why I keep tp by my couch I was confused, didn't everyone, apparently there are boxes with pretty designs with tissues in them.
Yeah I do that too. I’m not buying separate tissues to blow my nose like some richie rich. Toilet paper works better anyway.
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The commodity I often cut down on to save money is food/eating. I would often skip a meal or two (usually breakfast by sleeping in or dinner by going to bed early), never buy any groceries apart from the basics I need to cook a simple meal, rarely if ever eat out, rarely buy snacks (chips, sweets,etc), never order entrees/desserts/drinks when eating out, always carry my own water bottle should I ever get thirsty, and avoid getting into that habit of buying juice/coffee (deliveries or when out with friends) as a refreshment to sip on while going on with your day. It sucks and it’s not the healthy option (my weight suffers a lot), but I’ve saved so much money compared to my friends who spend double my monthly budget by doing those things. I also refuse to take taxis unless I’m dying/sick/in a rush. Would walk lugging all my grocery bags all the way home (uni friends used to laugh at me cause it was such a sight). I love walking so it’s not a big deal (once walked over 10 km up and down to attend an event about 2 towns over). I’m still not well-off so I continue to do most of these.
same here, I'm not AS poor as when we were growing up, but the economic downturn has hit and, now I'm in my 60's, I see fresh poverty looming. It scares me, tbh.
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I always compare things for myself to my kids. Like -- "I could by x for me, but it would be the same amount of money to get 3 pair of shoes for the kids". "I could get a whole meal at the restaurant, but if I let the kids order an appetizer as a treat I can nibble on that and the bread"
The slightest "big" mechanical issue with my vehicle, and I'm looking at a good trade-in. I grew up with vehicles you drove until they died. Which meant we got stranded far from home more than once. And because money was tight, there was no calling for a taxi or tow truck. I'm terrified of being stranded on the side of the road by myself now... even though I know I have the phone and money to call for a tow and ride. It's the "not knowing when it'll happen" that makes me anxious.
Yeah, well, the link of poverty to anxiety and depression is no secret. And it has lasting consequences
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These really brought back memories. I thought we poor in the 50s and 60s. Guess people are still struggling.
Between parents who grew up in the depression and war then weren't comfortable until after I left home, I'm ready for a world where recycling etc is a civic duty
I could afford a holiday, but l can't bring myself to spend that money on myself. I keep telling that when my daughter moves out l'll travel, but l'm too anxious about my savings so we'll see.
My parents grew up in the Depression, each with single parents. As we got older, we started revolting against their "depression thinking." Stuff like reusing cooking oil, aluminum foil, etc. What started it was when I found that Christmas-tree tinsel was 99 cents a package. We used to take it off the tree and reuse it each season. It was reasonable when they were kids; tinsel was actually metal. We'd also have to mix the milk before dinner: they'd buy powdered milk, but they'd at least let us mix it half-and-half with real milk. The thing is that we weren't poor; they just learned that having been poor.
I have always been money minded, conscious that don't over spend, careful that I don't lose money/cash and leaving it lying around,. Hubby has been away caring for his mum, so I have been busy tidying up, I had found 17 envelopes of money all around the house. So I listed where I found the money and how much, f there was anything written on or in the envelope. When I thought I had finished, we have $1276,25, and then I found some more,.
We were not well off, maybe borderline poor. So many of these things are just normal to me. Some are simply being economical, some are leftover habits. Nothing strange though.
Uh, making the overlays and nags more annoying is getting BP utterly nowhere. I have them all defeated.
When I walk around a new city, I still find myself scanning for "hiding spots" where I could sleep at night without any trouble. Then I remember I have a bed now.
Dang. This hit much harder than others. Good to hear you're past it!
Load More Replies... These were bittersweet for the most part. Brought back lots of memories of just how broke we were when I was young. Nobody mentioned the commodities foods. Mom used to get canned chickens (yes, whole chickens in a can), dried everything. Powdered milk, that $hit is nasty on a whole other level, powdered eggs, I sure hope that's not around any more. Dried fruits of all kinds. I wish my mom was still around so I could thank her again for trying so hard. RIP Mom, I miss you lots.
I still use powdered milk. It’s disgusting with cold cereal but it’s great for everything else (I don’t drink plain milk so I wouldn’t know about that). With runaway inflation I’m back to eating canned meats too. It all tastes like tuna to me, which is kind of a bummer.
Load More Replies... I still do! If it's clean, l fold it and reuse it later
Load More Replies... I have learned to darn socks, repair shits and pants so you couldn't 't see the sewing, and to 'extend' clothing until its painfully out of style. Hell, I have some items of clothing that are returning to mainstream, and some of my friend even compliment me on my vintage items. I didn't know when my next set of shoes would be, or when I may get new clothing, so I did my best to keep from ruining anything. Acid-washed, pre-torn jeans, faded off the rack? I never understood they don't last as long. And that was a look, at least in my youth, that you wanted to avoid.
I've never bought expensive clothes they're either second hand or a really cheap brand and somehow I don't know how but they always last years. I have clothes that are over 20 years old. My niece recently raided my closet for some "vintage" items! I don't use a dryer and I think that might help with their longevity.
