I grew up in a pretty well-off family. Though we weren't rich, we had more than any of my friends and their families. My dad owns a successful construction company, but it's still modest in terms of size/workforce.

Anytime my friends were over, they'd comment about how huge our house was despite it being an average 2 story house. It just had a lot of open space because the bedrooms were small. Or the fact that we had a big TV with lots of movies to watch. And we also had a new family vehicle every few years. My brothers and I weren't spoiled, though. In fact, our parents were so concerned about not spoiling us that we grew up sharing toys, clothes, rooms, etc.

Now that I'm on my own, I can certainly consider myself poor. Maybe not so-much-so that I struggle to survive, but I live paycheck-to-paycheck and have trouble saving money. My parents will always be willing to help me out of a pickle, but only if I'm truly desperate. Thankfully I have managed to be 100% independent so far.

I guess the biggest difference between being wealthy and being poor is the attitude you have toward life. Living with my parents was trouble and worry-free. I was more social, more confident, and more active. Now that I have to budget properly or go broke, my life seems less amusing. I hate that I have to work 40 hours a week just to have a roof over my head. All that work makes me exhausted, so I end up declining plans with friends. The less I see my friends, the less both of us care about one another. I'm at the point now where I haven't dated for a few years. I don't go to many parties. I don't have a lot of people snapchatting or texting me. I suppose it's mostly my fault, but I can't help but assume that my financial status reshaped my outlook on life.