TexasTillie

I was not poor as a kid but have had experiences as an adult with kids that made me realize that the only things that are necessary for life are air, water, food and shelter. A change of clothes is a plus ! So pretty much everything I have today I consider a luxury; a brick home, hot and cold running water, central air and heat... not to mention my fabulous sewing, embroidery and quilting machines. I am grateful for everything I have.

DebbieJJ

I wake up every morning, I can see and hear and walk and breathe. All are precious to me. As a child, we weren't poor, but we weren't rich either. We raised a garden (I hated hoeing that garden!!!!), but it helped feed me, and we raised our own hogs and beef, and we had a milk cow. We had well water. My mom made her own clothes, and mine and my sister's clothes until I got old enough to be interested and learned to sew, and I made all of our clothes, but she bought my 2 brothers and Daddy's clothes. Oh, and we had a party-line telephone until around 1965 when we finally got a private line....Halleleujah!

tessagin

I am the oldest and got hand me downs from relatives. Hated it. Since there was more than a few years between my sister and I they got new because there were a few years between them also. I admit I was bitter about it because when I went to same school as my cousins who pointed out to others I was wearing their hand me downs. BUT at a school dinner with parents, again I was dressed in a cousin's hand me down. When my parents saw the tears start rolling down my face because of embarrassment and my aunt's even made comments that it looked better on their kids that was the end of that. I got a whole new wardrobe that weekend from head to toe. Never got hand me downs again. That was one time I remember getting an apology from my parents. The weekend after that another aunt from out of town brought some clothes for my brother which were rejected and advised to donate to a charity instead. My brother also got a new wardrobe.

Quilter 53

My DH says he knew he was no longer poor when he no longer had to straighten out bent nails so they could be used again. He hated that job!

tlpa

I love reading everyone's story. With 5 kids in my family, we didn't have a lot. We were clean, had good food and love. My mom worked full time in a 1 parent home, but I didn't feel deprived. We were well aware of our financial constraints, but were still able to pick maybe 1-2 new inexpensive outfits when we went back-to-school, but had mostly hand-me-downs. I was always aware of my friend's limitless gorgeous outfits, but being in a small school, everyone grew up together and we were more like family. We didn't have the awful bullying that happens in today's schools. My luxury: my sewing hobby

JuneBillie

I was rich all my life, but there was little money.

carolynjo

We were as poor as church mice, so to speak. Grew our food and canned or dried everything, but I never went hungry and always had a warm bed to sleep in. Our roof never leaked. We had no car and I could never go to school parties, but I never felt deprived. Made my own clothes. I think I got a valuable education on having the important things in life, not luxuries.

ShirlR

I love your answer! It says it all, thank you! That's the way I feel. Blessings.

sinceresissy

Growing up I thought we were poor but I think we were just frugal. We froze in the winter. We lived in a big drafty old house and my dad kept it cold. I keep my thermostat at 73/74 and if I get cold or hot I click it up/down a notch. I wore hand me downs - hand me downs several times over. We used rags to dust and clean with - no paper products. I don't think paper towels were big then. We did have toilet paper - ha. We had good food but my dad got first choice. I guess all the things made me the woman I am today.

yel

all i have to say is AMEN AMEN