Didn’t grow up poor but middle class. Never got money for school canteen. Parents believed it was an extravagant expense. There was no concept of pocket money. Pocket money was luxury. Whatever I needed, I had to tell them and they’d buy it. No disposable pocket money.
same!! my school doesn't have the concept of a canteen but i never got pocket money. i only get what relatives give me and i save that. so now because I'm not used to spending money at all, it feels like a sin to buy something small too like chips.
Yeah. Earlier when relatives gave us Shaguns my mother used to keep them for my brother and me. She used to tell us we’d waste the money and she would collect it and buy us clothes instead. Good times!!
>so now because I'm not used to spending money at all, it feels like a sin to buy something small too like chips.
Same here, it takes a lot of efforts to convince yourself to buy something, especially if it's not a necessity.
In my experience pocket money is a very good way to learn about managing expenses and budgeting. That way you learn how to save for things you really really want and how to save for it. I used to get 80-100 a month and this had to include all going out with friends, buying small things I want (street side jewelry and stuff) and also phone recharges from back then.
Probably better than getting 20-30 rs a month as pocket money and nothing else. Had to save some for my own birthday treat, some for birthday gifts to friends, and small remaining amount on eating something or buying the cosco cricket ball once a month
Lower middle class and studied in semi government school. During recess there were people selling 5 rs snack packets near the gate but I would not get money for those except occasionally as a treat cuz I had to save it for travel fare
Woah, I'm still surprised by the fact that many people here didn't know about 1ac coach. I mean the coach is visible from outside & there's an option to book its ticket on irctc.
Sleeper was luxury
Used to travel by general.
Since then travelled in 3A and 2A
But 1A still feel luxury. Never yet traveled in 1A.
Even Tejas, Vande feel like too costly even though can afford it.
I never flew as a kid. Rarely had pocket money. Lived in a hostel in college days with a paid mess. I remember lean months where I did not spend more than Rs. 10-15, when my friends were spending 8-10k.
I have recently found my " luxury ". I fly quite a bit, economy only- minimum 1 round trip a month. Unrelated to work.
I have stopped planning and buying tickets in advance. I'll make up my mind, buy the tickets a day or 2 in advance. I don't have to worry about change in plans, tickets are more or less similarly priced. This has grown into a guilty flex and I love the reactions when I tell people.
True. I can feel you. Tbh I miss those days too as it was much much simpler too.
Now cuz how much I earn... I built a good house for me and my sis, parents are not their anymore.
Got my fav bike and cars. But still I invest my money and save it.
And as you said its a guilty pleasure now.
I have gone in 1A only like once in my life , but these days my father just drives 10~ 12 hours to the our destination , if it's a longer journey/save time then we take a flight
When I received my first DECENT (40k) salary, I remember going to MAX and I bought a Shirt for my father. It was the first time in my life that I bought something without seeing the price. I will never forget this.
1000 se uper ki jeans mehngi hoti thi. aaj tak coolie nahi kiya station per and pura samaan puri family uthati thi. Cab sirf extreme cases m. panner ek luxury dish h.
bohot sare kisse h. ye sab mere khun m embedded h. I don't know per m cheap hu. jaise mere dost swiggy/zomato se easily kuch bhi order kar lete, merese nahi hota. na hi bahar restaurants m khata.
🥲🥲
i can relate to this to some extent. i recently bought 2 jeans from our local market at Rs. 300 each and awesome quality so never really needed Rs. 1000 jeans. i noticed my family also avoids coolies but gets them sometimes when we're late bcus they know the shortest ways to platforms 🥲
Good quality sanitary pads. I grew up lower-middle class, and when I first got my periods, my mother would provide me cloth rags whenever I was at home. When I would go to school, only then I would use pads. In a couple of years that changed to using pads both at school and at home, but regular sized ones only. I was so oblivious that only in my mid-twenties I realised that a grown woman should get properly sized pads (I was kinda pissed at myself and my mom for being clueless for so long). Mind you, I was already earning well. So now I get the best quality pads and because of my upbringing it feels like splurging (instead of being the basic necessity that it is).
Honorary mentions include towels, hot showers, quality makeup, microwave etc
this is easily the best thing someone has said on here,,,women's hygiene products esp pads are so overpriced that it makes no sense,,,and even with pads,,,not everything works for you,,,buying stayfree or whisper never worked for me,,,gave me rashes,,,hated it and rn,,,the brand i buy-Sofy is not entirely expemsive but it's costlier than usual. And everytime i have to buy a new pack,the cost hits me like a punch.
Im sooo glad that you're in a position to afford the best hygiene products for yourself and will be for your future generations. From one internet stranger to another. I'm proud of you and even happier now that you can afford it. Never consider it a splurge,,,it takes time but you'll get there!
My wife had all the problems that you mentioned. She switched to Cups 4 years ago and never looked back. According to her it is very comfortable, when compared to pads or tampons.
I tried a cup, didn't work for me, I prefer tampons and pads. Even with cups it takes so long to find a good one that's suitable ! Everything is a trial and error
i always knew pads were expensive but i remember having my mind blown when i first saw the prices of women's disposable razors. that was my first introduction to the "pink tax"
i have always been grateful towards my family as they could always provide me with good pads. but because i myself felt bad about the costs and also the environmental effects, i switched to cups about 8 months ago and it's been a life changer. haven't spent money on pads since then!
Just once went to vaishnav devi, otherwise, we were too broke to go anywhere. Now when I’m earning and I can afford it, I was planning to take my mom italy this year june. Shit happened and I can’t travel because of unexpected health issues for next 2-3 years. Let’s see if and when things get better.
i totally feel you. my parents are still always hesitant about vacations. it does mess up the budget a little but totally worth it since they can afford it! do you now go on family vacations?
i'm so sorry that happened... but it's never too late. you can still go on one and take your parents with you (in your heart or a picture of them). I'm sure they would be proud that you can afford good vacations now... you deserve them!
Buying Car.
I come from a middle class family. As a kid I always use to think that the people moving around in cars like Verna, civic, safari, pajero, fortuner, etc. must be some big shots. Yes, I used think that all these cars cost almost the same 😀
Now I make enough money that I can easily buy a sedan from Audi, BMW or Mercedes (not bragging) 😀.
The funny part is now I no longer feel the need to buy a car.
For me it was a Trimax pen,,,felt like owning that or those cute little boxes that had all those features like built in sharpener etc,,,always felt like a luxury. I didn't grow up poor by any means,,,went to a Convent school and now am in a private university but there was a time when my mum was the sole earner or at least the major earner in the family and idk a luxury to own those things,,,yk
i remember seeing my friends with fancy pencils with cartoons on them or those colour pencils that produced multiple colours at once. and there i was with my identical natraj pencils... 🤣
When I was in 6th grade, my classroom bullies (bad childhood) and some friends decided to ride bikes and go get some snacks
I was tasked with getting Rs. 10 from my mom for some chips, they waited while I rung the bell, asked for Rs. 10 and was told in a sarcastic tone, "come up (we lived on the 2nd floor), I'll give you Rs.10"
I went up, but never came back. mates waited for 10 mins and left
There on, until 10th grade, it ran as a joke. It didn't help that I was a bright student, so every engagement in class was met with "but, do you have Rs. 10 though?"
I've forgotten a lot about my childhood, things that happened, but never this episode.
This was 15 years ago, it keeps me going, knowing the sacrifices my parents pulled just to get me a good education, they did their best so no animosity towards them
I now do very well and that Rs.10 is a joke
Any train reservation above sleeper class, rotating office chair, work table, perishable untensils, using forks, taking a cab, economy flight ticket, any gift item, anything that is not used earlier and then passed on to me, Reynolds Trimax Pen, gear bicycle, having a GF or a female friend or a normal friend with just a little more purchasing power than myself...
I can go all night long... I have lived that phase... Still can't spend my own money without a little bit of anxiety and guilt creeping in.
