30 Tiny Habits That Prove You’ll Never Fully Escape Your ‘Poor Kid’ Brain

On Threads, a user asked a simple but thought-provoking question : “What’s a weird habit that means ‘I was raised poor’?”

What followed was a flood of responses that ranged from hilarious and heartwarming to downright revealing. People opened up about the subtle (and not-so-subtle) habits they’ve carried into adulthood, shaped by childhoods where money was tight but survival skills were strong. These habits may seem odd to some, but for many, they’re second nature — even if life circumstances have changed.

Here are some of the most popular, relatable, and surprisingly touching replies.

#1

Not using products you have in fear of it running out. You don’t know when you can get more. then it eventually expires and becomes unusable anyway.

#2

Thinking very basic things are “fancy” or expensive. I always wanted to try baby bells as a kid and my mom would tell me they’re way too expensive and for only wealthy families. As a teenager I was at a friend’s house and his mom offered me one. I got so excited. Then after I ate it I was filled with guilt because I couldn’t stop thinking about how much money they just wasted on me. Over a baby bell.

#3

Hoarding things to “use later.” Like believing i can make use of an egg carton later. Food and clothes- it hurts me physically deep to my core to throw those things out. Even as I’ve gotten better with it, I have to push through that feeling. It never left.

#4

Honestly? The more generous someone is, the more I think they’ve likely grown up without money. The people I know who grew up rich will remind you that you owe them £2 and chase you up for it. The people who grew up broke (and still are) will give you their right arm if they felt you’d need it more.

#5

Not buying things you really want, even if you have the money, because they aren’t essential needs.

#6

Keeping certain “nice” boxes because “that’s a really good box”.

#7

General anxiety around money. Always attempting to fix something instead of just throwing it away and buying a replacement.

#8

Checking the price for everything.

#9

Saving condiment packets from restaurants.

#10

Reusing things like ziplock bags, paper plates etc that aren’t really dirty.

#11

Changing into old clothes the second you get home and hanging up your good clothes.

#12

Lack of Self control with spending money once you start making some.

#13

People from poor families often show resilience and resourcefulness, adapting creatively to challenges with limited resources.

#14

Being over the moon when finding some change in your pockets.

#15

Never getting rid of things and holding on to literally everything.

#16

Cutting mold off cheese or just throwing out the moldy slices of bread.

#17

Washing hair in the sink. I still do it at 29. Didnt realise it was “odd” until exes pointed it out. We never had a shower unit until 25 as that was classed as a massive luxury we could never afford.

Alternatively, saving bath water for the next person instinctively.

Saving salt and pepper packets, sauces etc when out so we could use them at home.

Not turning on the heating ever, as again, a luxury that wasn’t possible when a child.

Pulling the mould off of bread sides etc every morning to make use with what was left and edible. Still check every slice of bread to this day, expecting to do the same each time.

Buying/living like still poor even when having more money. I.e. tinned tomatoes on toast, cereal for dinner, saving any scraps for use in the next meal etc, not wasting leftovers even when it’s probably better to.

Holding on to clothes until literally falling apart.

Some personal experiences growing up poor myself alongside my other friends at the time.

#18

Turning off lights when they leave a room/house.

#19

Not accepting help from others because you’re “not a charity case”. I know people with money love free stuff 😭

#20

Hoarding stuff that you think you’ll use, but will eventually sit in the garage for years.

#21

Constantly worrying about saving money, the next check, and putting that over everything else in life!

#22

Buying cheaper versions of everything, even if you end up buying 2 or 3 in the same year.

My gf wasn’t as fortunate as I was growing up, and getting her to understand that it’s worth spending the extra money on quality household items (pots, pans, utensils, toaster, etc) is much better down the line since they’ll last you longer. She had a 30$ toaster that ended up breaking, she replaced it with the same brand twice and it broke again. I went and bought a 120$ toaster and it’s been with us for over 3 years, no issues since.

#23

Going to “the bread store”. I only recently realized this when thinking about how I’ve never seen a bread store as an adult but saw them as a kid.

Spoiler: there used to be stores specifically for bread inventory that was close to expiration you could get for extremely low prices. They may still exist but I haven’t seen any.

#24

Saving all leftovers even if no one was really fond of the meal, to not waste the food or money.

#25

Believing that self care is wasteful expenditure. .

#26

Basic manners! you can disagree with me but the people in poor family face too many restrictions while the grow up, the become more mannered and behave politely in any kind of settings apart from their friends circle.

#27

Hard working and generous.

#28

Guilt for not finishing food, like a bite of toast. i see friends throw away half their plate, couldn’t be me.

#29

Value every little thing they own, not replacing it until it’s no longer functional.

#30

Eating food really quickly.

Saumya Ratan

Saumya is an explorer of all things beautiful, quirky, and heartwarming. With her knack for art, design, photography, fun trivia, and internet humor, she takes you on a journey through the lighter side of pop culture.