My mom gave us graham crackers with buttercream frosting. (My dad was the milkman. The only thing we ever had enough of was dairy products.)
22 People Share Marking Memories From Growing Up Very Poor

When families don’t have enough money to buy the things they need, life can become challenging. If this happened when you were a child, you might not have fully understood the hardships your parents were facing. Nonetheless, growing up with limited financial resources affects everyone who experiences it. Even as adults, those who grew up in such circumstances often remember specific situations and childhood memories that have left a lasting impact.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Eff the employee, eff the rats at the next table. No job I have ever had could pay me enough to be that inhumane to someone, and if they did pay me enough to say something, then I’d definitely have extra just pay for the dinner myself. We survive together or not at all.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

I feel your pain. Sometimes we couldn't afford pads at all. I had to use tissues or rags. I would save plastic bags and packaging from stuff to make a barrier so it wouldn't leak through to my clothes. I started reserving the real pads for school and church. Periods are stressful enough as it is. I developed severe anxiety because of all that. No girl should have to go through that.
11.
12.

13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.

I hope she remembers that from time to time and feels her stomach twist with guilt until the day she dies.
22.
Switching social classes can be challenging as well. Here, people who moved from poverty to the middle class share their most surprising experiences.
Comments
In 5th grade (10 years old), I asked my dad for some money to buy a folder for school. He yelled at me. I had never felt poor until that moment.
Related Reads
14 Startling Stories From Shop Assistants That Astonished Them to the Core

20 People Who Changed the Lives of Others by Simply Being Kind

My MIL Feels Insulted by My Expensive Welcome Gift to Her

A Mysterious Weigh-In Showed Up on Our Scale—My Husband’s Confession Crushed Me

15 Moments That Remind Us Horror Isn’t Just in the Movies

My Mom Is Dating My Childhood Crush, and Keeps Forcing Us to Be “Family”

A Store Worker Mocked My Mom’s Accent—My Clapback Was Brutal, Maybe Too Brutal

My Husband’s Ex Still Calls Him for Favors—So I Gave Him a Taste of His Own Medicine

My Dad Let Me Believe a Heartbreaking Story About My Mom, and I Refuse to Let Him Get Away With It

I Refuse to Let My Spoiled Stepson Ruin Our Family

13 Times People Accidentally Uncovered Someone’s Biggest Secret

I Refuse to Be a Free Babysitter for My Stepchildren — My Comfort Comes Before Anyone




















