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

[VladmirsPoutine]

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.

Oh and Toffee Pops biscuits. Chocolate and caramel. I remember Mum bring some home from the shops (just the once) and we unwrapped them with great reverence then scoffed the lot in one go!

I can now leave lights on if I'm leaving the room for a few moments to fetch something or go to the loo.

When we were growing up my dad's favourite saying was 'the washing machine/cooker/PC does not require a light to function'.

Deep baths or showers that lasted longer than two minutes (we had an immersion tank in the attic so woe betide us if we let the hot water run out)

Foreign holidays, especially if they involved air travel

Petrol usage (my dps are still obsessed with how many miles per gallon they use)

New bedding and towels (my dps still have stuff knocking around from thirty years ago)

Decorating a room unless it’s completely falling apart (new furniture ditto)

Oh yes, and leaving lights on!

I still have bedding and towels from 30 years ago. In fact visitors use the duvet covers that DP and I used as teenagers about 40 years ago.

Not turning lights off when leaving a room was a definite no-no, a rare trip to the Wimpy bar was considered a 5 star dining experience. Lucozade was reserved for serious sickness.

A lot of us did eat crap though. I remember jam sandwiches, findus crispy pancakes, deep fried chips. Don't remember huge amounts of fruit and veg. Plus everyone was always smoking, including in the car. The volume we ate was smaller though, I don't remember much snacking (except plain biscuits), and of course we were out and about much more with freedom to ride around on bikes all day at a young age.

Lucozade was sold as a drink only to be drunk when ill in bed. Then suddenly someone realised that that severely limited their market.

Vienetta or vendetta as my granny called it, only ever eaten when you had guests for sunday lunch!
On holiday we were allowed an icecream everyday, there were 4 dc and dad, we were never allowed to get them from the icecream van though, we went to the supermarket and bought the multipack that was on offer.
Mcdonalds, on a sat after shopping, but never a happy meal, (dont think they were around then 🤔) it was either fries or a burger never both and we had to eat them in the car which was parked a 10 minute walk away.
Cornettos were def a posh icecream.
Fizzy drinks at xmas and parties only.
Christ my dc do not realise how lucky they are!

Brasty I’ve still got some from when i was a student, which we use on single duvets for camping, sleepovers etc. But it was a big day in my youth if Mum or Dad came home with new bedding or towels. In fact, I remember a couple of those events quite distinctly!

I see what you mean TealStar

Philippa we’re like that about ice creams as a family today
The multipacks are so much cheaper!

My parents have the same boiler that the house was built with in the 60,s

Putting the heating on, especially at night when the rest of the house are in bed. I stick mine anytime I feel like it now

Tumble dryers. I’m still baffled as to why we actually had one. To suggest using it was met with open faced alarm and inevitably being told we might as well burn money on the kitchen table. We dried clothes on an airer or in front of the stove while the dryer gathered dust.

We had no central heating and the hot water had to be turned on a half hour in advance. Totally take oue combi boiler and heating for granted now!
I never got new clothes as a child, always second hand. Which I hated but now get the odd thing second hand for me and my son.
We never had takeaways. McDonald's once a year and only fries so never got the happy meal toy (and didn't understand why not!)
I wasnt allowed sugar as a child, now have chocolate/cake/biscuits every day.
We only visited family, never had 'proper' holidays with my dad (did with my mum, well camping ones)
Never stayed in hotels, I remember one occasion when we did and it was a bloody treat.
My son basically has everything on a plate, and I'm realising I had quite a reprived childhood!

God so much. A shower/bath everyday. Toiletries, I never had my own tooth brush, deodorant etc.

Stationary. I almost fainted when I went round a friend’s house and her parents had a box of A4 she could help herself to.

My parents saw deodorant as a luxury item and conditioner

My mum would never let us have salad cart at harvesters as she said you had to pay extra 🤔 ex h pissed himself laughing when I told him he wasn't allowed as we hadn't paid extra. Then he explained it was free.

My mum denies all knowledge of this now.

Coffee was a rare treat, now it's an everyday thing. My mum would be horrified if she could see people walking along the street with a coffee to take to work when there is a kettle on the premises.

Yeah Lucozade I love Lucozade but as a child it was only ever sold in chemists in mysterious orange bottles with orange sort of shiny paper around it .

My grandma bless her always had a bad cough and would always have cherry tunes in her bag she would always offer us one as a treat

You knew you were proper poorly when you got lucozade loved taking the foil off, plastic bottles don't taste the same.