Some people like to say that life has never been as good and simple as it is now. Well, they probably haven't seen what the current wealth gap is in many parts of the world. In the U.S., for example, it's the widest it has been in 30 years. As of 2025, the top 1% of American households own 31.7% of all U.S. wealth, while the bottom 50% hold only 2.5%.
That just proves that what's a basic necessity to some might seem like a luxury to others. To those who grew up in low-income households, things like Pantene shampoo or having a washing machine at home might've seemed like the fanciest things on Earth. When they grew up and rose to the middle class, they realized that those were actually pretty simple things.
At least these were the items that people mentioned when someone online asked: "People who grew up poor: what was something you considered a 'peak luxury' as a kid, only to realize later it was just a normal middle-class staple?" Read on to find out what else people considered rich people's stuff and share your answers with us in the comments!
#1
We always went to the laundromat, which was normal for us. At age 13 or so I realized you could have a washer and dryer at home. I found old Kenmore machines behind a car wash and was told they had worn out and were free! I pulled them home with my bicycle on skateboards. I learned how to repair them over the next 6 months. Mom was thrilled and I ended up being a really good technician and ultimately worked for Sears for 20 years.
70points
#2
Having any snacks in the house. We had 0. Only food to cook. No chips. No cookies. Not even saltines. I remember being 5 or 7 and DYING for candy, so I stole the only bottle of sprinkles my mom had for birthday cakes.
We got a bit of cheese off the block.
One year my mom got a $500 bonus and we got to buy 2 baskets of groceries and mom cried because my sister and I jumped up and down. She felt awful.
Honestly, we were fine. Not living it up. But she made sure we had the best education, had beautiful clothes (even if she made them), had great manners, and our house was beautiful and spotless. Not bad for a single mom.
We got a bit of cheese off the block.
One year my mom got a $500 bonus and we got to buy 2 baskets of groceries and mom cried because my sister and I jumped up and down. She felt awful.
Honestly, we were fine. Not living it up. But she made sure we had the best education, had beautiful clothes (even if she made them), had great manners, and our house was beautiful and spotless. Not bad for a single mom.
38points
#3
Going out to eat without it being a special occasion seemed like millionaire behavior.
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32points
#4
Pantene shampoo. My sister and I would scrap together money to get mom a full set of Pantene shampoo and conditioner for Mother’s Day. She loved it so much and wouldn’t get them for herself. It was such a luxurious treat that my sister and I were proud to give her.
24points
#6
Actually ordering what you want to eat at a Restaurant - not what is cheap.
21points
#7
The 'In-Door' ice and water dispenser on the fridge. To me, that was the ultimate signal that you had successfully beaten the game of life.
20points
#8
Zip-lock bags. That stuff was for the rich people.
19points
#10
More than one pair of shoes.
17points
#11
Individual beds, individual rooms, bed frames.
Used to sleep with my sister in just a bunch of blankets, then we had a couch. Then we got a mattress, then another mattress.
Then when my sister turned like 12 she got her own room. Then in a couple years I got my own room and we got some lumber and my mom and I built a bed frame together.
So at one point we all had our own rooms, our own beds, and we could utilize under the bed storage. If you had enough stuff that you could store it under the bed, and had a bed to store stuff under? That's Robin Leach reporting material right there. I could finally do night missions with my tiny green army men, during the day! Gotta train to keep 'em sharp.
Used to sleep with my sister in just a bunch of blankets, then we had a couch. Then we got a mattress, then another mattress.
Then when my sister turned like 12 she got her own room. Then in a couple years I got my own room and we got some lumber and my mom and I built a bed frame together.
So at one point we all had our own rooms, our own beds, and we could utilize under the bed storage. If you had enough stuff that you could store it under the bed, and had a bed to store stuff under? That's Robin Leach reporting material right there. I could finally do night missions with my tiny green army men, during the day! Gotta train to keep 'em sharp.
16points
#12
I was born in 1987 in Ukraine and my life was pretty poor.
Pizza and nutella.
Pizza and nutella.
16points
#13
Store bought food
Grew up on a farm with a SAHM who worked back-breaking labor daylight-to-dark 6days a week. She grew everything from potatoes to popcorn. Fruit and nut trees. Livestock and a fish pond. Multiple gardens and truck patches. Went to a grocery store a handful of times per year for flour, salt, sugar, vinegar, tea and coffee. I’m the youngest. When my siblings went away to college on scholarships and Pell grants, she finally started backing off on canning/ freezing and other food preservation. Never any starvation, but no money either. It was a great way to grow up, in a fashion. Had no after school activities because no money and too many chores. But very satisfying and my siblings and I are all reasonably successful with strong work ethics. But mom didn’t want that life for any of her children. The first time I had cereal was a different kind of wonderful.
Grew up on a farm with a SAHM who worked back-breaking labor daylight-to-dark 6days a week. She grew everything from potatoes to popcorn. Fruit and nut trees. Livestock and a fish pond. Multiple gardens and truck patches. Went to a grocery store a handful of times per year for flour, salt, sugar, vinegar, tea and coffee. I’m the youngest. When my siblings went away to college on scholarships and Pell grants, she finally started backing off on canning/ freezing and other food preservation. Never any starvation, but no money either. It was a great way to grow up, in a fashion. Had no after school activities because no money and too many chores. But very satisfying and my siblings and I are all reasonably successful with strong work ethics. But mom didn’t want that life for any of her children. The first time I had cereal was a different kind of wonderful.
16points
#14
Tissues. If we needed to blow our nose, we used toilet paper.
15points
#15
My wife is Korean and she grew up financially poor. She described herself in an elementary school survey as being "high class" because she grew up in a home filled with love and kindness, and had no frame of reference. Anyway, for her it was getting running water when her parents moved to a new home.
14points
#16
Garbage can hidden in a drawer in the kitchen was PEAK luxury to me.
14points
#18
Ferrero Rocher, I saw the commercials at the ambassador's reception and the gold foil and I thought it was the most sophisticated and luxurious thing in the world.
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14points
#19
I didn't grow up poor per se, but I always thought people with staircases inside that lead to the second floor (usually the kids room) was absolutely peak. Not talking apartment, I'm talking the staircase that's usually in the living room or around the front door that's carpeted.
13points
#20
Buying a costume for Halloween.
13points