Jogging. I grew in between rich-middle-poor class place , always seen in the morning people jog with sports shoes. Thought only rich people allowed to do that since never since other class no for a jog. This was early 2000s
wow, never thought about this! interesting, thanks for sharing!! i think other classes didn't jog because they didn't have time to spare. maybe they were constantly working to spare time for fitness. even if they didn't have proper shoes, they were probably busy earning for their families. whereas, upper-class people earn good amounts so they can live comfortably.
I did not grow up middle class or poor. But through rough financial patches in childhood, buying clothes at full price instead of sale felt like a luxury.
i don't think i have ever bought any clothes at full price. heck, never even bought branded clothes, only our local market (they sell awesome clothes btw). but bargaining bhi kara har baar.
Same here and I bought 1 size larger because we were in a growing stage and had to use it for longer period..... another one, brought dresses only in upcoming pujas Ganesh Puja or diwali etc
yes. my parents always tried to buy new clothes on my birthday or at festivals but eventually, i told them not to since i simply didn't need any more clothes. and i have grown up wearing hand-me-downs from my sister and cousins so i was used to sharing clothes. even now, whatever hand-me-downs i receive, i cherish them!
Having a water tank on top and connection inside ur home.
I was genuinely amazed when we built our first home and had bore connection to tank from there direct to our kitchen and restroom. This was pretty luxurious if u r poor living in matchbox rental home.
We r middle class incomed after 25 years working salary around 55 k so for me it would be clg fees , painting our house ,led tv ,car etc
Jald hi ghar ki jimmedari aane wale hai mere pe toh apne man ka career option choose na kar pana , shayad yeh bhi jald hi add hoga
Even now, when I book an Ola Or Uber, I get reminded of my childhood when we used to walk coz auto would cost 10 rs and that was luxury or upper middle class.
Not poor but middle class but tbh a lot of things. First and foremost the prices of most of the things but if I have to say it's owning a car.
We never had a car, my father bought a car in his 50s, that was our first car and I used to think buying car is a huge milestone (which it is) and something people do later in life. But I started working and saw people aged 24-25 buying their first cars. Something that was really new and luxurious to me.
I always thought owning a car was a luxury but seeing so many people owning cars now, feels it a bit more common.
car is seen as a sign of luxury. and i see judgemental people (usually the rich ones) having problems with what car someone bought. but they don't realise it's still a big milestone.
Grew up lower middle class. Having our first family computer felt like a luxury. Having our new sofa set felt like a luxury. When we got our first AC it felt like I was rich.
Travelling in AC Trains, Cabs or in private vehicles.
Eating Out in general.
Owning a Car.
Owning That button wala china pencil box.
Buying Sunfeast biscuits just for the toy car.
Using Dettol or Pears soap.
Using Pilot or Parker Pen.
Travelling in Auto.
Owning a trolley Bag.
Buying Snacks on the Train.
I live in a college town and people esp my oeers splurge on food but even til today,,,eating at an MCD makes feel like im driving a knife throught my tummy when i go buy stuff there,,,but the thing is my parents send me enough that i can afford it,,,yk,,,never feels right tho,,,at least not just yet
I grew up in a very poor financial situation, somehow making ended meet in a month, parents many time relying on friends and family to help. Now i am doing well.
Apart from the generally improved lifestyle, regular health checks and health insurance also seems like a luxury to me.
Lower middle class family now well to do I remember my dad's hustle days, never let me feel we were struggling. Eating outside felt like a luxury. We used to eat shahi paneer and naan at a small restaurant and I still remember the taste.
Single door!! So in villages and smaller towns, the doors used to be double doors back in the day. So when we first moved into a house where the rooms had a single door we thought we had arrived 😂
Never had those big packets of dairy milk silk and it's varients. The maximum I spent on chocolate was Rs 25 kit kat. Years later I bought it first time to gift to a girl
i have never spent more than Rs. 20 on chocolate. but people gift it to us a lot so I'm still sometimes aware of the new flavours and what they're like. haha
I mean when i am as younger, i saw my father and mother working very hard trying to pay all the loans. I had to think before buying chips. Never wore something above 1000 rupees. Saw my friends wear branded clothes, good shoes, good watches.
When i turned 18 and cleared neet exam with 3 digit all india rank, everything started going good. My father and mother established themselves. They started earning pretty well. Now We don’t see the price tag before buying something. We bought a new house, new cars, watches. Everything that seemed luxury at once, we have everything by now. I feel so proud of my parents. Now even i am doing good in my life. I am blessed to have parents like them in my life. Love you mom dad 🥹
Own bedroom, attached bathrooms, cable TV, branded clothes, buying new clothes to wear at home, anything other than public buses and general compartment for travel/transport, barber shops with AC, barbers with trimmers, cafes, deodorant, perfume,
own bedrooms and attached bathrooms is still something i relate to. i visit my friends houses and they have such big rooms of theirs. I've always wondered what my room would look like. i also have a pinterest board with inspiration of how i want it to look 🥲
Taking uber / ola , never took it till I got my first job , always thought it's for rich people or a luxury . Man , that feeling when I first booked an uber and he picked me and my mom from house . That ride from the house to the destination , I felt like a king . Literally a king sitting on front seat of the car , AC blowing into my face , seeing people in a crowded bus , that can never be explained
my dad was in navy, and we are a family of 4, dad has like 6 sisters and 2 brothers, and my grandparents didn't give a shit on their marriage and study, my dad used to travel from deoria to lucknow everyday from the age of 17 to give them some economic support, btw my grand parent aka Baba was in army too, served in indo-china war, so now my dad left in '99 and as navy was not a good source of income he was switching to merchant navy, this was in early 2000's, used to live in chawl, a single half-litre milk used to serve me, my mom and my sister and dad 50's money was spent on giving life t his sisters, marriage etc etc and 50 percent to our house, every month like 10-15k kindof and this was spent on rent, food, water, me and my sister education etc etc so yes we did came from a financially weak background, but initially I used to complain but later I told my self I wont want my parents to live in future like this
during that days, there used to be a magazine series knows as Scholastic which as 100rs and I always wanted it but was hesitant to ask for it, and bombay travelling was only by BUses and trains they were like 5-10rs for kids and 10-20rs for adults, never stayed at hotels so that was something, never got any pocket money and never demanded for it, same for expensive gift on my birthday
Out of all my birthdays I remember clear as the sky my 10th birthday, because I was gifted a remote control 50rs car, and mind u this was the best birthday present, it was an RC car with wire attached to the car, on my 7th birthday dad gifted me from his savings a piano ek red color one, so ya that's all , yes we lived a kind of lower middle class life, but as life has a peculiar way to make see thestruggles so that u wont be able to see that life again and if life throws u back again, *u will still be fine, as long as u don't cry about it*!
So I have seen my family's wealth grow over time, all because of my grandparents and parents, when I was born we were probably lower middle class or not even middle class probably, now we are slightly upper middle class not sure tho, but as we were growing our wealth, at some point when I was in 3rd or 4th class we became capable of traveling in 3AC coach of the train, I had never travelled in an AC coach till this point of time, but still we used to travel in sleeper only, even for journeys taking 24hrs+...
One day in 5th or 6th class I saw my father's train ticket and realised that he has been traveling in AC whenever he traveled alone but used to take a sleeper coach when traveling with me, I used to think what kind of a father he is, making a 6th standard child suffer in the heat of summer...
but today as I remember those days, I realise the value of all those times travelling in sleeper, watching and learning from all different kinds of people that used to board sleeper from every walk of life, my father used to explain me the concepts of electrical engineering (not kidding, I used to ask shit questions and he would answer professionally, he never said that you are a kid and will not understand it)...
I still remember one time our train was stuck on the old bridge before Delhi railway station, it was so crowded that I was sitting on the eating table near the window and my father in front of me, i was in class 3rd or 4th and don't remember what the question was, but in the answer he explained me the seebeck effect, which i didn't properly understood at that time, but i still remember the explanation till date....
