What was your standard of living growing up?

[TazzyDrunk]

I would say it was fairly good , not overly impressive but no real financial problems that me and my brother noticed

I was born in the early 70s on a quite nice council estate which was in a very depressed area. The local steelworks had closed a little before I was born so most men were out of work.

The steelworks had been the main employer for the area so young people leaving school had trouble and most of my friend's and neighbour's Dad's were unemployed.

We were lucky that my Dad had a job and so did my Mum. There were 4 kids in a small house but we always had a nice Christmas and usually a caravan holiday in Cornwall or Wales.

We never ate out...I had my first meal out aged 14 with friends parents. When I branched out and made friends in neighboring towns who were middle class, I was astounded at the food they ate. More sophisticated than mine.

I realise now that what we ate had more in common with a wartime diet than a convenience food 1970s diet. Everything was seasonal as some men in my village had allotments...despite working full time, my Mum always made things herself.

I remember when I was smaller, we didn't really have proper beds or carpets though....there was no real financial help from government for families then...and I think the cost of living was high.

I had a pound a week from my Nan and that was all the sweets I got. As a really little child, my Mum didn't work and I'd have some jelly tots or something now and then.

I didn't have many clothes as a teen so got a job aged 14 and from then on, bought all my own.

Poor as fuck. Often no food. No heating. No electric at times. I see adverts or campaigns for child poverty and think bloody hell I grew up like that and I never even realised it wasn’t normal until I was about 20.

Cancer and addiction were the cause.

Very good as far as I was concerned. We weren’t loaded but always owned our own home. House was always nicely decorated and warm. Always had food on the table etc. My parents built a house when I was about 13 so we rented while that was being built. We ate out for Sunday lunch most weeks. I never wanted for anything,my parents spent a lot of time with us and were always present as such. We usually went camping several times every summer and had a holiday abroad most years. We spent a lot of time sailing too. My Df Had a small sail boat that he would take me out on. He also had a motorbike when I was about 7/8 and would take me off on it!! (Sometimes I wonder what my mother was thinking to let me go off on a motorbike ) I wouldn’t let my dh take my dd!!!

Poor. My parents owned their terraced house but I remember the excitement when 'the block scheme' started doing a new roof which was the whole row so maybe it was ex-council? This would have been late 80s so I'm not quite sure what all that was about. Dad worked all manner of shifts at various factories as he had no schooling and mum worked in a local shop around my school hours, as when she was pregnant with me, she had to leave her better paid secretarial job (early 80s). We never ate out, takeaways were only a once in a blue moon thing, never had sweets, fizzy drinks or had brand name food. I remember getting bullied at high school for wearing off-brand trainers for PE and crappy bags. I've got some odd spending habits now as a result!

We got by. Dad worked for the council, Mum was sahm to 3 dc. Enough money for enough food on the table, the house was warm enough and we had a UK caravan holiday (in our Grandad's caravan to start with until we could afford our own) each year for 3 weeks. Mum made our clothes and we didn't have that many material things, but we had the usual toys for birthdays that 70s kids had. We didn't eat out except for birthdays, 4 times a year.

DH and I both work, we have a UK and an abroad holiday each year and I probably have more in savings than my parents had at the same age. My DDs also benefit far more from material things and nice clothes being available, and DD1 has been able to go and live away for uni, which was never an option financially for me, even without fees and with grants back then.

We were never rich, but I think we had it pretty good? Mid 90's, but a lot of it was on the never never I think. Council house in good nick (and they put a lot of work into the house, it looked good and was always spotless). Both skilled/qualified. We had plenty of food, toys, books (plus we were taken to the library once a week), decent clothes that fit, satellite tv, internet. We went to the local leisure centre once a week, and the cinema now and again. We had magazines, take aways, and loads of other little treats, days out etc.

My dad was the cherished and spoilt only child of two parents working in a reasonably good job, my mums dad was feckless and they had a hard time of it. So we never wanted for anything, (within reason), but for different reasons for each. All this was before they seperated, and everything changed, but financially things were always good.

