We had the same kind of childhood. We were probably what would be considered lower middle class but we never felt like we were missing out on anything and were generally happy. Looking back I'm very grateful that I grew up that way. I used to hash over purchases and was notorious for putting things into shopping carts and then putting them back onto the shelf before I left the store. Now if there's something I really want I'll think about it for a while and then wait to reward myself with it for a achieving a goal or milestone. At 54 you begin to realize there's no time like the present. Thanks for your comment!