A Reddit post started a discussion about what people who grew up poor considered a luxury. The post on r/AskReddit was titled “People that grew up being poor, what did you believe was a luxury?” and received 2,900 comments as of publication.
The first commenter wrote, “New clothes.” Explaining this, another commenter recalled their childhood and wrote that the user got all their clothes from four older cousins after they had been passed down through them. The commenter revealed that not only were the clothes worn, random and outdated, but they also left the user lacking a sense of fashion.
The user continued, “The worst for me was when all the kids had Starter jackets, and my mom found my winter jacket in the garbage of the house across the street from school. It was bright neon colors, and all the kids had seen it in the trash bin, and then I showed up to school wearing it. Twelve-year-olds can be so mean.”
Another thing that came up in the comments section was a user revealing that butter was different from margarine. The commenter claimed they ate it at a relative's house and thought that they were rich. “When I got my first big adult paycheck, I bought real butter.” The user also wrote, “We grew up on margarine and Miracle Whip. I remember as a kid thinking that mayo was revolting and butter tasted weird. I’ve since come to my senses (though I do have a soft spot still for MW in certain use cases).”
A third user mentioned having Pokemon cards and eating at McDonald’s were luxuries. The user explained, “I used to think my friends that had Pokemon cards and ate McDonald's a lot had rich parents. So I would say Pokemon cards and getting Happy Meals. My parents didn't take us to McDonald's until later on in life; I was probably 12.”
One commenter also mentioned something as simple as being picked up from school. To this, another commenter mentioned, “Being picked up at all, actually.” Someone else recalled their real story and wrote in the comments section about walking home from school a few times because they were forgotten. “The walk was a few hours long on roads that you shouldn't be walking on. This is real.”
Another thing that popped up in the comments section, which people believed to be a luxury item, was “Ferrero Rocher.” Reading this, one user wrote, “Man, I got hired as an executive in an investment fund and still wouldn't buy FR because it was too expensive lol.” Another wrote, “My grandfather bought me this as a kid. I just couldn't eat it because it's so special. Lol.”
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this post. The details above reflect the account shared on r/AskReddit. This article does not constitute legal advice. Readers facing similar situations should consult a licensed attorney or their state's labor board.
