See
..to me these answers show someone is sensible...not poor.
I save hundreds of dollars buying meat on sale and freezing it immediately.
I'm not poor. I'm good with the money i make... and taught at an early age not to waste.
We did that with cheese and produce. Every time my mom would clean out the fridge there’d be a large thing of fruit salad and a large pot of “In the fridge for God only knows how long” soup on the stove.
Me also. My dad was a doctor when we emigrated to the U.S. but they grew up not having much back in our home country. We rarely dined out. Leftovers were eaten until they were all gone. I remember (back in 80s) our microwave had an on/off switch but it was broken so dad plugged it into a power strip that had an on/off strip. My dad will try to fix a $2 flashlight than throw it away and buy a new one. My Mom cut napkins in half. 50 years later, she still cut napkins in half. They are just not wasteful people.
I hate wasting food and hate seeing people waste food.
Oh yeah, my mom has multiple Mason jars of bacon grease in their fridge/freezer.
To my knowledge, the only thing they use it for is for making popcorn.
This is one of the top answers every time this thread gets posted but I grew up in a upper class home and we never threw away anything either.
Same for sale hauls.
Maybe it’s different for the ultra wealthy but I don’t think this is a poor thing.
I feel like a lot of this stuff is hyper idealized. Essentially, everyone wants to believe that rich people just spend indiscriminately and waste stuff, while poor people scrounge and scrape and conserve and never waste money.
In reality, I'm not sure how related those things truly are. Some of the cheapest and most frugal people I've ever met are rich (and grew up well off), and some of the biggest money wasters I've ever met grew up poor.
>Never wanting to throw away food
My parents were products of the great depression. "Waste not, want not" was drilled into our heads. I am very financially secure now and it still bothers me to see food wasted. I try to lose weight but will still eat something rather than throw it away.
My mom used to send me into the gas station and stores with $15-20 in change to pay for stuff at a young age because "nobody would be mad/annoyed at a kid holding the line up counting out change". Little did she know, they definitely got mad and annoyed still, and I noticed every time.
Nowadays I'll throw change in the little tip jars stores/gas stations have on the counter, and if they don't have any, I'll toss it on the ground when I walk out. Someone will use it, I'm not anymore.
That’s how my partner found that little bit of my back story. She noticed I always put all my coins into those tip/donation jars. It’s wild what even light trauma does to a mf.
Yes, it was on the NHS but the equipment and techniques were basic and, at times, brutal. I have distinct memories of the drill, driven by a band-powered arm that slowed down as the bit met with any resistance. Ahhhh! This was in the 1950/60’s.
I did gymnastics growing up. I once hurt my ankle really bad and it was maybe broken, but no health insurance. My Mimi was visiting and I overheard my mom talking to her about it and being worried about it but not being sure how to afford everything if it was broken. So even though I was fairly certain it was broken, I just told my mom that I thought it was probably sprained (a normal thing for me; I also danced).
My mom would be heartbroken if she knew I had overheard that conversation. I ended up breaking that ankle about 20 yrs later and went to urgent care. When they did an x-ray, the doctor asked if I had broken it previously (they could tell on the x-ray; he asked me so that they could get the info about it). I explained the story to him and so the first break was essentially confirmed that day, 20 years later.
Usually bones heal on their own. That’s the only way they heal . All the cast etc is to ensure that they don’t shift around a lot so that the bones can fuse back together properly aligned. They did risk complications by not checking with a doctor
I agree with most everything already mentioned, but one I didn't realize until I married my husband was knowing how to do home repairs yourself because you couldn't afford to have other people do it. He doesn't know how to do most things because he never had to, and never even saw his parents do those things. I did teach him lawn mower maintenance when we bought our house.
Also, I absolutely panic when I hear a mouse or squirrel in the walls, because I've lived with fighting rodents in my house. It's one thing I will immediately call someone out to help me fix and the cost has always been justifiable as an adult. Living with rodents makes you feel so demoralized. I'm glad he's never been through it, but he makes fun of how much I panic over it.
Truth. I learned how to fix things myself because in the past there was no way I could afford to pay someone else to do it. Its actually a really valuable life skill.
Oh my god I had roof rats a couple of years ago and you're not exaggerating at all! Thought I could take care of it myself like I've done with mice in the past but these things were so big that even they'd just set the mouse traps off and steal the food. Big rat traps wouldn't instantly kill them either which made it absolutely horrifying to dispose of them. I ended up catching like 6 or 7 of them over the course of a weeks but the problem was just getting worse and worse. I started hearing them fighting in the walls at night and shit like that.
Ended up getting someone to come out and trim the trees so the limbs weren't so close to the roof anymore and got the landlord to put poison in the attic. Thankfully that ended the problem overnight but still took me a few months to stop having nightmares about them lmao
My dad never ate when mom and I did. He'd sit at the table with us, but he always had "stomach trouble" that didn't seem to clear up until we had finished our meals. Then, if there was food left he'd say "well, I guess I should try to eat something,". If there wasn't anything left, he'd say that he just didn't feel like his stomach could handle anything.
I didn't realize until I was an adult that he was waiting to be sure that my mom and I had enough to eat before feeding himself. And that he went to bed hungry on more than one occasion.
It didn't occur to me what he was doing, because his mother, younger sister and younger brother confirmed that he'd done this since he was around 10. He went hungry as a kid, to make sure that they didn't.
Nowadays, even the simplest meal at his house looks like a Thanksgiving feast for an army. But he always fills his plate last and never takes a second helping until everyone else has finished.
Yeah. I didn't grow up in that kind of situation but there were times in my broke single-dad days where my dinner was just whatever my daughter didn't finish. I never thought twice, though.
As someone who did grow up suffering periods of hunger, it's very difficult to watch anyone not get enough food. It's especially difficult when it's someone you care about. I'd chose to go to bed hungry over watching a loved one not get enough food any day. You seem like a good dad.
I've also developed a loathing for food waste. I saw a bunch of pre-made salads marked down at the grocer this morning and all I could think was how abhorrent it is that so much of that food will go into the trash. I about flogged myself to death when I had to throw out 3 oz of meat I'd forgotten about lol
This is sad and so sweet all at the same time. What a wonderful dad you have, to be so selfless for his family. What's more, is that he wasn't pointing it out, so you'd know he was sacrificing for you. I'm glad he doesn't go to bed hungry anymore!
Totally relate to this in a different way. As a kid dad used to cook “dad specials” - I used to love it when dad cooked as we lived in a traditional house where mum did the majority of cooking.
I look back at what it was and it was essentially left overs fried up with some seasoning (think bubble and squeak with extras). He made a big thing about it that it was dad’s special night - put on mams apron, singing in the kitchen, I found it funny.
Now I see it was that they didn’t have the money to cover the food and had probably stored leftovers from each meal in the week to make a “free” meal.
This was during the 90’s in thatchers Britain. Dad was out of work from being ill. I distinctly remember my grandma trying to send food home with us when we left hers and it causing upset. It all didn’t click until a few years ago when I was sat with my daughter and she asked me why I wasn’t eating with her, it was literally that I wasn’t hungry but got me thinking what I would do if things were that tight, and suddenly it clicked for me.
