The things that seemed expensive as a kid were not the real cost
Gaming consoles, eating out and clothes seemed expensive as a kid. Later, housing, cars, bills and maintenance stood out instead.
What seemed expensive as a kid
What did you think was rich people stuff as a kid, only to realize later that it was not that expensive? For me, it was things like gaming consoles, eating out and clothes. Each one seemed expensive on its own. Small purchases felt costly when I was a kid, and those were the things I noticed.
But the things I thought were expensive as a kid were not individually the expensive stuff. The expensive stuff was everything I did not think about back then.
What carried the real weight
Housing, cars, bills and maintenance were the costs I had not thought about as a kid. They changed how I looked at the things that once seemed expensive.
Even a year of cumulative frugality across all those things I thought were expensive adds up to paying for, like, a couple months of housing. Small purchases seemed costly. Housing carried the real weight.
