Quirks from a poorer childhood that have followed you through life.

[Motorwayview]

Inspired by the tight people thread.
No matter how much underwear I have I am always slightly panicked that I'll run out of clean underwear so have been known to handwash and leave overnight to dry. Ive got draws and draws of the stuff now - BUT growing up for a while I had just enough to get by on but only if DM washed them every night. ( 3 pairs knickers) Sometimes we didn't have the 50p for the meter to use the emersion heater or boil a kettle (this was the '70's).
The one that drives DH mad is that I have to use every last drop out of a bottle even if Ive got 3 more of the same in the cupboard ( shampoo ect) .
Anyone else ?

I bought new blouses and shirts every year at secondary for DC - mainly as I was stuck in red expensive blouses that went white under the arms and never felt able to take blazer or cardigan off due to how obvious that was and often get too hot.

DC school it was all white so easier to pick up anyway - but they always got some new every year.

One of the advantage of college rather than sixth form was we got rid of uniform so we all know they have enough clothes. Dmum strongly disliked us changing out of uniform so when I left home for uni I had very few clothes and a tight budget.

Tell us more, shed! What was the free week like?? I went to gran Canaria for two weeks in 1996 for about £200. There were seven of us, two are now in prison 😂 (not cos of the holiday)

I used to buy a bread roll and a tomato for breakfast, then a large Bolognese pizza , which would last me for lunch and dinner.

Happy days

Ahhh that’s sad 😢

@canuckup I was in Devon when Elvis died. It really was full of people crying.

I've just spooned some curry paste into my dinner for tonight. As it was nearly down to the bottom of the jar, true to my upbringing I put a little hot water in, put the lid back on and gave it a good shake so as to dissolve all the curry paste that was stuck to the inside of the jar and then poured it into my meal. Waste not, want not!

Or rather, we didn't have much to waste but were still in a perpetual state of want. So they weren't mutually exclusive by any means.

Efficiency and not being wasteful is good. I reckon I'll be saving about a years' worth of living costs by the end of my life.

@Motorwayview
Usually buying clothes/footwear in darker/neutral colours and styles because I was never given anything "pretty" to wear when little, and it's only now I think, then break the mould when out clothes shopping for myself

My husband grew up poor, I grew up privileged.

There's a few things he does differently but one is that I will use a towel once or maybe twice then put it in the wash, he will keep hanging it up on a door to dry over and over again until it smells like a wet dog. We can afford washing powder!

I think growing up in poverty is a very fine line between character building and soul destroying.

I think growing up poor, but in a loving and stable family where children's needs are prioritised as much as possible, is better than growing up rich but in a dysfunctional home.

Unfortunately, there are many children growing up poor AND in a chaotic and unhappy home, as in my husband's case- the two went hand in hand for him.

Umbrellas. My parents wouldn’t let us use them because if we broke them they couldn’t replace them. I feel so rich and fancy using an umbrella. Also my dad used to go absolutely mad if I turned lights on longer than needed. Even now we have to eat dinner in really gloomy conditions if we go to theirs because “sunlight is free”… even if there is no sunlight? Well I have solar panels now so sometimes I treat myself to having the lights on slightly longer than they technically need to be on. To heal my inner child.

My lot were very concerned about lights being on too. When I was born electricity was around 7p per kilowatt hour, which in the days of old fashioned filament bulbs, meant you could have a 100 watt light on for 10 hours for 7p. Wages for hourly paid casual work were around £2 per hour, by comparison. So a tiny amount of money. Yet lights were obsessively switched off, or better still, not switched on at all.

Grew up poor - have embarassment of having nice things, not so much clothes as I wear ordinary, modest things but my husband has a fairly luxury car and I find it embrassing (or is it guilt) to be seen in it. Do enjoy luxury through food, probably could save money in this area but years of growing up with the very basic version of every food means I want to enjoy the sensory pleasure of nice food.

