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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting thread, though some of the memories of frugality are really about the '70s more than SES. I grew up in an affluent suburb of San Francisco in the '70s and my sisters and I all patched our jeans, made skirts out of jeans, and wore cut-offs. We were doctors' daughters and traveled to Europe in the summer, but the '70s were about not looking and acting like you were a rich girl. Think Patty Hearst; think Hall and Oates' "You're a Rich Girl". The sartorial tip-off that you had money was owning a pair of Frye boots. When I came east to go to college, my roommate, a college professor's daughter from the midwest, saw my boots and told everybody I was a debutante.

I remember the Frye boots = rich girl.

quoted PP here -- I remember my boyfriend commenting about his younger sister's college roommate:
"She got the boots, she got the clothes, she got the brand new nose."

[Anonymous]

Wow. I thought this was all normal for before-the-internet living!

People that were brand whores were always trying to hide something. I still believe that to this day (no one will change my mind, don't bother).

Somewhere along the line, someone dropped the ball and we could only become sheeple. Unless we have "certain things" we're not really living life? Diamond earrings but no job? Really? According to whom? How sad is that?

Disgusting and pathetic, I say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Wow. I thought this was all normal for before-the-internet living!

People that were brand whores were always trying to hide something. I still believe that to this day (no one will change my mind, don't bother).

Somewhere along the line, someone dropped the ball and we could only become sheeple. Unless we have "certain things" we're not really living life? Diamond earrings but no job? Really? According to whom? How sad is that?

Disgusting and pathetic, I say.

I might be in agreement of I could understand what you are saying. Can you re write please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow. I thought this was all normal for before-the-internet living!

People that were brand whores were always trying to hide something. I still believe that to this day (no one will change my mind, don't bother).

Somewhere along the line, someone dropped the ball and we could only become sheeple. Unless we have "certain things" we're not really living life? Diamond earrings but no job? Really? According to whom? How sad is that?

Disgusting and pathetic, I say.

You know what she's saying! Now put on your Tory Burch's and go away.

I might be in agreement of I could understand what you are saying. Can you re write please?

[Anonymous]

Was not poor, but grew up in the 70s.

My mom drove a Plymouth for 18 years (my entire time at home) until it literally died on the road.
Eating out at Friendly's was our big treat. Once time we got to go Ground Round.
At the end of summer, we would go to SYMS clothing for our back-to-school clothes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was not poor, but grew up in the 70s.

My mom drove a Plymouth for 18 years (my entire time at home) until it literally died on the road.
Eating out at Friendly's was our big treat. Once time we got to go Ground Round.
At the end of summer, we would go to SYMS clothing for our back-to-school clothes.

Buik, 21 years. No radio, and not HEAT in the last year or so.

[Anonymous]

We split cheeseburgers and fries from McDonalds on the last day of school each year - Huge Treat! I paid my way through college, worked extra shifts if I came up short, and even borrowed my brothers' birthday money for part of the tuition one year, there was no alternative. I was the first to graduate from college, and my mother thought college was wasted on a girl anyway...

[Anonymous]

Funny, the SES disparity was bigger, but no one noticed it as much back then. A blessing in disguise. Now, everyone has to have this or that to be happy. When did we turn into a flock of sheeple?

Such a shame, truly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting thread, though some of the memories of frugality are really about the '70s more than SES. I grew up in an affluent suburb of San Francisco in the '70s and my sisters and I all patched our jeans, made skirts out of jeans, and wore cut-offs. We were doctors' daughters and traveled to Europe in the summer, but the '70s were about not looking and acting like you were a rich girl. Think Patty Hearst; think Hall and Oates' "You're a Rich Girl". The sartorial tip-off that you had money was owning a pair of Frye boots. When I came east to go to college, my roommate, a college professor's daughter from the midwest, saw my boots and told everybody I was a debutante.

I remember doing some of these things, this pseudo-hippie bohemian look. Painting jeans, making skirts--these leather sheepsking type coats with embroidery. They were from Afghanistan, pre-Russian invasion. I grew up with money (in Europe, we went to US and Asia for vacations, haha), but much else was same as this PP, down to being 'recognized' by the boots or shoes. Interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Funny, the SES disparity was bigger, but no one noticed it as much back then. A blessing in disguise. Now, everyone has to have this or that to be happy. When did we turn into a flock of sheeple?

Such a shame, truly.

I don't think so. I think there are much bigger SES disparities today. But there's also far more availability of cheap consumer goods, so maybe it's not so readily apparent as it used to be?

[Anonymous]

We weren't poor per se (not on welfare or foodstamps or anything like that) but we had so many kids in the family (8) that we didn't have any extras ... no vacations, no going out to eat, no new clothes, nothing like that.

Reading all of these posts made me feel bad that I ever complained. I guess everything is relative. Real poor people in the U.S. are homeless, on welfare, footstamps, Pell Grants, etc. And, many folks around the globe are poorer than anything we can imagine. So, I am embarassed I ever thought I was unfortunate.

[Anonymous]

"We weren't poor per se (not on welfare or foodstamps or anything like that) but we had so many kids in the family (8) that we didn't have any extras ... no vacations, no going out to eat, no new clothes, nothing like that."

In "good times", went to McDonalds once a year. A real treat. Ice cream from a soda fountain once a year in the summer. An even bigger treat. And we behaved well for weeks in advance to "earn" these treats.

The only way to attend an amusement park, a movie. or anything with an admission fee was as a guest of a friend's parents. We were often invited because we were very well behaved.

Compare to some kids today who get these things several times a week, think nothing of it, and are ill mannered, to boot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Funny, the SES disparity was bigger, but no one noticed it as much back then. A blessing in disguise. Now, everyone has to have this or that to be happy. When did we turn into a flock of sheeple?

Such a shame, truly.

I don't think so. I think there are much bigger SES disparities today. But there's also far more availability of cheap consumer goods, so maybe it's not so readily apparent as it used to be?

I agree SES disparities are greater today. However, its not that nobody noticed, its that you were a kid. Unless you are dirt poor or uber-rich, most kids don't notice the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting thread, though some of the memories of frugality are really about the '70s more than SES. I grew up in an affluent suburb of San Francisco in the '70s and my sisters and I all patched our jeans, made skirts out of jeans, and wore cut-offs. We were doctors' daughters and traveled to Europe in the summer, but the '70s were about not looking and acting like you were a rich girl. Think Patty Hearst; think Hall and Oates' "You're a Rich Girl". The sartorial tip-off that you had money was owning a pair of Frye boots. When I came east to go to college, my roommate, a college professor's daughter from the midwest, saw my boots and told everybody I was a debutante.

I remember doing some of these things, this pseudo-hippie bohemian look. Painting jeans, making skirts--these leather sheepsking type coats with embroidery. They were from Afghanistan, pre-Russian invasion. I grew up with money (in Europe, we went to US and Asia for vacations, haha), but much else was same as this PP, down to being 'recognized' by the boots or shoes. Interesting.

My sister did a semester in Spain and came home with a coat like the one you describe. Looked fab with the Frye boots.

[Anonymous]

I grew up very wealthy and can relate to most of these posts. I think wealth back then was relative, the same as it is today. Hindsight shows that kids who are loved and having their needs met are foreign to poverty. I was not loved and lived in the lap of luxury and I bet many would resent me.
I resent many of you. What does that tell you?