Are you the same class that you were raised as? - Page 5

[AndrewsMother]

[choli]

Originally Posted by darien

I grew up as working class masquerading as lower middle class. We never wanted for the basics, and even went to parochial school, but everyone else always seemed to have things that we didn't. As a kid, I thought my parents were cheap! It wasn't until I was in my early 20's, and my dad was downsized, that I found out he'd been supporting us on less than $30,000 per year and credit. Lots of credit. He had to declare bankruptcy when he couldn't get a job.

I started adulthood as working poor, and have pretty much stayed there, although now I think I'm masquerading as lower middle class, too. We now live in an apartment in a middle class neighborhood, and my dc attend the private school I teach at (although not for much longer, unless I hit the lottery).

Kids DO tend to think that. This is why I make sure my kids know what we earn and where the money goes. They shop with me and know the price of groceries, they pay the bills with me and know the cost of their tuition, our mortgage, etc. I want them to have realisitic expectations - not expect to magically be able to afford everything they want as adults. They need to understand that money has to be earned, that choices made regarding education and employment affect the ability to earn, and that, of course, there is more to life than money, but poor handling of money can cause a lot of misery.

[philomom]

Yes, we have more and earn more than any of our parents ever did.

However, other than a house in the best school neighborhood.. you'd never guess. I have two old, old cars. I get most of our clothing at swaps and thrift stores. I cook at home most nights. We don't go out and do "fancy" things but once or twice a year.

We do send the kids out to summer camp one week each year so that we can have a "grown-ups only" get away.

We do have on nice vacation a year with the kids. Not always far away or glamorous... but a time that just the four of us, seeing new things.

I have some savings and little debt.

[dealic]

My parents were lower middle class. They never managed their money well and had many financial setbacks though so we actually lived at about a working class level: a cheap semi-detached house, used cars, etc. They spent money on us though, and we took classes, including horseback riding once. We took trips but in the car, and they were "international" only in that we went to the states since we are Canadian. It was more than many of my friends did, but everyone on here has me thinking that we were poorer than I realized.... My mom never worked.

We are definately working class, struggling to pay bills and get out of debt. No luxuries and we eat on a strict budget. I don't know where we will end up when DH is done school. I don't want money, I just want to find a way to survive on one income so I can be a SAHM if and when we have kids. I don't know that it will be possible for us though.

[dealic]

*double post*

[mnnice]

DH and I have had upper middle incomes most of our adult lives and have consistently lived below our means. This is higher than both our childhoods. I would rate DH's childhood as working class and my own as lower middle class. DH likes to tease me about being a "rich teacher's kid". He thought the teacher's kids were all rich when he was in school. After reading this I should tell him he was rich because his parent bought him a horse. He grew up on a farm and in reality his parents income can and has swung wildly from year to year depending on the price of the commidities they raise, the weather, etc.

[simonsmama]

DH grew up lower middle class. His parents had him young, and so didn't have alot of money, but he never wanted for anything. I grew up lower class (raised by my grandma). We couldn't afford alot of necessities. I remember one time someone stole all our underwear off the clothes line, and we couldn't afford to replace them for a couple of weeks, so we hand washed the one pair we each had every day. We lived in a bad neighborhood, and our house was really run down. We had no heat in the winter. Sometimes I lived on Raman Noodles because they were cheapest. Honestly though, I never minded too much, I guess, because I didn't know any better.

Now, I'd say DH and I are middle class, I guess. We make enough to live comfortably, and are able to save a little each month. The Kids will be going to public school, but they want for nothing, we have heat. It's been bery interesting trying to balance voluntary simplicity (i guess that's what you'd call it) with the feelings I sometimes have of just wanting something because I didn't have it as a kid. Like the heat for example, we try to keep the heat turned down to 65, but sometimes (just once in awhile) I just feel like "screw that, I'm not poor anymore." YKWIM? Does that even make sense? Anyone else out there have similar issues with the balance?

[Auraji]

I grew up as upper middle class in Dominican Republic, but my parents got divorced my dad was rich, my mom wasnt. He did continue to pay for a bilingual private school, sometimes taking me on holidays with him, giving me a big allowance and big Christmas presents and for Bdays. I believe my education and how I behave is very middle class.

But right now Im very poor. I dont work, DP does. Im on MedicAid, we receive WIC and just applied for food stamps. It's something completely foreign to me to not be able to travel whenever I want to, buy whatever I want, but I think Im a lot better at managing money than DP is and he grew up in a very poor family.

[Magelet]

I grew up upper middle class. several trips to europe, private school, twice yearly trips to ny (where we stayed with family), my sister has a horse.

We're young, however we want to live a simple life. less stuff, less money, less need to be working a job we dislike away from family and more time together. I'd say combined, if we keep making the same amount of money we've been making, we'll make... 24,000 between the two of us? holy crud, that is a lot of money. we need to get in a less expensive apartment so we can save more of it. so basically, we're way way way "lower class" than I grew up however I don't really feel deprived really. I mean, it's a lot less eating out than i grew up with and I'd love to join the martial arts gym we can't afford, but we live REALLY REALLY well for money, and living simply is important to us.

(we also are living way way way better materially than when DP was a teen. when he was little his family was upper middle class (though no trips to europe etc), and then became poor. so he's a lot "higher class" though I don't know if we make more money, or they just had a LOT of debt).