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.

Um, it isn't normal to share a bedroom with your parents beyond infancy.
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
21 Stories About Job Interviews Nobody Was Ready For

14 Deceitful People Who Are Always Ready to Take Advantage of You With an Innocent Face

15 People Who Made a Devastating Discovery

10 Moments When a Kind Heart Completely Rewrote a Hopeless Situation

15 Acts of Kindness That Prove Quiet Compassion Is the Key to a Heart Full of Happiness

18 Chaotic Birthday Memories So Funny They Can Instantly Brighten Your Whole Week

11 Moments That Prove a Mother’s Quiet Compassion Speaks Louder Than Any Rules

10 Unsolved Acts of Kindness That Carried Hidden Wisdom Through Moments of Deep Loneliness

10 Acts of Kindness Teaching Us Compassion and Wisdom Still Lead to Happiness and Self-Care in 2026

10 Moments of Wisdom That Teach Us Why the Strongest Hearts Still Choose Kindness When Life Gets Heavy

10 Moments That Teach Us Why Happiness Often Starts With Compassion

12 Moments That Teach Us Compassion and Kindness Still Find Us When Humanity Is Lost



















