Grow up Broke? What did it teach you?

[Averageman]

Just an interesting perspective on what Life's lessons taught you.

[Gem1950]

A lot of people are "poor" growing up, it's a matter of being taught industry and self reliance or lethargy and dependence.

But to your point, one learns to make due with less and appreciate what one earns.

I'm afraid that the "Boomers" were the last generation to have the free enterprise/work ethos instilled in them. Younger good citizens on this site excepted of course. 😎

[k9barco]

It taught me that I didn’t need material things to be happy.

[chuckman]

My dad retired from the Marine Corps in 1975, died in 1977. My mother never had two nickels to rub together, she was horrible managing money.

She had cars repossessed, we had utilities shut off, my first pair of name brand tennis shoes was when I was in seventh grade. I think that was the only pair of tennis shoes not from Kmart until I got to maybe 10th grade. In elementary school they sold ice cream for $0.15, and we never had money for me to get ice cream.

But I ate, I had a roof over my head, and I know she did her best. What did it teach me? Life is hard, but hard times make hard men.

[Sam]

It taught me not to borrow, spend only what I have and save.

[Ready.Fire.Aim]

Learned to work hard if you wanted something.
Being thrifty is a virtue.

Grew up very blue collar in a very low income area. Was able to work to earn money as a young kid for things I wanted. Allowances were unheard of in our town.

Almost any kid 10 and up could find work. Working on farms, Mowing yards, hauling hay at 2 cents a bale, sweeping up at gas stations was very common.

My wife grew up same way.
Around 12, She once cleaned up dogshit in a lady’s yard, was paid a nickel a piece and was thrilled to earn it.
Walked across town and babysat for $4 a day, 8 hours. Worked in dime stores, any where that used to hire girls. She has creepy yet funny stories about a lecherous comb-over boss hitting on her as a teenager at the dime store she worked at.
Her dad was Army Korean War combat vet, he would have beat that guy to a pulp.

She still picks pecans to sell and is extremely thrifty.

[KUSA]

Just an interesting perspective on what Life's lessons taught you.

A few things.
1. To be grateful for what I do have.
2. Not to waste anything.
3. If I wanted something, I had to work my butt off to get it.
4. An appreciation for things I earned.

[gunnerblue]

I don't know if we were broke so to speak, but neither of mybparents made much money starting out. I distinctly remember at about age six or so asking my mother why my friend had so many more TMNT toys than I did. Her response was that they had more money than we do. This has stuck with me ever since as a constant reminder than things have value and must be worked towards and that it is important to live within one's means. I've learned as I've gotten older to also be grateful for what I have. My own kids (six and four) have a lot of toys, vacations etc due to my amount of disposable income and I sometimes wonder whether or not to deny them something to teach the same lesson I learned.

[gunnerblue]

A lot of people are "poor" growing up, it's a matter of being taught industry and self reliance or lethargy and dependence.

But to your point, one learns to make due with less and appreciate what one earns.

I'm afraid that the "Boomers" were the last generation to have the free enterprise/work ethos instilled in them. Younger good citizens on this site excepted of course. ��

Deleted

[Gem1950]

Or facts.

When one's parents lived through the Great Depression and WWII one is faced with a different set of values and experiences than those prior or post that era.