Maggie, at From Cave Walls, and Lauren, at LSS Attitude of Gratitude, alternate hosting Throwback Thursday. The idea of the prompt is for them to give us a topic and for us to write a post in which we share our own memories or experiences about the given topic. This week, Lauren asks us about our experience with money growing up.
Here are Lauren’s questions.
1) At what age do you remember handling your own money?
Handling my own money? Other than my weekly allowance, which was a meager $1, probably in my teens.
2) Did you have a piggy bank to add coins to?
More like a small, metal strongbox bank, similar to what is pictured below.
3) Did you get an allowance and/or get paid for doing chores?
Yes, I got $1/week plus a little extra for things like cutting the grass in the summer and shoveling the snow in the winter.
4) How did you earn money for things you wanted?
5) Did you have jobs outside your house to earn money? What did you do?
I grouped these two together because my answers are the same for both:
- Newspaper delivery route
- Cutting grass in the neighborhood (spring, summer, and fall)
- Shoveling snow from driveways and sidewalks in the neighborhood (winter)
6) Were you more of a spender or a saver as a kid?
Unless I was saving up to buy something specific, I was more of a spender than a saver.
7) Were you aware of the financial situation your parents were raising you in?
I knew we weren’t rich. Both of my parents had to work, so I was a latchkey kid. I’d say we were probably lower middle-class.
8) Did you understand the difference between needs and wants when it came to asking your parents for things?
My parents made it very clear that they would handle my needs, but my wants were totally on me from my allowances and the money I made delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, and shoveling snow.
9) Did you ever “save up” for a special item that you wanted? What was it?
The first thing I recall saving up for was a transistor radio, similar to the one pictured below.
10) Did you have a savings account as a child?
Not that I recall. Most of my meager savings were kept in my little, red strongbox bank.
11) Was there anything you routinely spent your own money on when growing up?
Yes. Once a month I’d take my weekly allowances for the month, ride my bike to the town newspaper store, and buy superhero comic books and Fleet and/or Topps baseball cards.
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