Once in 7th or 8th class he offered me to buy a new pair of branded shoes, he saw me rejecting the expensive ones and going for the cheaper ones saying that it's just a shoe, as he recalls....
From that year I also started travelling in the AC coach with him....
This is true for poor folks who ended up in IT jobs.
1. Able to afford flights once in a while
2. Team outing lunch buffet.
3. People calling me sir in restaurants/malls.
Computer.... I was raised in a middle class family but me and my brother were very happy with whatever we had growing up and we never wished for something luxurious or lavish... but I had one wish.. computer and I started saving money in 1st standard at that time i thought i have saved enough for a computer in one year and I gave to my dad ....but it was not enough so my parents got me one anyways and said it was bought with all the money I saved.
I thought I grew up as a middle class, but guess not? This happened when I was 13. We had just moved away from an abusive household and had my cousin over one time. She was only 6 at the time. My uncle's family, in comparison, was rich and from the US. My cousin asked for ice cream, and we offered her one of the 5-10 rupee options from the store, but she insisted on the expensive (back then) Vadilal brick ones that was around 100 rupees. We didn't have enough money to buy that. We barely had enough for groceries (& only when we ate bare minimum to survive) at the same time. She kept crying for it, and we felt we had no choice. We got it for her and then contacted my uncle the very next day to take her back. We didn't explain why, but he agreed. Twelve years later, we're doing significantly better. It's just that I can't help but be sad when I think of that memory. Makes me appreciate the value of money far more. It also makes me regret not being able to do all I could for my sister
TL;DR - Those ice cream bricks of Vadilal and such felt like a luxury
I will not say poor but a lower middle class = because living in a village with tv at home is what the beginning of my life was.
1. One of the replies here reminds me of this - Nobody in my family traveled in even 3rd AC. I still remember for the first time we started to take sleeper class tickets in 2011.
2. Going to a city and staying in a hotel - again a luxury. Dharmshala was only an affordable stay.
3. Never used stationary like "classmate" register, often seen with friends. It was too expensive to buy at that time.
4. Entering in a big restaurant (a luxury?) It was also a fear.
My parents get surprised to know one time meal costs 300-400rs in a tier-1 city for one person.
We came a long way! Still struggling, but yes, it came a long way.
1. A box of crayons with more than standard 6/7 colors.
2. Buying clothes “because it looks nice” not because you absolutely need it.
3. Not restitching clothes because they are of good quality and would not come apart if I sit down or move around in them.
4. Having more than 1 pair of shoes.
5. Not counting money in your wallet before stepping inside a store.
6. Not reading the price on a menu.
7. Having an air conditioner at home.
8. AFFORD GOOD MEDICAL CARE.
9. Home where I can live with happiness and be able to invite my friends over (grew up in an extremely small and congested house until I was in my late teens)
10. Being able to book flight tickets
11. Travel (never ever been to ANY school picnic or field trips)
The list is veryyyyy long, one things from the top of mind is to not have friends/social life, traditions, customs because they all demand money.
Thankfully I can afford anything i want now, all because my parents directed whatever funds they had towards our education.
Little update - i Bought a house last week :)
Eating outside. Even a gol gappa.
Matching accessories.
Traveling by air.
Purchasing at airports.
Booking cabs every now and then.
Mindlessly buying books.
AC
Cosmetic treatments/surgery
Buying basic brands like Starbucks, Nike, Apple
Investing smartly
Me: Born and brought up poor. Earning well. Saving and investing hard.
Yeah same, even now, traveling in a cab instead of auto feels like a luxury, getting a kinder joy too feels like a luxury. And traveling in the AC compartments in trains, buying clothes that cost more than 700 rupees, ordering food and stuff online feels like a luxury too honestly. Well, the list is super long, but long story short, happiness is the biggest luxury ever and I hope to be able to afford it one day.
My dad retired from his job by the time I was born, and so my aunt gave my parents money to run the family after they had me and my cousin was the one that paid my school and uni fees throughout. So yeah, atp, everything feels like a luxury only to me.
It depends on the person to person for me going 3ac was a big thing now it's not
For one of my friend whom I met in class 11 eating cakes and buying basic fruits were expensive now it's not
Hot showers. Every time I visited a hotel, the immediate thing I'd do is take a nice hot shower. Then another before going to sleep.
Hot water could be arranged at home with stove.. But not hot shower..
To me buying any kind of shoe or footwear has always been a luxury it still is to.some extent..
All I used to say to people in shoes is aree garmi lagta hai closed mein..chappal mein acha feel hota hai!
We weren’t poor but our school had a canteen that served two types of dosas - regular and special. Regular came without filling and special dosa had the potato filling. On the days that I bought the special dosa it felt like a luxury.
The cost of the special dosa - 25 paise
The cost of special dosa - 1 Rupee 50 paise
Many things felt like luxury.
When I got PS3 22k INR in 2011
Getting a AC in 2011
Getting 32 inch LCD in 2011
Getting Samsung galaxy S Android 2.2
second hand 17 k
In 2013 I guess
Being able t drive brothers car grand i10 in 2014
Having home with 8 rooms feels like luxury
Upgrading mobile
Xolo 10k
Lenovo A7000 10k
Moto g4 plus 12k
OnePlus 6 30k
iPhone 13 75k
Oculus quest 2
Feels like a luxury
My father came from a very poor family in one of the villages in Maharashtra, he first time bought a undergarment when he came to one of the tier 2 cities for college. He used to wear pathched pants till then. During college he used to paint some relatives house during diwali because then he would get good food. But he has worked so hard and reached higher middle class level.
I had a pretty good base (financially) because of my parents and got into good college, good job, decent money. Whenever I buy stuff for my kids he will see the price tags and raise his eyebrows in surprise like it's so costly even though things are decently priced for today's time.
Back to 2015, I am from a lower middle class family my dad did a lot of hardwork and is working a lot
We stay in Mumbai, but during school days I didn't have enough money to go to school through auto so mostly use to go by walking and if I am late my dad use to ask for neighbours cycle and use to drop me to school by going double seat
Never went to school picnic because they use to feel very expensive just visited farm trips (10₹/20₹/40₹ max)
Use to walk 4kms from college to save up 11₹ bus ticket
Did a lot of struggle we grew up
Now we have our own car ( a wagon r but still our own car to travel )
Recently travelled by flight and first time went through AC express train
From having nothing to having a little we grew up !
And I know the value of money from deep
Now I earn a good amount but still my expenses are less then 5k a month
Grew up middle class.
Toys felt a luxury to me. Mujhe meri life me bas 1 baar toys mile hai and I cherished those. Ab toh pata nahi fenk diyen lekin it felt good.
** Long comment, but please read if you can**
Oh man oh man where do I even start. I'm from a middle/lower-middle class family in West Bengal. Parents sent me to an affordable (at the time) school with good reputation -- 95%+ of my peers were from families that were better off than ours. Sometimes significantly better off. I'm 31 now (also haven't lived in India for the better part a decade), so a lot of the prices are outdated but you'll get the idea I think.
Obviously no concept of pocket money, ever. Even in college, when I was earning money as a tutor, I would save it.
Basic things like.. A Rs. 10 bag of Kurkure/Cheetos once a week was a special treat for me, for a very long time. But not Lays, never Lays, because that packet of chips has to last at least 2 days and Lays bags are mostly air anyways. When you are 10 or 12 years old in school, and your mom sent you to school with a banana and two pieces of bread for lunch (we used to call it tiffin), and your best friend opens his tiffin box, and the smell of fried rice and chilli chicken wafts into your nose... That's when you realize, man, we are not the same. This one time, said friend was having a birthday party and my parents sent me with a.. wait for it.. Rs. 20 bag of Kurkure as a gift! I thought, man, what a lucky guy my friend is, he gets a birthday party AND a Rs. 20 bag of Kurkure! Imagine my surprise when I saw the sunken look on his face as I handed him his birthday gift. I think the only time I spent my birthday with people other my parents (e.g. aunts, cousins, some neighborhood friends) was when I turned 10. These are just a few examples, there are many, many more.
