If you grew up poor…

[Anonymous]

But you are not now, what are some things you do that you know are directly related to how you grew up?

Me: 1.if clothes have any holes or stains they go right in the trash or get used for cleaning rags. I had to wear clothes until they quite literally fell apart as a child and now have an aversion to the thought of wearing clothes in disrepair.
2. Consistently working through “worst case scenario” for every financial situation even if it’s hypothetical. Worst case scenario was often a reality growing up and honestly it’s just how my brain is wired now.
3. Buying store brand of most things. We rarely got name brand groceries/cleaning supplies etc…growing up but with experience I have learned that there is only a difference in quality in few items-mostly still buy store brand even though can afford to not.
4. Making sure my kids have actual brand name shoes. It’s seems so stupid but growing up I ALWAYS had Payless/k mart/walk at shoes and kids know. They just know. Did not having name brand shoes growing up make me a better person? No it didn’t-it just made me have to deal with teasing from other kids on the regular about my cheap shoes.
5. Still have a taste for cheap foods I grew up with. Rice/beans, grilled cheese etc…and eat them pretty regularly.

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to change this habit, but I'm kind of the opposite with clothing. I change out of my "good" work clothes right when I get home. I too often wear junky clothing because I don't want to ruin anything since when I was small I'd have to wear it no matter if it was stained or had a small hole.

Shoes, 100 percent I get better quality shoes. Don't care about name brand, but after messing up my feet with poor quality shoes, I can't do that anymore. But I would like to step it up here, since my instinct is to go for sturdy and I don't look quite right in some professional environments.

In general spending money on myself is hard. And throwing things away is very hard as well since it feels like I could be poor again so easily.

[Anonymous]

Most of mine are food related:

EVERYONE gets a drink at a restaurant. Kids want a Shirley Temple? Fine. Get a refill!

We don’t often WANT it, but dessert is an option that’s always on the table. Same with appetizers.

I will splurge on expensive spaghetti sauce and nicer pasta. I buy REAL Parmesan. I spend a small fortune on good EVOO. We buy the expensive ice cream. We eat some form of meat almost every single day. I buy giant roasts or steaks for the weekend. Quality cheeses, fancy crackers, nice cured meats. Things like that.

But I also panic like you about “worst case scenarios”. I have a number I like to keep in savings and I panic if something take us below it.

[Anonymous]

I grew up UMC and somehow that made me not care at all about brand names. I think quality shoes are always worth it, though. And I ate soooo much grilled cheese growing up, definitely not a “poor” thing!

I’m glad you were able to turn things around for yourself.

[Anonymous]

- I always have batteries at home.
- I have too much money set aside for a rainy day.
- I always want to steal mini coffee creamers (but don't anymore)
- I agree about shoes. Warm toes in the winter are important.
- Store brands rule!

[Anonymous]

I think that generally, I have a very hard time buying anything at all that's a "want." I think that my sense of wants and needs is highly skewed to not want or need anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that generally, I have a very hard time buying anything at all that's a "want." I think that my sense of wants and needs is highly skewed to not want or need anything.

Agree.

Spouse and I very much differ on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: - I always have batteries at home.
- I have too much money set aside for a rainy day.
- I always want to steal mini coffee creamers (but don't anymore)
- I agree about shoes. Warm toes in the winter are important.
- Store brands rule!

Op here. I forgot about batteries! Yes! We have every kind at all times. Batteries were such a Luxury as a kid. In fact I remember my favorite toy running out of batteries and having to wait 6 months for new ones. I never want my kids to experience that. Mini coffee creamers for you-mini shampoo and conditioner bottles for me. Have to constantly tell myself that we don’t need to take it.

[Anonymous]

I overbuy for daughter but not myself. She has lulu, spending money, an apartment (with roommates) etc at college. if she had to buy a book I race to my checking account to transfer the money back to her.

She is a good student, deans list in engineering so it’s not forever

[Anonymous]

Losing something is traumatic. I'm getting over it, but when you lost something like an article of clothing it was either not replaced or replaced with great difficulty.

My husband had our kid out solo and lost a shoe. He just went and got new shoes with him. No angst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: - I always have batteries at home.
- I have too much money set aside for a rainy day.
- I always want to steal mini coffee creamers (but don't anymore)
- I agree about shoes. Warm toes in the winter are important.
- Store brands rule!

Op here. I forgot about batteries! Yes! We have every kind at all times. Batteries were such a Luxury as a kid. In fact I remember my favorite toy running out of batteries and having to wait 6 months for new ones. I never want my kids to experience that. Mini coffee creamers for you-mini shampoo and conditioner bottles for me. Have to constantly tell myself that we don’t need to take it.

Me too, me too. So many unused toys because no one ever bought batteries!

I will never be so rich that I stop taking mini shampoos and conditioners from hotels.

- PP

[Anonymous]

I give my college age kids a very large allowance for activities that don't involve alcohol (per se) like going to concerts, skiing, playing golf, sporting events, nice dinners. I never had money to go out which meant I stayed home with my Milwaukee's best and watched TV or played video games.

Good shoes, 100%

My emergency fund is $50K, that's insane. OTOH I paid out of pocket for implants.

I use real trash bags, I never use the ones from the grocery store... you are probably like, wow, who cares but I care, I never had real trash bags.

I wear my kids (2 large boys) hand me downs... lol. Sweats/tshirts/sweatshirts...

I've still never left the country.

I buy Cetaphil for my beauty care needs, though I will buy nice blush and lipstick.

[Anonymous]

I can't throw away food, I eat leftovers, everyone's leftovers. After the holidays I can't throw out good food so my diet has to start mid January.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But you are not now, what are some things you do that you know are directly related to how you grew up?

We fly direct even if more expensive. I remember a family vacation where we flew to Florida and I swear we changed planes 3 times and landed somewhere else in the state and drove 2 hours because it was cheaper that way.

[Anonymous]

I just seem to care less about losing stuff than other people. Like if a flood destroys my belongings it is ok. I think this is because I have lost all of my belongings multiple times, so it doesn't seem like the worst thing in the world. I expect that I will rebuild each time, and I expect to periodically lose everything (as much as I try to save and do things to avoid that).