But what are you going to do with a bottle of fairy liquid or the tiny bit of soap or the jam left in the jar or the toothpaste left in the tube? These things must be got out somehow and USED, even if they're thinned down.
Yes, someone in my family did once ask me how many more damn times I was going to wash out that Fairy Liquid bottle, and I still do.

Yes, sides to middle and patching sheets. Would those have something to do with the scarcity of fabric during WW2 and after and the need for coupons, as well as maybe not having much money?
Is this quirky? I still have 2 blankets in use - they have the 'utility' mark on them. They're a bit thin but I like them better than boiling under a duvet.

'T-shirts cut into dusters.'

Mmm, well, I do clean a bit of church brass with cloths made from 1960s cotton vests or pants.

That was neglect giving mouldy uneatable food.

I’m a reasonably high earner who grew up dirt poor. I can be fairly frivolous and splurge on a whim but will really watch pennies or obsess over small stuff. Getting a bus because dynamic uber pricing means a cab is £15 rather than £10, being annoyed that DH has bought something at the supermarket that costs a fiver that we don’t really need, that kind of thing. I don’t mean to be insensitive, I am very tuned into the fact that lots of people are finding things tough just now and have to watch every penny, but worrying about the cost of everyday things is a real hangover from my childhood, when I am in the fortunate position of not actually having to worry about a few quid here and there.

Also, using the tumble dryer sparingly. Not for environmental reasons, but because them being expensive to run is ingrained!

I have managed to get over saving things for best though. Sadly that’s down to some family tragedies that made me realise life is short, and that best is right now.

Regularly checking my kids' shoes are in good condition and still fit, and only buying decent school shoes and trainers because of the times my shoes were too small or damaged. Wanting to buy second hand clothes in bundles because I absolutely loved receiving bags of hand me downs, my main source of clothes - and even second hand prices for single items feel steep. Already planning to put away money for my primary school children's driving lessons and towards uni because it took me so long to afford driving lessons and a car myself and I'm still paying off my student loan despite working from age 15. Thinking anyone who buys fruit juice or bottled water for home is crazy rich, and still drinking squash. Hating going out for a meal because I could make it for less at home, and not understanding the concept of takeaways for the same reason.

I still struggle to buy nice things for myself in case I’m being ‘wasteful’. I have no problem buying nice things for other people but when it comes to buying for me, it’s always cheap clothes and shoes (which inevitably means I only have to buy more).

I had a happy childhood but my parents were in vocational/volunteering public service roles so our clothes were always second hand or hand me downs.

I was always aware of us having enough but we were also right on the breadline so we shared bath water, were not extravagant with loo roll etc. I also recall my dad saving up to take me and some friends to McDonald’s for my birthday. I lost sleep over what might happen if my friends ordered huge amounts and my dad couldn’t afford it.

These days though I scrimp on clothes, I have this thing about an abundance of loo rolls and cleaning products. Both bathrooms have baskets filled with super soft extra thick toilet rolls and I buy the most expensive cleaning products available on the shelf. Weird! 😂

I do that too. I've got a big pile of multipacks of bogroll, and an even higher pile of kitchen towel paper. I just like to see it all piled up and know I've got it. I live in a city with shops nearby open 'til midnight, and where all the major grocery retailers offer a delivery service, but it's just so tempting to make sure I've got plenty in.

Funnily enough I used to say that too. Luckily I am too old to be asked the question now!

I was the same, Mum made me put on a uniform in primary, got picked on a lot for that. Sorry you went through that

Not because I was brought up without much, but I bulk buy things like bog roll and cleaning stuff and Azeera coffee. In the mad days of early lockdown, I was thrilled that I had 37 rolls in the garage and a sheep and half a cow in the freezer.

Yes, I like that Azera coffee too. Sometimes it's on special offer at half price and I buy a few at a time. Of the various instant options, it actually tastes like there might be some coffee in it.

I have to very consciously not get cross with Dh/dc for eating/using more than their ‘fair share’ and tell myself that we can just buy more.
I find it almost impossible to buy anything at full price or on impulse, even if I can afford it and need it.