Writing that makes me want to go hug my mum.

My father was an officer in the Royal Navy. I grew up on various Married Quarter patches and never realised my dad or our house was any different to the airman's daughters I was friends with. There was no difference between us /our dads ranks in the 70s.

Looking back now I realise the difference. Our large 4/5 bed detached houses were very different to their small 2 bed terraces. But my parents never mentioned anything to me at all and neither did the school ever try and segregate us or anything.

So I grew up in a military privileged environment of more money, better housing etc but literally had no clue at the time.

My mum split from my dad when I was 3 as he became an alcoholic and used to hide bottles of drink behind the sofa etc. She used to send me and my 2 brothers round to his asking for money for gas and electric cause we couldn’t afford it. We lived in 2 hostels for a couple years each then my mum met a bloke who we moved in with then he became violent and was an alcoholic then we moved into another hostel. This was when i was 15 and it was awful, i remember my friends asking where I lived and I used to say I don’t know the name of the street and asking if they could come round and I always made up some excuse. We got hand me down clothes and stuff from charity shops and I remember eating microwave meals quite a lot and the tins of potatoes and veg (soo gross) but my mum worked a few jobs and was poor and tried her best. I always remember at Xmas we had presents and a good dinner (think they were mostly £1 shop presents but we didn’t know any different) we went on 2 holidays a year (the sun £9.50 holidays in a caravan) but again we didn’t know any different so were fun to us. I now have a son and me and partner bought a 4 bed house when I was 22. We saved hard but did eat out and holiday etc. I am determined my son will never grow up like that. Living in hostels with drug addicts was scary and I never want my family to experience that or bullying cause he doesn’t have branded trainers etc. We now holiday 3/4 times a year and before I had my son I managed to buy everything I ever wanted. We don’t drive brand new cars mine is over 10 years old but I will always make sure we can go on days out, eat decent food and wear nice clothes. My childhood wasn’t the best but there were and still are far more worse off people than me.

Like you, OP, mine was fine. Yes, I can see now that money would have been tight, but as a child you don't know any different - never struck me as odd that my Dad went out and taught nightschool, after getting in from his day job. Never struck me as odd we stayed with extended family for our holidays and occasionally borrowed a caravan from parents' friends. With my adult head on I realise this was financial, but was never aware of it growing up.

I don't think you can compare with today's dc's childhoods though. We grew up with single glazed windows and no central heating and a black and white TV you had to wait for it to warm up, but that was the same for everyone in the 60s and in to the 70s. 'Feeling poor' is about feeling you haven't got something "everyone else" seems to have. [Not talking about real 'lack of food' poverty here, but some of the measures used today do seem a bit bizarre]

We were quite poor owing to my Dad being out of work a few times. He was a real grafter too but was unlucky for a while.
My nan filled in the gaps though so we ate well and took a caravan holiday every year.

Fur coat no knickers

Father determined to have MASSIVE house we couldn't afford that needed serious maintenance and decoration, and so was shabby as fuck and freezing all the time.

Constant rows over money, couldn't afford basics like household white goods and clothes, everything was hire purchase or catalogues, or card debt but because of the size of the house we were considered "well off" to peers.

It was a very appearances first vs behind closed doors upbringing.

It was good I was an only child, two working parents, big four bed owner occupied semi in a predominantly LMC area.
Holidays abroad every other year, owned a narrow boat and latterly a static caravan.
Privately educated by way of a scholarship, always plenty of food, clothes and gifts, extra curriculars and music lessons.
Of course I felt pretty impoverished due to being privately educated from the age of seven and the poor comparators of friends whose parents were senior professionals but I definitely had a privileged childhood in an economic sense.

My childhood was pretty affluent - we had big houses, yearly foreign holidays including Florida every few years etc. I don't think I've ever wanted something material and not got it (within reason, obviously). Stark contrast to how my parents were brought up themselves, particularly my mum who came from real poverty.

