[James Matthew Najera]

General Discussion Thread 06.02.2025​

Hey, GrayViners!

Let’s kick off the week with a little memory jog (and a whole lotta nostalgia):
What’s the first thing you ever saved up to buy as a kid—and how’d you earn the cash?

Was it a toy, a bike, a pair of snazzy shoes… or something totally unexpected?

I’ll go first: when I was a kid, I picked up tennis balls at a local court for a few bucks a shift. Blazing sun, tired legs, the works—but it felt awesome. And what did I do with that hard-earned money? Bought my mom a little gift. Nothing fancy, but I still remember how she smiled when I gave it to her.

Now it’s your turn!
Drop your stories below. Lawn mowing? Lemonade stand? Babysitting a neighbor’s four extremely barky dogs? I want to hear it all. Bonus points if you remember the exact thing you bought.

Let’s see who had the wildest first purchase!

Cheers!
Blue

 

[Arkie98]

Baby sat, cleaned houses and mowed lawns. There was a small portable radio that i wanted

 

[Powen]

Not creative, but I was in 7th grade and saved $1 a week from my allowance for 7 weeks to have my ears pierced

 

[Birdlady05]

I save up my allowance & bought my first 45, Bye,Bye Love by the Everly Brothers. I still have it. Plus every record Ive bought since 1958, I still collect old vinyls, and I still play them on my record player.

 

[Wiseoldone]

I was 14 and had just been moved to my aunt and uncles house after my mother died. They had five kids and one on the way. I baby sat to by Christmas presents for them.

 

[beth54]

age 14 started babysitting,age16 waitress age 18 factory saved for car. first car was 60corvair stick shift boy was that fun to learn to drive age 16. then bought 66 mustang convertible age 18.

 

[bobbibonn]

Back in grade school, I sold seeds through the Grit company in order to get a typewriter. I walked door to door in my little hamlet and finally did get the typewriter. After that, it was Girl Scout Cookies.

 

[Gayle B.]

At 12 I took over my brothers paper route to buy an inner tube for my old bike when I couldn’t repair it anymore. At 15 I started pumping gas at my brother’s gas station for gas for my beater 63 Chevy Impala. My treasure was a convertible that didn’t always convert! I tried to look cool while I often drove around in the rain! I would give most anything to still have that car to restore it and drive around in it!

 

[Helen]

I bought Flair pens, books from Scholastic Books in elementary school. My dad would give us 5 cents for a bagful of dandelions from the neighbor's lawn. He would bring home really big cookies from the bakery he worked at and I would sell them for 5 cents - or trade for a bag of chips. Thanks for asking this question. Brought back good memories. I still have many of the books I bought almost 60 years ago!!

 

[Samoo]

babysitting (a lot) and then I bought my special clothes that my mom wouldn’t!

 

[TriciaR]

Baby sat, cleaned houses and mowed lawns. There was a small portable radio that i wanted

What a hardworking kid you were @Arkie98 —babysitting, cleaning and mowing lawns! That little portable radio must’ve sounded even sweeter knowing how hard you worked for it. Thanks so much for sharing this great memory!

 

[TriciaR]

Not creative, but I was in 7th grade and saved $1 a week from my allowance for 7 weeks to have my ears pierced

That’s a perfectly smart and determined way to do it! Saving up $1 a week shows some serious patience—especially in 7th grade. I bet getting your ears pierced felt like such a big milestone. Thanks for sharing your story @Powen !

 

[TriciaR]

I save up my allowance & bought my first 45, Bye,Bye Love by the Everly Brothers. I still have it. Plus every record Ive bought since 1958, I still collect old vinyls, and I still play them on my record player.

What a brilliant first buy—Bye Bye Love is such a classic! And how wonderful that you’ve held onto every record since 1958. There’s something really special about vinyl, isn’t there? Thanks so much for sharing this lovely piece of your music journey @Birdlady05 !

 

[TriciaR]

I was 14 and had just been moved to my aunt and uncles house after my mother died. They had five kids and one on the way. I baby sat to by Christmas presents for them.

Thank you so much for sharing this @Wiseoldone —it truly speaks to your strength and generosity at such a young age. Babysitting to buy Christmas presents for your cousins during such a difficult time is incredibly thoughtful. That memory must still mean a lot.

 

[TriciaR]

age 14 started babysitting,age16 waitress age 18 factory saved for car. first car was 60corvair stick shift boy was that fun to learn to drive age 16. then bought 66 mustang convertible age 18.

Wow—you were so driven (literally and figuratively)! Babysitting, waitressing, factory work—what an amazing effort to reach your goals @beth54 ! And what a reward: a Corvair at 16 and a Mustang convertible at 18! Thanks for sharing such a fantastic story—it’s full of grit and great cars!

 

[TriciaR]

Back in grade school, I sold seeds through the Grit company in order to get a typewriter. I walked door to door in my little hamlet and finally did get the typewriter. After that, it was Girl Scout Cookies.

That’s such a classic and inspiring story—selling seeds door to door for a typewriter! What dedication at such a young age. And then on to Girl Scout Cookies—you clearly had a natural entrepreneurial spirit. Thanks so much for sharing this lovely memory @bobbibonn !

 

[TriciaR]

At 12 I took over my brothers paper route to buy an inner tube for my old bike when I couldn’t repair it anymore. At 15 I started pumping gas at my brother’s gas station for gas for my beater 63 Chevy Impala. My treasure was a convertible that didn’t always convert! I tried to look cool while I often drove around in the rain! I would give most anything to still have that car to restore it and drive around in it!

What a brilliant story @Gayle B. — resourceful, determined, and a bit of classic car charm too! Taking over the paper route at 12 and pumping gas at 15 shows real drive. And that ‘convertible that didn’t always convert’ gave me a chuckle—I bet it still turned heads, rain or shine. Thanks so much for sharing such a memorable slice of life!

 

[TriciaR]

I bought Flair pens, books from Scholastic Books in elementary school. My dad would give us 5 cents for a bagful of dandelions from the neighbor's lawn. He would bring home really big cookies from the bakery he worked at and I would sell them for 5 cents - or trade for a bag of chips. Thanks for asking this question. Brought back good memories. I still have many of the books I bought almost 60 years ago!!

Thanks so much for sharing your lovely story @Helen ! It’s wonderful how those simple childhood trades—dandelions for coins and selling big bakery cookies—turned into such cherished memories. Holding onto those books after nearly 60 years is really special. It’s amazing how small moments like these stick with us and brighten our day even decades later!

 

[TriciaR]

babysitting (a lot) and then I bought my special clothes that my mom wouldn’t!

Babysitting definitely sounds like hard work — but clearly it paid off with those special clothes! It’s great how saving up taught us the value of a little extra independence (and style). Love that memory! Thank you for joining the conversation @Samoo !

 

[Gibb]

I saved up to buy my first Beatles album. I had a rough time finding it. Finally I called Sears and the man at the record department said he had one left. I figured it would be gone by the time my dad got home from work. The salesman said that he would put it back for me. That's how I got my first Beatles record. I still have it. I am 76.