How wealthy was your family?

[monster]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

My family were poor by today's standards, and still reasonably poor by the standards of the day. I remember getting our telephone, and our first fridge freezer - prior to that it was the callbox on the corner and a larder fridge with a tiny icebox.

We didn't have a car when I lived at home, and hired one to go on holiday - although we went every year it was always camping and never at a time when the weather was really suitable as the prices were too high on those weeks.

My parents cooked "real" food - making their own chips, breading their own fish, lots of casseroles with cheaper cuts of meat and mince (ground) beef that had to have the fat skimmed off it a couple of times before use. We always had enough to eat, but towards the end of the month the choices would diminish - cheese or ham for sandwiches, no crisps (chips) with packed lunch, a biscuit (cookie) wrapped in foil rather than a chocolate biscuit bar.

Both my parents worked, and worked shifts, so there was always someone home, when we woke up, when we came home for lunch, when we got home from school. It was a great way to grow up.

We went to the cinema about once a year - it was a big treat. We saved all our pocket money after Christmas for our holiday, so we could buy seaside tat, postcards and ice cream. We only ever went out to dinner when family visited (and paid for it) and we always packed our own food when we went anywhere, rather than eating at the concessions. I envied the children eating burgers and drinking out of waxed paper cups with straws - we'd be sharing a limp sandwich and a warm lemonade.

I remember my first visit to McDonalds and I wondered about the fact our burgers were in paper, as were our fries, when other people had burgers in polysterene boxes and cardboard. I silently concluded that we'd had to buy the cheapest option, although it was probably more to do with portion size than money.

That about sums up mine too, SG. My mum's family were wealthier, but they wisely did not subsidize my parents. When they died, my mum quickly pissed away her inheritance. Good job I'm not relying on getting it one day!

[Cloud]

I thought it was odd that I'm the only one who didn't say they were poor to middling when they were growing up.

I was poor as an adult, 'cause I didn't follow my sisters' footsteps and marry a rich lawyer.

But I'm the only one. And I was thinking about how abysmally lazy and sloppy I am. I'm sure that had something to do with it.

[Happy Monkey]

I didn't mean to imply that my family was poor to middling; we just lived a more frugal lifestyle than we could have. Which is good, IMHO.

[Cloud]

frugal is good, yep.

[glatt]

Oh, and in my answer, I didn't mean to imply that we were somehow unhappy. I had a very rich childhood, even though we didn't have a lot of money.

[Clodfobble]

Plus, it's all extremely relative. We had tight times, but we were still very middle class, especially compared to some of the other experiences on here. I had friends in school whom I knew lived much more meagerly than I did, but it just wasn't a topic any of us really worried about one way or another.

[TheMercenary]

Interesting reading. Thanks to all who posted.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by glatt

Oh, and in my answer, I didn't mean to imply that we were somehow unhappy. I had a very rich childhood, even though we didn't have a lot of money.

Same here. Yes I sulked a little because there were some things I couldn't have (the Play-Doh Barbers Set comes to mind) but mostly what we didn't have made us closer. My sister and I had two stuffed toys called Monkey and Jerry (Monkey was my imaginative name - she was a monkey) and we played with them for hour upon hour. They went shopping, to the hairdressers, to school etc etc. And we certainly didn't need a "set" or accessories that cost £24.99 in order to make them real to us.

Also, I know it was crummy that my parents on some shifts didn't see eachother all that much, but it lead to such a balanced childhood parenting-wise. I grew up seeing a man do the sewing, cooking, cleaning, bathing etc. Also my Dad was slower to anger than my Mum, but actually had higher standards in he behaviour he expected. I wouldn't trade the hours I spent with him for all the toys and fast food in the world.

[DanaC]

Also, I know it was crummy that my parents on some shifts didn't see eachother all that much, but it lead to such a balanced childhood parenting-wise. I grew up seeing a man do the sewing, cooking, cleaning, bathing etc.

Yep, me too. With Dad being a nightworker he was usually the one at home when I finished school, especially once mum went to nursing college and had to do different shifts.

[Cloud]

well, one thing I learned for sure growing up in a wealthy area was that money does not buy happiness. Often the richest families were the most fucked up.