We were so poor in the 70's...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shared a bed with 2 sisters until I was 8 and someone bought us a trundle; then my younger sister and I slept head to toe in the trundle part until I inherited a twin bed from my grandma when I was 11.

My dad tried to make new soap out of the little bits of leftover soap bars.

Never had a haircut until I was in seventh grade and my aunt took me out for my first one. In high school my sister and I learned how to cut our own hair from an issue of Seventeen.

Had only hand-me-down clothes until I started babysitting and could buy new things for myself.

Never went to the dentist -- the first time I remember was right before I went off to college (I think because that was mandatory).

We went on 4 vacations throughout my entire childhood, and one of those was a 4 day weekend and another was to attend my uncle's wedding in a different state. All road trips, of course. I first went on a plane at age 18, when my uncle bought me a ticket home from college for Thanksgiving.

On the other hand we were never hungry and had a roof over our heads. And I always got a present for my birthday and presents for Christmas. So while I knew we weren't rich, it certainly didn't feel like we were poor, not by any stretch. And especially not in comparison to how my parents grew up in the 40s and 50s.

This is key. We were often reminded that our generation took a step up in terms of standard of living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fast food and KFC was a treat -once or twice a year.

No public meltdowns. Ever.

I feel fortunate to have escaped much of what's being discussed here, but "no public meltdowns" is huge. I sometimes wonder whether I'm exaggerating when I look at parents today, even very good ones, and say my family never had those problems. Of course, that brings up the whole issue of corporal punishment then (lots!) and now (none!) ...

And, yes, there was much less eating out, and when it happened, it was at cheap places. My first long-term GF, upper middle class to my middle-to-lower middle class, was unattractively horrified when the first dinner my parents invited her to was at the Spaghetti Factory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fast food and KFC was a treat -once or twice a year.

No public meltdowns. Ever.

I feel fortunate to have escaped much of what's being discussed here, but "no public meltdowns" is huge. I sometimes wonder whether I'm exaggerating when I look at parents today, even very good ones, and say my family never had those problems. Of course, that brings up the whole issue of corporal punishment then (lots!) and now (none!) ...

And, yes, there was much less eating out, and when it happened, it was at cheap places. My first long-term GF, upper middle class to my middle-to-lower middle class, was unattractively horrified when the first dinner my parents invited her to was at the Spaghetti Factory.

Replying to myself here, but as I read further I have to add:

I was forced to quit high school sports and "get a job." Worked full time my senior year, eight hours after classes, five days a week. And not a cent for college, though I did get scholarships.

[Anonymous]

"SES." Jesus. I love Internet forums, but I hate the insider lazy abbrevs. (ILIFBIHTILA.)

[Anonymous]

When we jumped on the tennis bandwagon, like so many in the mid-70s, we bought tennis balls in a plastic bag from Kmart. I thought the "real" balls in a can were cool, and so I saved Pringles cans for that purpose.

[Anonymous]

Anyone else remember the "second cheapest" syndrome, as in going to E.J. Korvette's or Woolco or whatever and feeling smug because you were buying the $29 stereo system rather than the $25 one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fact that we actually knew someone who bought a new car gave us kids bragging rights we would talk about it at the dinner table for a week.

Yep. I remember telling everyone who would listen that our friends bought A $30,000 HOUSE!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fried bologna - YES! And Velveeta Cheese! no candy! Rarely ate out and when we did were never allowed to order soda drinks ("complete waste of money!"). Did H&H Green Stamps. rolled pennies. Went through bags of quarters to separate the clad from the silver; made our own clothes; knitted. No one was SN, or appeared to be SN. No one was tutored unless they were totally flunking a class and then it was something to be ashamed of.

"SN." Jesus. I love Internet forums, but I hate the insider lazy abbrevs. (ILIFBIHTILA.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lived in the midwest where we had very hot summers. We never turned on the AC until July, if that. Recruited neighborhood children to help with yard work, and they were rewarded with popcicles. Being a single mom was hard in the 60s and 70s. If it weren't for my grandparents, we would have never had new clothes!

You *had* air conditioning?

You were lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were middle class, but my parents were immigrants who grew up in the Depression (which was worldwide), not to mention war. They were beyond cheap. Soap - the cheapest at the store, that came in a bag. I longed for name brand soap. They saved everything - paper bags, string, tin foil. God forbid you dry your hands on a paper towel and throw it away. To this day I automatically dry my hands but save it, for next use. My mom constantly turned out lights, I could walk around the house in the dark, I was used to it. Cars were driven into the ground. Holes in the floor? You bet. Heater didn't work right - usually the Fords.

My parents weren't immigrants but did grow up in the Depression.......and we knew it. Parents were college-educated professionals, but they were, in my mind in the 70's, cheap beyond belief. Frugal and practical are probably more accurate. The cars that were driven into the ground were only replaced by cars they paid for in cash, my dad fixed and built everything. I don't think I ever remember a handy man or service call ever. My sibs and I were expected to find ways to entertain ourselves without expecting mom and dad to direct and pay for things. Mcdonalds was a HUGE treat that happened maybe 1 or 2X and year, and usually for somone's birthday.

[Anonymous]

Poor public behavior was considered low rent, and if I did cry in public, later my folks would give me something to really cry about. No judgements, just a fact, and it only took once to get with the program. No endless time outs and talking about feelings.

[Anonymous]

We had to tie the dog to the roof of car when we went on vacations, but that's not because we were poor.

[Anonymous]

Vacations were always to cousins' houses. Went to Hershey park one time but only toured the chocolate factory because it was free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vacations were always to cousins' houses. Went to Hershey park one time but only toured the chocolate factory because it was free.

+1 I thought vacations meant visiting family. Never occured to me that you could actually go visit a place because it was interesting. Also did the free Hershey factory tour!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vacations were always to cousins' houses. Went to Hershey park one time but only toured the chocolate factory because it was free.

+1 I thought vacations meant visiting family. Never occured to me that you could actually go visit a place because it was interesting. Also did the free Hershey factory tour!

Me too! We took ONE trip to California to visit relatives in the 18 years I lived under my parent's roof. It was a HUGE once in a lifetime deal, and we got dressed up fancy for the airplane. We visited everyone my folks could think of that they knew in CA, and stayed on everyone's couch.