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 ?

For years I cleaned the entire house with the ASDA own brand 9p bottles of cheap washing up liquid, their own-brand bleach (both used very sparingly) and salt if I needed something more abrasive. The house was always sparkling clean, it was a fixer upper that we couldn't afford to fix up so I made sure it was a nice as I could make it. I still can't make myself buy a special bottle of kitchen/floor/bathroom cleaner, but have added white vinegar and baking soda to my supplies.

I remember once having 3 new bottles of that washing up liquid under the sink and feeling very rich. If I ran out of washing powder I would use a tsp of it to wash the clothes. I remember reading it wasn't good for you washing machine but it worked pretty well. On the very rare occasion I run out of laundry powder now, I will still use a tsp of WU liquid. I wish ASDA still sold that 9p stuff, even if it was more in line with today's prices.

Never had the right or enough things growing up. Whatever that was clothing in correct sizes and seasons , school supplies, decent food

I probably go overboard with Ds, but im always making sure he has coats and shoes and clothing that fits. And everything at decent quality for school or sports etc. Our house always has baked goods and snacks for anyone visiting. I also try and make sure the has what’s ‘ cool’ and what others all have so he’s never missing out

Hoarding. I'll keep it, because I might need to sell it in future if things get tight.

In the 1970’s we too were ruled by the immersion heater and I only had a bath on a Thursday because that was the night before school swimming lessons.

I still have a strip wash at the sink every morning (though not the kitchen sink now, so that’s something!) and a bath about once a week. When I first met him I tried having a shower every day like he does but I can’t do it. It seems such hard work.

There’s a bottle of Byredo ‘absolu’ perfume that I saved up for and was so excited to receive (six months ago) that I put it in my bedroom drawer unopened so I don’t ‘waste’ it by using it. I also have a lot of boutique clothes that are ‘too beautiful’ to wear.

Crazy. I’m 55, am I saving this stuff to wear to my own funeral?!

I’m going to have a bath now and put some of that perfume on.

Took my DGD shopping in Westfield she spent £800 thought nothing of it. I told her that at her age I’d never had any new clothes. She asked me not to mention it again as it makes her sad.

Also, I wanted my kids to have the things I couldn't have as a child and not to be the one who didn't always fit in (although my lovely Mum tried her best, we just didn't always have the money). But consequently my kids are less resilient and have more expectations, which isn't always a good thing.

Sharing bath water. We’re not even on a water meter 🤣

I have a hard time with this. I will give things worth less than £10 to a charity shop or friends/freecycle. If something is realistically worth more than £10, I keep it for the same reason. A person with a healthy attitude would sell it now and put the money in the bank. I am trying to be more like that but it is very difficult.

Clearing out my elderly parents house cured me of this. Very sad task it was as l found lots of bone china , two beautiful dinner services, lovely Waterford Crystal glassware(mother was Irish and used go visit there) , expensive unopened bottles of champagne/spirits
bought for big anniversaries decades
earlier. Lovely silk headscarves, leather gloves still in boxes, never worn.
Then l remembered the mismatched plates and cutlery, the same tablecloths and bedding ,washed to death over the years, mum wearing same clothes for l used be guilty of this myself, terrified of breaking a 'Worlds best Mum's cup bought by my kids and ilk, it would stay in box at back of cupboard but post clearing out parents l came to conclusion that the saddest thing for my DC would not be for their gifts to get broken over the years but to find them unused at back of a cupboard as l did.diddonkey's yearslots of beautiful coats only ever worn for the odd funeral hung in their wardrobe. Lots of stuff all 'kept for best '

I buy shoes, lots of shoes unworn in the wardrobe, but memories of cardboard in my shoes to cover the hole in the sole haunt me.

I'd say the shame of being poor and bullied relentlessly as a child has followed me into adulthood. The anxiety and extreme tendency to compensate by people pleasing doesn't go away.

I have a dysfunctional relationship with food, as a child it was rationed and limited. The approach was is something is available you ate it... because thats the opportunity. No as an adult its very hard to have any self control because childhood I was always seeking food.

Totally dysfunctional relationship to money, I wasn't used to having it and now I don't know how to deal with it.

