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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

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

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:

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 30/10/2017 09:07

And YY to weekly soft play, that’s something we got as a treat once a get. I do tell DD this that she doesn’t know how lucky she is that we do these lovely things regularly but aware how much of an old fart I sound

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 30/10/2017 09:06

And yes to takeaways! We had a Dominoes pizza delivered once to the house and me and my siblings all gathered at the door to gawp at the delivery boy it was practically unheard of in those days (early 90s ish)

MrsJayy · 30/10/2017 09:06

When my parents go on holiday mum still won't have lunch out my stepdad will get a sandwhich she just gets a coffee saying she willwait for dinner .

tactum · 30/10/2017 09:06

Orange juice was only for breakfast on Christmas morning.
When Charles married Di I got a carton of apple juice as a treat.
On british beach holidays we had a 'special' picnic on the last day which included - the extravagance of it - a packet of crisps and a yoghurt!!!!!

Clothes wise - if you had a pair of jeans you wore them till they fell apart - the concept of more than one pair hadn't been entertained. Same with a jumper - one home knit jumper should last you the winter. Oh the teenage years were great living like that!!!

Not poor but very careful with money!

millifiori · 30/10/2017 09:05

Eating in restaurants, ever. We went to a (very ordinary) Indian restaurant as a family once for my mum's 40th birthday and apart from that we had take away fish and chips occasionally and no other food cooked outside the home ever. Luckily my mum was a good cook.

GrumpyOldBag · 30/10/2017 09:04

Eating in a restaurant - birthdays & anniversaries only.

And we occasionally had a pub lunch when we were on holiday by the seaside as a very special treat.

pomadas87 · 30/10/2017 09:02

Love this thread!
Agree about eating out generally - this was for special occasions only, nowadays I just have lunch out if I'm in town and peckish... my mother would be horrified!
Specific items from my childhood which were highly luxurious included not-from-concentrate orange juice, any branded items, ice creams which were not mini-milks or sparklers (Calippos allowed on special occasions), and for some reason, gel pens...?!

babybarrister · 30/10/2017 09:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TSSDNCOP · 30/10/2017 09:00

Florida. My dad played the pools specifically to win money for Florida.

Dowser · 30/10/2017 08:59

A colour TV set.
We got ours for Princess Anne’s first wedding.
Now you can’t give them away.

keepcalmandfuckon · 30/10/2017 08:59

Another one I just thought of. I live in a very hot climate. Our school bags hung outside at school. I used to beg my mum for a cold bag to put my lunch in like the other kids. I never got one because they were expensive and extravagant! By lunch time my sandwich was always sweaty and gross, I used to throw them out.
Now when I pack dc’s lunch it’s in a cold bag, with 2 ice bricks

woollychimp · 30/10/2017 08:57

Pantry

that reminds me - we had Izal at one point - does anyone remember that? I can still remember apologising to friends that came to the house..

HeteronormativeHaybales · 30/10/2017 08:56

ice-cream OR custard. Ice-cream custard sounds weird and wonderful.

HeteronormativeHaybales · 30/10/2017 08:56

We go to a PYO strawberry farm once or twice a year, get loads, eat about half fresh, make some cheesecakes etc and make compote which comes out in winter to have with ice-cream custard. Almost (but not quite) nicer than the fresh ones. :)

FindingNormal · 30/10/2017 08:55

Baked potatoes. As we had no microwave it meant putting the oven on for an unacceptably long time

ladyedith · 30/10/2017 08:55

pantry

HeteronormativeHaybales · 30/10/2017 08:54

I just said the other week to a strawberry-requesting dc 'oh no, darling, not in October'. I don't do berry fruits out of season. Partly cost, partly air miles. (Dh getting in the way of this again - came home from the shop on Sat with several packs of reduced blueberries).

pantrylightout · 30/10/2017 08:53

I remember my gran saying "a little bottom like yours only needs one piece of paper" I wonder what she would say if she saw the size of it these days

jcsp · 30/10/2017 08:51

Christmas presents had an unofficial price cap.

One year I got a meccano set 3. Next year I wanted/needed a set 4. I’d dropped hints, said it could be combined with my birthday, just a couple of days before.

So Christmas came. Another set 3.

There was always 1 satsuma in my stocking too.

woollychimp · 30/10/2017 08:46

Coke /lemonade from a can and not a Sodastream.
Crisps (we had family pack chipsticks but never individual packs of crisps)
Mars Bars and similar
Eating out and having coffees out
Buying new clothes .
Owning more that one of an item such as a pair of jeans.
buying packs of sandwiches

KitKat1985 · 30/10/2017 08:41

Tinned ham. We only ever had it at my Nan's on Christmas day. The rest of the year it was deemed too expensive.

My lovely Dad (RIP) was also very territorial over the heating and insisted (because he was wearing 4 jumpers) that it wasn't cold enough to need heating on yet. Once I actually pointed out to him that it was snowing outside.

RiseToday · 30/10/2017 08:40

My Nan used to have a big biscuit tin with a big assortment. She would determine which biscuit I was allowed based on its value.

So whilst she sat there, stuffing her face with the double layered chocolate ones, I was allowed the custard creams.....

However, This was more to do with the fact that she was mean and selfish than anything else.

ChickenVindaloo2 · 30/10/2017 08:31

Brand new books.
I was only allowed what I could get in oxfam for 10p.

ladyedith · 30/10/2017 08:31

Real butter. Always had stork marge.

MrsJayy · 30/10/2017 08:30

Yes fruit used to be seasonal when I was growing up so fresh straawberries were a real treat, although we used to have tinned strawberries on a sunday with ice cream I think I preferred them.

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