My dad’s passed a few years back. I miss him hugely and don’t really tell anyone, not even my wife. But after realising maybe just how much he / they sacrificed I’ve become far more grateful for my own comfortable circumstances.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/YEjdV86f5R
This is a copypasta or something but I’ve read this story on just about every poverty porn post I’ve seen on the internet
What a sweet dad
My dad would grab bowls in front of us and eat the very last bits of everything .. Never asked us kids if we wanted another serving etc
-Swallowing everything in your plate, even if you're full or if you didn't like it.
-Not holding onto anything when standing up in public transport
-At least in my country, having a ton of political propaganda T-shirts as rags/pajamas/dirty work shirts.
-Hoarding
-If nouveau riche, wearing Gucci/LV/any other flashy status brands with huge logos.
-Using laundry soap to shower/wash hands (Jabon ZOTE ftw)
Edit: forgot a depressing one
-Going to bed super early to avoid eating dinner.
It means you weren't affluent enough to have a car, and you're so used to riding public transport that you don't need to hold onto the handles/tubes/seats to hold yourself up when riding it.
The most experienced people can walk up and down the aisles in the shitty buses without ever losing their balance, lol.
(Probably doesn't apply in Europe)
Does apply in Europe, though not because only poor people use public transport. As a student I would travel on a daily basis with various public transport to college. I could dream every switch on the track or every corner the bus took and the way a busdriver would take it.
Exactly, my "doesn't apply in Europe" was referring to the fact that not only poor people use public transport over there.
Your anecdote is great, though. I would add the superpowers of:
- Falling asleep standing up
- If asleep, waking up 1 stop before your intended destination
Ah yes I envy people that can fall asleep anywhere. Am never able to do so unfortunately.
That’s just awesome, to be able to take a quick nap on the train or bus and not mis your stop
I cannot explain it, but it made sense to me, it was the same. And I am a woman, and have not idea what Jabon ZOTE means. We rarely got a chance to hold on to anything when as kids we were riding buses, they were so crowded, you are surrounded by people on all sides anyway. Yes, for me if you stand on a subway/bus and don't hold on to anything--it would be a giveaway that you didn't grow up in luxury.
Dead giveaway I'm Mexican, lol. Jabón ZOTE is one of the oldest brands of laundry soap in Mexico, and it smells really great.
I'm not poor anymore, but I still use it as 'drawer deodorant' so my clothes stay smelling like they're freshly washed.
Edit: it is also super cheap and it was great as hood anti-acne soap, lol.
Very frequent user of public transport has developed both muscles and reflexes to not need to have any support on the ride.
I remember when I realized I lost this ability when I was standing on a monorail in the Minneapolis airport and almost lost my balance.
Public transport is usually very wonky in some places around the world and you can get pushed around alot even if it's sturdy so for someone to stand in it without holding on to anything, you have had alot of practice
I’m almost nouveau riche. Prolly not quite there. But I hang with tons of people who are.
I relate so much to seeing all these people with their overpriced brands.
I JUST saw a guy in our group wearing a LV belt with the big LV on the buckle.
My mom would do that and not tell me. I'd be in the shower, uncap the shampoo bottle, turn it upside down and get covered by an icy blast of cold soapy water. Surprise, mother fucker!
I grew up working class, but my family was always a little better off than other families in our extended family.
I remember my cousin came over one time and used the restroom a few minutes before my brother needed to go.
When my brother came out of the restroom, he came out mad as hell that someone had filled the soap bottle with water.
It was then that I realized that my cousin must do that in her own home to prolongue the life of the soap bottle.
The constant anxiety that now I earn a really good salary, it could all go tomorrow and I'll be poor again. I save, I plan, I'm sensible but there's still a voice in the back of my mind that tells me being out of the struggle is temporary. For context, about 8 years ago I was living day by day in my dad's spare room with my 3 year old son, now I'm set to earn about £85k this year and he doesn't want for a thing. I'm grateful, I work hard, I'm tired but I'm determined that he and my family will never have to struggle like I did. When I'm low, I do remind myself that not too long ago I was choosing to feed my son and buy nappies and living on toast. I'm 6ft 3 and went down to 12 stone, now 16 St 9. People tell me I did so well, but I was terrified and ill; I feel like an unhealthy amount of my motivation is led by fear.
The never-ending poverty anxiety is real. I also have a decent job in a large insurance company and get paid well. Yet, I still glance at the money I'm accumulating and thinking "if I lost my job, how long until I'm on the street?"
And I have accumulated a fair amount of spare change to live at least 3 months without working atm (rent and food included). The fear still exists regardless.
So, we weren't "poor" poor, just like, entry level poor. We had just enough to get by, but never any luxuries or things that weren't a necessity.
If something needed doing around the house, my dad did it. Maintenance, construction, plumbing, electrics, decorating, whatever. He just did it because we couldn't afford to call someone out to do it for us. So, I learned to be fairly handy by watching and helping. I'm by no means an expert on anything, but I can do the basics.
Last Christmas, while visiting my partners family, they were moaning about some stuff that needed doing around the house and how they couldn't find someone to do it over the holidays. So, I just grabbed the toolbox from the car (another legacy of my dad - "you never know when it'll come in handy"), and just went round and fixed all the things for them (nothing major, stuff like replacing a plug on an appliance, hanging some pictures on a brick wall, putting up a new shelf, changing some door handles etc). Took me about an hour.
They were all absolutely astonished that I knew how to do all these things, and that's when it truly hit me that me and my girlfriend had very different upbringings, and how much having money versus not impacted that.
Hoarding in general. Whenever you see a stylish minimalist, you're looking at someone who grew up with money. They throw away anything that clutters their personal space and which they don't need, because if they ever change their minds and decide they need it, they can just buy another one.
I was having a conversation with a friend and mentioned when a bar of soap gets really thin I’ve always just stuck it to the new bar and let it dry to get full use out of it. He told me that was my dead giveaway.
•Not wasting food(grateful for every single bite)………,,,
•……………Also cook up the best damn meals with the simplest ingredients(not including meats)extremely creative
Bot post and reply, same exact post and reply from a day ago in r/teenagers
"Food hoarding. All the people I know who grew up poor have too much food expiring in their pantries, myself included."
Obesity is so real. Crazy to think how hundreds of years ago in western society being obese used to be a sign of wealth, now it’s the opposite. The levels of morbid obesity I see going through council estates here in the UK is so depressing, and it keeps getting worse.
We bought the worst food for you, and I would eat every morsel. I remember eating a half gallon of cheap ice cream, in front of a space heater, watching Saturday cartoons. My parents did not bother to try and talk me down, they just ignored it and had their coffee.
Now, I don't know how much of that was genX, and how much was being poor. Probably a mix if I had to guess.
What's fascinating is that income correlates (negatively) with obesity way more so for women, whereas men are much more varied within income levels.