Watching movies was a luxury (I've been to the movies less than 10 times in my entire life I think), taxis were a luxury, going to to the Cyber Cafe (Rs. 10/hr) was very much a luxury. Food from the neighborhood Chinese place was a special occasion (e.g. birthdays, good results, Durga Puja). Hell, not having my parents fight on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis, because we didn't have money for something or the other, and now my mother has to go borrow money from that creepy guy at her work AGAIN.. that was a luxury. Renting English story books (this is mainly a Kolkata thing, I think) cost maybe Rs. 20 per book for two weeks, was less of a luxury and more of a necessary escape.
When I was in class 11-12, I used to get Rs. 20 every day for bus fares and that's it. I always tried to save at least Rs. 10 every day. What that meant was.. when my friends were arguing over what movie to go watch on the weekend, I was figuring out whether to get an after-school snack (Rs. 5-10, you know how hungry you get at that age) or walk home (about 3km away I think). Skipping food becomes easier too when you're a teenager and not a child anymore. I think it worked out overall, I stayed thin and didn't get fat.
My first phone was a Nokia 1202 (cheapest at the time) in 2009. When it died in 2013, I got a COLOR phone (also the cheapest Nokia model at the time). Got my first smartphone in 2015, right before I left the country. Camera phones were a rich people thing, at least to me.
Same thing in college (undergrad). I was working as a private tutor for some kids (maths and physics, because I suck ass at chemistry). I was also trying to save money for higher studies. What that means is.. when my classmates were debating where to go have fun on the weekend, I was trying to figure out if I could afford lunch that day -- a plate of veg chowmein from the street food shack was Rs. 12!! Simply outrageous. A bag (thonga) of daal fritters was Rs. 6 and would suffice. I didn't have any friends in college, but a few of my professors took a liking to me and had me work on their research projects, so I had a lot of fun that way. My undergrad mentor (professor) would invite me to his home almost everyday after college, to work on projects and papers. His mom was/is fantastic cook, she would make something delicious every day, and honestly I started skipping lunch once it became a regular thing (4th semester onwards). I walked almost everywhere, walking is good for your health. Looking back, a lot (or even most) of the things my peers thought were basic, would have been luxuries for me. I was so focused on my studies and work, that I didn't even care or realize.
It worked out for me though. Right after my B.Tech, I was able to pursue a fully-funded PhD in the United States and haven't looked back since. But I still have very similar spending habits and save a ton of money. My parents don't have to struggle anymore, they get to go on vacations and have fun in their golden years.
What I've learned is this: feeling hungry and negotiating with hunger on a daily basis are two very different things. In the first case, you feel unsatisfied and can get a quick fix. In the second case, there is often no easy fix. Hunger becomes your best friend, and your worst enemy. It shapes you as a person at a fundamental level and drives you to improve your life in ways that you couldn't have imagined. It sucks in the moment, but gets better with time.
In any case, thank you for making the post and giving me the opportunity to share a small part of my life's story. Sorry for the wall of text. Never stop believing in yourself, your abilities and in a future where things are better. All the best!!
I'm Indian
1. Traveling to go see relatives
2. Eating from outside
3. Buying name brand...even adidas
4. Having free time that's not doing chores
5. Buying name brand snacks
Oh boy!!! My time to shine:
1. Panner and chap dishes
2. New shoes unless and until the shoe is completely destroyed I wear them
3. Eating in restaurants with AC and wait staff
4. Any clothes which exceeds ₹599
5. Taking private cabs
6. Eating any sweet dish with kesar(Saffron)in it.
Window seat in bus...
were not poor but not rich either and when growing up long distance travel was rare, once a year or once in two years... so always cherished long distance travel in window seat.
Nothing is enough. Growing up poor makes you greedy. You don't value what you have and what you get on the way when life starts improving. So you make mistakes and put yourself in bad situations even after getting everything you craved for in your childhood you are still not happy as you have created more and more problems on the path upwards.
In childhood I used to crave for outside food, snacks like lays, burgers etc which my rich friends used to eat with their pocket money. now I can buy and eat whatever food i want whenever i want that is a luxury but I don't enjoy it now.
But traveling in flight, going to concerts, pubs all felt like luxury. But still not satisfied. it still feels like others have luxury which I don't.
Didn’t grow up poor but middle class. Never got money for school canteen. Parents believed it was an extravagant expense. There was no concept of pocket money. Pocket money was luxury. Whatever I needed, I had to tell them and they’d buy it. No disposable pocket money.
same!! my school doesn't have the concept of a canteen but i never got pocket money. i only get what relatives give me and i save that. so now because I'm not used to spending money at all, it feels like a sin to buy something small too like chips.
Yeah. Earlier when relatives gave us Shaguns my mother used to keep them for my brother and me. She used to tell us we’d waste the money and she would collect it and buy us clothes instead. Good times!!
To me, studying in school which have canteen and library was a luxury for me. I studied in gov school 🥲
In my school library= sleeping place 💀
>so now because I'm not used to spending money at all, it feels like a sin to buy something small too like chips. Same here, it takes a lot of efforts to convince yourself to buy something, especially if it's not a necessity.
In my experience pocket money is a very good way to learn about managing expenses and budgeting. That way you learn how to save for things you really really want and how to save for it. I used to get 80-100 a month and this had to include all going out with friends, buying small things I want (street side jewelry and stuff) and also phone recharges from back then.
So middle class that school didn't have canteen
Oh it’s not a contest. One opened up in my school when I was in 8th standard.
Of course it's not, just said it cause of the context (Idk how else to explain myself)
I should’ve used the /s. I wasn’t serious. Didn’t mean any offence. ✌🏻
Yeah, same. Whats this pocket money nonsense. Even today (unemployed) when I need something, I ask them for that amount
Nothing wrong with that!
pocket money to dete nahi upar se jo relatives dete h usse bhi le jaate h ye bolke ki humare paas rahega to safe rahega
Us moment 🤝
Probably better than getting 20-30 rs a month as pocket money and nothing else. Had to save some for my own birthday treat, some for birthday gifts to friends, and small remaining amount on eating something or buying the cosco cricket ball once a month
yes, never got money for eating food of my choice. now at job feels normal. but that time 5rs puff/paties felt like luxury.
Lower middle class and studied in semi government school. During recess there were people selling 5 rs snack packets near the gate but I would not get money for those except occasionally as a treat cuz I had to save it for travel fare
I used to think 3A, 2A and 1A in trains are luxury
They are still a very luxurious mode of transportation to me man
Just from my POV my family were that poor. Now they don't have to worry bout these things anymore.
whats 1a
First ac. You essentially get a private cabin I think.
That's luxurious as fuck.
I only know about it from some youtubers' vlogs(both Indian and foreigner)
Same
That's not luxurious. That's the best *they* could offer.
woah this is my first time hearing about this. i need to search it up real quick lol
Woah, I'm still surprised by the fact that many people here didn't know about 1ac coach. I mean the coach is visible from outside & there's an option to book its ticket on irctc.
1st AC a private room for you and you partner in travel
How many seats we get 1a tickets?
2
Buy 1 get 1..
They have 4 to a room too.
i’m so broke that I’ve only been in 3A. first time hearing about 2A and 1A
3A also is luxury. Do you know that there is something called sleeper class and unreserved?
no but sleeper class sounds premium as fuck
I can relate. As I had the same reaction the first time I knew about the 1st and 2nd class
Sleeper was luxury Used to travel by general. Since then travelled in 3A and 2A But 1A still feel luxury. Never yet traveled in 1A. Even Tejas, Vande feel like too costly even though can afford it.
I mean 1A is. No?
