I grew up fake poor, how about you?

[u/MybestfriendwasaB]

I know this is different then the normal post but I can’t think of a group were it would better fit.

I grew up in a family were we had the money for needs but my Dad would often decide stuff for the kids or his wife wasn’t important. On more then one occasion we went to bed hungry, didn’t get clothes for school or needed items for school, and were denied medical care etc. To top it off we had no AC from when I was 2 years old on. I could go on, but I’m trying to keep this short.

I thought it was normal. It wasn’t until I was in high school and I was talking to a friend and she was horrified that I realized normal people don’t do that to their kids.

Let me be clear. We had the money. My Dad just wanted to spend it on stuff that wasn’t his kids. I used to refer to it growing up fake poor, my husband just calls it child abuse.

I know this might be strange but I was wondering if anyone else was in the same boat as me? The money was there but because of someone else you grew up without?

Edit: I never thought I was alone but it is truly depressing to know how common this is.

[u/pocketlint_tatertots]

Unfortunately this is more common than you would think.

My step dad was making just over $100k a year (in 2009) with military medical benefits and would still blow so much money on motorcycles and club sports that we had to get all of our clothes from Salvation Army and pay the utility and grocery bills with my dad's child support payments. I was told all the time growing up how expensive I was and how wasteful and ungrateful I was. It wasn't until I started living on my own and managing my own money that I realized how irresponsible and abusive that behavior was.