Growing up Poor -- Twitter post and replies...

 Growing up poor - Twitter thread and replies.

I have no idea who Brandon is but he has over two thousand followers. I did not explore the backstories of the various replies but they appear to be serious responses from an array of Twitter users.

I think my biggest financial problem is I grew up poor asf so now that I make my own money I don’t know how to budget. I’m always gonna spend the extra penny for quality cause I can and I hate the feeling of being limited on what I can do bc of a price tag

I had to mute this cause sheeeesh. Imma just say pls pay attention and take care of your mental health! Take some time when you need too, do things that make you happy, spend time with friends and family. We’re usually our own biggest enemy 🫡

My family is not poor, but my parents teach me to make money even i still am student right now, i do it by doing online surveys that pay me dollars for my needs. Than i think that's enough money for me

The key to financial stability is to invest in an asset that gives you constant income like buying a house/appartment to rent out, then you can use your salary from your day job to cover daily costs, and use the income from your rented property for buying nice things and savings.

Ok, let's not forget, mortgage payments increase over time. Our payment started at $700 and is not almost $900 because of taxes n shit...soo...it will be tough for some.

Um. What? Your mortgage stays the same for the entire term of the loan unless you have an adjustable loan.

Your interest rate will stay the same. It will increase if you have property taxes escrowed into your payment and taxes increase. Mine went up over $100 in the past year.

I relate to this so much for similar reasons. Ppl don’t understand that when nothing is available to you growing up, u overspend to compensate for that insecurity

Absolutely right. Terry Pratchett put it perfectly, here:

I grew up in a working class council estate in the UK I learnt how to manage my money from my parents when they wanted to buy something they would save up for it if they couldn't afford it they wouldn't buy it I also saved up before I moved out of my parents house

I have the same issue. It’s a mixture of being afraid of not having the money for what you want & lack of self control.

Take it from me, set a budget, build an emergency fund and invest. The sooner the better! Live below your means and in 20-30 years you’ll be so glad you did!

Growing up poor is constant trauma—and that trauma often impairs cognitive function. You often don’t think rationally in fight or flight mode—you just think fast. In law school, there was a workshop called a “poverty simulator” and I found it so offensive for this reason.

It’s really easy to give a person born with money a hypothetical list of expenses and a budget and tell them to manage fake poverty. They’ve had a lifetime of wealth to pay for things while not in a state of panic. It was designed to offer perspective but I think it made it worse

Tru asf. Sometimes I be living paycheck to paycheck & uk what? I still buy clothes n shi that make me happy when I got the extra money bc of jus that. It makes me happy.

It's curious how I went from "this single bar of chocolate is my luxury and has to last a month" to "I can buy all the chocolate I want, but my bigger luxuries (like driving) will suffer".

Ive worked damn hard for my luxury items like great headphones or washing machine.

I’m always treating myself to nice things cause I never had nice things growing up. The financial freedom is liberating but the guilt is paramount cause there is constant anxiety I’m gonna go down a poverty path.

This is a bit like how I feel too. Though I wouldn't say we never had nice things, we were always careful about spending money. So when I bought a Switch for €300, I kinda felt guilty for spending so much money and worried that something's going to happen.

I don’t have money issues because I’m frugal AF. My parents taught me from a younge age to work hard for every dollar I make. I don’t see the point of wasting money for the sake of having nice things. I live debt-free and have a nice stack of savings for a rainy day.

My fam of 3 survived on child support grant (5 years). Then my NSFAS allowance below R800(4 years).R5k from a 1yr internship. Then R0 when it ended. R5k again in another 1yr. My relationship with money is inconsistent. I spend and save out of fear.

I’m fortunate and it had the opposite affect. I don’t budget everything but I’m super tight because it doesn’t feel right to splurge on stuff and I always triple guess every purchase like “so do I NEED this?”. Not the same for all but the trauma just worked different for me

I can relate to this. Hence when I got my first job, I was on a roll! I did everything I always wanted to do without a second thought. I was advised to save but never did. Now that I am running a business, I am seeing flames. I have def learnt many important lessons!

You want to spend some money, spend it on Super projects that helps the live of this planet. Spend it on UNITSKY STRING TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED Project and you'll have more in few years. I too was extremely poor and still coming from it but I don't spend all I got to prove sth.

for those that dont really understand how it didnt make op and some other better at money management, its kinda like how some people who experienced food deprivation show signs of overeating and food hoarding. like ‘it rarely came your way so you gotta make it count while it

lasts’ kinda thing. even when the person has it in (relative) abundance now, the mindset has already been so ingrained in their head they barely even register it happening

I too grew up poor. Graduated from high school, received my 1st position in accounting. Saved my hard earned money. I was on my own at 18. Renting an apartment. Budgeting. Met my best friend who I married. We have joint accounts. Happily Married for 27 years. 1 daughter who's 15

We shy away from the fact that being poor and under privileged comes with its own traumas

I think the most important thing Is facing those memories. 

Then actively/consciously try budget.

Reward system still works for me. If I don't buy 1,2,3 now, I can do something next month

This. It’s been very hard for me to break with the generational concept of money and, for a while, budgeting was the answer but now my budget is more of a natural practice than a balance sheet, made easier by automated deposits and payments. Good luck.

You sound like one of my sons. While we weren’t that poor- middle class, he likes nice, quality things. He got himself in big debt at first. He’s gotten himself out of it & starting over. Put aside something in retirement first, even a little. Plan for what you want. Enjoy life.