Born in the late 60's and lived with hippy parents well below the poverty line. Mother had severe mental health issues and I honestly don't know why we weren't taken into care as she was very handy with a belt, hand... whatever was available. Dad worked away and had his own issues so it was all swept h see the carpet really. We had no heating other than a gas fire and candles a lot as no money for the meter and clothes from school jumbles....Less of a stigma during the early 70's but as time went on I was bulled like crazy at school for being poor and strange. Mum was in and out of mental hospital all through the time I lived at home. It came to a head when I was 16 and she had a breakdown and locked me out the house. I moved in with my boyfriend and his mum in London for a few weeks and never went home to live again. I had a terrible education as the lack of parental input meant I didn't really ever do homework or get encouraged at school.
I'm now in my early 50's with a daughter heading towards her late 20's.....she was loved cherished encouraged at school at went to university. I have a decent job and am now happily with a partner we moved away from where my family live and I feel free and happy in my skin ( this is after 2 long violently abusive relationships ) I'm VLC with my mum and can't bring myself to forgive her. Poverty and bad parenting can be overcome but it's a huge struggle. And my lack of education has been a curse tho I have done a lot to catch up I won't ever get the chance to go to university and that hurts

Until I started secondary school it was good. We lived on a nice (they did exist!) Council estate and my parents almost had enough for a deposit on our own house.
They would have been the first people in the street to buy, and only the second in the family.

Then my dad got sick when I was 10. They had to spend all their savings to top up benefits as my dad ended up unable to work and mum was his carer. We were bloody poor during my teens and without help from relatives I dread to think how it would have been. We never went out for meals. I had hand me downs (when I'd always had fab clothes before dad got Ill). I hate charity shops to this day. We had holidays with my aunt who lived by the sea (I think my mum's family paid our fares.) Mum stayed at home with dad when he got too sick to travel so we kids went on our own. Sometimes no money for the electric meter, sometimes no money for toothpaste if it ran out before "payday" . My mum at times would have meat and gravy because she couldn't afford to buy enough meat (chicken or sausage) for us all. I remember a lot of breast of lamb and ham hock which were cheap. My uncle and his wife used to turn up 2 days before xmas with a big food hamper to see us through the holiday.

They were determined I'd go to university though. I got a full grant and in those days could sign on in the summer holidays so I paid my own way when home. My dad died the year after I left university. It was hard but I am grateful for my parents who were determined that I would have a good chance to get out of poverty. And I did.

Glittershake I can relate to your post so much. I’ve got three children and there is no way ever that I would let them grow up in the standards I did. It wasn’t just a financial deprivation, it was mental as well because no one was around to support your education or your emotional needs. Like you, we own our own house, I am a SAHM and doing everything I can to nurture these kids in a way I never was. Sounds like you are doing so well.

I still do the sun holidays though! And I can make a fiver last all week (not that I need to now but old habits! ) And make a full meal for 5 out of a tin of corned beef and some breadcrumbs! Poverty like that never leaves you

Poor. My parents were in LA accommodation and I can never remember eating out. We never got much for birthdays and Christmas was pretty much a non event. The fridge was empty a lot of the time. My parents opted for provident cheques to buy our clothes and other weekly pay back schemes as well as running up debts at the Co-op for clothes and shoes. Perhaps if they had chosen not to drink every night of the week or smoke we would have been better off. We never had a car and I can only remember the odd caravan holiday. This was late 70’s to mid 80’s. My father worked full time and my mother part time until 1980 when she went full time. There was no excuse for the poverty we lived in tbh.

I left home at 18 and went to Uni and never went back home to stay. I’m so glad my children never had the upbringing I had.

Pretty poor.
No holidays, often no food in the cupboards, 2 pairs of (non school) shoes and hand me down clothes from a neighbour down the road. Went on school trips and school was very valued until post GCSE’s when I was considered to be ‘snubbing the family’ when I decided to do A levels and then a degree and so on.
Mum was a single parent and had 3 jobs so I was taught the value of hard work, and I saw the effect of overdue loan payments etc so I knew I needed a decent job myself.

