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“That Was A Mistake”: 50 Things People Bought As Adults Because They Weren’t Allowed As Kids
Earning your own money and having disposable income is awesome. No matter if you’re a 9-5 office worker, tradesperson, entrepreneur, freelancer, or have a side gig, it feels nice to be able to afford some things that you want, not just what you need.
In many cases, you’re finally able to afford what you’ve always dreamed of. In a recent viral thread, the members of the AskReddit community spilled the beans about the things that they bought as adults because they were always denied them growing up. Keep scrolling to read their nostalgic stories!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Weird but anytime I’m at a parade or firework show I buy whatever my tiny 5 year old self would have wanted. A light up unicorn sword? Yep! I love it intensely for that night and then give it to a friend with small children. Healing me and paying it forward. Buy the weird thing!
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#2
My own tools.
All I wanted to do was help my dad with stuff around the house but he’d always tell me I wasn’t allowed to because it’s “man’s work”. F****r wouldn’t even teach me the most basic stuff, like how to mow the lawn or check the oil in a car when I was a *teenager* cos I wasn’t born with a d**k.
Now I’m a sheet metal worker. I have more tools and they’re better quality than my dad’s ever were, and my grandpa left all his hand tools to me, his youngest granddaughter, instead of his 3 sons.
Binny Tutera 1 day ago
I’m sorry your dad didn’t really see you. My dad assumed I could do anything. He didn’t discourage me or my sister from our interests.
#3
Vet appts for my cat. We had so many consecutive cats growing up but my parents never got them shots so they all died of feline leukemia or other terrible deaths. Now my cat gets all his shots and his teeth cleaned and his own room and basically whatever he wants and needs. I got him from a shelter when he was four. We both hit the jackpot when we met each other.
You’re far from the only person remembering your childhood fondly and wondering if you could bring back that magical feeling by surrounding yourself with things from that era. The BBC explains that nostalgia marketing is a popular way for brands to sell products. Some researchers argue that consumers are more likely to spend money on brands that evoke nostalgia.
Nostalgia marketing tends to run a cycle that’s two to three decades long. It can affect a very wide range of products, from clothing and food to toys and tech. Businesses re-introduce certain products and trends to target adults with purchasing power who are nostalgic for their childhoods. So, if you feel a sudden rush of nostalgia after seeing a childhood toy suddenly pop up on the shelf of your local shop, it’s probably not a coincidence. You might be the target audience.
#4
Uncoordinated furniture, non-matching dishes, thrift store clothes, varying colored shoes, garage sale items, dark colored clothes, silver jewelry, etc..
My mom was obsessed with everything being new, perfect, matching, and girl colors. Oh and all jewelry had to be gold. Now that I'm an adult, I can have whatever I want and never wear pink ever again and it's glorious!
She despises that all my furniture was bought via thrift or marketplace, that i don't have a matching dish set, bedding set, or living room set. I see zero point in spending money on brand new things, especially with kids around. I had to "walk on eggshells" growing up for fear I'd break something or spill something. My kids don't get yelled at for breaking a plate or spilling a glass of kool-aid. Because their human and mistakes happen. I also don't lose my mind because I didn't spend an entire paycheck on the matching dishes.
It sound silly, but it's just nice to actually live in my house, and not just be a guest in it.
Saint_Zipcodus 1 day ago
There's hardly anything more satisfying than finding that one beautiful/weird plate, mug or cup in a thrift store, purchasing it for mere cents, knowing it won't end up in a landfill (at least for now) and adding it to your collection. And mismatched tableware is just perfect for those among us that tend to be a bit clumsy...
#5
Christmas and Birthday presents
(I was raised Jehovah Witness, which is a form of child abuse).
iseefractals 1 day ago
Forcing any religion upon a child is child abuse, but yeah JW is particularly bad.
#6
Albuterol.
My mom said I was faking my asthma attacks.
I don't talk to her anymore.
