Unrecognizable Signs of Growing up Poor

[Knight]

I recognize these. No so much hyper now as in #5. Planning for a successful retirement included awareness of cost and the value of items was real.

1. Resourcefulness and Frugality
One of the less apparent signs of growing up poor is a deeply ingrained sense of resourcefulness and frugality. Individuals who grew up in financially constrained households often develop an ability to make do with less.

They’re skilled at repurposing items, fixing broken things instead of buying new ones, and finding creative solutions to problems that others might solve with money. This frugality extends into adulthood, manifesting as a reluctance to waste anything and a preference for DIY solutions.

5. Hyper-Awareness of Cost and Value
People who grew up with financial constraints often develop a hyper-awareness of cost and the value of items. They are likely to know the price of everyday items and services and might be adept at calculating costs and savings in their heads. This awareness goes beyond simple budgeting, reflecting a deep-seated need to ensure that every penny is well spent.

MSN

 

[RuralKanuck]

This is so true, the son of a single working mother mother I never realized how much such frugality was ingrained into my thinking and how it was passed on to both my wife (now passed) and my son who does all the grocery shopping now. No, not 'skinflints' but careful with our unnecessary spending. An excellent mindset to pass on to our children I am thinking!
Looking at both the tools and the house we built I would be hard pressed to find anything bought new and not repaired of 'fixed up' but now we can weather any economic 'downturn' from without!

 

[papa tiger]

Now many learn Street life & play the State Card game.
You know adopt and get state aid, that stuff.
Many don't care, do drugs, whatever.
but they still have a smart phone.
What else ya need if ya have the phone?

 

[Jace]

who even thought about it...
hmm..
but,
now that I think about it..
'pretty' privledged..
having gone to a private school.

 

[squatting dog]

I recognize these. No so much hyper now as in #5. Planning for a successful retirement included awareness of cost and the value of items was real.

1. Resourcefulness and Frugality
One of the less apparent signs of growing up poor is a deeply ingrained sense of resourcefulness and frugality. Individuals who grew up in financially constrained households often develop an ability to make do with less.

They’re skilled at repurposing items, fixing broken things instead of buying new ones, and finding creative solutions to problems that others might solve with money. This frugality extends into adulthood, manifesting as a reluctance to waste anything and a preference for DIY solutions.

5. Hyper-Awareness of Cost and Value
People who grew up with financial constraints often develop a hyper-awareness of cost and the value of items. They are likely to know the price of everyday items and services and might be adept at calculating costs and savings in their heads. This awareness goes beyond simple budgeting, reflecting a deep-seated need to ensure that every penny is well spent.

MSN

Just described the wife and me.

 

[Blessed]

I would say I grew up so called poor but I never knew it. I was happy, had a great childhood. Thought it a normal thing to have a huge garden, to can veggies, jams, jelles, pickles. Thought every kid went out after school to pick the vegetables. Thought every house had a huge coffin freezer full of meat bought from a farmer.

Thought every girl wore the shoes and clothes her sister wore before here. I REALLY had no clue. Then came middle school, exposed to kids outside of my neighborhood. That is when I realized I was not the same as everyone.

I still don't regret the childhood I had. I was given lots of education about the importance of everything in life. That being frugal was not only necessary but would guarantee a better future.

I carried that with me all my life. I found ways to have and provide everything my family needed. If I could manage our money the right way I could give my son everything he needed to fit in with the kids at his school. He never once had to come to me and say I need these sneakers, I need these jeans. I already had it covered.

That is why my home is mortgage free and I have no debt. My Mom taught me all these things and I did not now I was in the school for financial freedom. I graduated at the top of my class of adulting.

 

[jujube]

Luckily, my mother could squeeze a nickel until the buffalo's nose bled. We weren't "poor" poor, but we had to live frugally.

As it was, I don't remember that many other kids my age that were in much better shape. Sure, there were the few from fairly well-to-do families, who seemed to have new cars, big houses and the latest fad in clothing, but I don't remember being all that jealous of them. It was what it was and I was pragmatic enough to realize that I had plenty of contemporaries who lived like my family did.

We got everything we "needed" and a good portion of what we "wanted".

It prepared me for life.

 

[seadoug]

I recognize these. No so much hyper now as in #5. Planning for a successful retirement included awareness of cost and the value of items was real.

