Anyone else grow up poor but are better off now and it feels weird to buy things

[BAOLann]

I grew up extremely poor to the point where I had to use the bathroom in either a bucket or a hole outside. Moved after I turned 19 through a program for youth and have an apartment, savings, and I'm going to school for a career in healthcare. It felt weird buying a laptop for classes now that the Pandemic pretty much changed everything. Just bought myself new clothes too since I've had the ones I have now since my late teens with the exception of my shoes.

[PEANUTUT]

Yes. I consider it a skill. If you keep evaluating what you need vs what you don’t, you can save that money for the important things.

[AAPPKK]

However you also risk not thoroughly enjoying the fruits of your labors, like saving all those ethers past the end credits. Life is about balance.This balance is best achieved by living within your means, but setting your means lower than your income by 5-15%, and investing that 5-15% diversely and wisely. If you always live up to the edge of your means, you'll never feel like you're ahead. If you invest wisely, and get a little lucky, you can retire late middle age and live comfortably off the interest.

[ZOOOOM]

However you also risk not thoroughly enjoying the fruits of your labors, like saving all those ethers past the end credits. Life is about balance.This balance is best achieved by living within your means, but setting your means lower than your income by 5-15%, and investing that 5-15% diversely and wisely. If you always live up to the edge of your means, you'll never feel like you're ahead. If you invest wisely, and get a little lucky, you can retire late middle age and live comfortably off the interest.

This is my parents. They are comfortably retired with plenty of money, but they continue to penny pinch. I try to explain they should treat themselves well now rather than giving me a bunch of inheritance.

[playyamy]

Yes. I consider it a skill. If you keep evaluating what you need vs what you don’t, you can save that money for the important things.

I wonder about this too.
I can recall a story in the papers some years ago where an elderly man passed away, and they found, literally millions of dollars stuffed in his mattress.. He was just a regular guy. A trucker as I recall, who simply didn't spend anything.

A lifetime of saving, even on a pretty medium wage can see this happen.

It does seem rather tragic to work your whole life and never enjoy the fruits of that labor.

[KARSASA]

Yes. I consider it a skill. If you keep evaluating what you need vs what you don’t, you can save that money for the important things.

I wonder about this too.
I can recall a story in the papers some years ago where an elderly man passed away, and they found, literally millions of dollars stuffed in his mattress.. He was just a regular guy. A trucker as I recall, who simply didn't spend anything.

A lifetime of saving, even on a pretty medium wage can see this happen.

It does seem rather tragic to work your whole life and never enjoy the fruits of that labor.

It most psychological. Like many things there’s a huge emotional component involved. Personally, I once was so poor that I couldn’t buy shoes and now years later I make 250k+ a year. And let me tell you it is super BIZARRE. Even though it was decades ago my feelings about money were developed when I was so poor that shoes were a luxury item. I currently drive a 20 year old car and my pants are more than a decade old and have holes in them. I have tons of money in the bank but it feels so bizarre to spend it.

I can relate to that guy in the story. It’s mostly about emotions.

[viperor]

I wasn't quite that poor, and it was a long long time ago, and it still feels weird to look at my bank balance. A part of me still always fears that is will be taken away.

[Photony]

I wasn't quite that poor, and it was a long long time ago, and it still feels weird to look at my bank balance. A part of me still always fears that is will be taken away.

I broke into the middle class over 20 years ago, but I still have a constant nagging fear that this is all temporary and that life will bring me back at any moment.

I've done a lot to mitigate it though. My savings include a cash position that could get me (my family) by for over a year of unemployment if necessary. I have a good retirement savings. My son has a large college fund. I've also not been afraid to spend money on things that make me happy even if it's frivolous.

I don't feel like I don't belong in my position. It's just a worry that it could be fleeting, and I don't think that's ever going to be completely out of the back of my mind.

[KBIGHTTT]

I wasn't quite that poor, and it was a long long time ago, and it still feels weird to look at my bank balance. A part of me still always fears that is will be taken away.

I broke into the middle class over 20 years ago, but I still have a constant nagging fear that this is all temporary and that life will bring me back at any moment.

I've done a lot to mitigate it though. My savings include a cash position that could get me (my family) by for over a year of unemployment if necessary. I have a good retirement savings. My son has a large college fund. I've also not been afraid to spend money on things that make me happy even if it's frivolous.

I don't feel like I don't belong in my position. It's just a worry that it could be fleeting, and I don't think that's ever going to be completely out of the back of my mind.