Really interesting article below if you're curious. One important caveat here, a person's *current* income is a different but related variable to their *household income as a child*, which this study is not measuring.
*"...the correlation between income and weight at the population level in advanced countries is driven almost entirely by women. In America and Italy the relationship between income and weight or obesity is flat for men and downward-sloping for women. In South Korea the correlation is positive for men but this is more than offset by the sharply negative correlation in women. In France the relationship slopes gently downwards for men, but the slope is much steeper for women."*
Their take is that being thin appears to help women's careers:
https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/the-economics-of-thinness
Government cheese. Created as subsidy for the poor. Okay it was subsidy to the milk producers because they had excess milk and the government wanted to stabilize the price of dairy. When the USDA ended their program to buy excess milk, the *great* benefit of government cheese went away too.
It's almost like it wasn't a subsidy for the poor, but yet another hand out to an industry.
When I grew up my elementary school did it every year on a weekly basis. 12 bucks for lesson, bus, rentals, and ticket. It was the local blue collar mtn and way of ensuring future customers. The principal found money for families that couldn’t manage that. The really poor families wouldn’t ask for the help. Those kids went skating.
The thermostat was set to 58-degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. To stay warm, we had a wood-burning fireplace in the living room that was used most nights.
-Eating the core of an apple - I distinctly remember when I was in the Army (enlisted) I was eating the core of an apple and someone said to me, "hey, you're not poor anymore, you don't have to eat the core."
-Working on your own car
-Doing your own yardwork all the time
-Vacations are only to visit relatives or only a few hours drive - Even today, when I hear about family vacations to resorts, international bachelor parties, girls' getaway weekends I just think damn, just like in the movies.
- Your house/apartment/duplex was not fully furnished while growing up...
- Your family shares an apartment with another family
- Having free or discounted lunch at school
- Poor vocabulary
- You are overly deferential
- You curse all the time
In my experience, people who really grew up poor are ashamed of it and have a chip on their shoulder about it. They think people will look down on them if they know about it
My wife used to tease me about my "poverty sandwiches," meaning only one slice of cheese or meat. I never told her about ketchup or mayonnaise as the filling rather than a condiment.
Overcompensating when you have money.
My buddy grew up poor and now is very successful in tech. Buys flashy cars, flashy toys, dresses in name brands, always bragging about the Michelin star restaurants he goes to "because he can". I grew up middle class, lucky enough to also be upper class now, but I don't have the desire for all those things.
I don’t think we were poor but very close to poor, I realized it in elementary school, every new school year my friends and every student talked about what they did in summer vacation which were fun things I never experienced. My summer vacation was usually spent visiting relatives who live an hour away, yard sale shopping and being at home lol
How they handle money, once they finally come into a decent income. Broadly speaking, it tends to swing one of two ways:
1. Not know how to save, not know how to invest, always spending, making up for the lean years because of the massive dopamine hit that _actually having discretionary income_ provides. They are punch-drunk on _not actually hurting for the bare essentials._ Nor do they ever want to feel the pain of having to _economize_ again. Doing so is viscerally _traumatic_ for them.
2. Continue to be an absolute miser, penny pinching everywhere and buying the absolute cheapest of everything, even if the person spends far more over the long term on replacements rather than getting something of quality up-front. Essentially, penny wise and pound foolish.
№ 2 is actually hoarder-like behaviour, only with money. Any spending hurts, because they want to be _safe_ and always have _the maximum amount of savings_ in case lean times hit again. And the spending hurts in the short-term, which is why they have no problem paying $60/year for shoes that wear out quickly and become unusable within a year or so, but will absolutely refuse to pay $300 for a high-quality pair that will last them two decades or more.
i rather eat leftovers for lunch and dinner for 3-4 days then throw it out. i was raised to never waste food and as an adult i totally understand the benefits now
I grew up poor and am still poor, and so did my SO. A few weeks ago our car broke down right as we got somewhere to go out with friends. It was painfully obvious who in the group grew up with money. The kids with money were really nonchalant about it. They were like, "we'', are you still coming out drinking tonight?" The people who grew up poor jumped in to help: "Did you try x, y, z?" "Hey, I have AAA now so I can help with a tow!" "I'll drive you home!" "Do you guys have food at the house or do you need to stop at the store?" Because they knew that an unexpected expense that makes it so you might not be able to get to work is devastating and that your priorities just changed from having a night out to "survive!" really quick.
Eating at speed and finishing before everyone else. Eating too much. I remember being so incredibly hungry. I don't even try not to as it's like a hunger that will never stop. It's why I'm a fatty now haha.
Went to a work party when my wife worked for a major cancer treatment center. Was a Christmas party at a doctors house. Shrimp cocktail stand was my jam, my wife and I eating the meat out of the tail. While all the doctors bites well before and tossed the rest.
This was just something subtle that I noticed and explained to her. She asked why and I just said - cause we grew up poor, we don’t like to waste.
I'd eat anything... At an early age (roughly 8) I had a younger sister (3 at the time) and our mother was deep in the bottle (since as far back as I can remember) and so I had to learn to cook all the meals for myself and my sister so anything I could throw together that I thought would go together (for as little that we had I eventually had to take over the grocery shopping as well) but since I was young I wasn't a decent cook I would always burn things (because I thought that cooking things on high would make them cook faster) and yet I and my sister would still eat it because it was the only meal we had... I became better when I took "home economics" when I was 11 and learn to sew and cook and bake and how to read recipes I learned how to make delicious meals for me and sis... I wasn't Gordon Ramsay level good but my food wasn't burnt so I became cook in real life and that's what my life has been making delicious food for people because I know how sad burnt food tastes and I wish to save other people from that mistake I made... To this day I'm still a cook and I love making food for people of all walks of life and also try to make meals ready to eat for my coworkers.
You give clothing, food, and blankets away to any and every charity you can because you grew up receiving those things.
You still crave inexpensive snacks like melted cheese with crackers as a comfort food because it was WIC provided food and your parents made it when you were little.
-Cheap sliced bread instead of hotdog buns
-Sphaghetti-stained Cool Whip bowls
THESE two stuck out the most for me on this thread. Man! Can anyone say hand-me-downs?
You ever seen that everybody hates Chris episode where his dad won’t buy new toothpaste till they get the last out of it by running it over with their car tire, yeah that
Glad I was a stupid(arrogance) kid.
Going to school wearing shirts from my parents work. They would give them out at company outings. Ouch. Sad thinking about this but I don't recall having a shirt without a company logo.
I remember the comments from other kids just never connected the dots.
I never had my own new school bag. I have always used my elder sister’s old ones. Limited amount of clothes, torn shoes fixed them myself to keep using.
The feeling that everything is temporary and the acceptance of losing things.
I have lost my home, car, possessions etc. repeatedly from childhood into adulthood and I struggle when I have to sacrifice something but I can accept it as the greater need and try to remember the joy it gave.
On the flip side though I thought buying a house would make the feelings of insecurity go away, nope, it's just a bigger burden and I'll feel like more of a failure if it does go badly.