However, there are indications that the nostalgia marketing cycle is speeding up. Global events like the Covid-19 pandemic and changes in how we communicate might have something to do with this shift in people’s perception of time. “With Covid, and the lockdowns, and social distancing, it was like we were trapped in a time warp. People became nostalgic for things that happened just last week, or just last month, or just last year," Krystine Batcho, a professor at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, explained to the BBC.
According to Batcho, during the initial lockdowns, people felt nostalgic for things they were doing only recently, whether that’s meeting up with a friend for lunch or going to the cinema.
#7
When I turned 18 I drove myself down to walmart and got a case of pop and some sugary cereal(specifically reese puffs)
My mom was really pissed, she called my dad who told her “be happy he’s not buying cigarettes booze and p*rn”.
#8
A metal detector. I always wanted one as a kid, but my dad said I'd use it a handful of times, then it would sit and collect dust forever. I bought myself one, and it turns out that my dad was right.
#9
A build a bear! I had always wanted one growing up but was always told no because it was too expensive. I finally decided to do it and went through the whole process of making one and filling it with love and wishes. Ya know, the whole magical process they do for the kiddos.
I haven't slept with a stuffed animal since I was little and yet I can hold onto my little bear throughout the night and wake up holding it. Whenever I feel sad or homesick I just cuddle with it and it honestly helps! It may be silly to others, but sometimes your inner child just needs something to feel safe and comforted when life gets overwhelming. And that’s ok! Don’t let anyone take away what brings you joy!
Joanne Earle 1 day ago
I just turned 60 and I cuddle one of my baby yoda dolls every night. I love them and they are very comforting.
Meanwhile, Liz Juusola, executive strategy director at Brooklyn-based branding firm Red Antler, notes that social media has made everything accessible. “You don't have to dig through an attic. Content from the last few decades, and even before, is everywhere and so easily remixed,” she said.
But Batcho argues that nostalgia has less to do with timing. Instead, it’s triggered when a person feels a difference between the present and missing something from the past, “whether it was two months ago, two years ago, or 50 years ago.”
#10
Red lipstick, my mom let me wear makeup starting at 13, but I was not allowed to wear red lipstick ever, even at 17 when I was about to leave home, she'd make me throw it away if I bought any with my own damn money. She said, "Only wh*res wear red lipstick."
So, I wear red lipstick all the time, it's my thing.
#11
I finally bought a house and have left it largely empty because I grew up in a hoarding household. So I guess I technically bought space.
iseefractals 1 day ago
My mom was the oldest out of 6 kids, in irish catholic working class family, so she grew up being treated like a maid/parent number 3....so once she was out of the house and married, she avoided pretty much all housework like the plague. Despite having a dishwasher, dirty dishes would pile up in the sink for days, deep cleaning anything was more of a theory, and there was just clutter, everywhere....months worth of magazines and newspapers would pile up in the living room....i absolutely hated it. So now, i refuse to let ANYTHING sit in the sink, and i'm obsessive about keeping everything organized, floors and surfaces clear of anything not actively in use.6
What was your first grown-up purchase that you couldn’t wait to make, once you started earning proper money, dear Pandas? Was there anything you lacked or really wanted when you were a kid that you now easily buy for yourself whenever you want it or need it?
What are the biggest things you feel nostalgic about from your childhood? If you have a moment, tell us all about it in the comments!
#13
Hobbies for my kids, the ones they want. I wanted to play sports, and play guitar but was always told "No". I wanted to learn to play literally any instrument, but was denied. I wanted to play Hockey too, but wasn't allowed. It wasn't because of money, I was put unwillingly into other activities that I never asked for or wanted.
So, when my kid asked for cello lessons at the age of 7, they got cello lessons. When my youngest said they wanted to give up soccer for ballet, we swapped soccer for ballet. My only rule is they have to finish the season, they are not allowed to join a team or group and quit part way through (without good reason), they have to finish the season before quitting.
