Quote:
Originally Posted by monster
Exactly. That's why I was asking Els his perception after using that term.  |
I was definitely speaking from the American notion of class. We don't have peerage or royal lineage in this country, so class separations are pretty much entirely based on wealth. To say that we were lower middle class could be summarized, say, like this: We owned our own home (after a couple of years of renting). We had two cars, never even close to new, but not total beaters, either. I had my own car when I turned 16 purchased with my own funds from my jobs which I started working at 15. We ate very simply, oftentimes creamed chipped beef on toast or potato pancakes for dinner. No one ate breakfast, lunch was sandwiches. Desserts, such as ice cream, were rare treats. We had one television, black and white, until 1973, when we bought our first color set, a shelf demo on clearance. We did not take vacations or attend society functions. The most expensive Christmas present I *ever* got probably cost $10 in those days. I bought my own bicycles with my own money. My stepdad fixed our cars or took them to people he knew would barter his skills for theirs even up. We didn't pay for auto service of any kind. Clothing came from the cheapest possible outlet, and hand me downs from my better off relatives were common.
Does this clear it up at all?