1. Resourcefulness and Frugality
One of the less apparent signs of growing up poor is a deeply ingrained sense of resourcefulness and frugality. Individuals who grew up in financially constrained households often develop an ability to make do with less.

They’re skilled at repurposing items, fixing broken things instead of buying new ones, and finding creative solutions to problems that others might solve with money. This frugality extends into adulthood, manifesting as a reluctance to waste anything and a preference for DIY solutions.

5. Hyper-Awareness of Cost and Value
People who grew up with financial constraints often develop a hyper-awareness of cost and the value of items. They are likely to know the price of everyday items and services and might be adept at calculating costs and savings in their heads. This awareness goes beyond simple budgeting, reflecting a deep-seated need to ensure that every penny is well spent.

MSN

This describes my father to a tee. He was a Great Depression baby. He grew up very poor, raised in a boarding house, but he was determined to succeed and left home at 15 to go to college. He later became a very successful businessman, but even until the day he passed away he was frugal and would even pick up pennies if he found them. He sometimes passed by phone booths, and if there were coins left in them he would take them. He researched the price and quality of every item his entire lifetime. I remember being frustrated because we would go years before replacing anything that needed updating.

I've never considered myself frugal. If there is something that is within my means and will make my life better I will buy it. Nor am I extravagant. We've lived in our current home for 16 years and I've had my car for 7 years but we do spend on food, travel and entertainment. I also donate to charities and spend money on family and friends. I'm not leaving any money on the table that will enhance my life and those of others around me.

 

[Capt Lightning]

I totally agree with Knight's post. It describes me very well. Trouble is that now 'getting on' a bit and comfortably secure financially, I'm worried about spending money. When you grow up having to watch the pennies, it's hard to get out of the habit.

 

[Pepper]

I grew up with depression era parents who were extremely poor. As a small child, we were poor, then my father had an opportunity to go into business with his cousin and they were a success and we weren't poor anymore but still had the qualities Knight described. My mother had an intense fear of being poor again, so I lived this along with her as she was quite talkative. In the early fifties my dad earned $28. a week. Yet, he was able to send his family of wife & two daughters to "bungalow colonies" each summer until he went into business and dedicated his time, money and efforts for that until it became solvent. There was no summer vacation for a few years, until I was seven.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

My mom figured every way imaginable to save a cent. She bought my underwear from a discount/seconds place. Do you know how I felt in gym class when my tightie whities had "IRREGULAR" in big black letters stamped on the butt.

 

[hollydolly]

WE grew up poor, and boy did we know it. We barely had food much less clothes or toys even tho' both parents worked.. altho' my mum only sporadically because she was regularly ill.. but they had too many kids..( they shouldn't have had any).. for the money they had


I never had more than 2 changes of clothes even when I was a teenager.. . I never ate from a dinner plate until I was 21... our food was always served on tea plates, it was so small. I regularly went to school with cardboard cut from the cornflake packet as soles in my shoes..

there was 6 of us my father would go stark raving mad if we got through ONE loaf of bread a week.. we were growing kids.. but it didn't matter.. so that gives you a tiny idea of how poor we were.

When I got married it barely changed. My ex husband was a chronic gambler... so I rarely saw any money.. the little I did see was spent on Baby milk for my DD... and nappies..

He was in the Royal Navy and would be aboard ship at sea for weeks or months, getting to eat good food.. while we were struggling to eat and be clothed on the little he sent home.. I remember once existing on Just potatoes and eggs for 2 months..

I could go on writing this for another week... but suffice it to say.. I know how to budget, I know very well how to be frugal.. and now in my 60's and retired, I feel I have enough disposable income to make my life comfortable.. and I take full advantage of that ..

 

[VintageBetter]

I guess we were house-rich but cash-poor? Both of my parents were scarred from the Great Depression, but my father did get a few promotions after he got his degree thanks to the G.I. Bill (government doing good), so he bought a pretty big house and added a pool for us kids. That was one of his dreams, I guess.

We had food scarcity all the time in our home, probably because my parents grew-up with food scarcity for years so it never occurred to them perhaps they should/could do better? It was so hard to scrape together a lunch to take to school that one year I asked my mom if she would fill-out the form they sent home for the kids who could qualify for free lunch. She said we would not qualify.
"Then why can't I buy my lunch?"
"It's too expensive!"