Dog Mom to Zoe 1 day ago
Yup, piano lessons. Mother said no without further explanation. I still want to learn and will eventually find a good teacher.
#14
I bought an ice cream cake for no reason once. The freedom is palpable.
Bacon Tentacles 2 days ago
The pro and con of being an adult is you can buy just about anything and nobody can stop you.
#15
Whatever I want? Is that an answer.
In all honesty…I remember being like 14 and my dad and his girlfriend making breakfast one morning. I didn’t want to get out of bed because I had cramps. I did anyway. I went downstairs and as soon as I got in the middle of the kitchen I felt my period come.
Not just a drip. A clot. I said I needed tampons. I was told I had to work with panty liners because that’s all we had and neither of them had the money to go get tampons. I had to use toilet paper all weekend until I got to school and could buy a box in the “school store” with my own money (I was a sophomore).
I buy tampons whenever they’re bogo now. I have like six boxes under my sink and keep a mini purse full of them in my regular purse to have on hand and give out to any other ladies in need.
#16
Paid the adoption fees for two kitties.
They are happy healthy pair of siblings that I literally wake up to go to work for.
And I've always loved black cats. Toni is a diva and I love her and her brother Ginger. As of this post Toni is sleeping on top of my fuzzy jacket and Ginger is in a box of blankets for guests.
iseefractals 1 day ago
Black cats have the lowest adoption rate, highest euthanasia rate, and strays are more likely to be abused or killed randomly due to humans being largely stupid apes who buy into superstition. Black cats should always be the first choice.
#17
Box of 64 Crayola crayons, the one with the sharpener.
Also all the chocolate.
#18
Not something I bought per se, but I run the AC/heat whenever I'm hot/cold. I'll pay the bill if it means being comfortable, especially if it's the summer.
#19
More than one slice of ham or cheese on a sandwich.
Apachebathmat 1 day ago
I felt this! Came from a very poor and chaotic home, my mum would slice the cheese sooooooo thin you couldn’t taste it
#21
Lego. So much Lego. I have a problem.
#22
I haven't let the ice cream truck pass by without running out for a cone since I moved out of my parents' house.
#23
Not me but:
My mom had a porcelain doll from my grandmother, it was very old and a bit fragile.
One day she casually told me she had sold it - I was a bit shocked as I assumed me or my sister would inherit it.
But she sold it to a very old lady (80 years plus). The old lady had several porcelain dolls and told my mom she was very poor when she was a child, never had a doll and always dreamed of having a porcelain doll (but never told anyone). So when her husband died, she started buying porcelain dolls, she loved every one of them and she was truly very happy!
So I glad my mom sold the doll, I know the old lady loved it more than I ever would.
#24
Decent pads. I was always told they were all the same and to get the cheap ones that felt like I was wearing a mattress between my legs and I bled thru them all the time....I was 21 and had been on my own for two years before I fully understood I could get whatever pad/ period products that I wanted and learned they weren't all the same. So many sheets and underwear ruined for no reason.
#25
Guitars. After buying about 20, it dawned on me that no amount of guitars will put one in the hands of me at 10 years old.
Sven Horlemann 1 day ago
I guess I was lucky then. Got my first acoustic at 14. Stayed semi-pro all my life, enjoying playing in my original bands, cover bands. And doing productions and releasing albums. Now at 58 I cannot imagine my life going differently. So, that is the one thing my father actually really did FOR ME.
#26
A sewing machine! I was told I would not learn how to use it so they weren’t going to waste their money. Now I’m a freaking sewing fanatic.
iseefractals 1 day ago
My wife knew how to do simple things on the sewing machine, but a few years ago she decided she wanted to learn how to sew properly, and got a job in a clothing factory (read: sweatshop) She can now sew pretty much anything from scratch ( and she collected hundreds of patterns from overpriced "labels") but....now she can't stand using "consumer" grade sewing machines. The industrial sewing machines are multiple times faster, because every single machine is specialized for a specific stitch.....so now we have an industrial machine, built into it's own table that she rarely has time to use.
