People Who Grew Up Poor Are Sharing The Things That "Rich Kids" Will Never Understand

If you grew up rich, or like me and most of the people I know, grew up middle class, it's easy to take things for granted as you had all of your basic needs met without much struggle, which makes it easy to overlook the daily challenges faced by those in difficult financial situations. This privilege can also create a blind spot to the sacrifices and hardships others endure just to survive.

Recently, I stumbled upon a Reddit thread from a few years ago that dealt with those blind spots. In it, user Bobtheglob71 asked: "Redditors who grew up poor, what is something that 'rich kids' will never understand?"

People really opened up and got honest, as the thread got 1.5K responses. Below are some of the top and also most common comments:

1."What a luxury laundry is. Those kids I went to school with will never understand. I was so poor my family couldn't afford to use the laundry machines in our building. Oftentimes, my dad would just get a big cheap bottle of dish soap or some bars of Irish Spring, and that soap was for laundry, dishes, and bathing."

2."When I went to school (in the '70s), at lunchtime, we had to stand in line in the hall before going into the cafeteria. They made those of us on 'free lunches' stand in the back of the line. It was quite humiliating."

3."All my gifts for Christmas and birthdays were something I needed or would need and had to be bought anyway. Like clothes, shoes, or school supplies. Never, never anything fun or just because I wanted it. I also had to steal my first real bra because I'd outgrown my training bra. I'd even snipped the elastic all around to provide more stretch, but it wasn't working anymore, and people were commenting on it."

4."Having dinner and knowing that your Mum isn't eating, not because she isn't hungry, but because she's making sure her kids have food first."

5."McDonald's was a very special occasion. We weren't allowed to get cheeseburgers when we got to go to McDonald's because the cheese was 10 cents and my dad thought that was a ripoff. I like cheeseburgers. And we definitely never got Happy Meals."

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6."Watching your mom have to put items back as there is not enough money to pay for everything."

7."Family vacations were nonexistent."

8."Having to watch other kids get everything they wanted for their birthdays — so you kind of pretend it's your birthday party."

9."Learning to restrain yourself from asking your parents to buy you something that you want but don't need. My older brother and I never asked for anything fancy, and when we got things like a Playstation 2 or an old GameBoy Color, it was always as a Christmas present to the both of us after a year of going to the food bank to avoid spending too much. And we were quite happy with it."

10."Even though I am years beyond it and have a good job, I have gotten past most of it except for two things: Guilt over spending anything on myself even if I need it (work clothes, for example). And food waste. I am more likely to eat the oldest leftovers in the fridge so they don’t go bad or overeat if there is just a bit left than to throw it out. I know this is detrimental to my health, but I haven’t stopped because throwing something out makes me stressed."

11."New shoes when I was growing up were a big deal. I never thought about the fact that I'd wear the same pair until they fell apart enough that they could no longer be glued together. Even now, as an adult who lives comfortably, I have work boots, a pair of dress shoes that are 10-plus years old, and a pair of flip-flops. I don't own any gym shoes, as I can get by with my boots or dress shoes."

12."How special it is to get your favorite meal on your birthday. I remember growing up that meats other than ground beef, hot dogs, or chicken were only eaten on your birthday and, even then, only by the person whose birthday it was. My brother loved steak, and he would get a steak every year for his birthday meal while the rest of us had hotdogs. I would get a thick porkchop or a few big ribs for my meal. Thinking back, I rarely remember my mom or dad so much as getting a cake on their birthdays. For a few years, I requested pizza, and everyone would get a slice or two."

13."Collecting aluminum cans [to get cash back for]."

14."Clothes. You wear what you have, and you wear it out. Yes, this is the same bathing suit as last year, you judgemental bitch. I have a steady job, savings, and a closet full of clothes. I still wear everything like I did when I was 7. You wear it until it is visibly stained or noticeably smells. And you don't ever throw anything away because you might need it again. Or if you do give clothes away, you give them to another neighborhood child. Every single one of your neighbors is as bad off as you, and they will not turn away clothes that fit."

15."A lifetime of clutter because it's so hard to throw anything away even when you're no longer poor."

16."Being forced to live in crowded spaces. My family struggled a lot growing up, and for the majority of my childhood, I and the rest of my family — six of us in total — lived in a one-story, two-bedroom house. We had to turn the storage/porch area into a makeshift bedroom and turn we each took turns sleeping in the living room. Living in close quarters with family can be nice if it's optional. But being forced to share the living room with your sibling and father because you physically cannot afford to have your own privacy is exhausting and mentally draining."

17."Getting to stay home instead of school field trips because mom could never afford the ticket. Used to get excited about it until I realized why."

18."People who grew up, umm, not poor often don't understand why I've never been ice skating. Or roller skating. I don't know how to swim because I didn't have any means to pay for swimming classes or pool entry (there is no swimming pool at my school). I could never participate in any after-school activities because even if they were funded by a nearby town, I had no way to get there."

19."That it never goes away. I went from homeless growing up to having a very comfy six-figure job. I still find myself acting as if I am always living on the edge of homelessness again. I think I can't try new foods because if I don't like them, then I won't have dinner. That I'm a bad person for throwing out things instead of trying to reuse them. I get serious panic attacks. I think I did bad at work because my brain still tells me I'm one paycheck from the street."

20."The amount of stress and trauma that being broke can cause. My dad was mad and explosive all the time. Angry that we couldn’t afford a better life. It’s just hard to watch a grown man scream and cry for something like that."

21.And lastly, "Your hard work and my hard work are not the same. You worked hard to pursue something. To prove something. To become something. You worked an 80-hour work week because you have the luxury of taking on a passion that drives you to work that hard. I worked an 80-hour work week for survival. It's not the same thing. The hours are the same, but you didn't have to work that hard. I did. I did it because I was hungry and my bills were past due. You don't get that. You never will."

You can read the original thread on Reddit.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.