I remember growing up in a two income family where my Father worked hard in a steel mill but was paid well to justify it. I was always good at math, numbers, calulations, finances and the like came natural to me. My Father used to take me to the bank and I would collect one of each of the pamphlets that they had on the tall turning wheel of information. They do not have those now days because banks want you to go to bankname.com to get the information as they can not outsource the paper pamphlets, or fill those pamphlet pockets with overseas staff to answer all of your questions cheaply.
From reading all of those information leaflets, I had quite the vast knowledge of all things bank, for a nine year old. It became the norm for my Father to discuss things with me that I assume most kids my age were not privy to, so that he could get my input. I helped him decide when the time was right to move his money from the old passbook account to a money market account. I had to do a little persuading, but I drew up the numbers of how much interest his money would earn in each, and he opened that MM account a week later.
I was distraught that I did not have the $1,000 minimum required to open the Money market account, but I did have more than $250 so I switched my own blue passbook account over to what they called the Money Manager account. I got half the APR and my interest was componded quarterly instead of monthly like that MM account, but it beat the passbook acount. I am talking about the early 1980's when that money market account was upwards of 6% interest, a number you would have a hard time matching on a 10 year CD today.
As the years went on, my Father went from moderately well paid when he was not laid off during the 'lean years' from the late 70's to early 80's, to working a lot of overtime and making a very respectable wage. Once the steel mills cut back the staff to a certain point, everyone left had virtually unlimited OT to actually keep the mill running while being understaffed.
What always struck me as odd, was how much money my parents made once this change occured. My Mother worked in the Hospital, starting as so many others in Dietary, delivering patients food, and slowly moving her way up. After two or three such upward moves, she made respectable money, and he doubled her salary. This was a lot of money for a smoke-free family of four. My Dad is a jack of all trades handy man so his car maintenace, home remodelling, and etc are all done for cost. If he bought a case of beer for the summer, it lasted the summer. So where did all of this money go?
There was no internet back then, and therefore no Savingadvice.com. But that is not where the money went. My Dad packed his lunch for work every day, he bought used cars or cheap cars like the Plymouth Horizon. I owned two of those myself as he had a veritable parts store for them in his garage. He did nothing to any form of extreme that would waste money. If he bought a car, he would have it for 10 years or more. He has two that were bought in '89 and '91 respectively to this day, along with a few more newer ones, but I am still thinking about the late 80s, when they went through what I thought was a lot of money and did not live high on the hog.
My Mother has too many shoes, that is a given. We threatened to COUNT them one day and she got VERY defensive. Clothes is her addiction, and clothes shopping, but not all for herself. She loves to buy cute things for her grandchildren. Her excessive wardrobe did not drain all of that money, so I had to look on. I mentioned my Father has a few cars, but back then he had a Truck, and two cars one for each of them to drive to work. Nothing too excessive there. Do you know what cost the most money....time. I had a great childhood, my parents have been married for longer than my brother has been alive, which is saying something.
The time my parents spent with us cost money. They took us to circuses and sporting events and science centers and bought us the things that we were interested in. My Brother and I both shared an interest in music with our Father. We all had nice stereo setups and got upgrades most Christmases. Christmas, that is where most of that money went. We can not afford to buy all of that stuff for our kids, but you know neither could my parents at first either. So instead of wondering where that money went I will remember were we went as a family. My parents are doing quite well financially, and one day, using a lot of the things I learned from my Father, with my Father , or for my Father, as well as from places like savingadvice.com (plug), we will too.

I guess my point is that my parents didn't have a lot besides a family at first and they cherished that family. They gave up a lot for family, and as times got better they never stopped putting family first.