[orthodoc]

Lived the first three years of my life in the upper level of my grandparents' house. Then moved to a 'double', or semi-detached in a seedy but not dangerous neighborhood. Drank powdered (lumpy!) milk and ate not much. My father shot rabbits to help with the groceries. Later my father's income went up and we moved to a detached house; unfortunately at that point my mother's compulsive spending threw our finances into disarray with more downs than ups.

My parents didn't contribute any money to my college education; I was the first in my extended family to go to college and they didn't see it as a 'given' or a 'must' (only I saw it that way). Lived in the same pair of jeans for twelve years and ate, again, not much.

Now that we have a very good family income I still never feel secure. I budget and scrimp and save and worry, no matter what.