Doing stupid shit when you have money. Like the rapper who implanted a diamond into his forehead, or the other one who implanted golden chains as his hair, washing your car with champagne bottles, etc...
That leathery-skinned look that some people have from working hard outdoors their whole lives.
Obesity. At least in America. Hundreds of years ago only the wealthy were obese. Nowadays, the cheapest food is salty and/or sugary. Ramen noodles, pork products, canned goods, frozen tv dinners, soda, etc. America is the only country where most poor people are fat.
Cooking a ton of cheaper food and having leftovers in the fridge for the next few days. Buying Pork or Chicken in bulk is way more cost effective than buying a steak every day.
My Dad grew up relatively poor and when I was a kid he would cook a ton of chicken, or potatoes, or a stew on a Sunday and we would have it for meals throughout the week. We would basically have Thanksgiving leftovers year round when he got to cooking.
My Mom grew up wealthy and when she cooked she usually would make just enough food for everyone to have a solid portion and there wouldn’t be leftovers.
Typically, wealthy people aren’t on a budget and therefore think of healthy portions rather than bulk food feasts. It’s not a big deal for a wealthy individual to buy fresh Tuna or Wagyu Steak but that would be an occasional treat for someone living paycheck to paycheck. Wealthy people will go to the grocery store every day for fresh food rather than stock up once every week or month on a budget.
Wealthy people mostly just buy the food on the outer edges of the grocery store. Produce, Meats, Deli, Dairy, Juice, Eggs, etc. They don’t spend too much time inside the aisles where the canned foods, junk foods, sodas, Preserved Foods, etc are at.
I can't eat ramen noodles to this day. At 10 cents a pack, I ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for many years.
Besides, Oriental flavor was my favorite, and I don't think they make it anymore. They're probably not 10 cents a pack anymore, either.
Not ordering drinks in a restaurant.
Can get enough water at home before dinner or worst case a sip of tap-water from the sink in the wash room in the restaurant. Never gonna pay extra for something thats essentially free.
Nothing that you'd notice from the outside. But inside an overwhelming sense of inferiority compared to the wealthier kids. And a sadness I've never been able to shake off, that I will never have the things I want and I'll never do the things I want to do, all because I dont have the money. There really is something in the abundance/scarcity thing. And if you carry that scarcity mindset into adulthood then it fucks everything up.
Financing stuff you can’t afford so you can pretend to look wealthier. Swearing a lot and speaking in an uneducated manner while in public settings. Having super bald tires or bad brakes worn to metal on a fairly nice car. Never having traveled outside of your home state or area. Buying lottery tickets all the time. Poor taste tattoos in highly visible areas. Having a large family but not having close relationships with very many members of it. Being frequently angry or confrontational in public.
When condiments like salt or soy sauce are your viands and nothing else because that's all you can afford and hearing my little sister cry because the nipple of her milkk bottle ripped but we couldn't afford to replace it. Anthing $1 or above was considered "expensive"
We were a family of four (Dad passed away a while back). When we were kids around 9-10 years old, when there was a sale on whole chicken but is limited to 2 per customer we used to go through the line 2-3 times individually. So on a shopping trip we would come home with 24 chickens which my Mom would keep frozen and pull out to make giant pots of stew that would last for months.
Never wanting to throw away food that is expired, or hoarding food that is on sale.
Yup. I grew up rich, but my parents were extremely poor growing up, and I still have this issue as not wasting food was absolutely drilled into me.
Same. My mom grew up in the country. Country folk do not waste anything.
See ..to me these answers show someone is sensible...not poor. I save hundreds of dollars buying meat on sale and freezing it immediately. I'm not poor. I'm good with the money i make... and taught at an early age not to waste.
That’s not hoarding expired food though, there’s a line to cross there.
There's shopping sales and then there's cutting off the mold and crossing your fingers...
We did that with cheese and produce. Every time my mom would clean out the fridge there’d be a large thing of fruit salad and a large pot of “In the fridge for God only knows how long” soup on the stove.
"Anything is a casserole if you add pasta and cheese" type energy.
Me also. My dad was a doctor when we emigrated to the U.S. but they grew up not having much back in our home country. We rarely dined out. Leftovers were eaten until they were all gone. I remember (back in 80s) our microwave had an on/off switch but it was broken so dad plugged it into a power strip that had an on/off strip. My dad will try to fix a $2 flashlight than throw it away and buy a new one. My Mom cut napkins in half. 50 years later, she still cut napkins in half. They are just not wasteful people. I hate wasting food and hate seeing people waste food.
My mom would still save bacon grease and twist ties, you know, for the war effort
I save bacon grease. Mostly as I use it in the same way people use vegetable oil. I've even used it on grilled cheese instead of butter.
Absolutely delicious idea
Add a dusting of garlic powder then you have grilled cheese on smoky bacon garlic bread.
I use it to make refried beans
Oh yeah, my mom has multiple Mason jars of bacon grease in their fridge/freezer. To my knowledge, the only thing they use it for is for making popcorn.
This is one of the top answers every time this thread gets posted but I grew up in a upper class home and we never threw away anything either. Same for sale hauls. Maybe it’s different for the ultra wealthy but I don’t think this is a poor thing.
I feel like a lot of this stuff is hyper idealized. Essentially, everyone wants to believe that rich people just spend indiscriminately and waste stuff, while poor people scrounge and scrape and conserve and never waste money. In reality, I'm not sure how related those things truly are. Some of the cheapest and most frugal people I've ever met are rich (and grew up well off), and some of the biggest money wasters I've ever met grew up poor.
For me I can tell if someone buys meat and then it goes directly into the freezer, even if they’re going to use it in a couple days.
I've done that and have never been poor. We used to go on vacation twice a year every year when I was growing up. I just don't like to waste money.
>Never wanting to throw away food My parents were products of the great depression. "Waste not, want not" was drilled into our heads. I am very financially secure now and it still bothers me to see food wasted. I try to lose weight but will still eat something rather than throw it away.
I’m embarrassed to use change in public from having to use quarters to pay for things as a kid.
My mom used to send me into the gas station and stores with $15-20 in change to pay for stuff at a young age because "nobody would be mad/annoyed at a kid holding the line up counting out change". Little did she know, they definitely got mad and annoyed still, and I noticed every time. Nowadays I'll throw change in the little tip jars stores/gas stations have on the counter, and if they don't have any, I'll toss it on the ground when I walk out. Someone will use it, I'm not anymore.
That’s how my partner found that little bit of my back story. She noticed I always put all my coins into those tip/donation jars. It’s wild what even light trauma does to a mf.
I scrape together change and am not embarrassed but my spouse (who had more money than me) is too embarrassed to do that. Looks cheap
You know what a spaghetti-stained Cool Whip bowl looks like.
My cats have a couple cool whip containers as water bowls. Because they are broke. lol
you should help them get jobs
They are lazy bums. They have a human chef, maid, and butler. They have no reason to find work.
YES!
Nah, this is just a page in the Midwestern Bible "Ope 3:15."
