is your family poor?

[tasha41]

I guess my parents are middle class- they make about $160k. They both always have new cars, they have a nice house, they have travelled... paid for all of my sister's education so far and helped with mine... I guess it's perception though, they were doing pretty well, but we didn't live in a nice new house in the suburbs and they didn't buy me a car as soon as I was old enough to drive like many of my classmates

 

[vinteenage]

We were lower middle class, Id say. We always had food on the table, my sister and I took dance/acting/singing lessons, but we shopped mostly at Walmart, Payless, Target and didn't take vacations.

Both my parents are struggling more now, but I didn't grow up like that.

 

[annawrigley]

No my family are well off

 

[BrEeZeY]

we got by, my dad worked days and my mom worked nights, there was always food on the table but my dad was in college when i was born, his local blood drive gave money to those who gave blood regularly and those who gave plasma and he did that for along time to buy diapers, and then after he graduated things got alot easier...

i am more financially stable now than what my parents were when i was even as old as 10-12

where i live, the middle class families are the ones whose kids get pregnant young (i was like the first person in my school in almost 15-20 yrs to get pregnant)

 

[EllaAndLyla]

My parents are split up but were together for the most of my life anyway... Dad earns 60k a year (he's a banker lol!) and mum earns 18k a year. Out of all my friends I was the 'poorest' everyone seemed to beable to afford nice clothes etc but my family spent our money on different things like holidays etc.. We had a massive mortgage on our house too which is still being paid off so it takes away a lot of spare money, plus the two cars, food for four each week. We were well off but we didn't have many luxuries like designer clothes and that.. Primark is my hometown! Now I am a mum I am poor though, I live off benefits at the moment, hoping to change that in january though x

 

[ONoez2010]

^^ lol me too my dad made about $80-ish i think? he's a doctor and my mom is a psychologist XD

anywayy we were middle class i guess.. their income was about $140k i think but yeah we were definitely not poor.. then they got divorced but we are still middle class, if that makes sense xD

 

[lauram_92]

Not exactly well off, but we manage to get by.

 

[rockys-mumma]

My family were a working class family, my dad went to work and my mum stayed at home with me and my brother until we were both in the juniors and then she got a part time job within school hours. We never went without anything we needed but we were not spoilt. We had holidays but not many abroad. When my dad passed away he was obviously the bread winner so that was the end of that. He did have life insurance but most of the money paid for the rest of the mortgage on the house and then I guess me and my brother got a little spoiled for about 6 months then that was the end of that lol. My mum has continued to work part time but doesnt earn much and so thefore relied on pensions and stuff I have never just been given anything for no reason, even my first car I had to save up for myself. My mum did help me out but still it was just a £1000 car, not nothing amazing and she did this because she didnt want us to think everything was handed to us on a plate and given to us and that we had to earn things.

I am happy with the way I was raised, we didnt go without but were not spoilt and I am glad we went without things like holidays abroad and brand new cars to have my mum at home with us, to pick us up from school and stuff. I work in a nursery and the kids are there from 7.30 am until sometimes 7 at night, the kids have more awake hours with their carers a week than they do with their parents and that makes me sad!

I dont want to work full time while Alfie (or other future children) are small and if that makes us poor then so be it, but I dont think it makes us like living in poverty or anything. Money is important but is not the be all and end all of having a happy child/family.


And also believe that teen pregnancy is more common within low income families but the statistics are taken out of the bigger picture, working class women are found to have different values, such as putting having a family before having a career (not in priority, chronologically.) Also they are also seen to have more traditional views of family such as the male breadwinner ect etc ugh i cant even be bothered to go into it, I could write so much about it I might aswell go back to a level sociology or uni lol

 

[vaniilla]

my parents combined used to earn well over £100k (its closer to 70k now as they were sick of London and moved and got different jobs) so were far from poor, I think everything effects it and income is only one slice of a big cake

 

[bbyno1]

My parents arnt well off at all.

 

[rileybaby]

no, ive grown up in a middle class family - who are also very strict, hence why half my family dont talk to me any more

 

[wishuwerehere]

I think this thread says more about the demographic that uses this website, as a pretty high percentage of people have said 'not rich but not poor' or words to that effect lol.

 

[annawrigley]

no, ive grown up in a middle class family - who are also very strict, hence why half my family dont talk to me any more

That sucks. Some of my family are pretty snobby but thankfully are all fine with Noah.

 

[Mei190]

What an odd statistic.

And short answer, no definately not poor.
@rileybaby, that is a shame! I understand where you coming from as certain family members for me were the same but they are just about coming around to it now.

 

[stephx]

Nooo I grew up with a single mum on benefits with a huuuge debt problem. We didn't even have hot water, heating or a fridge

Then I moved to my grandparents who were middle class, I was 15 then so they didn't give me money or anything- I had a job and paid rent it was just a roof over my head lol so I wasn't actually raised middle class x

 

[bumpy_j]

I went to a same sex grammar school with tonnes of upper middle class & filthy rich girls and so many in my year have had abortions, 3 have had babies (inc. me) and 1 is currently expecting.

 

[kimmy04]

I don't really believe this statistic. My dad was only 23 when I was born, and my parents are both well off. And OH and I are doing pretty well for ourselves.

 

[Bexxx]

I do have a wealthy family, but my parents have no where near the amount of money my aunts and uncles have. But they are also the only ones who had kids. I never realised it growing up though, I was the 'poorest' of my friends and honestly thought I had it so bad.

OH on the other hand does come from a pretty poor background. His family is comprised of single mums as they've all divorced and are just getting by on benefits. They always joke about it, it's actually kind of weird. Like there literally isn't a couple together... He's the oldest person in his family to have a child (at 20!)

 

[LauraBee]

We've always been poor, but my mom managed to conceal that from us until recently, when I asked how much her income was. She's raised four kids (and three dogs) on less than £5k/year - used to be less and years ago we were on benefits. She's still entitled to a few different benefits but doesn't apply for them. We've never felt "poor" - like I knew we were on low income but I was really shocked to find out just how little it was. I guess that's why I'm always sceptical when people say they "have no money" for something they need - there's always things you can spend less on

 

[AriannasMama]

We make an average amount of money, we don't have loads of extra to splurge or anything though.

OH's mom struggles a lot, she's a CNA and makes just enough to cover bills, OH's sister has to get food for the house with her food stamps but usually ends up blowing it on things that only last one meal and cost too much.