Have you ever looked at someone and thought to yourself that they must come from a different planet? Rich people, for instance?Such individuals grow up in a completely different environment, meaning that a bunch of non-standard things seem very much normal to them; however, not everyone stays so out of touch with reality, so here are a couple of stories of moneyed folk learning otherwise!More info:RedditThis post may includeaffiliate links.
Have you ever looked at someone and thought to yourself that they must come from a different planet? Rich people, for instance?
Such individuals grow up in a completely different environment, meaning that a bunch of non-standard things seem very much normal to them; however, not everyone stays so out of touch with reality, so here are a couple of stories of moneyed folk learning otherwise!
More info:Reddit
This post may includeaffiliate links.
I went to an extremely expensive private school. I thought that I was poor because we didn’t have brand new luxury cars, a massive house, and I didn’t get a brand new toy just because I asked for it.It wasn’t until I was older that I realized my parents had just as much money as those other kids, but they saved it all and lived very frugally. My father grew up extremely poor (like, you’re brother gets to eat dinner tonight and you’ll eat breakfast tomorrow poor), and he didn’t believe in buying extravagant things or outrageous cars.I thought that because we drove Toyota Corollas (which were bought new every 6-8 years) and we lived in a “small” house (4 bed/ 4 bath split level for three people) and we didn’t have a maid that we were poor.And I’m glad that we lived that way, because I was raised to work for the things I wanted and that just because you CAN buy something, doesn’t mean you should.
My then bf, now spouse, made an offhand comment about how cheesy it is to frame one’s college diploma, because it’s not like they’re a huge deal. I’m the first person in my family to go to college. Damn right I framed it.
My fiancé was telling me a story about the “exchange students” that lived with them and how they were so nice and would help take care of the house. I asked him why his exchange students stayed with them for so long, when all my high school exchange student friends had only stayed for a semester.It was at that moment he realized that he grew up with Swiss nannies.
That our maids didn’t have maids at their home. Till I was like 7 or 8, I firmly believed every single house had 3 maids (like we did). Basically an endless loop of sorts…
When I found out my mom never had new shoes growing up. Every article of clothing, every sock, shirt, etc, was a hand-me-down from her 3 older sisters. Her first new shoes were when she left home and got a job.Now she won’t stop buying c**p for my kids. She’s come a long way from abject poverty to middle class comfort.
My parents divorced and remarried when I was young, so I essentially grew up in two households with two sets of parents.My dad owned a private jet that he’d use for our family trips and visits and my step dad was a pilot in his free time, and he also owned a plane. So I naturally assumed everyone else’s parents also owned a plane and could take off whenever they’d please.I also assumed every kid had their own pony or horses cause my dad would buy me one every year. Naw, turns out I was a sheltered brat.
I grew up upper middle class so we didn’t go nuts but could afford everything we needed. I saw a commercial about low income dental care and it started with someone talking about how they just can’t afford it. I laughed, thinking it was a joke, like who can’t afford the dentist? Turns out a crapton of people. Humbled.I also thought everyone’s grandma gave them $100 for their birthday. Guess that only happens when Granny has 2 grandkids and a lot of income from her orchard.
I thought everyone bought a lot of groceries for Thanksgiving until I accompanied a pantry delivery in fourth grade. The woman running it let me help carry the bags to every house until one. For that one, she told me to wait in the car, but from my seat I could still see the person who answered the front door. It was my friend’s mom.When the pantry runner returned she asked if I understood why she told me to wait in the car. I told her I did, and it was probably why that friend always avoided inviting anyone over. She explained that it shouldn’t change how I treat my friend, but it should inform how I treat people.That experience really made me aware of how lucky I was to be wealthy….Later on in college, when people put me in charge of the Thanksgiving dinner because they never cooked before, and laughed when I put the groceries in the snow, I realized there were a lot more levels to being wealthy lol
The concept of sharing a bathroom was foreign to me. I mean, my parents did, but they had 2 sinks, a shower with 2 heads, and they slept in the same bed so naturally they shared a bathroom, but both my sisters and I had separate bathrooms. What a blessing that was
That not everyone went on holidays to five star hotels every couple of months. I also thought until I was 10 that virtually everyone owned an overseas holiday home. I remember asking my friend where he went on holidays and he was like “well I only go away every couple of years”, to which I said “but what do you do with your abroad house if you’re only visiting it every few years”. That day really stunned me I must say
Embarrassingly, it took me a couple years of college to figure out that A. Not everyone’s parents paid for their school and apartment and car and bills. B. That some people had had bad high school experiences and that public schools were really a thing. I had no frame of reference. C. that I had gotten extremely special treatment on my handful of run ins with the law.I honest to god thought cops were just cool guys who wouldn’t bust you for [illegal substances] or dui unless you [ended] someone. I no longer have my head in my a*s but it quite the awakening.
