If You Grew Up Broke But Made It, You Still Probably Can't Bring Yourself To Buy These 11 Simple Things
Even if you have money now, you might still be hesitant to splurge.
Benevolente82 | Shutterstock Growing up without much money can truly affect your development. Even when you've finally made it and managed to avoid living in the financial insecurity that might have permeated your household, being able to afford certain luxuries still feels quite out of reach. There's a mental block that still exists from having to pick and choose when you were young that might stop you bring buying things purely for the enjoyment. The habits and fears that you learned from an early age tend to linger in certain ways, shaping the way you view spending altogether.
It's not that you're a cheap person, but that you're so used to surviving and having to make every dollar last, and those instincts are quite hard to shake overnight. Whether it's a coffee or upscale clothing, if you grew up broke but made it, you still probably can't bring yourself to buy these simple things. The tricky part is unlearning and actually just letting yourself enjoy these small things in life without feeling guilty or worrying that you'll end up back in the position that you once were when you were growing up.
If you grew up broke but made it, you still probably can't bring yourself to buy these 11 simple things
1. Expensive coffee from a fancy cafe
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According to a study from Drive Research, an estimated 51% of people purchase coffee from a shop at least once a week. But if you grew up broke but made it, you still probably can't bring yourself to buy this simple thing.
It's not that you don't enjoy coffee, but you would much rather invest in your own coffee-making station at home and save a couple of dollars every week than constantly go out and spend it at a cafe. In your mind, that few bucks can truly add up, and even if you think about it for a split second, your brain does a really good job of asking if you actually need it at all.
You immediately start weighing all of the other alternatives, and by the time you've done all of that, you've already decided not to buy it at all.
2. A professional haircut
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Frugal individuals are often masters of just doing things by themselves at home, and that includes giving themselves a haircut or trim. They find it better to just spend their money on hair scissors or clippers and give themselves a DIY cut rather than having to spend money at a salon for someone else to do it for them.
They're able to not only save money, but also time and energy that it takes to go out and make an appointment. They're conditioned to believe that indulging in any form of comfort has to be earned and is considered a reward, and would rather handle their regular needs themselves.
3. A nice bottle of wine
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In theory, buying a nice bottle of wine might sound simple enough. But if you're someone that grew up without a lot of money, spending money on wine just doesn't seem like that huge of a priority or even a need. Growing up, things like that might have just been for the special moments.
Maybe once a year your parents might have gone out to the store and bought a nice bottle for themselves. But it wasn't something that happened often. Even if you're able to afford it now, there's still a part of you that believes nice wine is for people who live a bit extra, and you can just never be able to identify with them.
Even when you do splurge, it's not done carelessly. You might bring a nice bottle to a party or housewarming, but for yourself, it's not that easy to buy.
4. New shoes just for fun
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If you grew up broke but made it, you still probably can't bring yourself to buy new shoes just for fun, and especially if you don't actually need a new pair. Buying new shoes just because you enjoy how they look should be simple enough, but it's way more complicated than that.
For the average person, 35.3% of the global population buys shoes more than 3 times every year, but for frugal people, they simply can't. These individuals immediately start questioning whether or not it's really even necessary for them to buy something like that, even if they can actually afford it now. Their instinct will always be to ration money.
Even if they've been eyeing a really nice pair of boots or sneakers for months on end, they'll still think their current rotation of shoes are perfectly functional. The idea of simply spending money for the joy of it just feels like such a betrayal, and it takes a lot of training and having to shed that post-buyer's remorse so that you can actually enjoy your money now.
5. Dessert at a restaurant
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Ordering dessert after eating a meal while dining at a restaurant shouldn't feel like such a big decision, but if you grew up broke, it ends up being just that. A study from Culinary Visions found that approximately 64% of Americans said they like to order dessert when they eat out, but for those that didn't grow up with that option all the time, it's hard to imagine circumstances being different now.
You could be celebrating something special, like a promotion at work or a birthday, and you'll still be battling that voice inside your head that's questioning whether or not the slice of pie is worth it. You've already spent money on the dinner itself, and in your mind dessert just might not be worth it.
It feels quite trivial when you think about it, but spending your money on something that's purely meant for pleasure still feels wrong. In a way, you almost feel as if you need to earn it rather than something that's just there for enjoyment. Even though you're making steady money now, a part of you will always look for permission when it comes to buying the simple things in life.
