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.

Jus remembered.....decent sanitary protection.

This was just after belts went out and stick ons came in. Not allowed to use tampons as we were "too young", she was tight as a ducks arse though and I am sure it was to do with cost, because she was suddenly ok with it when I bought them out of my paper round money.

We only got the absolute cheapest crappiest pads available and then would constantly get bollockings for leaks staining our underwear and made to wash our pants by hand. The fear of leaks at school was constant :(

Needless to say all 4 of my girls get/will get brand name of whatever sort suits them best and to hell with the cost.

Sorry, that wasnt light hearted at all was it?! Funny what stays with you......

Pyongyang i totally get it. My mother (in the late 90s, mind you!!) wouldn't buy me sanitary products unless I asked for them (I had no pocket money either) and I was expected to make one small pack last my whole period. I had to ration 1 a day after day 3 and also lived constantly in fear of leaks. I used toilet paper as backup.

Definitely not allowed tampons.

I now have plentiful supplies of sanitary products in my downstairs bathroom for anyone who needs to use them (I use a mooncup tho) and I always have extra in my bag in my cosmetics zip case!!!

Funny what stays with you indeed.....!!!

Similar here (mid-late 80's) definite ice cream hierachy. Also 1 pack of pads (10 to last all period). Hand me down clothes. Was such a liberation when I could start earning my own money (aged 14)

The only thing I can really think of is orange juice. We only had it at Christmas. When I first met dh, he wouldn’t drink squash, only fresh juice and would buy the 4 for £3 deals with various juices and drink them by the pint 😵 actually it still grates on me when he asks for a pint of juice, that’s half a carton on one go!

We also once had a vienetta for nostalgia and he cut it in half! Half each 😵 surely about 3 ripples is a portion?!

No hairdryer - when we washed our hair once a week we had to sit in front of the gas fire with a towel round our shoulders. It seems pathetic looking back. Our hair was crap anyway because we had no means of styling it (no lotion, hairspray, putty not invented - not for hair anyway) so we just had to comb it and hope for the best.

The fashion was for long sleek straight hair - mine had a bit of a wave so was a nightmare to try to look decent. Now it is heavenly to dry and style with a hairdryer and styling brush. Oh, and we weren't allowed to have a bath or wash our hair during our periods 'because you'll get a chill' . Grim.

artic roll was for special occasions I never remember getting a cornneto and still think of them as expensive ice creams. I remember Feats and a mint with a chocolate centre lolly they seemed very grown up and special

We had posh cups and saucers for when we have guests and used the front room

Going to a Bernie Inn for a £4.99 3 course meal we even wore our nice clothes it was such a treat and I can still remember the thrill of it especially as it was dark when we left the restaurant

Getting a taxi was the height of sophistication

I only remember having one Chinese take away prawn balls and egg friend rice I’m sure we got other dishes

Electricity in general, one light bulb on at a time. For much of the 70s electricity was on a rota anyway (in the whole country) so you’d end up eating Sunday lunch at 11am

Really?!

I still feel like I've won the lottery when I take the DCs for something to eat at a service station. How ridiculous is that! They CANNOT understand how even sniffing the food in a service station was like going over to the dark side when I was a kid. I'm wondering who the hell ate at service stations in the 70s and 80s to keep the cafes in business, because it doesn't sound like it was anyone here!

My Dad died a few years back, but even in their twilight years when they drove anywhere they always had a flask in the car and some homemade sandwiches, so that when they stopped at the service station for a wee, they could have a coffee and lunch without spending any money. Bless them.

I'm wondering who the hell ate at service stations in the 70s and 80s to keep the cafes in business, because it doesn't sound like it was anyone here!

I remember going on a business trip in the 80s, by car. We were working for a penniless charity, so were paying for own lunches, no per diems, etc etc. We stopped off at a service station, me and a colleague bought a plate of chips to share and a couple of coffees, and were AGOG at the board member who came with us who bought a whole, actual meal! Neither of us genuinely had even known anyone who bought an actual, whole meal. I remember it so vividly!

I watched something on TV, it may have been 'home in time for tea' and they said that people used to drive to service stations just to have a meal out. Height of sophistication.

For me. Double glazing. We lived in a council house. Single glazed windows and no central heating til the early 90s. We had scratchy woollen blankets on the bed. I would try not to have them touching my skin as would make me itch. They were warm though.

Should add, the heating never went on till very cold. Would wake up with frosty windows.

These days my parents house is so warm. They come here and say it's cold. It's not. It just not baking.

Oh yes those heavy scratchy blankets! Unpleasant, much prefer a furry throw.

I remember my PJs making little electric sparks on the scratchy blankets, I used to be terrified of being set on fire

My mum caused us to endure nylon sheets for years.

Really nice on a hot night!

misdee my grandparents lived very near a small but international airport. In those days you could go up to the windows and look out directly onto the runway. A regular and fantastic day out was going there first to plane spot and stop at the nearby services for tea. They used to get a "local customer discount" if they showed their council tax bill. It was the mid 90s and there were no such things as food courts in shopping centres etc, so the sheer novelty of my gran having a knife-and-fork dinner while I had a Burger King was really something special.

My dm used to cut up bars of chocolate too but I think more for health than price maybe, it seems sensible to me.
also get to share each others.

I was spoilt. Grew up in the 70's, fruit whenever I asked for it, crisps and an apple in my lunch box every day!

Yep Appu. I remember doing my homework by candlelight.

Another no sanitary products at all deemed too expensive.

And underwear were also a luxury ( 1 pack of undies had to be divided among siblings) so any stained ones were hand washed.
My own DC will get as much sanitary products as they need and underwear is bought year round. DC laugh at me when they also get pack of undies each at Xmas too but they have no idea that it was a luxury item to me at their ages!

Margo I think we occasionally ate at a Little Chef. They used to give you a lollipop for clearing your plate. 🍭

Somebody up thread mentioned Pear’s soap. My MIL (who is really very well off) has pristine Pears soap bars for ‘display’ in her bathrooms. She purses her lips and mutters when it is actually used. I’m sure she thinks I am a terrible spendthrift as I use liquid soap. She eyed up the Baylis & Harding by my kitchen sink once and then went into the cupboard below the sink to get some washing up liquid to clean her hands with. Clearly thought it was just for ‘display’ 😫

Oh yes... I remember the power going off at 6pm or 7pm of an evening and doing my homework by candlelight in the 1970s. The power workers and miners were on strike. Google 'the winter of discontent'.