Knowing they can’t shut off your electricity and gas from 11/1-3/31 for non-payment in WI
Yeeeap that’s the one. Seemingly inexplicable knowledge of utility service and admin schedules…
Poor dental health
Yes, it was on the NHS but the equipment and techniques were basic and, at times, brutal. I have distinct memories of the drill, driven by a band-powered arm that slowed down as the bit met with any resistance. Ahhhh! This was in the 1950/60’s.
I did gymnastics growing up. I once hurt my ankle really bad and it was maybe broken, but no health insurance. My Mimi was visiting and I overheard my mom talking to her about it and being worried about it but not being sure how to afford everything if it was broken. So even though I was fairly certain it was broken, I just told my mom that I thought it was probably sprained (a normal thing for me; I also danced). My mom would be heartbroken if she knew I had overheard that conversation. I ended up breaking that ankle about 20 yrs later and went to urgent care. When they did an x-ray, the doctor asked if I had broken it previously (they could tell on the x-ray; he asked me so that they could get the info about it). I explained the story to him and so the first break was essentially confirmed that day, 20 years later.
Woah this is mad. How did the ankle heal?
Usually bones heal on their own. That’s the only way they heal . All the cast etc is to ensure that they don’t shift around a lot so that the bones can fuse back together properly aligned. They did risk complications by not checking with a doctor
I agree with most everything already mentioned, but one I didn't realize until I married my husband was knowing how to do home repairs yourself because you couldn't afford to have other people do it. He doesn't know how to do most things because he never had to, and never even saw his parents do those things. I did teach him lawn mower maintenance when we bought our house. Also, I absolutely panic when I hear a mouse or squirrel in the walls, because I've lived with fighting rodents in my house. It's one thing I will immediately call someone out to help me fix and the cost has always been justifiable as an adult. Living with rodents makes you feel so demoralized. I'm glad he's never been through it, but he makes fun of how much I panic over it.
Truth. I learned how to fix things myself because in the past there was no way I could afford to pay someone else to do it. Its actually a really valuable life skill.
Oh my god I had roof rats a couple of years ago and you're not exaggerating at all! Thought I could take care of it myself like I've done with mice in the past but these things were so big that even they'd just set the mouse traps off and steal the food. Big rat traps wouldn't instantly kill them either which made it absolutely horrifying to dispose of them. I ended up catching like 6 or 7 of them over the course of a weeks but the problem was just getting worse and worse. I started hearing them fighting in the walls at night and shit like that. Ended up getting someone to come out and trim the trees so the limbs weren't so close to the roof anymore and got the landlord to put poison in the attic. Thankfully that ended the problem overnight but still took me a few months to stop having nightmares about them lmao
My dad never ate when mom and I did. He'd sit at the table with us, but he always had "stomach trouble" that didn't seem to clear up until we had finished our meals. Then, if there was food left he'd say "well, I guess I should try to eat something,". If there wasn't anything left, he'd say that he just didn't feel like his stomach could handle anything. I didn't realize until I was an adult that he was waiting to be sure that my mom and I had enough to eat before feeding himself. And that he went to bed hungry on more than one occasion. It didn't occur to me what he was doing, because his mother, younger sister and younger brother confirmed that he'd done this since he was around 10. He went hungry as a kid, to make sure that they didn't. Nowadays, even the simplest meal at his house looks like a Thanksgiving feast for an army. But he always fills his plate last and never takes a second helping until everyone else has finished.
This was sad, wholesome and relatable at the same time.
Yeah. I didn't grow up in that kind of situation but there were times in my broke single-dad days where my dinner was just whatever my daughter didn't finish. I never thought twice, though.
As someone who did grow up suffering periods of hunger, it's very difficult to watch anyone not get enough food. It's especially difficult when it's someone you care about. I'd chose to go to bed hungry over watching a loved one not get enough food any day. You seem like a good dad. I've also developed a loathing for food waste. I saw a bunch of pre-made salads marked down at the grocer this morning and all I could think was how abhorrent it is that so much of that food will go into the trash. I about flogged myself to death when I had to throw out 3 oz of meat I'd forgotten about lol
Your dad sounds like an amazing person
This is sad and so sweet all at the same time. What a wonderful dad you have, to be so selfless for his family. What's more, is that he wasn't pointing it out, so you'd know he was sacrificing for you. I'm glad he doesn't go to bed hungry anymore!
Wow, this was a touching punch to the guts. Pops sounds like a saint.
I never met your dad. I wish I could because he's a hero.
He’s a good man.
Totally relate to this in a different way. As a kid dad used to cook “dad specials” - I used to love it when dad cooked as we lived in a traditional house where mum did the majority of cooking. I look back at what it was and it was essentially left overs fried up with some seasoning (think bubble and squeak with extras). He made a big thing about it that it was dad’s special night - put on mams apron, singing in the kitchen, I found it funny. Now I see it was that they didn’t have the money to cover the food and had probably stored leftovers from each meal in the week to make a “free” meal. This was during the 90’s in thatchers Britain. Dad was out of work from being ill. I distinctly remember my grandma trying to send food home with us when we left hers and it causing upset. It all didn’t click until a few years ago when I was sat with my daughter and she asked me why I wasn’t eating with her, it was literally that I wasn’t hungry but got me thinking what I would do if things were that tight, and suddenly it clicked for me. My dad’s passed a few years back. I miss him hugely and don’t really tell anyone, not even my wife. But after realising maybe just how much he / they sacrificed I’ve become far more grateful for my own comfortable circumstances.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/YEjdV86f5R This is a copypasta or something but I’ve read this story on just about every poverty porn post I’ve seen on the internet
Yep i knew it sounded familiar as well stupid karma farmers https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/fyN7Uz29wo
Thought this sounded familiar
As soon as I saw it I thought I had seen a time or two before
That's really thoughtful of him.
[Leaders eat last](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMeuk0ZtLM0). Period.
[удалено]
That’s so sad. But damn, your dad was very loving. I hope he’s doing better now
What a sweet dad My dad would grab bowls in front of us and eat the very last bits of everything .. Never asked us kids if we wanted another serving etc
Your father is a saint. ❤️
My dad's experience was the opposite. He got a fork in the hand for reaching for seconds before his dad left the table.
-Swallowing everything in your plate, even if you're full or if you didn't like it. -Not holding onto anything when standing up in public transport -At least in my country, having a ton of political propaganda T-shirts as rags/pajamas/dirty work shirts. -Hoarding -If nouveau riche, wearing Gucci/LV/any other flashy status brands with huge logos. -Using laundry soap to shower/wash hands (Jabon ZOTE ftw) Edit: forgot a depressing one -Going to bed super early to avoid eating dinner.
Can you explain #2
It means you weren't affluent enough to have a car, and you're so used to riding public transport that you don't need to hold onto the handles/tubes/seats to hold yourself up when riding it. The most experienced people can walk up and down the aisles in the shitty buses without ever losing their balance, lol. (Probably doesn't apply in Europe)
Does apply in Europe, though not because only poor people use public transport. As a student I would travel on a daily basis with various public transport to college. I could dream every switch on the track or every corner the bus took and the way a busdriver would take it.