Load More Replies... My take away from being, well not poor poor, but definitely on a strict budget, has been a lifelong problem of eating too much of the yummy things. As kids, we either just didn't get them or if we did, we only got half of it. Mom could get 3 donuts for the 6 of us. Half popsicles, half gum, half of any type of sweet that was meant as a single serving, no soda, no real orange juice or milk (always half powdered mixed into the real stuff). No kid cereals or crackers. Well you get the pix. Now still make up for that.... 60 years later.
Half a popsicle is just plain common sense, nobody could eat a full one before it was a puddle on your toes or broke in half and you barely got any.
Load More Replies... i think i have come full circle. there were some really lean times growing up so i learned to be frugal in everything. then when i became a single parent i continued to be frugal as well as learning to make sure that my child never felt that we were living day by day by doing things like telling him i had a big lunch so he wouldn't know that i would eat the leftovers on his dinner plate while he took a bath. when i finally got in a good place i made decisions like making sure my towels matched, not have to mend clothes, etc. now, i am back to my frugal ways not because i have to but because i realize that i didn't need to be an over-consumer in order to feel secure. but, having the choice rather than having the need makes a big difference.
When I was a kid, we hit a rough spot. My Mom decided that Pancakes hit 3 out of 4 food groups (grains, dairy, protein from eggs) and that tomato soup = vegetables (they're actually fruits, but you see where this is going, right?) so we lived on JUST tomato soup and pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner for months at a time. Once that was over, my older brother didn't touch a pancake for 12 years. He ordered pancakes in a restaurant, and I was shocked! "You're ordering PANCAKES?" and he just said "I thought it was time ..." Funny part was he never stopped liking tomato soup.
There are some things I cannot bring myself to spend money on now, because of how we were raised. Like, I can buy strawberries but not blueberries or blackberries. Blueberries & blackberries are berries you pick for free in the woods, why am I gonna pay for those? I will buy cod but I won’t buy trout or bass because I can catch trout and bass at the lake, why would I pay for that? Even though I haven’t been berry picking or fishing in years.
When someone asked me why I keep tp by my couch I was confused, didn't everyone, apparently there are boxes with pretty designs with tissues in them.
Yeah I do that too. I’m not buying separate tissues to blow my nose like some richie rich. Toilet paper works better anyway.
Load More Replies... The commodity I often cut down on to save money is food/eating. I would often skip a meal or two (usually breakfast by sleeping in or dinner by going to bed early), never buy any groceries apart from the basics I need to cook a simple meal, rarely if ever eat out, rarely buy snacks (chips, sweets,etc), never order entrees/desserts/drinks when eating out, always carry my own water bottle should I ever get thirsty, and avoid getting into that habit of buying juice/coffee (deliveries or when out with friends) as a refreshment to sip on while going on with your day. It sucks and it’s not the healthy option (my weight suffers a lot), but I’ve saved so much money compared to my friends who spend double my monthly budget by doing those things. I also refuse to take taxis unless I’m dying/sick/in a rush. Would walk lugging all my grocery bags all the way home (uni friends used to laugh at me cause it was such a sight). I love walking so it’s not a big deal (once walked over 10 km up and down to attend an event about 2 towns over). I’m still not well-off so I continue to do most of these.
same here, I'm not AS poor as when we were growing up, but the economic downturn has hit and, now I'm in my 60's, I see fresh poverty looming. It scares me, tbh.
Load More Replies... I always compare things for myself to my kids. Like -- "I could by x for me, but it would be the same amount of money to get 3 pair of shoes for the kids". "I could get a whole meal at the restaurant, but if I let the kids order an appetizer as a treat I can nibble on that and the bread"
The slightest "big" mechanical issue with my vehicle, and I'm looking at a good trade-in. I grew up with vehicles you drove until they died. Which meant we got stranded far from home more than once. And because money was tight, there was no calling for a taxi or tow truck. I'm terrified of being stranded on the side of the road by myself now... even though I know I have the phone and money to call for a tow and ride. It's the "not knowing when it'll happen" that makes me anxious.
Yeah, well, the link of poverty to anxiety and depression is no secret. And it has lasting consequences
Load More Replies... These really brought back memories. I thought we poor in the 50s and 60s. Guess people are still struggling.
Between parents who grew up in the depression and war then weren't comfortable until after I left home, I'm ready for a world where recycling etc is a civic duty
I could afford a holiday, but l can't bring myself to spend that money on myself. I keep telling that when my daughter moves out l'll travel, but l'm too anxious about my savings so we'll see.
My parents grew up in the Depression, each with single parents. As we got older, we started revolting against their "depression thinking." Stuff like reusing cooking oil, aluminum foil, etc. What started it was when I found that Christmas-tree tinsel was 99 cents a package. We used to take it off the tree and reuse it each season. It was reasonable when they were kids; tinsel was actually metal. We'd also have to mix the milk before dinner: they'd buy powdered milk, but they'd at least let us mix it half-and-half with real milk. The thing is that we weren't poor; they just learned that having been poor.
I have always been money minded, conscious that don't over spend, careful that I don't lose money/cash and leaving it lying around,. Hubby has been away caring for his mum, so I have been busy tidying up, I had found 17 envelopes of money all around the house. So I listed where I found the money and how much, f there was anything written on or in the envelope. When I thought I had finished, we have $1276,25, and then I found some more,.
We were not well off, maybe borderline poor. So many of these things are just normal to me. Some are simply being economical, some are leftover habits. Nothing strange though.
Uh, making the overlays and nags more annoying is getting BP utterly nowhere. I have them all defeated.