#27
An American Girl doll. I had a childhood friend who took a trip to NYC and surprised me with an American Girl Doll. It was a Just Like You doll, I loved her so much. I didn't come from a great home life - being raised by a single parent, we had financial struggles.
One day, my mom went behind my back and sold the doll. I was heartbroken, but my mom argued that we needed the money. I'm now 27 and just purchased my first American Girl doll, it was second-hand bought through Ebay, but I have no regrets.
Bookworm 1 day ago
I have a hard time believing that there was literally no other way to get money than to sell their child's most prized possession, for probably no more than a few hundred bucks - which, yeah, might have paid rent for a month or bought a week of groceries, but certainly didn't solve their long-term issues.
#28
When I was little my grandma bought one of those fiber optic flower lamps. I was obsessed with it and always asked her to turn it on. She ended up putting it in an empty fish tank so I couldn’t touch it. I now own three of them and I turn them on whenever I want.
Bacon Tentacles 2 days ago
Lava lamps for me when I was in college. Haven't had one in years, but it was fun at the time.
#29
Feeding the giraffes at the zoo. "It's just a second and it's over, it's not worth it," my mom said. I feed all the animals at the zoo now. The only one that's ever been a disappointment was budgies, they weren't really hungry, but that was only a dollar so who cares?
#30
Princess cake! I'm a guy, so I wasn't allowed it, but pink icing is elite!
Michelle C 1 day ago
The irony is that pink was mostly a guys’ color until about 60 years ago. Colors are colors and there’s nothing wrong with wearing them as we please as long as we’re not doing any harm with them.
#31
The good ice cream. Growing up it was usually a big tub of the generic brand as the birthday treat. Now I can get Ben and Jerry's and not have to share with anybody :).
Jane No Dough 1 day ago
The real luxury here is knowing you don't have to share if you don't want to!
#32
Shoes I like. ANYTHING I LIKE. But really, shoes. I bought hundreds of pairs of shoes, mostly boots. There came a time when I had to move and downsize and that’s when I realized I had a serious problem with impulse control surrounding shoes. I wasn’t allowed to wear what I wanted. My mom wanted a girly girl, and I’m not that. I have better impulse control now, but still a wonderful collection of boots.
Anyway, today my mom asked why I had Lucky Charms S’Mores cereal as I had never eaten those cereals as a kid. Well, Mom, I wasn’t allowed to eat sugary cereal as a kid, but now I’m forty f****n seven and I can eat what the f**k I want.
Shark Lady 1 day ago
I occasionally buy a box of coco-pops, my parents never allowed them but when I went to stay with my gran she would always get them for me.
#33
Therapy.
Fez_and_no_Pants:
Yup.
I told my mom I was depressed. She replied, "you're not depressed, you're just lazy".
Thanks, mom.
#34
A Christmas tree! When I was a kid, my family want really big on Christmas. We had a little 12 inch metal tree that sat on our coffee table. It was cute, but I always envied those tall, classic looking Christmas trees. I’m not up for the upkeep of a real tree, so I bought a really realistic looking fake one. It’s six feet tall, and I bought red and gold ornaments to go on it. My husband says it looks like a Hallmark tree, which is exactly what I was going for. It makes me so happy to put it up every year.
My husband and I started all these cheesy little Christmas traditions too, so I’m glad our kids will have those memories one day.
Geoffrey Scott 1 day ago
By all means, please use the 'decorations' your kids make in school. They feel so good when you use them yearly, and it goes by SO fast.
#35
ADHD medication.
