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.

Lucozade (only for hospital stays). Choccie biccies (Christmas time), peanuts and cheesey biccies (Christmas also). Not complaining at all. I think it was the thing at the time and unfortunately now I tend to have those things whenever I want them (except lucozade which I now think is rank - but was nectar when it was rare!!) so they are deemed no longer special. Though I really should diet so in the future these things would be very special and rare indeed!!!

Milk was very 'precious' in our house when I was a child. I think it came down to the fact that most milk in those days (60's/70's) was delivered each morning. So mum knew what she had and how it needed to last until 7am the next day.
God forbid any of us 'helped ourselves' to milk, to the point that I'd even ask if I could have a glass of milk for years after being a child.

Definitely eating out. A day trip with my mum will always be made tense by my suggesting we have lunch and her saying no, it's too expensive, she wouldn't enjoy it. She'd rather bring a bottle of water and marmalade sandwiches.

This definitely. My mum and dad would take bread rolls and hard boiled eggs. I used to be so jealous of all the other families tucking in to nice meals in the cafes. It's only as I got older that I realised how expensive it would have been to eat out as a family of 5 and that they were already treating us to a day out which would have cost money.

Oh yes, the reused wrapping paper! My friends used to make fun of how slowly and carefully I opened presents, but it was so the paper could be flattened out and reused for Christmas/birthday next time round!

And the bucket in the kitchen for rubbish! This is taking me back...

Our days out consisted of paste sandwiches, a large bottle of made up squash and a wagon wheel.
We'd get an ice cream though or a fancy bun from the bakers, a bag of chips was our usual tea and we loved it.

We didn't have to reuse wrapping paper, but that was as dad had bought thousands of A1 sheets of misprinted florists paper in about 1973 (he tells me this was the second lot, but its always been the same paper to me). Everything was wrapped in that paper - school books, birthday presents, christmas presents. There's still plenty of paper left under the bed!

If you've got smaller kids, reused wrapping paper is really, really good for pass-the-parcel! If you alternate one layer of used wrapping paper, and one layer of newspaper, it also makes it really easy for the kids to distinguish between the different layers (and not try to rip of six layers at once...)

I still always reuse gift bags - why would anyone not? And paper, if it's nice, too.

KFC gravy, never to be eaten by us children, too expensive for us. Parents had it though. Now I'm like 'two gravy...gravy everywhere'

Naan bread - see above reasons. FML now I have garlic and cheese naan.

Iceland food was off limits but the adverts used to get us kids every time. So much that one of our birthday treats was a dinner made of all foods from Iceland!

I think they were called boasters? Quite big cookie type biscuits, with chocolate chips and big bits of hazelnut, never to touch those

After eights and matchmakers...never!

Forrero Roche ( apologies if I've spelt that wrong but I was never ever allowed to touch these) I remember getting money for a birthday and buying them I was so desperate to try them!

Ours was all food oddly, and now they wonder why me and the siblings are a little overweight when they deprived us of all the good stuff (whilst eating it themselves) and at the first opportunity we had we went out and buy all this crap now.

Lots of things but I remember looking out of the window each week as the 'pop van' rolled up and delivered a crate of pop to the house over the road, desperately wishing we were getting a delivery! We had squash if we were lucky but it was served very weak as it had to last.

We had the most horrible squash which was basically coloured chemicals. Was very happy when Mum decided my brothers tantrums were due to this squash and got us squash with real juice in it.

We also had the reusing wrapping paper and Mum still has some lovely brown floral patterned wrapping paper from the 70s.

Christmas presents would get bought in Jan sales and kept in the presents drawer.

I think my grandad served that squash Lily. It used to make my throat feel tight. Have never had that with any drink since.

I never realised how bad that squash was until we tried the real fruit one then after a while tried the old one - it was just like drinking chemicals and when Mum looked at the ingredients list the number of E numbers in it was horrendous and so it probably was drinking chemicals. Even my Mum agreed it had been terrible.

Variety Advent calendar in our Tesco this morning. Huge stack if them but not near the cereal, on a display at the end of the fresh meat section.
Even person on till didn't know they had them
DH will be happy and all nostalgic when I present him with his on Dec 1st.

I think we had the same 'throat tightening' squash too. Looking back I would say it caused mild asthma. I think it was the preservative.

Has anyone mentioned the radio times? Only at Christmas

We used to get the Radio Times only at Christmas too. And Shloer was only at Xmas too.

Just remembering those delicious tuna paste sandwiches for packed lunch at school, used to dread those.

Must have been similar in France as my French DH would always tell me I couldn't have butter and jam on my baguette it was butter or jam and only on one half. He also used to have holes in all his towels and socks when we met despite coming from a fairly wealthy family. Eventually persuaded him to donate them to the charity shop and put a note in apologising plus lots of good stuff as it was only way could get him to get rid of them.

I think I had it easy judging by this thread - a warm house, healthy food, extra-curricular activities, and we had the Radio Times all year round!

DS bought some After Eights today with his pocket money and had 50p left over.

I remember them being special precious things.

Butlins

I longed to go to Butlins

The power of advertising ☺️

Jealous!!!

I went to Butlins with my friend and family when I was 13 all the way to Somerset, i was so excited to be going so far away and to Butlins Redcoats getting to stay ourselves in the clubroom at night till 9.30 I was giddy 😂

And her family*