What economic group did you grow up in?

[willister]

I grew up in the lower middle economic class from when I was about 0-9, middle at about 10 I'd say we were the middle class but probably by the time my parents (at the time) went into small business we were probably upper middle class - I was about 17.

My early childhood had pretty much shaped as to how I spend now and I pretty much find this pattern similar amongst most people I know of well.
Despite being on the poorer end of the scale, looking back I really enjoyed the days of crimping and saving and living a very modest lifestyle.

93% of Australians are in the middle class and I don't think we genuinely have a poor class compared to most other nations.

 

[Xenia IM]

Refugee at 4 - lost everything
Struggling through primary school years - poorer than the other kids.
Middle class in teens

Rich in my 20s as my dad retired as a financially free property millionaire when he was 55.

I also watched a lot of people with better circumstances to begin with favour their excuses over their wealth.

 

[charttv]

Refugee at 4 - lost everything

Cypriot?..

 

[BayView]

Single mother on pension until 11 years old, then she remarried and we went to a blue collar single income family from then on.

 

[devank]

0-8: Relativity wealthy (in a 3rd world)
8-18: Single mother's teacher income
18-20: Lived on savings as 'orphan' (in a 3rd world)
20-26: Migrated & on Ausstudy.
26-35: lower class but decent income
35-40: doing ok thanks to PI & double income.

 

[Scott No Mates]

Cypriot?..

Nah! She's from Vietnam, the picture's a giveaway.

 

[Xenia IM]

Cypriot?..

Yup!

........

 

[mflying]

0-16 Relativity Wealthy (3rd world country)
16-22 on student budget
22-26 Kid in willy wonka factory life style (good salary= good spending)
26- now Frugal on paper rich property developer

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Started from the bottom now we're here.

 

[willister]

0-8: Relativity wealthy (in a 3rd world)
8-18: Single mother's teacher income
18-20: Lived on savings as 'orphan' (in a 3rd world)
20-26: Migrated & on Ausstudy.
26-35: lower class but decent income
35-40: doing ok thanks to PI & double income.

Which country?

 

[devank]

Which country?

It doesn't really matter much does it?

I try my best to stay anonymous on a public forum. You never know who looks at these pages!

 

[greedy2000]

grew up West Philadelphia, only son of a single mother.

Got into trouble after school one day so my mother shipped me off to stay with my wealthy Aunt and Uncle on the otherside of the country.

sent me by cab, couldn't afford a plane ticket

used my streets smarts, eventually became known as the prince of Bel Air.

 

[BayView]

It doesn't really matter much does it?

I try my best to stay anonymous on a public forum. You never know who looks at these pages!

Immigration and customs?

juuuuuuuuuuuuust kidding!

 

[devank]

Immigration and customs

Just to name few...
what to do? Many things weren't illegal at that time

 

[ww2_nut]

Lower Middle class.
Born & bred country boy. Mum & dad were poor farmers and we did it tough during the drought years.
The hard times taught me a great deal and it has put me in good stead for the future

 

[spludgey]

From lower middle class when I was young from upper middle class when I moved out of home.

My parents are both from extremely poor families and we (family of four) lived in a one bedroom apartment until I was two years old.

By the time I moved out 16 years later, my parents managed to have their biggish house paid off and had a holiday house.

 

[Bargain Hunter]

I started with nothing and have kept most of it...

Our family was lower middle class.

My father was a storeman/forklift driver, mother stayed home and looked after the seven kids.

My dad never earned a fortune but he built our home, sent all the kids to catholic school, and paid off the house over 25 years.

They knew about hard work and budgeting but investing was not part of their repertoire.

Regards

Andrew

 

[HomePage]

My parents, my two brothers and I lived in a caravan until I was in grade 5, then we moved into a house. People thought we were poor in those early years, but we felt rich with all the friends we made on parks and all the places we travelled to while going around Australia over that time.

When I left home I lived in subsidised accommodation provided by my work, then we bought our own place, which we now own outright, four years ago with all the money we saved from that.

My parents have always spent what they earned, and then some, which now sees them on the aged pension with little other assets other than owning their own house (thank god!). I, on the other hand, enjoy managing my money for to achieve the most effective and efficient outcomes for the money spent, and this led me to achieve financial independence before I hit 50. One of my adult sons is very much like me financially, but the other spends money like it is going out of fashion. Same with one of my brothers versus the other. In my family at least, you're either really good with money or really bad -there doesn't seem to be a middle ground!

 

[JDP1]

Clinton and gw bush years.

Unbelievable consumer confidence under bill Clinton. Never seen anything like it. exact opposite under Gw, rummy, rice and co.

 

[willister]

Refugee at 4 - lost everything
Struggling through primary school years - poorer than the other kids.
Middle class in teens

Rich in my 20s as my dad retired as a financially free property millionaire when he was 55.

I also watched a lot of people with better circumstances to begin with favour their excuses over their wealth.

I had a neighbour whose parents emigrated here much earlier than my folks did and earned enough fortune to start a small business (bakery). They earnt quite a bit but seriously never invested the money properly into property or even shares for that matter. They just squandered their hard earned on "rewards" saying we've worked so hard why not enjoy it?

- Occasional gambling (at Crown)
- Eating out every weekend (this was in the late 80s/early 90s well before eating out was fashionable and common)
- The wife was a weekly shopper at Daimaru, David Jones and Myer (back then considered a premium dept store).
- The father was driving around in a SAAB in the early 90s.
- The father purchased enough Japanese high end hi fi gear and electronics to fill a small room.
- The kids were given 486DX computers in grade 4.

etc etc

They never invested a single cent earned into anything! Pity really!

His parents started to get really jealous of my parents who were a mirror reflection of their actions/fortunes. Well into their 50s/60s now, after their business went South, they ended up working for Woolies nearby, ending up where they started!

It took their family 5-8 years to squander their fortune (mind you business was still good) and be eclipsed by my folks!