Marie Clear 1 day ago
Yes to this. I was in my 30's when I was diagnosed with ADD, because I'm old enough that 1) females back in the day didn't "get" ADD (it wasn't noticed unless you had the H), and 2) kids grow out of it. And it does seem to be true that girls socialize ADD differently than boys. Anyway, finally getting meds didn't cause any dramatic changes that I could notice on the "inside" if my head, if you know what I mean, but I describe it to people like getting glasses for the first time for mild farsightedness. You don't really appreciate what you've been struggling with until it's fixed.
#36
When I lived in a joint family with my aunt she would tell me to not eat butter or cheese as it would make me fat. I guess she didn’t want me using up her groceries. What a mean thing to say to a 10 year old. I splurge on butter, cheese and the good sourdough breads now as an adult and so does my daughter.
#37
I painted my walls! We always rented and were never allowed to paint it. But now that we own a house I can paint my walls whatever I want!
We also bought a house with a tree house. I need to fix it up before my little one is big enough to use it, but I'm expecting to spend lots of time in it myself.
#38
I wasn't denied it as a child, but we never had a recliner growing up, and I always thought of them as Status symbol or sign of making it or being an adult. So, when I made it, sort of, I got a recliner. Now, I'm a successful, functioning, reclining adult.
#39
A bunny.
I wanted one sooooo bad as a little girl 😭
I got myself a bunny. He died of cancer a couple of years ago. Loved him SO much.
#41
Paracetamol. I've always had headaches, reality bad ones due to damage nerve in the neck when I was born. My mother always refused to give me aspirin because it would "go away". I used to gently bang my head against the wall to ease the pain (not a joke) or turn all lights and sound off because of the nausea.
When I went to college, I bought myself a box of neurofen. That was a life changer!
#42
Food. Growing up with an abusive mother who used as a weapon and control mechanism. Then got married very young and we so dirt poor we were starving for a long time.
So when I could eat when and how much I wanted to, became a massive overeater and comfort eater. Took me years to reach a happy medium.
#43
Toilet paper, seriously.
Growing up, my family controlled everything - how much water, food, electricity, even toilet paper I used. They always said I used too much.
Now, every time I grab toilet paper, I take extra, even if I don’t need it - just because I can.
#44
Braces. When I was 50. They worked and I STILL feel proud of it.
#45
Got those science experiments you'd buy from target/kmart where you'd make your own crystals and stuff, was so fun lol.
Shanna Blue 1 day ago
A coworker just bought me a unicorn one bc I’m obsessed with unicorns and I can’t wait to do it!
#46
An original NES. When I was younger, my parents told me that video games would rot my brain. Also, $100 for the console back then was too much. So when I got my own money, hello, eBay.
Also, joke's on them. I married a gamer. The consoles - yes, plural - came with him.
Huddo's sister 1 day ago
My sister said the other day that her belief in Santa went on longer than she could have expected, because one year she got a playstation for Christmas. The only other console we had my brother bought second hand with money he got for selling a painting, because they were just too expensive. The playstation came from a friend who had upgraded to a newer console :)
#47
A skateboard. I had every kind of ball and toy car known to man but I wasn't allowed a skateboard because it was for boys. 🤷♀️.
#48
A ball python. My mom said I could never have a snake as long as I lived with her…well once I moved out nothing could stop me. She’s now 7 and doing great.
Huddo's sister 1 day ago
I wouldn't be able to have a snake even now (if I wanted one) because my dad lives with me and is terrified of snakes! After my parents split, my now stepdad moved in, with his Simpson's python :)
#49
Boxer briefs. Mom got mad I even asked because I was a girl. I hate women's underwear with a passion because it's all uncomfortable, to me, and yes even the "boyshorts" sucked.
Never went back after buying my first pack.
#50
This might sound dumb but for me it was that thing that sits on the counter to hold a roll of paper towels. I was always told as a kid that we couldn’t afford to waste money on one.
Now I have one in every room to overcompensate.
MorticiaRS 1 day ago
Ditto with paper cups in the bathroom. Spent my youth drinking water in the middle of the night from the top of my dad’s antiperspirant can.