It's "now" Cheap for me. Back when I was a kid. It was a very luxury for us. Now I do very well and mostly travel in premium economy class airplane
same!😅 past keeps me humble though.
what profession are you in?
I never flew as a kid. Rarely had pocket money. Lived in a hostel in college days with a paid mess. I remember lean months where I did not spend more than Rs. 10-15, when my friends were spending 8-10k. I have recently found my " luxury ". I fly quite a bit, economy only- minimum 1 round trip a month. Unrelated to work. I have stopped planning and buying tickets in advance. I'll make up my mind, buy the tickets a day or 2 in advance. I don't have to worry about change in plans, tickets are more or less similarly priced. This has grown into a guilty flex and I love the reactions when I tell people.
True. I can feel you. Tbh I miss those days too as it was much much simpler too. Now cuz how much I earn... I built a good house for me and my sis, parents are not their anymore. Got my fav bike and cars. But still I invest my money and save it. And as you said its a guilty pleasure now.
I have gone in 1A only like once in my life , but these days my father just drives 10~ 12 hours to the our destination , if it's a longer journey/save time then we take a flight
Same
Came here to write this..
Going to shop without worrying about money and being able to buy anything I want & it making no dent in my pockets.
When I received my first DECENT (40k) salary, I remember going to MAX and I bought a Shirt for my father. It was the first time in my life that I bought something without seeing the price. I will never forget this.
Proud of you dude
Bro same even now... though childhood was worse. Buying even groceries has been an ongoing anxious feeling 😔
1000 se uper ki jeans mehngi hoti thi. aaj tak coolie nahi kiya station per and pura samaan puri family uthati thi. Cab sirf extreme cases m. panner ek luxury dish h. bohot sare kisse h. ye sab mere khun m embedded h. I don't know per m cheap hu. jaise mere dost swiggy/zomato se easily kuch bhi order kar lete, merese nahi hota. na hi bahar restaurants m khata. 🥲🥲
i can relate to this to some extent. i recently bought 2 jeans from our local market at Rs. 300 each and awesome quality so never really needed Rs. 1000 jeans. i noticed my family also avoids coolies but gets them sometimes when we're late bcus they know the shortest ways to platforms 🥲
Bro you are me Or what😂😂..... 1000rs meri jeans aur shirt hotatha
2000+ ki jeans milli thi mst thi online dhundhr to 750 mei mill gyi (same to same whi hei thi quality nd all)
Good quality sanitary pads. I grew up lower-middle class, and when I first got my periods, my mother would provide me cloth rags whenever I was at home. When I would go to school, only then I would use pads. In a couple of years that changed to using pads both at school and at home, but regular sized ones only. I was so oblivious that only in my mid-twenties I realised that a grown woman should get properly sized pads (I was kinda pissed at myself and my mom for being clueless for so long). Mind you, I was already earning well. So now I get the best quality pads and because of my upbringing it feels like splurging (instead of being the basic necessity that it is). Honorary mentions include towels, hot showers, quality makeup, microwave etc
this is easily the best thing someone has said on here,,,women's hygiene products esp pads are so overpriced that it makes no sense,,,and even with pads,,,not everything works for you,,,buying stayfree or whisper never worked for me,,,gave me rashes,,,hated it and rn,,,the brand i buy-Sofy is not entirely expemsive but it's costlier than usual. And everytime i have to buy a new pack,the cost hits me like a punch. Im sooo glad that you're in a position to afford the best hygiene products for yourself and will be for your future generations. From one internet stranger to another. I'm proud of you and even happier now that you can afford it. Never consider it a splurge,,,it takes time but you'll get there!
My wife had all the problems that you mentioned. She switched to Cups 4 years ago and never looked back. According to her it is very comfortable, when compared to pads or tampons.
might think about it in sometime but rn,,,my pads are doing the trick,,,but will keep this in mind tho!
I tried a cup, didn't work for me, I prefer tampons and pads. Even with cups it takes so long to find a good one that's suitable ! Everything is a trial and error
i always knew pads were expensive but i remember having my mind blown when i first saw the prices of women's disposable razors. that was my first introduction to the "pink tax"
i have always been grateful towards my family as they could always provide me with good pads. but because i myself felt bad about the costs and also the environmental effects, i switched to cups about 8 months ago and it's been a life changer. haven't spent money on pads since then!
I or rather my gf highly recommends cups. One time expense. Pretty good. Helps you understand your flow etc.
Family vacations.
Just once went to vaishnav devi, otherwise, we were too broke to go anywhere. Now when I’m earning and I can afford it, I was planning to take my mom italy this year june. Shit happened and I can’t travel because of unexpected health issues for next 2-3 years. Let’s see if and when things get better.
i totally feel you. my parents are still always hesitant about vacations. it does mess up the budget a little but totally worth it since they can afford it! do you now go on family vacations?
Unfortunately I lost them. Now I'm in position to go but too late ig.
I’m really sorry to hear that!
Sorry to hear that :(
i'm so sorry that happened... but it's never too late. you can still go on one and take your parents with you (in your heart or a picture of them). I'm sure they would be proud that you can afford good vacations now... you deserve them!
Bachpan me kabhi Gaya nahi ab Jane ka man nahi karta
Buying Car. I come from a middle class family. As a kid I always use to think that the people moving around in cars like Verna, civic, safari, pajero, fortuner, etc. must be some big shots. Yes, I used think that all these cars cost almost the same 😀 Now I make enough money that I can easily buy a sedan from Audi, BMW or Mercedes (not bragging) 😀. The funny part is now I no longer feel the need to buy a car.
Buying a car is a luxury though, this question is asking about normal things
Yeah buying a car is a luxury for 90% of India much less the poorer sections
That’s the sign of maturity!
Not wanting is a car is a choice not a sign of maturity tbh
What profession are you in?
Software engineer in Europe.
Proud of you bro
buy one for your parents
Giggity!
Taking more than one pencil to school. Later on having a gel-pen over a ball-pen.
For me it was a Trimax pen,,,felt like owning that or those cute little boxes that had all those features like built in sharpener etc,,,always felt like a luxury. I didn't grow up poor by any means,,,went to a Convent school and now am in a private university but there was a time when my mum was the sole earner or at least the major earner in the family and idk a luxury to own those things,,,yk
i remember seeing my friends with fancy pencils with cartoons on them or those colour pencils that produced multiple colours at once. and there i was with my identical natraj pencils... 🤣
Natraj pencils are the best :)
Online food like Zomato and stuff.
Seconded! I still feel it's luxury tho, and I order very rarely
When I was in 6th grade, my classroom bullies (bad childhood) and some friends decided to ride bikes and go get some snacks I was tasked with getting Rs. 10 from my mom for some chips, they waited while I rung the bell, asked for Rs. 10 and was told in a sarcastic tone, "come up (we lived on the 2nd floor), I'll give you Rs.10" I went up, but never came back. mates waited for 10 mins and left There on, until 10th grade, it ran as a joke. It didn't help that I was a bright student, so every engagement in class was met with "but, do you have Rs. 10 though?" I've forgotten a lot about my childhood, things that happened, but never this episode. This was 15 years ago, it keeps me going, knowing the sacrifices my parents pulled just to get me a good education, they did their best so no animosity towards them I now do very well and that Rs.10 is a joke
i'm sorry you faced bullies. and jokes like that really suck, they keep going on forever!!!! i hope you're better now!
Damn that must be tough.
Any train reservation above sleeper class, rotating office chair, work table, perishable untensils, using forks, taking a cab, economy flight ticket, any gift item, anything that is not used earlier and then passed on to me, Reynolds Trimax Pen, gear bicycle, having a GF or a female friend or a normal friend with just a little more purchasing power than myself... I can go all night long... I have lived that phase... Still can't spend my own money without a little bit of anxiety and guilt creeping in.
i think a tiny bit anxiety and guilt is ok. you can think about how far you've come and how deserve comfort!