(This is me, BTW - always asking the questions: "Why does it have to be this way? It makes no sense.")

 

[VintageBetter]

I guess we were house-rich but cash-poor? Both of my parents were scarred from the Great Depression, but my father did get a few promotions after he got his degree thanks to the G.I. Bill (government doing good), so he bought a pretty big house and added a pool for us kids. That was one of his dreams, I guess.

We had food scarcity all the time in our home, probably because my parents grew-up with food scarcity for years so it never occurred to them perhaps they should/could do better? It was so hard to scrape together a lunch to take to school that one year I asked my mom if she would fill-out the form they sent home for the kids who could qualify for free lunch. She said we would not qualify.
"Then why can't I buy my lunch?"
"It's too expensive!"

(This is me, BTW - always asking the questions: "Why does it have to be this way? It makes no sense.")

Continued: We also didn't get a lot of new clothes. I'd have one or two pairs of shoes growing up and sometimes those were tennis shoes bought at the grocery store. $100.00 shoes from the shoe store? Oh heck no. Go to the grocery store and get some canvas tennies for $8.99. Those were my shoes. I learned to sew, first to make Barbie clothes, because those were too expensive also, and then in middle school I started making my own dresses, skirts and tops.

In the few pictures I have of myself from secondary school, I am usually wearing home-made clothes.

 

[DebraMae]

In high school I worked at a part time job, bought my own material and made a skirt. I had one dress and a white blouse to go along with that. The rest of the small amount of money I made was spent on food.

In adult life I have had enough money to write a check for anything I wanted and so poor that all that was in my fridge was a jar of pickles.

I think I mentioned in another post that I had spent the day working on my water heater. Yes, I am frugal but "comfortable" financially (which means I have enough to replace that water heater comfortably) but I won't until I have to.

 

[hawkdon]

I recall reading an article in a travel mag back in the early 70's that told the diff' between Rich travelers, and Poor travelers...the rich packed very little stuff to take because they knew they had the money to purchase anything they needed or wanted...the poor would pack everything they could possibly need during the trip, because they didn't have much discretionary money......
I happened to read this article during a camping trip we were on, and yes I packed everything I could possibly need !!!! LOL...

 

[hollydolly]

I recall reading an article in a travel mag back in the early 70's that told the diff' between Rich travelers, and Poor travelers...the rich packed very little stuff to take because they knew they had the money to purchase anything they needed or wanted...the poor would pack everything they could possibly need during the trip, because they didn't have much discretionary money......
I happened to read this article during a camping trip we were on, and yes I packed everything I could possibly need !!!! LOL...

....and I still do that. I pack everything that I might need..including toothpaste and soap lol... I could buy things there.. including sandals and sarongs etc.. but what a waste that would be when I already own those things

 

[C50]

I agree with the opening post but it can also go both ways. We were a very poor family when I was a kid but us siblings took different directions in our lives.

I worked my ass off to climb out of poverty and set a goal that my kids would start life much further up the ladder. I live frugally but enjoy quality in my life and not afraid to pay for it.

Two of my siblings went the other way. They embraced being poor as the only option. They have always spent what little they have recklessly, never have anything nice and never take care of what they do have. They view everything from a negative perspective because despair is all they want to know.

So why was I motivated to achieve and they weren't? Yet we were raised in the same home. My point being while I believe we carry some of our childhood into our adult lives that doesn't set our future. So being frugal doesn't necessarily mean you were raised in poverty, it could simply be you have enough sense not to spend like an idiot.

 

[Paco Dennis]

When Jed was shootin' at some food the Clampett's life changed...or winning the lottery. Some people who grew up poor have gotten very rich. Some people who grew up very rich, are now poor. Go figure.

 

[VintageBetter]

I recall reading an article in a travel mag back in the early 70's that told the diff' between Rich travelers, and Poor travelers...the rich packed very little stuff to take because they knew they had the money to purchase anything they needed or wanted...the poor would pack everything they could possibly need during the trip, because they didn't have much discretionary money......
I happened to read this article during a camping trip we were on, and yes I packed everything I could possibly need !!!! LOL...

Another sign of poverty in childhood: they do not go on trips. Some lower income people will go camping because that's relatively affordable, or used to be. But poor families just don't go on trips, often not even to Disneyland more than once every 5 or 10 years.