Note: this post originally had 91 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
What do you think ?
Doodles1983 1 day ago
Sleeping next to my (snoring) partner. Unmarried. My mum was a Jehovah's Witness.
Chloe 1 day ago
My thing is once I became an adult and had my own money I didn't really know what I wanted anymore. My family didn't have a lot of money growing up and I was very aware of it. I think after being told "we can't afford it" whenever I asked to buy or do things, and being praised for not asking for things often and for being "good at saving money", I just stopped asking and eventually stopped allowing myself to want things. I don't blame my parents for it, I understand that was hard for them too and they did their best. I'm now trying to push myself to try things and buy things when I want them but I still forget I can do that sometimes. The only things I was never denied was books. They were almost always secondhand but I could always get them and I now live in a house full of them.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 1 day ago
I'm first to admit I was spoiled rotten as a kid. Every Xmas and birthday I got plenty of presents, so I lacked nothing in the toy area as a kid. BUT. My toys starting disappearing by the time I was ten or eleven. My mum thought I was too old for them and would pack them up and donate them while I was at school, or give them to friends of the family who had slightly younger kids. I really hated that! So for several years now I have been able to replace a few of my most favourite toys on Ebay etc :) I've been told plenty of times it's a waste of money and it probably is, but the joy my old toys bring is worth it to me.
Lousha 1 day ago
I came home from school once - I was really little - and my mom got me a little piano type toy that had two rows of frog heads at the top, and when you pressed a key, one frog would open its mouth and made a sound. It was not any special day, it was just a surprise present, and I loved it. Such a special memory to go home to a nice thing like that! And that memory was spoiled several years later when I came home from high school and it was missing, because mom gave it to some random kid. If she asked I probably would've given it myself, I clearly wasn't using it for years, and it should've been enjoyed by a little child. But the fact that she just took it and gave it away like that still stings after 20-odd years. Believe you me, if I ever see souch a treasure anywhere, I'm buying it! :)
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Doodles1983 1 day ago
Sleeping next to my (snoring) partner. Unmarried. My mum was a Jehovah's Witness.
Chloe 1 day ago
My thing is once I became an adult and had my own money I didn't really know what I wanted anymore. My family didn't have a lot of money growing up and I was very aware of it. I think after being told "we can't afford it" whenever I asked to buy or do things, and being praised for not asking for things often and for being "good at saving money", I just stopped asking and eventually stopped allowing myself to want things. I don't blame my parents for it, I understand that was hard for them too and they did their best. I'm now trying to push myself to try things and buy things when I want them but I still forget I can do that sometimes. The only things I was never denied was books. They were almost always secondhand but I could always get them and I now live in a house full of them.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 1 day ago
I'm first to admit I was spoiled rotten as a kid. Every Xmas and birthday I got plenty of presents, so I lacked nothing in the toy area as a kid. BUT. My toys starting disappearing by the time I was ten or eleven. My mum thought I was too old for them and would pack them up and donate them while I was at school, or give them to friends of the family who had slightly younger kids. I really hated that! So for several years now I have been able to replace a few of my most favourite toys on Ebay etc :) I've been told plenty of times it's a waste of money and it probably is, but the joy my old toys bring is worth it to me.
Lousha 1 day ago
I came home from school once - I was really little - and my mom got me a little piano type toy that had two rows of frog heads at the top, and when you pressed a key, one frog would open its mouth and made a sound. It was not any special day, it was just a surprise present, and I loved it. Such a special memory to go home to a nice thing like that! And that memory was spoiled several years later when I came home from high school and it was missing, because mom gave it to some random kid. If she asked I probably would've given it myself, I clearly wasn't using it for years, and it should've been enjoyed by a little child. But the fact that she just took it and gave it away like that still stings after 20-odd years. Believe you me, if I ever see souch a treasure anywhere, I'm buying it! :)
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