If you grew up without a silver spoon in your mouth, you have different values and experiences. Here are eighteen examples of struggles that are exclusive to those who grew up without everything handed to them.
1. Hand-Me-Downs
Wearing clothes that used to belong to another person can feel like a badge of honor, but that also entails mastering the art of secondhand fashion early on.
2. Skipping Extracurriculars
Your friends join sports teams or clubs, and you have to sit on the sidelines while they are laughing together, eating junk food, hanging out, and making memories — things that cost money with expensive participation fees and equipment.
3. Budget Birthdays
Birthday parties are replaced with small gatherings or home-baked cakes, where you learn the importance of being creative and resourceful.
4. Learning to DIY
Whether it is fixing your own bike or sewing up that hole in your favorite coat, you learn on the job; you get good at making do with what you have.
5. Grocery Store Strategies
You learn to distinguish between brands and store labels, and know when to pull the trigger on coupons.
6. Sharing Everything
It is a way of life and an ongoing social system that creates close ties (think of the friendships made around toys or books) but also is rife with scarcity feelings (think of snacks or toys taken away).
7. Limited Choices
Many shopping trips are for the essentials rather than the luxuries, and you become extra appreciative of the little things.
8. Feeling Out of Place
Being invited into the homes of friends outfitted with the latest gadgets and decor can leave you acutely aware of your own financial situation.
9. Creative Play
Your imagination and resourcefulness are on full display as you make everyday items your toys, not having much else to work with.
10. The Value of Money
From a very young age, you learn the importance of saving and budgeting because you see how your financial decisions impact your life in a real way.
11. Avoiding Peer Pressure
Maybe this is where you learn to resist the impulse to be on top of everything, develop some self-control, and have personal standards.
12. Second Jobs
Watching your parents work two jobs to pay the bills gives you a strong work ethic and a drive for success.
13. Financial Conversations
Being able to openly discuss money with people at home means knowing the complexities of money, stressing the importance of financial literacy at a young age.
14. The Fun of Doing Activities for Free
Finding joy in community events, parks, and free local attractions teaches you that you don’t have to pay a price to have fun.
15. Delayed Gratification
Learning to wait for something you want, instead of having it provided immediately, teaches patience and resilience.
16. Understanding Value
You learn to prioritize what’s truly important in life, customizing your possessions to maximize the quality of your relationships and experiences.
17. Resourcefulness
Learning to keep things from falling apart or repurposing items becomes an art that stands you in good stead for life.
18. A More Motivated Push to Succeed
Coming from a background of scarcity can fuel a hunger for a new type of life, which can drive you to work hard to achieve your own dreams.
Read More:
- 6 Best Apps To Scan Receipts for Money
- The 15 Best Reading Apps for Book Lovers
- The 9 Best Budgeting Apps To Make Managing Your Finance Easy