 

[VintageBetter]

I agree with the opening post but it can also go both ways. We were a very poor family when I was a kid but us siblings took different directions in our lives.

I worked my ass off to climb out of poverty and set a goal that my kids would start life much further up the ladder. I live frugally but enjoy quality in my life and not afraid to pay for it.

Two of my siblings went the other way. They embraced being poor as the only option. They have always spent what little they have recklessly, never have anything nice and never take care of what they do have. They view everything from a negative perspective because despair is all they want to know.

So why was I motivated to achieve and they weren't? Yet we were raised in the same home. My point being while I believe we carry some of our childhood into our adult lives that doesn't set our future. So being frugal doesn't necessarily mean you were raised in poverty, it could simply be you have enough sense not to spend like an idiot.

I worked my ass off to take care of my ex-husband in his years of suicidal depression and help him start his career. Then I raised our children. Then I took care of other people's children. Then I took care of extended family as they were ill and dying.

What did I get for all those years of hard, back-pain-inducing, bunion-making, sight-stealing, soul-damaging years of hard work? Not much, and certainly ZERO status in American society. I always try to tell young people that Caregiving is a terrible career. Just don't do it. If caregiving is your thing, become an R.N. or a P.A. They make $100K and up.

 

[C50]

I worked my ass off to take care of my ex-husband in his years of suicidal depression and help him start his career. Then I raised our children. Then I took care of other people's children. Then I took care of extended family as they were ill and dying.

What did I get for all those years of hard, back-pain-inducing, bunion-making, sight-stealing, soul-damaging years of hard work? Not much, and certainly ZERO status in American society. I always try to tell young people that Caregiving is a terrible career. Just don't do it. If caregiving is your thing, become an R.N. or a P.A. They make $100K and up.

I'm sorry for all that, I was forced into a caretaker role as a young child and spent most of my life being responsible for others welfare. It can certainly be a thankless way to live and wears a person out physically and emotionally.

Do you feel you filled those roles because you grew up poor?

 

[Paco Dennis]

I don't find a large correlation with growing up poor and the consuming habits of people when they grow up. It is too broad a generalization. I can think of hundreds of different life stories about this and all the people behave differently. To find some similarities is typical. Maybe those who grew up poor like to go fishing for catfish more also. Or rent cheap movies, and on and on. Some horde their money and then splurge on ridiculous purchases. But, it is a fun fishing trip.

 

[Gary O']

Growing up Poor​

Guess we did
Nobody said it
Nobody knew
Our entire country neighborhood was poor
Most folks had a string of beaters they'd swap parts to keep one beater running
We never really lacked
If you don't have stuff, you get creative

Rag Ball

Before baseball, there was rag ball

Just take a rag
Tie it in knots
You've got a 'ball'

Grab a stick....a broom stick is best
You've got a 'bat'

Put most anything flat out for 'bases'
You've got a 'ball diamond'

Most any back yard will do (rag balls don't go all that far)

Grab some neighborhood kids, you've got teams

Not enough kids?
The game of 'workup' comes into play
To first and back

No kids?
Got a dog?
Hit the rag ball, yer dog will bring it back
......or run off with it

Then the game of chase comes into play

Yeah, back in the day
before plastic balls and bats

There was rag ball

Let a kid use his mind, he'll come up with his own toys

Boredom never existed.....ever

'Play' was something you got to do

...after chores



Yeah, guess we were poor when it comes to 'things'

But being rich in spirit is without price

 

[StarSong]

I grew up with money because my father was a high earner. While not "rich," we were clearly in the upper reaches of middle class America. Big house with new furnishings, brand new cars every couple of years, horses, more than enough high quality food in the pantry, two stocked fridges and a chest freezer, dinners out at nice restaurants, scalper tix for great seats to Broadway shows, etc. Whatever we needed and plenty of what we wanted.

That said, my parents grew up during the Depression (my father was poor, Mom was not), so while they had ample resources in adulthood, as products of their time they were neither foolish or wasteful.

They raised 5 children. All have been independent and financially solvent since our late teens with the exception of a life handing out a few bumps now and then. When the bumps came, we knew how to pull in our horns, ratchet down our expenses, and ride out the storms until sunnier financial weather arrived. We taught our children the same.

I can relate to all the items in @Knight's original post.