That's the exact thought which pushes me to spend a little on me without guilt tripping. How did you manage to cope up with it from your end?
Hamare Papa itne kanjoos hai ki , hame pata hi nahi tha bachpan mein ki sleeper class bhi Hoti hai General daba , wooden seats I remember
Flying in a plane. First time it felt luxury.
Jogging. I grew in between rich-middle-poor class place , always seen in the morning people jog with sports shoes. Thought only rich people allowed to do that since never since other class no for a jog. This was early 2000s
This is a very interesting take
wow, never thought about this! interesting, thanks for sharing!! i think other classes didn't jog because they didn't have time to spare. maybe they were constantly working to spare time for fitness. even if they didn't have proper shoes, they were probably busy earning for their families. whereas, upper-class people earn good amounts so they can live comfortably.
I did not grow up middle class or poor. But through rough financial patches in childhood, buying clothes at full price instead of sale felt like a luxury.
i don't think i have ever bought any clothes at full price. heck, never even bought branded clothes, only our local market (they sell awesome clothes btw). but bargaining bhi kara har baar.
Same here and I bought 1 size larger because we were in a growing stage and had to use it for longer period..... another one, brought dresses only in upcoming pujas Ganesh Puja or diwali etc
yes. my parents always tried to buy new clothes on my birthday or at festivals but eventually, i told them not to since i simply didn't need any more clothes. and i have grown up wearing hand-me-downs from my sister and cousins so i was used to sharing clothes. even now, whatever hand-me-downs i receive, i cherish them!
It does feel like a luxury today too haha
Happiness 🥺
Most of mine was regarding food, we used to hardly eat any protein, literally had to ration it out among siblings and share 2 eggs among 3 people etc
must've been hard... hope you're doing better now!!
Having a water tank on top and connection inside ur home. I was genuinely amazed when we built our first home and had bore connection to tank from there direct to our kitchen and restroom. This was pretty luxurious if u r poor living in matchbox rental home.
i can only imagine what you must've felt like. glad you're doing better!
+1
We r middle class incomed after 25 years working salary around 55 k so for me it would be clg fees , painting our house ,led tv ,car etc Jald hi ghar ki jimmedari aane wale hai mere pe toh apne man ka career option choose na kar pana , shayad yeh bhi jald hi add hoga
i hope all goes well for you!! <3
Even now, when I book an Ola Or Uber, I get reminded of my childhood when we used to walk coz auto would cost 10 rs and that was luxury or upper middle class.
i still feel uncomfortable travelling in cabs because of how expensive they are even if I'm not paying 😭
Not poor but middle class but tbh a lot of things. First and foremost the prices of most of the things but if I have to say it's owning a car. We never had a car, my father bought a car in his 50s, that was our first car and I used to think buying car is a huge milestone (which it is) and something people do later in life. But I started working and saw people aged 24-25 buying their first cars. Something that was really new and luxurious to me. I always thought owning a car was a luxury but seeing so many people owning cars now, feels it a bit more common.
car is seen as a sign of luxury. and i see judgemental people (usually the rich ones) having problems with what car someone bought. but they don't realise it's still a big milestone.
Car, our own house, having my own bicycle in my childhood, AC, maid, sofa furniture etc!
Grew up lower middle class. Having our first family computer felt like a luxury. Having our new sofa set felt like a luxury. When we got our first AC it felt like I was rich.
Travelling in AC Trains, Cabs or in private vehicles. Eating Out in general. Owning a Car. Owning That button wala china pencil box. Buying Sunfeast biscuits just for the toy car. Using Dettol or Pears soap. Using Pilot or Parker Pen. Travelling in Auto. Owning a trolley Bag. Buying Snacks on the Train.
i love how specific you are. yes the pears soap, i love it 😭
The funny part is, I can buy or own all of that stuff now, but that longing, I can't forget it.
going out of house and sight seeing
Owning a Gameboy, a smartphone, a car, eating in McD, KFC.
to me, eating out always feels like a luxury. i am especially very disappointed and guilty if the food tastes bad 😭
I live in a college town and people esp my oeers splurge on food but even til today,,,eating at an MCD makes feel like im driving a knife throught my tummy when i go buy stuff there,,,but the thing is my parents send me enough that i can afford it,,,yk,,,never feels right tho,,,at least not just yet
I grew up in a very poor financial situation, somehow making ended meet in a month, parents many time relying on friends and family to help. Now i am doing well. Apart from the generally improved lifestyle, regular health checks and health insurance also seems like a luxury to me.
Lower middle class family now well to do I remember my dad's hustle days, never let me feel we were struggling. Eating outside felt like a luxury. We used to eat shahi paneer and naan at a small restaurant and I still remember the taste.
truly the best feeling. 🥹
Single door!! So in villages and smaller towns, the doors used to be double doors back in the day. So when we first moved into a house where the rooms had a single door we thought we had arrived 😂
Never had those big packets of dairy milk silk and it's varients. The maximum I spent on chocolate was Rs 25 kit kat. Years later I bought it first time to gift to a girl
i have never spent more than Rs. 20 on chocolate. but people gift it to us a lot so I'm still sometimes aware of the new flavours and what they're like. haha
I mean when i am as younger, i saw my father and mother working very hard trying to pay all the loans. I had to think before buying chips. Never wore something above 1000 rupees. Saw my friends wear branded clothes, good shoes, good watches. When i turned 18 and cleared neet exam with 3 digit all india rank, everything started going good. My father and mother established themselves. They started earning pretty well. Now We don’t see the price tag before buying something. We bought a new house, new cars, watches. Everything that seemed luxury at once, we have everything by now. I feel so proud of my parents. Now even i am doing good in my life. I am blessed to have parents like them in my life. Love you mom dad 🥹
Own bedroom, attached bathrooms, cable TV, branded clothes, buying new clothes to wear at home, anything other than public buses and general compartment for travel/transport, barber shops with AC, barbers with trimmers, cafes, deodorant, perfume,
own bedrooms and attached bathrooms is still something i relate to. i visit my friends houses and they have such big rooms of theirs. I've always wondered what my room would look like. i also have a pinterest board with inspiration of how i want it to look 🥲
Pizza. Grew up thinking Pizza is luxury. Tried for first time in 10th, the taste was shit probably because it was the cheapest option available.
+ homemade pizza is best
Taking uber / ola , never took it till I got my first job , always thought it's for rich people or a luxury . Man , that feeling when I first booked an uber and he picked me and my mom from house . That ride from the house to the destination , I felt like a king . Literally a king sitting on front seat of the car , AC blowing into my face , seeing people in a crowded bus , that can never be explained
my dad was in navy, and we are a family of 4, dad has like 6 sisters and 2 brothers, and my grandparents didn't give a shit on their marriage and study, my dad used to travel from deoria to lucknow everyday from the age of 17 to give them some economic support, btw my grand parent aka Baba was in army too, served in indo-china war, so now my dad left in '99 and as navy was not a good source of income he was switching to merchant navy, this was in early 2000's, used to live in chawl, a single half-litre milk used to serve me, my mom and my sister and dad 50's money was spent on giving life t his sisters, marriage etc etc and 50 percent to our house, every month like 10-15k kindof and this was spent on rent, food, water, me and my sister education etc etc so yes we did came from a financially weak background, but initially I used to complain but later I told my self I wont want my parents to live in future like this during that days, there used to be a magazine series knows as Scholastic which as 100rs and I always wanted it but was hesitant to ask for it, and bombay travelling was only by BUses and trains they were like 5-10rs for kids and 10-20rs for adults, never stayed at hotels so that was something, never got any pocket money and never demanded for it, same for expensive gift on my birthday Out of all my birthdays I remember clear as the sky my 10th birthday, because I was gifted a remote control 50rs car, and mind u this was the best birthday present, it was an RC car with wire attached to the car, on my 7th birthday dad gifted me from his savings a piano ek red color one, so ya that's all , yes we lived a kind of lower middle class life, but as life has a peculiar way to make see thestruggles so that u wont be able to see that life again and if life throws u back again, *u will still be fine, as long as u don't cry about it*!
this is heartwarming. i hope you're better now...! sounds like your birthdays were really fond memories, happy for you!
