^^ I grew up with no money until my mom went back to work when I was 12. I remember having no power, no milk for dinner, eating whatever my mom could dig out of the cupboards, lived life constantly on a penny budget. But we always had a home.
I think the 80's wrecked the cool working class intellectual. Now, you if your kids don't have their own TV's by the time they are 5, you're a freak. I remember once, I told a friend of mine that my kids only get new toys at holidays, birthdays, Christmas, etc... She looked at me like I had 2 heads. Because SHE goes out and buys the lastest DVD, video games, toys the second they come out.