My frugal parents were ultra-cautious about spending money on my sister and me as children. My husband's parents felt differently and freely gave to their sons — albeit within reason. It's caused tension in our marriage because my spouse and I clash over our expenditure on our kids.
My 16-year-old knows better than to come to me when she wants something expensive. It goes back to when I refused to buy a $160 pair of Ugg mini boots because the suede was impractical for mud and rain. Or maybe it was when she used my debit card to purchase Dunkin' Donuts for a snack and had Uber Eats deliver them to her high school.
My tendency to say "no" stems from sticker shock and the sound of my parents' objections inside my head. "Why on earth would I pay for that?" I hear my dad saying. "You'd better be kidding," my mom inevitably chimed in.
Born in 1930 and 1936, they belong to the so-called "silent generation, " who lived through World War II and rationing in the UK. Their motto has always been "make do and mend." As a result, my sister and I wore hand-me-downs.
We never had brand-name clothing or footwear. Mom once agreed to buy me a marked-down pair of shoes popular with the "in-crowd" in sixth grade. But I was ridiculed because they were a weird color and half a size too big.
My husband and I laugh about the different ways we were raised That's not to say I had a poor or unhappy childhood. My parents indulged us in other ways, investing in "experiences" like adventurous camping tri.