“I Don’t Eat The Last Of Anything”: 15 Habits People Kept From Their Poor Days

Poverty rates look different depending on where and who you look at. But in the U.S., for instance, among people under 18, it's 16.3% (3.7 percentage points higher than the country's overall rate).

Interested in all the ways the lack of money shapes us, Reddit user CursedButHere made a post on the platform's forum 'Random Thoughts,' asking everyone to describe the peculiar things they do because they grew up poor.

"I'm not talking about the usual things that everyone has heard of, like hoarding food or saving almost empty shampoo bottles," they wrote. "I'm talking about the weird things nobody thinks about."

To kickstart the discussion, the Redditor provided a personal example. "Mine is that even though I have a really good car that has never given me trouble, I only frequent the stores closest to me. I want to make sure if my car breaks down that I can easily walk home. If I have to go somewhere further like I do this week, then I am paranoid the whole way there and back that something will happen and I'll have a really, really long walk ahead of me." Below are the most upvoted replies that they've received.

15 PHOTOS

#1

I count my blessings/ accomplishments. What I count is more reflective of my poor upbringing. “I have a car!” Or a driver’s license. Or a bank account. I haven’t dug for change in ages. I don’t know to the penny what is in my bank account. And now that I have a house, “That floorboard is mine.” Like mine mine. I came from no family in town, dead or absent parents, renting a quarter of an attic for $60 bucks a month with no car no bank account, and student loans. And every once in a while, it hits me that this ordinary stuff I do or have was some past me’s out of reach. So I guess the weird thing I do is sit and stare in awe of the journey. And think, “I can buy ice cream.”.

#2

When I make spaghetti, I pour the spaghetti sauce out, fill the jar with a little bit of water, and shake the jar with the lid back on. Then pour the remaining mixture in the pot as well so none goes to waste. Something I learned from my mum, and it was my favorite part because shaking the jar became a game.

#3

Hoarding instincts. Have to fight those constantly.

#4

I don't eat the last of anything. The last biscuit in the packet, or the last slice of bread in the loaf. There is generally a pile of various single items of food in packets etc around the place.

When I was growing up, we couldn't eat the last as there was always someone else who might need it more. Either my brother or one of my sisters coming home from work, or one of my parents when they were in...

Taking the last was selfish, and being selfish was the very worst thing anyone could be when we never had much...

#5

It might not sound that unusual but I walk everywhere even though I can afford the bus. Doesn't matter how tired I am, I'll still walk because it feels wrong to spend money frivolously that I might need someday.

#6

Oh boy... For reference growing up poor was about 45+ years ago.

* Unfortunately I still rush to the toilet. For many years we didn't have running water so the toilet was an "outhouse". Let me tell you there is nothing like -30 degree temps to motivate you to get your job done quickly. In the summer it was thousands of flies. So you just never took your time. Yes, this has taken its toll on me physically.
* I'm paranoid about losing access to water so if the weather says there is a storm coming I fill the bathtub with cold water as well as some buckets so I can take a rudimentary bath and dump water in the back of the toilet to flush it.
* I always have a small wood stove and some firewood on hand so I have 100% certainty that I can boil water and/or cook food on top of it if I need to. This also doubles to keep the place above freezing if the electricity goes out for a long time. You don't want your pipes to freeze (and you end up without running water again).
* I hang my clothes to dry indoors with only a few exceptions (like bed sheets) because the dryer is so expensive to run. Note that I could run the dryer 24 hours a day and still afford my electricity bill, but I could never bring myself to use it except when I have to.
* I never eat canned foods. Canned foods were cheap so every meal was a canned vegetable, potatoes (also cheap), and then some protein (usually fish because we could catch that ourselves, and it was free). We never went hungry, but I buy fresh vegetables and nice cuts of meat for myself now. I still long for fresh fish though.
* I do all my vehicle maintenance. I bought a motorcycle in 1992 for $600 and to learn auto mechanics I stripped it right down to the frame, head off, valves out, carbs completely disassembled, etc., and then put it all back together. My time is now valuable and I know it is really stupid to do my own work, but after decades of doing it because I had to, I can't seem to bring myself to pay someone else to do it.

I could probably keep going, but at some point, this turns into a therapy session.

#7

I specifically throw some things away that are still useful because I had to save everything as a kid. I feel guilty every time I do it, and I have to force myself to do it.

My mom still washes out and reuses zip lock bags, and my dad had a drawer full of dead batteries that had enough juice in them to make a flashlight useless.

#8

I can never have enough in my savings account to make me feel safe. I don't trust the future and take all precautions I can whilst I have money. I nest up on dry foods. And I get irrationally tense when my partner uses up the last of something and doesn't replenish it straight up. 

#9

I have an odd thing I consider a luxury.

Hand towels and kitchen towels. I probably have 50 of each. Overkill, I know.

But growing up we never, not ever, had a hand towel for drying our hands in the bathroom. It was 'just wipe them on your jeans or dress'. In the kitchen, it was the same. Not a single hand towel for the kitchen or bath--ever.

Bath towels, we were each assigned our own (six kids) and they got washed once a month. So disgusting. If you wanted to p**s off a sibling, use their bath towel.

So I also have a ridiculous number of luxurious bath towels and bath sheets. High-quality ones and yes, it feels so luxurious and I feel rich!

#10

My mom always made a huge deal about how expensive shoes were. I have only recently realized how that has followed me. I need a new pair. My current reeboks are 7 years old. Zero traction. No holes, but one damp surface and I'll be on my tush.

#11

Lock doors anytime I'm walking away from it. I can be going from the back door to the backyard and if I can't see the door, I'll lock it.

#12

I forget that "going to the doctor" is a thing. Whenever I describe an ailment or minor injury, people ask if I got any antibiotics, stitches, or the like, and I'm always just like... No?..

#13

Dilute fruit juices. My mom would dilute a quart of oj or fruit punch to a half gallon to stretch it between all my siblings and cousins who lived with us. To this day, bottles of fruit juice are too strong for me and I’ll water them down.

#14

We never threw out phone books growing up. They doubled as toilet paper.

#15

I often swaddle myself in the blanket in bed and I think it’s because it used to keep most of the ants and other bugs out when I was sleeping.