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Original poster

Things your parents led you to think were 'special' or 'expensive' that you now take for granted?

831 replies

VladmirsPoutine · 29/10/2017 22:56

for the po-faced Grin

Growing up my siblings and I were wary over using too much kitchen roll - we'd get a sheet and fold it in half to tear before using, the faff was a PITA but to this day I still get a bit territorial over my kitchen roll.

We also had 'special' China plates, cups, cutlery, that sort of thing. Only used when we had guests or at Christmas - I didn't carry that into adulthood but whenever I visit my DM I still fondly look at the unit containing all those 'special' cups Grin

My dad died when I was relatively young but prior to this death he used to always take us (siblings&I) to our weekend clubs when we were young, on Saturdays one of my sisters and I attended clubs that finished at similar times and it was always Saturdays that mum worked nights so the 4 us: dad+siblings would always get McDs and think it was basically gourmet dining.

I didn't have a deprived childhood by any definition but I do find those quirks quite funny looking back.

OP posts:
Draylon · 31/10/2017 19:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Zaphodsotherhead · 31/10/2017 19:20

Milk. It was expensive so we were strictly rationed, and god help you if you tried to take a furtive swig from the bottle (I swear she marked it).
Eating out. I didn't go into a restaurant until I was 14 and my aunt took me.
Branded clothes.
Having a car.
Having a telephone.
Fruit. We had to ask, and again, god help you if you took more than you were supposed to have.
It's a wonder we didn't have scurvy.

BackforGood · 31/10/2017 19:03

I agree Cherry - I am quite surprised at quite a few of these posts being listed as "something that used to happen in the olden day" and laughed at as if they are ridiculous. Many of them are just 'normal' to me, and my (teen) dc too ~ things like Inigo has suggested, and quite a few more besides.

BarbaraofSevillle · 31/10/2017 18:59

Agree about the environmental aspect. The amount of plastic polluting our oceans and environment in general is disgusting and wasteful of resources too.

The rest of the litter that fast food generates is awful too. There is McDonalds waste pretty much every where you look, even though McDonalds themselves do try hard to pick it up in the immediate vicinity, they can't police the wanker who throws it from the car window 5 miles down the road.

I try to take water with me when I go out and feel annoyed and guilty when I buy a cold drink. I don't generally drink fizzy pop and hate paying for water anyway so don't do it very often.

InigoTaran · 31/10/2017 18:56

Plug sockets! Only one in each room. Much less gadgets in those days that needed charging than today.

ShowMePotatoSalad · 31/10/2017 18:53

Takeaways and meals out. We went for meals out relatively often but they were always a treat and we looked forward to them. There was always a sense of occasion about it.

Takeaways were very, very rare and it was wonderful when we had one. Pizza and chips was a true luxury.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 31/10/2017 18:51

I think a lot of these examples are actually just good sense and being kind to the environment

GhostsToMonsoon · 31/10/2017 18:46

Taking your own re-usable water bottle isn't being stingy, it helps the environment. More than 400 plastic bottles are sold in the UK every second.

InigoTaran · 31/10/2017 18:26

Must admit some of this thriftiness has stayed with me as an adult, like:

Taking a bottle of water ( from the tap) when I go out for the day

Finding it really hard to throw things out and keeping things, ‘just in case’

Rarely eating out in cafes during the day

Taking own food to festivals etc

Switching lights off in the house

Using up leftovers if possible.

Not snacking or having crisps or biscuits in the house

Not bad habits actually!

Sludgecolours · 31/10/2017 18:14

Eating at a British hotel on holiday in the 70s ... and feeling very special being able to order a tiny schooner of orange or grapefruit juice as a starter! The juices weren't even freshly squeezed but we thought they were the height of sophistication Grin

brasty · 31/10/2017 18:11

morningconstitutional Glad he loved it.

tinytemper66 · 31/10/2017 18:09

Coke.

morningconstitutional2017 · 31/10/2017 18:08

@brasty my dear late husband got a home made Chelsea kit when he was a child - this was well before replica kits became all the rage and thankfully he loved it. Sadly, when he was playing the white number which his mum had sewn on the back came adrift.

oldlaundbooth · 31/10/2017 18:07

Little Chef was our go to place when we went to Liverpool to take my Auntie out.
My brother would have the Porky Grill. Can't remember what I had. The free lollies were nice.

My Auntie always had a ham salad GrinHmm thought she was odd for not having chips or whatever.

oldlaundbooth · 31/10/2017 18:06

I remember picnicking out of the boot of my grandparents car on the front at Cleveleys.

That's when I decided to emigrate ASAP Grin

x2boys · 31/10/2017 18:04

I had a wollen knitted hoodie before hoodies were a thing Grin

brasty · 31/10/2017 18:01

Grin Sounds amazing

Hatstand · 31/10/2017 18:00

@brasty I was the unfortunate owner of a homemade football strip...

brasty · 31/10/2017 17:59

It still amazes me that home knitted jumpers which were a sign of poverty when I was young, are now a sign of wealth, as people buy them in shops. Same with home made cake and biscuits.

starsorwater · 31/10/2017 17:55

Eating out, just never happened.
Anything to wear that you didn't really, really need.
Sponsoring someone and giving to charity.
Weddings- my dad brought up 4 daughters with the very often made remark 'Don't think I'm wasting money on weddings' (nor did he once).
School trips.
Tampax.
Pocket money.
Holidays.
All pretty joyless and most of it unnecessary.

Altwoo · 31/10/2017 17:42

Buying a drink whilst out shopping in town. Even now, I have to reassure my mum it’s probably better to buy a 50p bottle of water than wait until we get home Grin

Lily2007 · 31/10/2017 17:38

McDonald's
Muller Corner
Viennetta

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 31/10/2017 16:26

Wine a bottle between 6 adults with special Sunday lunches and at Christmas Grin

Sherry, gin and whiskey though was a different matter

OlennasWimple · 31/10/2017 16:26

I thought that the correct way to serve a Viennetta was to count the swirls, divide by the number of people, and the server gets the perks of any odd sized slices?

ArcheryAnnie · 31/10/2017 15:10

LaLaLandfill you have singlehandedly made me feel less guilty about buying baked potatoes from the cafe downstairs! It's just me and my DS here, and for a long time we didn't have an oven at all, so we have got into the habit of an occasional baked potato from the cafe, because we both love them. I always felt a bit guilty about wasting money on a potato, but now see this as a wise investment to stop DS posting on a message board about his lack of potato in the future!