8 small things people who grew up without much money still do as adults no matter how comfortable they are now-and every single one of them is less about frugality and more about a promise they made to the child who went without - Silicon Canals

"Growing up, I watched my mother carefully smooth out every piece of wrapping paper at Christmas, folding it neatly to use again next year. Now, decades later, I catch myself doing the exact same thing in my London flat, despite having a drawer full of new rolls. It's not about saving a few pounds anymore. It's something deeper. When you grow up without much money, certain behaviors get etched into your DNA."

"When every pound counts in your household, you learn that mistakes happen and they usually aren't in your favor. My father taught me this after catching a scanning error at the supermarket that would have cost us our bus fare home. That vigilance becomes permanent. It's not paranoia or penny-pinching. It's honoring the kid who watched their parents count coins at the checkout, hoping they had enough."

Growing up with little money creates deep-seated habits that persist into adulthood even after financial security is achieved. Small rituals of reuse, constant vigilance over receipts, and stockpiling essentials become automatic responses rooted in early scarcity. These behaviors are not simply thrift; they serve emotional functions such as honoring past struggles, maintaining a connection to a survival identity, and avoiding repeating earlier vulnerabilities. Everyday actions like smoothing wrapping paper, checking trivial receipts, and keeping multiple backups of household items express a lasting preparedness and respect for past deprivation rather than present necessity.

Read at Silicon Canals