Growing up in a poor family shapes you in ways you don’t always realize. The habits, mindset, and behaviors you develop early on often stick with you long into adulthood.

Some of these traits can be incredibly useful—like resilience and resourcefulness. Others might hold you back if you’re not aware of them.

People who grew up with financial struggles often share certain behaviors later in life. These patterns, shaped by their experiences, influence how they handle money, relationships, and even opportunities.

Here are seven distinct behaviors people raised in a poor family tend to exhibit.

1) Holding onto things “just in case”

If you grew up in a poor family, you probably learned never to waste anything. Clothes, containers, old electronics—if there’s a chance it might be useful one day, you keep it.

This habit comes from a mindset of scarcity. When money was tight, getting rid of something meant you might not be able to replace it later. So you held onto things, just in case.

Even as an adult, this behavior can stick around. You might find yourself struggling to throw things away or feeling anxious about letting go of items you don’t need.

While being resourceful is a great trait, holding onto too much can lead to clutter and stress. Learning to let go and trust that you’ll have what you need when the time comes is an important step forward.

2) Feeling guilty about spending money

Growing up, money was always a source of stress in my family. Every purchase had to be justified, and even small splurges felt like a big deal. I remember once begging my mom for a name-brand backpack for school.

She sighed, did the math out loud, and finally said yes—but not without reminding me how many extra hours she’d have to work to afford it.

That moment stuck with me. Even now, as an adult, I catch myself feeling guilty when I spend money on things that aren’t absolute necessities. It doesn’t matter if I’ve budgeted for it or if I can afford it—I still get that little voice in my head asking, “Do you really need this?”

This kind of financial guilt is common for people who grew up in poverty. When you’re used to money being scarce, spending—especially on yourself—can feel wrong, even when it isn’t.

Learning to balance smart financial habits with the ability to enjoy what you’ve worked for is something many of us have to unlearn over time.

3) Always worrying about the future

When you grow up in a poor family, uncertainty is a constant part of life. You never know when an unexpected expense might throw everything off balance, so you learn to always be on guard.

Even as an adult, this can turn into a habit of constantly worrying about the future—wondering if there will be enough, if something will go wrong, or if you should be doing more to prepare.

In my book, The Art of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Living in the Moment, I talk about how living with this kind of constant anxiety can drain your energy and keep you from truly enjoying life.

Mindfulness can help break this cycle by teaching you to focus on what’s happening right now instead of always anticipating the worst.

Of course, planning for the future is important, but when it turns into nonstop worry, it can take away from the present. Learning to trust yourself and your ability to handle challenges as they come can help ease that lifelong habit of always expecting the worst.

4) Struggling to ask for help

Growing up, there was an unspoken rule in my family: you figure things out on your own. If something broke, we fixed it ourselves. If we needed something, we found a way to make do.

Asking for help wasn’t really an option—it either cost money we didn’t have or felt like a burden on others.

That kind of independence can be a strength, but it can also make life harder than it needs to be.

Even now, the instinct is to handle everything alone, even when there are people willing to help. Whether it’s struggling in silence instead of asking for advice or refusing support because it feels like weakness, the habit is hard to break.

But the truth is, no one succeeds entirely on their own. Learning to accept help—or even just admit when you need it—doesn’t mean failing. It means understanding that sometimes, life is easier when you don’t try to carry everything by yourself.

5) Being overly generous

It might seem logical that growing up with less would make someone more protective of their money and resources. But often, the opposite happens—people who were raised in poverty can be too generous, sometimes to their own detriment.

When you know what it’s like to struggle, you don’t want to see others go through the same thing. So you give—sometimes more than you should.

Covering a friend’s bill, lending money even when you can’t afford to, or always putting others’ needs before your own becomes second nature.

There’s nothing wrong with generosity—it’s a beautiful trait. But when it comes at the cost of your own stability, it can become a problem.

Learning to set boundaries and take care of yourself first doesn’t mean you’re selfish—it means you’re making sure you have enough to give in a sustainable way.

6) Feeling uncomfortable around wealth

Being around wealthy people or in luxurious environments can feel… strange. Even if you’ve worked hard and improved your financial situation, there’s often a lingering feeling that you don’t quite belong.

It’s that moment of hesitating before walking into an expensive store, second-guessing yourself at a fancy restaurant, or feeling out of place in conversations about investments and vacation homes.

There’s a quiet fear of being “found out,” like at any moment, someone will realize you don’t come from the same world.

This discomfort comes from years of seeing wealth as something other people have. But the truth is, money doesn’t define worth. Learning to feel at ease in new financial spaces isn’t about pretending to be someone else—it’s about realizing you have every right to be there.

7) Thinking survival instead of growth

When you grow up poor, your focus is on getting through the day, the week, or the month. The goal is survival—paying the bills, putting food on the table, making it to the next paycheck. There’s rarely room to think about long-term goals, personal growth, or taking risks.

That mindset doesn’t just disappear when circumstances improve. Even with more stability, it can be hard to shift from just getting by to building something bigger.

Investing in yourself—whether through education, career moves, or personal development—can feel unnecessary or even risky when you’re used to playing it safe.

But survival mode isn’t meant to last forever. At some point, growth has to become the priority.

The past shapes you, but it doesn’t define you

The habits and mindsets formed in childhood don’t just disappear when circumstances change.

They stay with you, influencing the way you think, act, and move through the world. Some of these behaviors can serve you well—others might hold you back without you even realizing it.

Recognizing these patterns is the first step in reshaping them. In my book, The Art of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Living in the Moment, I explore how awareness and intentional action can help break free from old habits and create a life that aligns with who you want to be, not just where you came from.

Your past will always be a part of you, but it doesn’t have to control your future. The challenge—and opportunity—is learning which lessons to carry forward and which ones to leave behind.