My family wasn't poor, but my mother acted like we were. She scrimped and saved like we were living during the depression.

My parents provided the basic necessities and we had a modest home to live in. I only got mad later in life when I found out how much true wealth my parents actually hid from us as kids and had refused to send any of us to college. I try not to be bitter about that.

I actually liked the fact that my parents didn't buy us gaming systems or lots of electronics. I am glad that I had a childhood where I left the house everyday to go run in the hills or down to the local park to play handball with other kids. You wouldn't catch me at home watching TV.

Because there wasn't much around the house to do, we went out to find things to do. Because my parents didn't give us much, it pushed us forward to try to gain things for ourselves as adults. My siblings and I are still a bit dysfunctional because of the dysfunctional family life we had, but we've all grown into rather productive adults.

My family is middle class. I am an only child (my mom had serious infertility problems and I was the only baby that ever survived). My family doesn't buy the fancy cars or the big house or designer clothes. We save up our money so we can go on family vacations to really cool places. We always camp wherever we go so it is traveling as cheap as can be. I know that I have so many better memories and a happier childhood for being able to visit cool places and bond with my family instead of getting the coolest new whatever.

Buuuut despite the house, I have great memories of camping in Europe, my dad was a tramp to live with but I have some great childhood memories : )

We were hard up a lot of the time because it was the 70s and in the UK we had a recession, so nearly all the men in my lane got laid off. We were so poor my Dad made us porridge with water and cut it inot slices so all 7 of us got an equal share lol!

We were so poor my Aunty Judy used to cut our hair with an actual pudding bowl and paid US for sitting still!

We couldn't afford to put the heating on so my Dad nailed a massive plastic sheet across the stairs and we stayed in the one room until the very last minute then ran up the stairs in pyjamas, socks, dressing gowns and hats.

Oh no... its ok mills...... it made me a much better person as some have mentioned here... Im just glad I could do more for my kids....

My step father was a very abusive asshole and my mother let him get away with it.. My father knew but didnt care..... that was much worse then living poor...

I love you mills.... have I ever told you that?

Wow,

This is kind of hard to write about........We were neglected so badly as children. I didn't have a birthday cake until was 15.......And I baked one for myself :-) There was food in our house, but us kids were not allowed to have any. They starved us. The school stepped in and told them that they had to give us money for lunch.

Bastards !!!!

Aw wally : ( some people don't deserve to have kids

and you bear : ( x

Beastie I mean that's sad, not that your parents were bad, don't know your story, just made me feel sad.

aww wally your parents didn't deserve you!! You are such a nice caring person, your parents didn't deserve to have such a wonderful child! Big Hugs. You too beast I am so sorry you had a bad childhood, but I am so glad you broke the cycle and raised your babies right and now are helping out your grandbabies too!!

We were not too poor but sure had hand me down clothes, never were rich that is for sure, I guess we were middle class somewhere, but mom grew up dirt poor during Depression-never let us forget, would say you have NO IDEA what it means to be poor.

When I got divorced my income took a big hit, did not get alimony, did not ask for it, did not want to aggravate my ex, tried to do divorce "right" LOL LOL

Me-daughter have were "low income" lived in low income housing, got food assistance, LEAP for heating bills, the whole nine yards. She grew up that way. She has been on SSI since a baby, for multiple handicaps so we lived off that plus whatever jobs I could get, which was hard when she had physical, occupational, therapies, 3-4 times a week. Was in special ed, wears hearing aids since age 3.

I am still low income, NO income, NO job, tho am due to get "placed" in job after Thanksgiving, from DVR-Division of Vocational Rehab through my state, program for those who are mentally, physically disabled

Thank goodness for school free breakfast-lunch programs too, that helped, summers were hard, hard to afford more food.

Just realized mom was born in 37' and granny was one who really lived in depression, but mom has early memories, and family was still poor during 40's, never had much, she recalls eating bread dipped in grease.

We weren't as hard up as some of the people on here experienced but i just wanted to share something with everyone.

My dad was quite poor, he used to joke that the dog ate better than us. The dog was on the best food while we lived on value sumermarket branded food.

My dad used to save up all of his pennies from the week and we'd count them on a sunday morning and he'd take me to the markets and buy me toys with his pennies.

It kinda sums up my dad. He'd give everything to everyone else and go without himself. I'd give everything i have now and go back to that time with him if i could. Those were the best days of my life!