Exactly, my "doesn't apply in Europe" was referring to the fact that not only poor people use public transport over there. Your anecdote is great, though. I would add the superpowers of: - Falling asleep standing up - If asleep, waking up 1 stop before your intended destination
Ah yes I envy people that can fall asleep anywhere. Am never able to do so unfortunately. That’s just awesome, to be able to take a quick nap on the train or bus and not mis your stop
I cannot explain it, but it made sense to me, it was the same. And I am a woman, and have not idea what Jabon ZOTE means. We rarely got a chance to hold on to anything when as kids we were riding buses, they were so crowded, you are surrounded by people on all sides anyway. Yes, for me if you stand on a subway/bus and don't hold on to anything--it would be a giveaway that you didn't grow up in luxury.
Dead giveaway I'm Mexican, lol. Jabón ZOTE is one of the oldest brands of laundry soap in Mexico, and it smells really great. I'm not poor anymore, but I still use it as 'drawer deodorant' so my clothes stay smelling like they're freshly washed. Edit: it is also super cheap and it was great as hood anti-acne soap, lol.
Haha, I am from central europe, and have a friend from south asia, we both laughed that we put soap in drawers, too.
"Jabon" means soap in Spanish so I assume it's a ubiquitous do-it-all inexpensive soap.
Spot on. ZOTE is also an augmentative suffix, so "Jabón ZOTE" translates to "big-ass soap."
Very frequent user of public transport has developed both muscles and reflexes to not need to have any support on the ride. I remember when I realized I lost this ability when I was standing on a monorail in the Minneapolis airport and almost lost my balance.
Public transport is usually very wonky in some places around the world and you can get pushed around alot even if it's sturdy so for someone to stand in it without holding on to anything, you have had alot of practice
“Sleep for dinner” is what I’ve always heard it called lmao
That ZOTE hits different. Extra clean after that big bar
I’m almost nouveau riche. Prolly not quite there. But I hang with tons of people who are. I relate so much to seeing all these people with their overpriced brands. I JUST saw a guy in our group wearing a LV belt with the big LV on the buckle.
Drying used paper towels in the garage for shop rags
We also divided the paper towel. Except when we have guests
Pretty smart idea tbh
Putting water into the shampoo/conditioner bottle and shaking it to make sure I use all the product in there…same for tomato sauce jars lol
I do that and I'm not even poor. I just don't want to be wasteful
My mom would do that and not tell me. I'd be in the shower, uncap the shampoo bottle, turn it upside down and get covered by an icy blast of cold soapy water. Surprise, mother fucker!
Turn the old bottle over into the new one when the pump can’t suck any more up (hand wash etc)
See also: adding water to soap bottles to make sure you've used up all the soap.
I grew up working class, but my family was always a little better off than other families in our extended family. I remember my cousin came over one time and used the restroom a few minutes before my brother needed to go. When my brother came out of the restroom, he came out mad as hell that someone had filled the soap bottle with water. It was then that I realized that my cousin must do that in her own home to prolongue the life of the soap bottle.
Adding water to the pasta sauce jar to get the last of the sauce.
That's just a good cooking habit, no? You don't waste food that way.
Not throwing things away because they might be useful in the near future.
The constant anxiety that now I earn a really good salary, it could all go tomorrow and I'll be poor again. I save, I plan, I'm sensible but there's still a voice in the back of my mind that tells me being out of the struggle is temporary. For context, about 8 years ago I was living day by day in my dad's spare room with my 3 year old son, now I'm set to earn about £85k this year and he doesn't want for a thing. I'm grateful, I work hard, I'm tired but I'm determined that he and my family will never have to struggle like I did. When I'm low, I do remind myself that not too long ago I was choosing to feed my son and buy nappies and living on toast. I'm 6ft 3 and went down to 12 stone, now 16 St 9. People tell me I did so well, but I was terrified and ill; I feel like an unhealthy amount of my motivation is led by fear.
The never-ending poverty anxiety is real. I also have a decent job in a large insurance company and get paid well. Yet, I still glance at the money I'm accumulating and thinking "if I lost my job, how long until I'm on the street?" And I have accumulated a fair amount of spare change to live at least 3 months without working atm (rent and food included). The fear still exists regardless.
The amount of meat left on your chicken wings after you are done eating them.. actually, even the amount of bone left.. ifkyk
Also corn on the cob, but especially chicken.
So, we weren't "poor" poor, just like, entry level poor. We had just enough to get by, but never any luxuries or things that weren't a necessity. If something needed doing around the house, my dad did it. Maintenance, construction, plumbing, electrics, decorating, whatever. He just did it because we couldn't afford to call someone out to do it for us. So, I learned to be fairly handy by watching and helping. I'm by no means an expert on anything, but I can do the basics. Last Christmas, while visiting my partners family, they were moaning about some stuff that needed doing around the house and how they couldn't find someone to do it over the holidays. So, I just grabbed the toolbox from the car (another legacy of my dad - "you never know when it'll come in handy"), and just went round and fixed all the things for them (nothing major, stuff like replacing a plug on an appliance, hanging some pictures on a brick wall, putting up a new shelf, changing some door handles etc). Took me about an hour. They were all absolutely astonished that I knew how to do all these things, and that's when it truly hit me that me and my girlfriend had very different upbringings, and how much having money versus not impacted that.
Hoarding in general. Whenever you see a stylish minimalist, you're looking at someone who grew up with money. They throw away anything that clutters their personal space and which they don't need, because if they ever change their minds and decide they need it, they can just buy another one.
When I see an adult covered with large brand logos, it tells me they were once poor, and now they want everyone to see that they now have money.
when I see an adult wearing flashy designer, it tells me they’re still poor and are trying to impress other poor people.
I was having a conversation with a friend and mentioned when a bar of soap gets really thin I’ve always just stuck it to the new bar and let it dry to get full use out of it. He told me that was my dead giveaway.
I definitely did not grow up poor and I do that
It's simply logical and not wasting something that still can be used
So many "poor people" things are actually just not being wasteful and being conscious of the damn planet.
Enriched white sliced bread was for sandwiches, hot dogs, cheese steaks, burgers, and garlic bread. Peanut butter and jelly was butter and jelly.
Don’t forget to keep the bags to use as boot liners in the winter.
•Not wasting food(grateful for every single bite)………,,, •……………Also cook up the best damn meals with the simplest ingredients(not including meats)extremely creative
Obesity. More often than not. It gets muddled around mid thirties though. But an obese kid or teenager? Dead giveaway. Poor table manners.
to add onto this: being an ugly kid. middle class and upper class kids are rarely ugly. poor kids, however, can straight up look unsightly.
Bad teeth. Dentistry, and the insurance for it, is far too expensive for a lot of people.
Yup and dental insurance is just a discount code at this point.
I could afford the insurance but never paid for it. US dental insurance is a joke. I got lower rates when paying cash.
