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.

CappuccinoCake 9% of things on here I think of as normal.

9% is very precise, did you go through all 30 pages?

90%!!! I meant most... oops!!

Real coffee as opposed to instant. Mum caved and bought a French press in the mid 80s. Never looked back.

According to mum for many years, microwaves were all very well and mighty fine but, but, but... So Dad seized his opportunity and bought one when she took a trip to visit me after DD1 was born in 1990. She had worried that he would never be able to take care of himself for her two week absence.

No coffee at all as a child. I was 14 when I even tasted instant.

Hi all,

Thanks for the classics nominations - we're sending this over now.

Aaah classics! Lovely! Well worth it!

Chicken. Brought up with chicken was a luxury. Mainly for Christmas Day. Rarely throughout the year.

Reply to Wren Natsworthy. Yes, Vienetta was a luxury too.
Australia here. I was the same with my kids too.

LornaMumsnet I'd like to thank my parents! . And also my second oldest sister that used to steal my chips which has made me eat chips these days in record time!

Omg this could be the best thread ever! Only skimmed and need to read all 30 pages, but the ones that immediately jumped out at me were that Vienetta and Cornettos were posh and special, and these only appeared at Xmas. During the year we bought boxes of broken biscuits and "damaged" Cadbury cakes off the local market, but at Xmas we got the perfect versions of both because "it was Xmas" 😍. My mum also had a weird pork pie grading system - in the year if we had pork pies they were the small individual ones, but at Xmas we had to buy one of those cut up and share massive ones from the butcher (full of jelly and nastiness) 🤢. We also had special plates and crockery that only came out at Xmas. I confess though this is one thing I have carried on. Also we could only ever have egg and lemon shampoo in some tanker size container as someone used to come round selling it. I was also lead to believe (partly mum and partly due to Adrian Mole books) that Sainsbury's was really posh and only vicars and teachers shopped there and I couldn't afford it. Same with M&S. My auntie used to buy me M&S gift sets and I thought she must be loaded.

I don't think sainsburys is "posh but we certainly cant afford to shop there!!

Is yhis mainly a case of some people (mumsnet demographic) becoming more affluent? I'm v well educated but not particularly well off so so much of this thread still applies to my children rather than being weird things people used to do. A lot of it is money saving.

egg and lemon shampoo

What an odd mix of flavours!

We used to have viscount biscuits only at Christmas-they were a bit posh!

Cappuccino - yes, that's certainly the case for me, we are not super affluent but much more so than my childhood. I do think as well though that some things have changed their price in relation to other things, and are relatively much cheaper. And also it is about perception - our parents may have perceived certain things as being expensive and wasteful, even if they weren't actually that expensive, because of their own childhoods - like me and Cornettos!

The one that has stuck with me (and my sister), and we both still struggle to shake off, is that you don’t actually HAVE to have a carpet down for 20 years before you replace it. My parents were of the post war generation that you when you bought furniture you bought the best you could afford, then it would never need replaced,no matter if you were sick of the sight of it.
My stair carpet has been down for over 10 years and I’m trying to justify (to myself) replacing it, as there’s nothing actually wrong with it. What will happen is that I’ll eventually justify it in my head, mention it to dh and he’ll just say, yeah if you want....

My stair carpet has been down for over 10 years and I’m trying to justify (to myself) replacing it, as there’s nothing actually wrong with it.

I don't think your parents' views on replacing carpets is actually anything unusual!

If there's nothing wrong, I wouldn't replace it. If you absolutely hated it, though, then that's a valid reason (as something is wrong!) but otherwise, no-I wouldn't. That would apply to most expensive furniture items/white goods etc as well!

Stork SB margarine, butter as a treat
Using the tumble drier was the height of extravagance
Heating rarely on
A chicken lasted for several meals

AAppuskiddo, I fancy a change of colour scheme and what we have down won’t tone well with it, it’s a headfuck I can tell you!😂

Well, that is a problem then; the colour is wrong! You are perfectly justified in getting a new carpet .

My parents are exactly the same!

I am so tight for cash that I won't ever buy kitchen roll. I think it's terrible for the environment aswell!

My poor kids! They'll think it "posh"

I also won't buy "fancy" cereal....only as a treat. We have oats, cornflakes OR weetabix.

After 8's are best when they've been in the fridge....

That 'snap', delicious!

You see that's practically my definition of 'posh' right there - being able to afford to change a carpet because it doesn't fit with your planned colour scheme!

For 20 years I've had to plan the colour scheme round the carpet...

Shoes! My mother (who had LOADS of shoes and boots) insisted that I only ever needed one lair of shoes at a time. These shoes would serve for school, "best", playing out, climbing trees, camping with Guides, EVERYTHING. I had plimsolls in my PE kit at juniors and she complained blue murder when my secondary said plimsolls were not acceptable and that I should have trainers. When I was a bridesmaid (for my aunt - mums sister) she painted my black school shoes with the white stuff used to 'refresh' sports shoes and then washed it off afterwards! The other bridesmaids had lovely satin shoes and my aunt wanted to buy me some too but mum said it would be 'spoiling' me!

I have shoes, boots, trainers, sandals in all shades and styles these days! Mother would be horrified!

Yes chicken.

Once a year at christmas.

Also things like a telephone, central heating, a fridge
First time I ate a roast dinner I was 14.

Chicken was a massive treat . I used to be so excited to have chicken and chips !