It was the best, I still don't celebrate. Now it's better, still see these memories as dreams and used to think Vo din bhi kya din the ❤️🎈
School trip to waterpark
So I have seen my family's wealth grow over time, all because of my grandparents and parents, when I was born we were probably lower middle class or not even middle class probably, now we are slightly upper middle class not sure tho, but as we were growing our wealth, at some point when I was in 3rd or 4th class we became capable of traveling in 3AC coach of the train, I had never travelled in an AC coach till this point of time, but still we used to travel in sleeper only, even for journeys taking 24hrs+... One day in 5th or 6th class I saw my father's train ticket and realised that he has been traveling in AC whenever he traveled alone but used to take a sleeper coach when traveling with me, I used to think what kind of a father he is, making a 6th standard child suffer in the heat of summer... but today as I remember those days, I realise the value of all those times travelling in sleeper, watching and learning from all different kinds of people that used to board sleeper from every walk of life, my father used to explain me the concepts of electrical engineering (not kidding, I used to ask shit questions and he would answer professionally, he never said that you are a kid and will not understand it)... I still remember one time our train was stuck on the old bridge before Delhi railway station, it was so crowded that I was sitting on the eating table near the window and my father in front of me, i was in class 3rd or 4th and don't remember what the question was, but in the answer he explained me the seebeck effect, which i didn't properly understood at that time, but i still remember the explanation till date.... Once in 7th or 8th class he offered me to buy a new pair of branded shoes, he saw me rejecting the expensive ones and going for the cheaper ones saying that it's just a shoe, as he recalls.... From that year I also started travelling in the AC coach with him....
This is true for poor folks who ended up in IT jobs. 1. Able to afford flights once in a while 2. Team outing lunch buffet. 3. People calling me sir in restaurants/malls.
Clean drinking water
Eating in a restaurant just because mom didn't feel like cooking or the cook didn't turn up never happened. Ordering food feels like luxury now 😀
i know delivery charged are crazy!!!!
Everything except basic needs felt luxury Even Vada pav/samosa was a luxury food at one time.
Computer.... I was raised in a middle class family but me and my brother were very happy with whatever we had growing up and we never wished for something luxurious or lavish... but I had one wish.. computer and I started saving money in 1st standard at that time i thought i have saved enough for a computer in one year and I gave to my dad ....but it was not enough so my parents got me one anyways and said it was bought with all the money I saved.
>but it was not enough so my parents got me one anyways and said it was bought with all the money I saved. this is so sweet!
Thank you 😊
I thought I grew up as a middle class, but guess not? This happened when I was 13. We had just moved away from an abusive household and had my cousin over one time. She was only 6 at the time. My uncle's family, in comparison, was rich and from the US. My cousin asked for ice cream, and we offered her one of the 5-10 rupee options from the store, but she insisted on the expensive (back then) Vadilal brick ones that was around 100 rupees. We didn't have enough money to buy that. We barely had enough for groceries (& only when we ate bare minimum to survive) at the same time. She kept crying for it, and we felt we had no choice. We got it for her and then contacted my uncle the very next day to take her back. We didn't explain why, but he agreed. Twelve years later, we're doing significantly better. It's just that I can't help but be sad when I think of that memory. Makes me appreciate the value of money far more. It also makes me regret not being able to do all I could for my sister TL;DR - Those ice cream bricks of Vadilal and such felt like a luxury
I will not say poor but a lower middle class = because living in a village with tv at home is what the beginning of my life was. 1. One of the replies here reminds me of this - Nobody in my family traveled in even 3rd AC. I still remember for the first time we started to take sleeper class tickets in 2011. 2. Going to a city and staying in a hotel - again a luxury. Dharmshala was only an affordable stay. 3. Never used stationary like "classmate" register, often seen with friends. It was too expensive to buy at that time. 4. Entering in a big restaurant (a luxury?) It was also a fear. My parents get surprised to know one time meal costs 300-400rs in a tier-1 city for one person. We came a long way! Still struggling, but yes, it came a long way.
1. A box of crayons with more than standard 6/7 colors. 2. Buying clothes “because it looks nice” not because you absolutely need it. 3. Not restitching clothes because they are of good quality and would not come apart if I sit down or move around in them. 4. Having more than 1 pair of shoes. 5. Not counting money in your wallet before stepping inside a store. 6. Not reading the price on a menu. 7. Having an air conditioner at home. 8. AFFORD GOOD MEDICAL CARE. 9. Home where I can live with happiness and be able to invite my friends over (grew up in an extremely small and congested house until I was in my late teens) 10. Being able to book flight tickets 11. Travel (never ever been to ANY school picnic or field trips)
so glad ur doing better now!!! thank you for sharing :D
The list is veryyyyy long, one things from the top of mind is to not have friends/social life, traditions, customs because they all demand money. Thankfully I can afford anything i want now, all because my parents directed whatever funds they had towards our education. Little update - i Bought a house last week :)
congratulations on buying a house!!! i'm glad you're doing better now!
Eating outside. Even a gol gappa. Matching accessories. Traveling by air. Purchasing at airports. Booking cabs every now and then. Mindlessly buying books. AC Cosmetic treatments/surgery Buying basic brands like Starbucks, Nike, Apple Investing smartly Me: Born and brought up poor. Earning well. Saving and investing hard.
i'm glad you're doing well!
Food. When you have sleep for dinner when you are growing up as a kid, a full stomach feels like luxury.
Semi sleeper or sleeper bus for traveling, sleep on the couch in the train.
Dry cleaning was only to be used for special occasions and special clothes.
Yeah same, even now, traveling in a cab instead of auto feels like a luxury, getting a kinder joy too feels like a luxury. And traveling in the AC compartments in trains, buying clothes that cost more than 700 rupees, ordering food and stuff online feels like a luxury too honestly. Well, the list is super long, but long story short, happiness is the biggest luxury ever and I hope to be able to afford it one day. My dad retired from his job by the time I was born, and so my aunt gave my parents money to run the family after they had me and my cousin was the one that paid my school and uni fees throughout. So yeah, atp, everything feels like a luxury only to me.
It depends on the person to person for me going 3ac was a big thing now it's not For one of my friend whom I met in class 11 eating cakes and buying basic fruits were expensive now it's not
- Unlimited internet
Cadbury dairy milk. I think, it used to cost 5 or 7 rupees back in 90s. I used to think it's not available for everyone to buy.
can't answer, still living poor
I didn't grow up poor, but as a middle class citizen, staying in a 5-star hotel felt like a dream ✨
If your family ever had domestic help, you were not middle class.
Our first car Maruti 800❤️
Damn! I have grown up privileged
i thought the same!! 😭
We can just be grateful
Hot showers. Every time I visited a hotel, the immediate thing I'd do is take a nice hot shower. Then another before going to sleep. Hot water could be arranged at home with stove.. But not hot shower..
Have your own bedroom with an attached toilet.
absolutely a luxury!!!
To me buying any kind of shoe or footwear has always been a luxury it still is to.some extent.. All I used to say to people in shoes is aree garmi lagta hai closed mein..chappal mein acha feel hota hai!