I felt the same way, like I deserve to be stuck back where i was but I know it’s just the guilt of who I have left behind. Nowadays since I have a great job and my gf is from a nicer background where she never went hungry and her family could buy cars from Acura or Lexus but not to where they could vacation every year. She knows where all the nicer restaurants, clothing stores, and everything else nicer is which helps me forget the places I used to go to. I feel safe knowing I’m doing all I can to never be poor again, and that she is how she is because it alleviates a side of me that is stuck is poor mode but has moved on. Idk if it makes sense but being with someone who was never poor helps me cope better with the guilt of how being poor was for me.

[GALALAGA]

I grew up poor and often times I find myself caught between wanting to buy something expensive (especially if it’s something that I’ve really wanted for a long time) and hardly spending any money because I’m so used to being in a seemingly perpetual state of saving money. If anything, it feels weird making smaller and usually wasteful purchases for things (which do add up in the long run) that I may regret. Regardless of how much it costs I’m always seriously evaluating its value to me either while I’m saving for it or as I’m hesitating to click a purchase button. It’s mainly why I don’t have any active subscription services right now.

[JillianTaft]

I think your current phase is very important. you start to splurge on expensive things or you keep being a frugal person. Personally, you are supposed to buy things with high quality that you really need and learn how to invest in project to gain more money. I envy for this coz I'm still pooooor

[bitterguy28]

I grew up extremely poor to the point where I had to use the bathroom in either a bucket or a hole outside. Moved after I turned 19 through a program for youth and have an apartment, savings, and I'm going to school for a career in healthcare. It felt weird buying a laptop for classes now that the Pandemic pretty much changed everything. Just bought myself new clothes too since I've had the ones I have now since my late teens with the exception of my shoes.

That is normal to feel weird or cautious in Buying Laptop since this is expensive and you are thinking about the Amount you are goind to spend is Bigger compared to how much you wanted to  buy this.
But remember that you need one for school so either Buy brand new or buy Second and that is in good condition .
but for me practicality ? i am for slightly use gadgets as i know how to check them and assess their condition on the spot.

[XIYEXIYE]

The living environment in childhood has a huge impact on a person, and sometimes many of our behaviors can be attributed to the influence of the original family

[peter0425]

This is normal when you are just starting to gain money by yourself.

I remember when i was in college i have only transportation allowance and my food must be gain from what? by helping my classmates doing their school projects or assignments but i survived.

that is same reason why when i become an employee ? i almost don't wanna spent my work payments but instead i only keep them as savings.

[boyptc]

It is ok if you're starting to make your living better. You deserve those things that you purchase for yourself if it's really needed. I'm not born with gold/silver spoon and I know what you feel.

If you can buy things that you need or not this time, be wise in spending.

[Mauser]

I grew up extremely poor to the point where I had to use the bathroom in either a bucket or a hole outside. Moved after I turned 19 through a program for youth and have an apartment, savings, and I'm going to school for a career in healthcare. It felt weird buying a laptop for classes now that the Pandemic pretty much changed everything. Just bought myself new clothes too since I've had the ones I have now since my late teens with the exception of my shoes.

I didn't really grow up poor, but my family always looked after money and only bought important things. Money was never really wasted, so I have today a similar mentality. If something is broken I try to fix instead of just buying something new. The pandemic now made it even more extreme for me, I don't really want to buy anything new right now. Who knows how long this pandemic is going to last.

[Renampun]

I grew up extremely poor to the point where I had to use the bathroom in either a bucket or a hole outside. Moved after I turned 19 through a program for youth and have an apartment, savings, and I'm going to school for a career in healthcare. It felt weird buying a laptop for classes now that the Pandemic pretty much changed everything. Just bought myself new clothes too since I've had the ones I have now since my late teens with the exception of my shoes.

*congratulations because you made it out of your past hard life...
btw, I was lucky enough to be born from a middle-off family, but since I got married I can't depend on my parents anymore. the difficulties I am experiencing now have been shared with my husband. this is what I think is the art of marriage.

[Rruchi man]

It feels weird buying things because of the kind of environment and situation you grew up in. Most times, we are affected throughout life by the situations that surrounded our childhood. However, because you grew up poor, and with a poor mans mentality, it is your duty to let go of such dispositions surrounding money and spending it, so you can actually attract wealth.

[JohnBitCo]

I grew up extremely poor to the point where I had to use the bathroom in either a bucket or a hole outside. Moved after I turned 19 through a program for youth and have an apartment, savings, and I'm going to school for a career in healthcare. It felt weird buying a laptop for classes now that the Pandemic pretty much changed everything. Just bought myself new clothes too since I've had the ones I have now since my late teens with the exception of my shoes.

Its a famous saying that it is not your mistake if you are born poor but its your mistake if you died poor.
I am happy that you take life as a challenge and one day you will defeat your poverty. Don't lose hope and keep on working hard. One day, you will find yourself among the rich.