6. Cleaning service
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The idea of hiring a cleaning service is quite a foreign concept to people that didn't grow up with a lot of money. They watched their parents scrub their home from top to bottom all by themselves, and even if they're now in a position to comfortably hire someone to come and clean their space, they would never actually do it.
Saturdays, or even Sundays, are instead meant for scrubbing the floors, wiping down the counters, and getting rid of all the dirt and grime that accumulated during the week. It's their time to decompress, and to them, hiring help just takes away from the satisfaction of being able to clean their own space.
7. Designer clothing
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Considering people who grew up without any money but now have it are still hesitant to buy things like coffee and new shoes, the idea of spending upwards of hundreds or even thousands of dollars on anything designer is just not something they're doing.
Considering 26% of Americans report being likely to buy luxury goods, as a YouGov report found, that isn't the same for frugal people. They have no problem admiring it and appreciating the quality of a Louis Vuitton shirt or Gucci pants, and even if they can afford it now, the idea of spending money on something that expensive just seems like a waste for them.
That's exactly why, if you grew up broke but made it, you still probably can't bring yourself to buy these simple things. You were meant to hold on to clothes for quite a long time as a child, and on top of that, were mostly likely shopping at discount stores or on clearance racks.
So, it seems a bit absurd that they can now show at much higher value places. In their mind, it feels wrong to "waste" money on things like that.
8. Fancy water bottles
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For frugal individuals, even thinking about spending $40 on a reusable fancy water bottle just doesn't sit right. In their mind, they're saving way more money by either buying a pack of plastic water bottles or just investing in some kind of Brita filter. Or they'll just buy a cheaper reusable water bottle and stick with that.
Even if they can afford it easily, buying something like that will automatically stir up feelings of guilt. They might be eyeing a specific fancy water bottle, even make it all the way to the checkout process and then hesitate right before having to put their card information in.
In their head, they're thinking about all of the other practical things they can spend their money on that doesn't mean having to splurge on something as mundane as a water bottle.
9. A new phone case
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Spending money on a new phone just feels like such an unnecessary splurge for those that grew up without any money. Instead, they'll keep using the same cracked and discolored case for years and years because to them it still works and protects their phone. Spending anywhere from $25 to $30 on a phone case that's only purely for aesthetics just feels downright wrong.
According to a study from YouGov, the most commonly used accessory is the phone case, with seven in 10 using one (68%). But it seems most people don't always purchase new accessories for their phone, with about one-third saying they purchase new accessories less often than once a year (35%).
Since these individuals grew up with the mindset that things weren't replaced until they were useless, that mentality doesn't just vanish once they start making real money. They'll still catch themselves wondering why they would waste their money on a new phone case when the one they still have works just as good.
They're also not going to be convinced. Even if everyone else around them has a phone case that they like, they'll stick it out with the one that's currently on the back of their phone.
10. Massage or spa treatments
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The only time that frugal individuals would ever be at the spa is if it's given to them as a gift. Even if they desperately need it from working so hard and not having an actual chance to practice a bit of self-care, it just doesn't seem like a worth enough investment to make.
The most they would do is buy some face masks and take a hot bubble bath. It's cheap and it doesn't require them to have to shell out hundreds of dollars.
It's easy for them to talk themselves out of having to spend money on their own well-being, even if going to the spa or just getting a massage could actually be helpful. It's truly not a waste of money to take care of your mind and body, and while there might be guilt at first, it shouldn't necessarily stop you from being able to spend money on yourself in that way.
11. Gym membership
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For people who might have been broke growing up but have now made it, even something as simple as spending their money on a gym membership can be too much. That instinct from growing up where you had to learn how to make do with what you had has definitely bled into the way they spend their money as adults.
In fact, most people don't even use their gym memberships in the first place. Approximately 18% of U.S. gym memberships go completely unused, according to a 2025 survey. Meaning, something like paying monthly for a gym membership just feels like such an extra thing to spend their money on.
Instead, they'd rather do free exercises from the comfort of their living room or even go to their local park and use the gym equipment there. They believe they can still get the same kind of movement without having to actually spend money on going to the gym.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
