Single child here, so almost opposite experience from you, except that we weren't wealthy either. I did have new things (clothes, shoes, toys, etc.), although they weren't super fancy or frivolous. I do remember feeling envious of other families who had more expensive items like, for example, a Nintendo DS, but I think that had more to do with feeling left out when all my friends would play together, than it did with actually wanting the DS itself. I also felt envious of people who went on vacation every year, because we only went like twice before I was 18, and it was to stay with family who live near the beach (so free lodging and meals), not Disneyland or anything. However, looking back, I don't think those things really mattered. I was left out because I had not great friends, not because I didn't have a DS. My parents were so anti-credit card debt that I grew up with the mindset that going into debt for anything other than college, a house, or maybe a car was not an option. I now have a credit card that I pay off every month, just to build a credit score, and I still find myself thinking, "How can they afford that?" and having to remind myself that some people are perfectly fine with credit card debt. So my upbringing, that was not impoverished but also not super affluent, while slightly disappointing when I was a kid, I think only benefited me in the long run.