A poor childhood is a lot more then a few quirks, it causes lasting damage thats very hard to undo

I had to stop reading these accounts, I found it too upsetting,
not just for other people’s deprivations, but because I didn’t want
to look back and consider my own…
if I told you some examples you would be in tears too,
how brave you all are

I'm the opposite, I hardly got to wear a lot of clothes as a kid as they were kept for best, then I'd grow out of them. I put DDs in their new stuff straight away and always wear anything I buy straight away, unless it is for a formal occasion.

I also use any good plates and china, it's meant to be used.

Continuing to wear leaky shoes, as long as the hole isn't too obvious. We got new shoes on schedule for going back to school, and cheap sandals in the summer. An additional pair would have been disastrous for the family budget. As I was the eldest girl in the wider family, there were no hand-me-down stopgaps in my size.
We're not exactly affluent now, but there's not really anything stopping me buying new shoes as soon as they're needed. I only have myself to convince.

I can get an extra week out of the last half inch of any bottle of anything by adding vinegar or water

My husband does this to hand soap and it drives me nuts. Because it's thinner it squirts much further and can go right up your arm. Anything else, fair enough.

I was going to say exactly the same thing. It's a pleasure to have full cupboards and be able to offer snacks and drinks to my kids and their friends.

Not the point of this thread, but my DH does this with fairy liquid and hand soap and it drives me POTTY. It doesn’t pour or clean properly once it’s been watered down and squirts all over the kitchen!

I can't away from this one either.. some things I've got too old to wear or unfashionable so I've had to bin or get rid of them anyways. I had a nice for best leather bag I hardly used. Stored it away and it ended peeling and so had bin it!

I had quite an affluent, although absolutely shit, childhood so nothing really of my own input. This thread has reminded me of a friend from my childhood who, having been raised without many basics, absolutely hoarded towels. There was stacks upon stacks of folded white fluffy towels in the bathroom. There must have been 30 or 40 towels for a family of 4. That always struck me as really sad. (That would have been bath towels - hand towels & flannels not included)

We often had no toothpaste so used salt to clean our teeth. Toilet paper was newspaper

I remember this too. It made your gums bleed! Also, the lavatories were halfway up the street and the neighbours took it in turns to cut the newspaper up into small squares and hang it behind the door on a piece of string.
Having to keep a bucket in the cellar in case the kids needed the loo in the middle of the night. Waking up my big brother or a parent to come with me down the two flights of stairs to the cellar at 3am. Scary times 😮

I won't turn the heating on until there's ice on the inside of the windows and even then, I may not. I wear layers of clothing all winter.

I got booted out of a renter once as the LL decided that by not heating the place, I was harming it and he was probably right but .....I saved enough money to buy houses to let out in my middle age and they will see me through my old age as a pension fund that is growing in value so I don't regret being tight with money back then.

Growing up in a freezing cold council house hardened me up and even now, I still like to be cool/cold. I will also cut the top of toothpaste and jiggle my toothbrush in the opened tube to get the last bits out and I have dozens of tightass things like that that I do. I also can't bear to chuck away cardboard boxes for some reason.

On the flip side, a neighbouring farmer sold up and left three feral cats behind to fend for themselves and I have been feeding and housing them and now have them tame and I am proud of how healthy they look now in comparison to when I first noticed they were starving and miserable. I have fallen in love with them totally and I spend an absolute mint on them.

I grew up mostly clothed by the generosity of DM’s friends with kids a little older than me. If a friend has had a clear out of things that might fit me and can’t be bothered to deal with the pile in the way of their choice I will do it for them for the small commission of having a pick through!

My mum too. Even now, at 86, she slathers it on two slices of bread for tea and thinks it’s the most luxurious thing in the world.

My kids have enough uniform for a fresh set every day and a few spare sets as well. Yes, that includes a fresh jumper daily.

Growing up I had one set of uniform I.e. one skirt, 1 polo shirt and one jumper (that wasnt even the logo one as that was too expensive). If you got it dirty on the Monday you had to wear it all week. Much to the glee of the school bullies who had something else to bully you for that week.

Also mess.

It really stresses me out still. Growing up our house was basically hoarder standards and never clean.

Ds has made a huge mess of toys in the living room yesterday and it wasn’t cleaned up last night which is rare. I spent all morning in the garden as the mess stressed me out so much and dh was so chilled like ‘ ah leave it, it’s only toys, he can play with later and we can clean up tonight.
So I cut the grass and worked from laptop outside instead of stress panic cleaning