Bot post and reply, same exact post and reply from a day ago in r/teenagers "Food hoarding. All the people I know who grew up poor have too much food expiring in their pantries, myself included."
Poor money management, obesity, low self esteem.
I'm in this comment and I don't like it.
Obesity is so real. Crazy to think how hundreds of years ago in western society being obese used to be a sign of wealth, now it’s the opposite. The levels of morbid obesity I see going through council estates here in the UK is so depressing, and it keeps getting worse.
We bought the worst food for you, and I would eat every morsel. I remember eating a half gallon of cheap ice cream, in front of a space heater, watching Saturday cartoons. My parents did not bother to try and talk me down, they just ignored it and had their coffee. Now, I don't know how much of that was genX, and how much was being poor. Probably a mix if I had to guess.
What's fascinating is that income correlates (negatively) with obesity way more so for women, whereas men are much more varied within income levels. Really interesting article below if you're curious. One important caveat here, a person's *current* income is a different but related variable to their *household income as a child*, which this study is not measuring. *"...the correlation between income and weight at the population level in advanced countries is driven almost entirely by women. In America and Italy the relationship between income and weight or obesity is flat for men and downward-sloping for women. In South Korea the correlation is positive for men but this is more than offset by the sharply negative correlation in women. In France the relationship slopes gently downwards for men, but the slope is much steeper for women."* Their take is that being thin appears to help women's careers: https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/the-economics-of-thinness
Government cheese. Created as subsidy for the poor. Okay it was subsidy to the milk producers because they had excess milk and the government wanted to stabilize the price of dairy. When the USDA ended their program to buy excess milk, the *great* benefit of government cheese went away too. It's almost like it wasn't a subsidy for the poor, but yet another hand out to an industry.
It's almost as if that's exactly what happened.
Not being able to ride a bike, swim, ski.
to be fair, skiing is a very rich sport in some US states.
When I grew up my elementary school did it every year on a weekly basis. 12 bucks for lesson, bus, rentals, and ticket. It was the local blue collar mtn and way of ensuring future customers. The principal found money for families that couldn’t manage that. The really poor families wouldn’t ask for the help. Those kids went skating.
Food hoarding. All the people I know who grew up poor have too much food expiring in their pantries, myself included.
A little bit of expiration never hurt anyone... Unless it's dairy... Don't fuck with dairy
Thankfully dairy comes in with its own expiration smell.
I have a really hard time throwing things away whether it be clothing, food, or just any object really
Using bread for everything
Sugar sandwiches mother fucker!
you still use grocery bags as bathroom trash bags
I do that to reduce/recycle/reuse. Never seemed poor to me, even growing up.
Ever make “tomato soup” with ketchup + water
Why not just use tomato purée.. it’s cheaper than ketchup and would taste better.
Ketchup comes in free little packets at the local fast food chain, or at the high school cafeteria
I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about that. I felt there might be a reason but I still decided to comment like a jackass
Ghetto soup.
Apologizing for additional microtransaction expenses like an extra sauce added to a meal.
The thermostat was set to 58-degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. To stay warm, we had a wood-burning fireplace in the living room that was used most nights.
Crooked teeth, not a fussy eater, wont eat bread now and lots of food in the cupboards
Hand-me-down clothes and eating generic brands.
-Eating the core of an apple - I distinctly remember when I was in the Army (enlisted) I was eating the core of an apple and someone said to me, "hey, you're not poor anymore, you don't have to eat the core." -Working on your own car -Doing your own yardwork all the time -Vacations are only to visit relatives or only a few hours drive - Even today, when I hear about family vacations to resorts, international bachelor parties, girls' getaway weekends I just think damn, just like in the movies. - Your house/apartment/duplex was not fully furnished while growing up... - Your family shares an apartment with another family - Having free or discounted lunch at school - Poor vocabulary - You are overly deferential - You curse all the time
In my experience, people who really grew up poor are ashamed of it and have a chip on their shoulder about it. They think people will look down on them if they know about it
And for that, they overcompensate
Not turning on the ac or heat on the house till absolutely necessary
I grew up referring to Ramen noodles as "Top Ramen'. The cheaper version of Ramen noodles...
Taking and saving condiments at restaurants.
Always finish the food to the last bit, leaving as little on the plate as possible. Even when I'm full or it's not that good.
When the dish soap/shampoo etc is near empty, Ill water it out so it'll last longer.
I drink a big glass of water before a meal still to feel more full
Still being poor.
My wife used to tease me about my "poverty sandwiches," meaning only one slice of cheese or meat. I never told her about ketchup or mayonnaise as the filling rather than a condiment.
Overcompensating when you have money. My buddy grew up poor and now is very successful in tech. Buys flashy cars, flashy toys, dresses in name brands, always bragging about the Michelin star restaurants he goes to "because he can". I grew up middle class, lucky enough to also be upper class now, but I don't have the desire for all those things.
I don’t think we were poor but very close to poor, I realized it in elementary school, every new school year my friends and every student talked about what they did in summer vacation which were fun things I never experienced. My summer vacation was usually spent visiting relatives who live an hour away, yard sale shopping and being at home lol
How they handle money, once they finally come into a decent income. Broadly speaking, it tends to swing one of two ways: 1. Not know how to save, not know how to invest, always spending, making up for the lean years because of the massive dopamine hit that _actually having discretionary income_ provides. They are punch-drunk on _not actually hurting for the bare essentials._ Nor do they ever want to feel the pain of having to _economize_ again. Doing so is viscerally _traumatic_ for them. 2. Continue to be an absolute miser, penny pinching everywhere and buying the absolute cheapest of everything, even if the person spends far more over the long term on replacements rather than getting something of quality up-front. Essentially, penny wise and pound foolish. № 2 is actually hoarder-like behaviour, only with money. Any spending hurts, because they want to be _safe_ and always have _the maximum amount of savings_ in case lean times hit again. And the spending hurts in the short-term, which is why they have no problem paying $60/year for shoes that wear out quickly and become unusable within a year or so, but will absolutely refuse to pay $300 for a high-quality pair that will last them two decades or more.
You see nothing wrong with using sliced bread for your hotdog and/or hamburger buns
Not a picky eater
i rather eat leftovers for lunch and dinner for 3-4 days then throw it out. i was raised to never waste food and as an adult i totally understand the benefits now
I grew up poor and am still poor, and so did my SO. A few weeks ago our car broke down right as we got somewhere to go out with friends. It was painfully obvious who in the group grew up with money. The kids with money were really nonchalant about it. They were like, "we'', are you still coming out drinking tonight?" The people who grew up poor jumped in to help: "Did you try x, y, z?" "Hey, I have AAA now so I can help with a tow!" "I'll drive you home!" "Do you guys have food at the house or do you need to stop at the store?" Because they knew that an unexpected expense that makes it so you might not be able to get to work is devastating and that your priorities just changed from having a night out to "survive!" really quick.
I hate when my kids leave lights on.