Ok until I was 7, then my parents split and my dad decided paying child support was something he just didnt have to do.
Then we became very very poor. Having our heating and power cut off at times, having my mum eat very little so that her kids could be fed. Everything got on top of my mum and she really struggled.
My mum was a young, overwhelmed single mum and I dont fault her at all for it, but it wasnt a good situation.

Gave me an appreciation of money though and what you can live through, and made me super appreciative of what I have now.

Very good. I grew up abroad in a country that has a good overall standard of living.

We were poor. Council flat, in central London, gas fire in the lounge, parrafin heater in the bathroom. 6 children, eldest is 20 years older than me so he was out of the home when I was born.

Father worked nights, mother worked, early cleaning in offices. Never had takeaways, never went to restaurants. Clothes were homemade and school uniform was handed down from my older sisters, trainers were irrelevant. We had plimsolls. There were meals but no snacks and if we were hungry after dinner it was tough. Holidays were camping, either Scotland - yes, we drove from London to Scotland- or Wales.

Good. My mum was a single parent but with a good career and she earned plenty so we lived in a nice house, always had nice holidays abroad every year and never had any money worries that I can recall. My dad always paid everything he was supposed to, always on time. I was very lucky.

Reasonable I suppose. Small two bed, two sitting room house, pretty garden front and back. Dad was a printer, mum stayed at home. We only heated one room where we sat together in the evening, it was cold going upstairs to the lavatory, I remember putting it off for as long as possible! I'd have to put the bathroom heater on for ages before going in there too. That wasn't unusual then, practically nobody had central heating.

We had a car and quite decent holidays. Like all of us we were better off than some and worse off than others. My mother felt very fortunate because she had grown up as the youngest of ten children and the family was extremely poor. She was always telling me (her only child), I didn't realise how lucky I was and should be more grateful. You can imagine my reaction to that!

Nice house but no money to run it, always cold and hungry. The only groceries in the pantry would be spices. Everything was eaten as it was bought. One of 6 kids, regularly hit by mum. Dad was gentle but would happily spend money on theatre tickets and records whilst we had no food.
We had one family holiday throughout my childhood. My mum would buy every up to date gadget to make life easier, the potato peeling machine definitely didn't work. Basically the potatoes got put in a container and a handle was turned so they revolved against a sand paper interior. It took longer to clean out than peel potatoes by hand.

It was ok.
Owner occupied houses with no issues buying food/heat. 2 cars. Annual holidays / usually in Uk but sometimes abroad (legoland in Denmark / ww1 history trips to France).

Things for difficult in the early 90s as my parents moved to a more expensive house and then interest rates went up really high and things were really tight. I remember my Mum crying when we all needed school shoes at the same time (I have 2 siblings).
Up until that point we had the odd meal out. Birthday parties at Pizza Hut etc. it all stopped. Still got Chinese takeaway as a treat though.

Education was very important. Houses were chosen on school catchments for good state schools and there was lots of extra-curricular support in the form of trips to things relating to school work. We all had instrument lessons at school and my parents (grandparents) funded instrument purchase. There was never any question of "if" with respect to Uni it was always "when".

Educationally my siblings and I have done a lot better than our more privileged peers in the street we grew up in. Lots of them were privately educated, had loads of foreign holidays etc. but didn't go to such good universities or get "good" jobs afterwards. My Dad (who can be a bit of a dick) loves to point out to their parents how well his state educated children have done in comparison. Sigh.

My Grandparents helped (a lot after 1993) so as children we were insulated from the financial thing to a degree - they bought nice Christmas presents/ subsidised the foreign holidays and gave us all an allowance at University to live off.

Tellingly my mother didn't return to work but instead made snide comments about X's Mum who worked in Tesco. If she had gone to work in Tesco (or a similar job - she herself hadn't achieved much at school because I think her mother thought she would just get married) things would have been much easier financially but I think she was:

1. scared of failing at a job
2. very enmeshed in her role as a SAHM to a professional man and couldn't see it was all fur coat & nae knickers.