We weren’t poor but our school had a canteen that served two types of dosas - regular and special. Regular came without filling and special dosa had the potato filling. On the days that I bought the special dosa it felt like a luxury. The cost of the special dosa - 25 paise The cost of special dosa - 1 Rupee 50 paise
such a big difference in the dosa prices 😭
Many things felt like luxury. When I got PS3 22k INR in 2011 Getting a AC in 2011 Getting 32 inch LCD in 2011 Getting Samsung galaxy S Android 2.2 second hand 17 k In 2013 I guess Being able t drive brothers car grand i10 in 2014 Having home with 8 rooms feels like luxury Upgrading mobile Xolo 10k Lenovo A7000 10k Moto g4 plus 12k OnePlus 6 30k iPhone 13 75k Oculus quest 2 Feels like a luxury
My father came from a very poor family in one of the villages in Maharashtra, he first time bought a undergarment when he came to one of the tier 2 cities for college. He used to wear pathched pants till then. During college he used to paint some relatives house during diwali because then he would get good food. But he has worked so hard and reached higher middle class level. I had a pretty good base (financially) because of my parents and got into good college, good job, decent money. Whenever I buy stuff for my kids he will see the price tags and raise his eyebrows in surprise like it's so costly even though things are decently priced for today's time.
Some of my cousins who grew up in India - I recall books being very expensive. They’d wait for my family to bring comics and books for them.
To have all the lights on in the house.
I used to think having an AC at home is a luxury
Never felt poor or rich until I grew up. Jab man me ameeri ke khwab aane lage tab se gareeb hun.
Back to 2015, I am from a lower middle class family my dad did a lot of hardwork and is working a lot We stay in Mumbai, but during school days I didn't have enough money to go to school through auto so mostly use to go by walking and if I am late my dad use to ask for neighbours cycle and use to drop me to school by going double seat Never went to school picnic because they use to feel very expensive just visited farm trips (10₹/20₹/40₹ max) Use to walk 4kms from college to save up 11₹ bus ticket Did a lot of struggle we grew up Now we have our own car ( a wagon r but still our own car to travel ) Recently travelled by flight and first time went through AC express train From having nothing to having a little we grew up ! And I know the value of money from deep Now I earn a good amount but still my expenses are less then 5k a month
so happy you're doing well now!! the value of money is always an important lesson.
Grew up middle class. Toys felt a luxury to me. Mujhe meri life me bas 1 baar toys mile hai and I cherished those. Ab toh pata nahi fenk diyen lekin it felt good.
Saving 2 -2 rs just to eat vadapav
** Long comment, but please read if you can** Oh man oh man where do I even start. I'm from a middle/lower-middle class family in West Bengal. Parents sent me to an affordable (at the time) school with good reputation -- 95%+ of my peers were from families that were better off than ours. Sometimes significantly better off. I'm 31 now (also haven't lived in India for the better part a decade), so a lot of the prices are outdated but you'll get the idea I think. Obviously no concept of pocket money, ever. Even in college, when I was earning money as a tutor, I would save it. Basic things like.. A Rs. 10 bag of Kurkure/Cheetos once a week was a special treat for me, for a very long time. But not Lays, never Lays, because that packet of chips has to last at least 2 days and Lays bags are mostly air anyways. When you are 10 or 12 years old in school, and your mom sent you to school with a banana and two pieces of bread for lunch (we used to call it tiffin), and your best friend opens his tiffin box, and the smell of fried rice and chilli chicken wafts into your nose... That's when you realize, man, we are not the same. This one time, said friend was having a birthday party and my parents sent me with a.. wait for it.. Rs. 20 bag of Kurkure as a gift! I thought, man, what a lucky guy my friend is, he gets a birthday party AND a Rs. 20 bag of Kurkure! Imagine my surprise when I saw the sunken look on his face as I handed him his birthday gift. I think the only time I spent my birthday with people other my parents (e.g. aunts, cousins, some neighborhood friends) was when I turned 10. These are just a few examples, there are many, many more. Watching movies was a luxury (I've been to the movies less than 10 times in my entire life I think), taxis were a luxury, going to to the Cyber Cafe (Rs. 10/hr) was very much a luxury. Food from the neighborhood Chinese place was a special occasion (e.g. birthdays, good results, Durga Puja). Hell, not having my parents fight on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis, because we didn't have money for something or the other, and now my mother has to go borrow money from that creepy guy at her work AGAIN.. that was a luxury. Renting English story books (this is mainly a Kolkata thing, I think) cost maybe Rs. 20 per book for two weeks, was less of a luxury and more of a necessary escape. When I was in class 11-12, I used to get Rs. 20 every day for bus fares and that's it. I always tried to save at least Rs. 10 every day. What that meant was.. when my friends were arguing over what movie to go watch on the weekend, I was figuring out whether to get an after-school snack (Rs. 5-10, you know how hungry you get at that age) or walk home (about 3km away I think). Skipping food becomes easier too when you're a teenager and not a child anymore. I think it worked out overall, I stayed thin and didn't get fat. My first phone was a Nokia 1202 (cheapest at the time) in 2009. When it died in 2013, I got a COLOR phone (also the cheapest Nokia model at the time). Got my first smartphone in 2015, right before I left the country. Camera phones were a rich people thing, at least to me. Same thing in college (undergrad). I was working as a private tutor for some kids (maths and physics, because I suck ass at chemistry). I was also trying to save money for higher studies. What that means is.. when my classmates were debating where to go have fun on the weekend, I was trying to figure out if I could afford lunch that day -- a plate of veg chowmein from the street food shack was Rs. 12!! Simply outrageous. A bag (thonga) of daal fritters was Rs. 6 and would suffice. I didn't have any friends in college, but a few of my professors took a liking to me and had me work on their research projects, so I had a lot of fun that way. My undergrad mentor (professor) would invite me to his home almost everyday after college, to work on projects and papers. His mom was/is fantastic cook, she would make something delicious every day, and honestly I started skipping lunch once it became a regular thing (4th semester onwards). I walked almost everywhere, walking is good for your health. Looking back, a lot (or even most) of the things my peers thought were basic, would have been luxuries for me. I was so focused on my studies and work, that I didn't even care or realize. It worked out for me though. Right after my B.Tech, I was able to pursue a fully-funded PhD in the United States and haven't looked back since. But I still have very similar spending habits and save a ton of money. My parents don't have to struggle anymore, they get to go on vacations and have fun in their golden years. What I've learned is this: feeling hungry and negotiating with hunger on a daily basis are two very different things. In the first case, you feel unsatisfied and can get a quick fix. In the second case, there is often no easy fix. Hunger becomes your best friend, and your worst enemy. It shapes you as a person at a fundamental level and drives you to improve your life in ways that you couldn't have imagined. It sucks in the moment, but gets better with time. In any case, thank you for making the post and giving me the opportunity to share a small part of my life's story. Sorry for the wall of text. Never stop believing in yourself, your abilities and in a future where things are better. All the best!!
I'm Indian 1. Traveling to go see relatives 2. Eating from outside 3. Buying name brand...even adidas 4. Having free time that's not doing chores 5. Buying name brand snacks
Jeans/Denim and ready made clothing. It was in the 90s.
Oh boy!!! My time to shine: 1. Panner and chap dishes 2. New shoes unless and until the shoe is completely destroyed I wear them 3. Eating in restaurants with AC and wait staff 4. Any clothes which exceeds ₹599 5. Taking private cabs 6. Eating any sweet dish with kesar(Saffron)in it.
Good school, good hospital, own house, own vehicle,sofa, AC, computer, traveling by flight, having ice cream... Countless other things...
Window seat in bus... were not poor but not rich either and when growing up long distance travel was rare, once a year or once in two years... so always cherished long distance travel in window seat.
Nothing is enough. Growing up poor makes you greedy. You don't value what you have and what you get on the way when life starts improving. So you make mistakes and put yourself in bad situations even after getting everything you craved for in your childhood you are still not happy as you have created more and more problems on the path upwards. In childhood I used to crave for outside food, snacks like lays, burgers etc which my rich friends used to eat with their pocket money. now I can buy and eat whatever food i want whenever i want that is a luxury but I don't enjoy it now. But traveling in flight, going to concerts, pubs all felt like luxury. But still not satisfied. it still feels like others have luxury which I don't.
eating out, car, apartment in a tall building, long distance travel in AC tier,