"I Thought Only The Rich Had Access To It": People Are Sharing Things They Wrongfully Used To Think Were Super Fancy And Unattainable

There are so many things that I considered a sign of wealth as a kid that became a part of living in the trenches as an adult. When I used to eat fast food, I felt luxury and joy with every bite. Now, I just feel broke and incoming heartburn. There's nothing fancy about eating off the dollar menu and taking an antacid.

I was delighted to connect with my childlike sense of wonder and whimsy when I saw this thread from AskReddit where u/SinkingFeelingBruh asked, "What did you think was fancy as a kid that isn’t?" Here are some of my favorite and most relatable responses:

1."As a kid, I thought going to a restaurant and having a club sandwich was the height of sophistication. I used to think the little toothpicks with the plastic frills that held the sandwiches together were sooo fancy."

2."Back in my day, the kids who had the 120-pack of colored pencils or crayons were considered the elites of society."

—u/Prism_Red

3."Shirley temples. I remember when my parents would take us to a 'fancy' restaurant and we would be able to order them. I felt so adult with the skinny straw and the maraschino cherry."

4."If your house was two stories, then I assumed you were rich."

—u/retribution81

5."Sun-dried tomatoes. They just taste posh! I'm sure they're really dried under some high-powered UV light in a factory rather than delicately laid out on some sun-soaked Italian veranda like I imagine when I eat them."

6."Refrigerators with built-in ice dispensers."

—u/Kelso____

7."When I was young, I referred to brands like Adidas as 'designer.' I was obviously wrong, but for a kid who only bought knockoff brands, it was very aspirational."

–u/sleepyprojectionist

8."I used to think that paper crowns from fast food restaurants were the height of royal fashion. Little did I know, I was just one nugget away from a banquet!"

—u/ShotRturn

9."Shrimp. When my brother and I got good grades or if there was any reason to celebrate, our dad would take us to Red Lobster or Long John Silver's, and we’d get shrimp. I thought it was absolute luxury."

10."Having more than one TV in the house."

—u/BubbhaJebus

11."All the different kinds of bottled waters like distilled, purified, or spring. I'd be sippin' my fresh-from-the-glacier spring water like, 'Damn this some gourmet shit.'"

12."Matching dinner plates! Ours were never matching."

—u/Exotic-Stable-4946

13."My friends who had kitchens filled with junk food like Cap'n Crunch, Twinkies, and Ding Dongs. I thought they were so fancy, and I was so jealous. My mom cooked from scratch every day, and we thought we were so neglected because she wouldn't buy that shit for us to eat. We were so lucky. Thanks, mom."

14."TV dinners! I only got to eat them when my cousin spent the night, and we thought they were haute cuisine. Now, the thought of watery, tasteless, frozen dinners grosses me out."

—u/NorwegianMuse

15."I was convinced hummus was special because it only ever came out at fancy parties."

16."I once marked a questionnaire that I had recently experienced fine dining because I ate at an Olive Garden."

—u/fryamtheeggguy

17."The local Chinese buffet. It's about the most exotic thing in my relatively rural Tennessee hometown."

18."For some reason, as a kid I thought Grey Poupon was some fancy delicacy by the French. I imagined a fancy guy with a gray wig just slathering it on a baguette. I thought only the rich had access to it. It’s just mustard."

—u/JackfruitCurry

19.And finally, by far the most common answer: "Ferrero Rocher! It turns out they aren’t just for Christmas. You can just buy them and eat them anytime."

What did you think was super fancy when you were a kid but later realized wasn't actually as sophisticated as it seems? Let me know in the comments!