Reddit users swear by a set of unmistakable signs that hint at a person’s humble beginnings, and they’re eager to spill the secrets! From ingenious solutions to wallet-friendly habits, the Internet believes that these 15 subtle cues indicate a frugal upbringing:
15. Lack of Exposure to Cultural Events
“Missing out on experiences that others may take for granted, such as attending concerts, traveling, or participating in extracurricular activities.”
“I think my personal favourite is all my friends asking me “what do you mean you’ve never been there, it’s only an hour away!” Even travelling short distances is too much money.”
“Really identify with this. I grew up very poor in an affluent area and I remember kids constantly talking about a resort town 2 hours away that everyone went to for holidays, where many families owned homes. I could basically name all the businesses and activities at this resort without ever having been there.”
14. Not Having People Over
“Realizing I wanted to have the house that all my kids friends came over to hang out at because that wasn’t really an option for big chunks of my childhood.”
13. Washing ZipLoc Bags
“One day my girlfriend asked me why I’m washing ziploc bags. I told her so we can reuse them later. It was only after the following discussion and some thinking that I realized it’s not very normal.”
“I do this, mostly because it seems insane to me to keep throwing them away and buying new ones because a couple of bread crumbs touched them.”
12. Bad Teeth
“To me, teeth are a status symbol in the U.S. People with straight, white, teeth, that are their own teeth, are either lucky, or they have been able to pay for it.”
“Dental work is a luxury.”
11. Refusing to Waste Food
“Will eat all of the food on their plate, even after feeling full because they can’t waste food.”
“It’s funny because my wife never experienced food insecurity but when we eat, I will wait till she is done eating and finish the food on her plate before considered seconds. It bothers me on an anxiety level to throw away food unnecessarily.”
10. Never Buying New/Full-Priced Clothes
“It just feels illegal.”
“When I was in middle school I got asked why I wore the same pair of pants all the time lol 13yo me didn’t know how to verbalize “um have you SEEN the price of jeans????””
“Can confirm. Grew up dirt poor. Now I make decent money in adulthood. Clearance rack and thrift stores all the way. Buying clothes at full price is unimaginable.”
9. Picking the Cheapest Option at Restaurants
“It’s ok the soup is really enough for me.”
“I used to only eat at home, then maybe 1 or 2 sides if I went to a restaurant with friends or whatever. Then I made enough to look at the burgers and fries. Then later I could afford a desert too. Then one day I could get an appetizer, then an entree AND dessert. I knew I had become legitamely successful when I could go to steak house and nothing was off limits. And now I’m grateful I can afford a good personal trainer because of all that.”
8. Focusing On Quantity vs Quality of Food
“I grew up poor and my husband grew up middle class. Whenever we have guests, I am constantly asking people if they got ENOUGH food. “Is anyone still hungry? I can make something else!” My husband will inquire about the quality of the food and if it is to everyone’s liking. I think when you grow up poor, food is very much quantity over quality.”
“Poor people care about amount of food, middle care about nutrition, rich care about the experience.”
7. “Difficulty Throwing Things Away.”
“But we might be able to reuse this…”
“I still have a single Mechanix glove from a pair I bought in 1995. I can’t seem to convince myself that the other one isn’t gonna turn back up soon, even though it’s been missing for over 25 years and multiple moves.”
“I have a ski jacket that I just can’t throw out because it’s in great condition. There is a picture in my hallway of me and my father and I’m wearing the jacket. That picture was taken in 1992.”
6. Not Replacing Things Unnecessarily
“For me, I have what I call “poverty mentality”, while I can afford new shoes and clothes, they have to be falling apart for me to replace.”
“I will do something like go ahead and buy the new pair of shoes, but keep them stored until the current shoes become completely, 100% non functional. I let my shoes get so bad one time that my friends offered to buy me a new pair. That made me feel bad. I have good friends.”
5. Not Having Seen or Experienced Things Others Take For Granted
“Lack of exposure to cultural events. missing out on experiences that others may take for granted, such as attending concerts, traveling, or participating in extracurricular activities.”
“I think my personal favourite is all my friends asking me “what do you mean you’ve never been there, it’s only an hour away!” Even travelling short distances is too much money.”
“So many common childhood experiences I missed out on because “we don’t have the money for it.” Easter eggs? Nope. Xmas stockings. Nope. Carve a pumpkin? Nope.”
4. “Still Being Poor.”
“This is a very honest and true answer.”
“There was an 800 year study in England that found wealth is more heritable than height.”
“Being poor is expensive.”
3. Hoarding Behavior
“Odd hoarding behaviours of things you probably should have gotten rid of out of fear you won’t be able to replace them easily. I keep a stack of boxes broken down because there’s still this fear in the back of my mind that I’ll have to move again at a moment’s notice.”
“I have a box from our Xmas party at work under my desk and one of the other ladies asked me today why I still had it. All I could say was “….it’s a good box””
2. Guilt About Spending Money on Themselves
“I will think about something that would improve my life for three months before I buy it…but I can impulsively buy food, alcohol, or something stupid in a heartbeat.”
“It’s weird because I can buy *anything* for my wife and kids, but cannot spend a dime on myself without feeling like I’m taking it from them, and I make far more money than I ever thought I would.”
“I still get anxious when I spend money on literally anything, including bills and food, which are essentials.”
1. The TV Shows They Remember Watching
“I wasn’t in the know with all the cool Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon shows. But I did watch Arthur, Cyberchase, Clifford and Dragon Tales.”
“My parents never had cable their whole lives. We had 12 channels on the “rabbit ears” and then eventually in highschool my parents got Netflix when it was new before streaming. If I was home sick it was, Magic School Bus, Arthur, Cyber Chase, Zoom, Dragon Tales, Zaboomafu, Kratt Brothers, Bob Ross, Julia Child, The Price is Right, Maury, Jerry Springer, Tyra Banks, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and of course all of the INFOMERCIALS!”
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