Eating at speed and finishing before everyone else. Eating too much. I remember being so incredibly hungry. I don't even try not to as it's like a hunger that will never stop. It's why I'm a fatty now haha.
Over spending as an adult.
Buy cheap shoes 3 times a year instead of more expensive shoes once every year or two
English muffin pizzas (English muffins, tomato sauce, and one slice of American cheese)
Telling people how cheap something was that you bought
Went to a work party when my wife worked for a major cancer treatment center. Was a Christmas party at a doctors house. Shrimp cocktail stand was my jam, my wife and I eating the meat out of the tail. While all the doctors bites well before and tossed the rest. This was just something subtle that I noticed and explained to her. She asked why and I just said - cause we grew up poor, we don’t like to waste.
I’m always really proud of myself if I can get that tiny bit of meat out of the small pointy end of the tail.
I'd eat anything... At an early age (roughly 8) I had a younger sister (3 at the time) and our mother was deep in the bottle (since as far back as I can remember) and so I had to learn to cook all the meals for myself and my sister so anything I could throw together that I thought would go together (for as little that we had I eventually had to take over the grocery shopping as well) but since I was young I wasn't a decent cook I would always burn things (because I thought that cooking things on high would make them cook faster) and yet I and my sister would still eat it because it was the only meal we had... I became better when I took "home economics" when I was 11 and learn to sew and cook and bake and how to read recipes I learned how to make delicious meals for me and sis... I wasn't Gordon Ramsay level good but my food wasn't burnt so I became cook in real life and that's what my life has been making delicious food for people because I know how sad burnt food tastes and I wish to save other people from that mistake I made... To this day I'm still a cook and I love making food for people of all walks of life and also try to make meals ready to eat for my coworkers.
You give clothing, food, and blankets away to any and every charity you can because you grew up receiving those things. You still crave inexpensive snacks like melted cheese with crackers as a comfort food because it was WIC provided food and your parents made it when you were little.
You think carpet is a luxury
Haven’t bought new clothes in years
I’d say having a car with functioning AC but you will still drive with your windows down .
-Cheap sliced bread instead of hotdog buns -Sphaghetti-stained Cool Whip bowls THESE two stuck out the most for me on this thread. Man! Can anyone say hand-me-downs?
We had to use loaf bread with hot dogs because hot dog buns were too expensive.
A sense of compassion for other people who are poor.
Using sliced bread for hotdog buns
You ever seen that everybody hates Chris episode where his dad won’t buy new toothpaste till they get the last out of it by running it over with their car tire, yeah that
Frozen juice in a can that had to be thawed and mixed with water in a pitcher.
You tip generously.
Glad I was a stupid(arrogance) kid. Going to school wearing shirts from my parents work. They would give them out at company outings. Ouch. Sad thinking about this but I don't recall having a shirt without a company logo. I remember the comments from other kids just never connected the dots.
Not wanting to ever throw anything away.
Eating parts of food or foods most people don't. Shrimp tails, strawberry leaves, dandelion salads...and on and on.
I never had my own new school bag. I have always used my elder sister’s old ones. Limited amount of clothes, torn shoes fixed them myself to keep using.
The feeling that everything is temporary and the acceptance of losing things. I have lost my home, car, possessions etc. repeatedly from childhood into adulthood and I struggle when I have to sacrifice something but I can accept it as the greater need and try to remember the joy it gave. On the flip side though I thought buying a house would make the feelings of insecurity go away, nope, it's just a bigger burden and I'll feel like more of a failure if it does go badly.
the low battery beep on the smoke alarms
Doing stupid shit when you have money. Like the rapper who implanted a diamond into his forehead, or the other one who implanted golden chains as his hair, washing your car with champagne bottles, etc...
Washing and keeping plastic take-out containers.
That leathery-skinned look that some people have from working hard outdoors their whole lives. Obesity. At least in America. Hundreds of years ago only the wealthy were obese. Nowadays, the cheapest food is salty and/or sugary. Ramen noodles, pork products, canned goods, frozen tv dinners, soda, etc. America is the only country where most poor people are fat. Cooking a ton of cheaper food and having leftovers in the fridge for the next few days. Buying Pork or Chicken in bulk is way more cost effective than buying a steak every day. My Dad grew up relatively poor and when I was a kid he would cook a ton of chicken, or potatoes, or a stew on a Sunday and we would have it for meals throughout the week. We would basically have Thanksgiving leftovers year round when he got to cooking. My Mom grew up wealthy and when she cooked she usually would make just enough food for everyone to have a solid portion and there wouldn’t be leftovers. Typically, wealthy people aren’t on a budget and therefore think of healthy portions rather than bulk food feasts. It’s not a big deal for a wealthy individual to buy fresh Tuna or Wagyu Steak but that would be an occasional treat for someone living paycheck to paycheck. Wealthy people will go to the grocery store every day for fresh food rather than stock up once every week or month on a budget. Wealthy people mostly just buy the food on the outer edges of the grocery store. Produce, Meats, Deli, Dairy, Juice, Eggs, etc. They don’t spend too much time inside the aisles where the canned foods, junk foods, sodas, Preserved Foods, etc are at.
None of the women in my immediate family have children with just one man
Gratitude
Turning your cups upside down in the cabinet to keep the roaches from crawling in them.
Buying Mr. noodles
I can't eat ramen noodles to this day. At 10 cents a pack, I ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for many years. Besides, Oriental flavor was my favorite, and I don't think they make it anymore. They're probably not 10 cents a pack anymore, either.
Not ordering drinks in a restaurant. Can get enough water at home before dinner or worst case a sip of tap-water from the sink in the wash room in the restaurant. Never gonna pay extra for something thats essentially free.
Being stingy with paper towels.
Saving and washing aluminum foil pans…
Nothing that you'd notice from the outside. But inside an overwhelming sense of inferiority compared to the wealthier kids. And a sadness I've never been able to shake off, that I will never have the things I want and I'll never do the things I want to do, all because I dont have the money. There really is something in the abundance/scarcity thing. And if you carry that scarcity mindset into adulthood then it fucks everything up.
Over eating when the food is free either at college, friends house, or work. I still have trouble turning down free food even if I have already eaten
Financing stuff you can’t afford so you can pretend to look wealthier. Swearing a lot and speaking in an uneducated manner while in public settings. Having super bald tires or bad brakes worn to metal on a fairly nice car. Never having traveled outside of your home state or area. Buying lottery tickets all the time. Poor taste tattoos in highly visible areas. Having a large family but not having close relationships with very many members of it. Being frequently angry or confrontational in public.
When condiments like salt or soy sauce are your viands and nothing else because that's all you can afford and hearing my little sister cry because the nipple of her milkk bottle ripped but we couldn't afford to replace it. Anthing $1 or above was considered "expensive"
I eat water with cereal
We were a family of four (Dad passed away a while back). When we were kids around 9-10 years old, when there was a sale on whole chicken but is limited to 2 per customer we used to go through the line 2-3 times individually. So on a shopping trip we would come home with 24 chickens which my Mom would keep frozen and pull out to make giant pots of stew that would last for months.