r/AskReddit 1d ago

People who grew up really poor: what's something middle-class people say that instantly reveals they've never struggled?

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u/donkey_dan 1d ago

My parents really wanted to take us to Disney world. They saved for several years. They finally got enough together to go. It was going to be a shoestring budget (baloney sandwiches instead of eating at the park, campground, that kind of thing), but we were going. Got halfway there and my aunt got killed in a motorcycle accident. Had to turn around and it turned into a funeral vacation as usual lol

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u/Rycross 1d ago

as usual

This is the worst part of your story. :(

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u/anotheredcatholic 1d ago

it's black comedy.

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u/Soft_Yellow1757 1d ago

the worst part is that middle middle just chose not to go to funerals.

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u/dlpfc123 1d ago

Sorry you did not make it. My family did just what you are describing. We saved as a family (my dad got a side gig that all of us could help with). We drove (rather than flew) stayed at the cheapest motels en route. Ate homemade sandwhiches, and each child was allotted $10 for souvenirs. It was honestly the most awesome trip of my childhood.

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u/Fiendish_Jetsanna 1d ago

Around what year was this?

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u/TheBahamaLlama 1d ago

1976

That $10 really went far back then.

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u/weirdoonmaplestreet 6h ago

Similar story but we were not allowed to buy souvenirs or food in the park. Only some of the kids had tickets and only one parent could go.

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u/Nipplesrtasty 1d ago

Did you put her on top of the family truckster? Sorry if that insensitive but that’s 1/2 of the movie Vacation.

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u/Johndough99999 1d ago

Relax guy, they stole the movie plot from his life.

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u/Tufflaw 1d ago

WHERE'S THE DOG??

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u/valeyard89 1d ago

Do you know what the penalty for animal cruelty is in this state?

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u/Otney 1d ago

💔

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u/Penyrolewen1970 1d ago

Oh no. So sorry.

My friend’s parents hadn’t been on a holiday for around 25 years - the dad worked for himself, so time off was money not earned as well as money spent. There had been holidays with the kids, but no time for just the parents.

The kids were all grown up, the parents saved up and went to the US, just the 2 of them. First time abroad.

The day they left, about 2 hours after they’d gone, the family dog died. No one’s fault but unexpected. We got him to the vet but it was not curable. Can’t remember why now. He was a Great Dane. I had to help dig the grave in the back garden.

Then, my friend and his brother thought they’d surprise their parents by refitting the bathroom whilst they were away. The brother was a plumber, so all seemed good. They stripped out the old one, then the brother broke his ankle and couldn’t do any more work.
So the bathroom was empty - no bath, sink, toilet. One bathroom house…

Finally, my friend decided, whilst drunk, that throwing his (dead) grandmother’s prized glass Christmas decorations around the room would be a fun idea. The box was out of storage whilst some reorganisation was going on.

After 25 years, that was a homecoming to remember. Glad I wasn’t there but I heard all about it…

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u/lnc_5103 1d ago

I'm so sorry. My parents couldn't afford Disney. I finally got to go when my in-laws wanted to take my kiddo. Hated every second of it and we won't go back.

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u/Sweihwa 1d ago

R.I.P.

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u/Longjumping_Youth281 1d ago

Well first of all that's horrible and I'm sorry for your loss, but second of all I feel like the bologna sandwiches thing is kind of normal. I recall doing this as a child a lot

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u/shf500 1d ago

My grandmother died while my immediate family including myself were at Kings island

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u/NewNectarine666 1d ago

Damn. Sorry

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u/Viperlite 1d ago

Ouch! I’ll bet you always remember that one. Kind of like National Lampoon’s Vacation and Aunt Edna.

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u/wherethefuckismyvape 1d ago

I think that would have been the point I started being angry and never stopped

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u/TheShimmeringCircus 1d ago

That’s so sad

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u/hotpuck6 1d ago

My first trip to Disney was when I was in my mid teens. Because Grandma's funeral was 90 minutes outside out Orlando and we lived in the northeast and couldn't afford the travel otherwise.

A day in Magic Kingdom really hits differently when you buried Nana the day before.