My best friend once went to the store with a $20 bill to get a 2L bottle of pop and was worried she wouldn’t have enough. I had to show her how to use my toaster (its a regular toaster where you push down), and she had never had mac and cheese before in her life. Once, I had corndogs in my freezer and she wanted one, so I told her could make one. She ended up having to get me to put it in the microwave for her because she had no idea what to do.
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I thought almost every mom was a stay at home housewifeI also thought people dont eat “clean” only because they lack discipline. Only when i got older did i realize that not everyone has the time and physical energy to cook almost every meal, nor the money to buy healthy stuff fresh and make them taste good (inb4 lentils, lentils are disgusting). Plus, after too many s****y days, comfort food can be the only reprieve.
I’m not the rich person in this story, but when I was a kid, I had a friend from a rich family. One day, he related a story about the time his computer “just kept breaking” - he had to constantly back up his savegames and reinstall his video games because his parents would have to buy him a new gaming machine every other week or so. The punchline was that it turned out the cleaning lady just unplugged it and didn’t properly plug it back in, and aren’t cleaning ladies just the worst?
I’m embarrassed to admit didn’t realize that “not being able to afford college” was a thing until about high school. I thought my family was about average growing up though my family makes over 100k because I went to a private school that was mostly insanely rich people. I also couldn’t understand why people didn’t shop at Whole Foods.
Many many things.1. Chandeliers and all marble floors are expensive items. Not common.2. Chauffeurs and chefs are very useful people.3. Having an attached bathroom to every bedroom4. Gated house with 24/7 armed security.5. 4 lawns6. Indoor cycling tracks. We had them within our property. Not inside the house. Just inside the gate7. Personal small zoo. I had deer, monkeys, 30 pairs of pigeons etc8. Leave the bedroom unclean and come back to find it tidy with laundry done9. In house intercom in every room.That’s just the top of my head.
I’ve grown up lower-middle class, but my mom married a rich guy and his daughter is clueless as to how much money she has.-“I’m not UPPER CLASS, I’m upper-middle!” I don’t know why she does this , but it’s annoying.-I had to explain to her that sometimes you have to throw toilet paper in the trash at some places because the water pressure isn’t good and she replied with, “But that’s…gross and unhygienic.” Yeah, and common.-“Can’t your dad just get you a better one?” When I told her I have to use my grandmothers 98 broken down car as my starter. No, I’m poor.-“Why aren’t you buying anything?” When her dad gave me $200 for a shopping trip and I was scared to use it because I knew I couldn’t pay it back (even when I didn’t need to). I’d never seen that much money before.-“I’m coming back later, I’ll do it then,” I had asked why she ate burgers the entire trip (she’s very unhealthy) and not tried any of the food from the country we were staying at.-“Why are you happy about college? It’s just more years of school.” I didn’t have the money for college growing up, now I do and know I’m going to a good college and might get a job in my dream field.-“Why would they allow that at your school?” After I told her about the time a pregnant seventh grader leapt over a table to slap a girl. Maybe because I went to a trashy school with rough kids??All I have for now. Hope y’all have a good day.
I didn’t know anyone that lived in an apartment until my late teens. I knew apartments existed but I assumed that people owned them like they would own a house.
Traveling abroad on extravagant vacations in only 5 star resorts. By the time I was 5, I had been to 5/7 continents and didn’t realize how odd that was.
My son flew coach class for the first time in the fourth grade. He asked why anyone would want to sit back here
A few things only hit me once I was an adultThe reason some of my freinds family’s moved house so much was because they rented, and what their parents could afford changed a lot. The concept of someone being a parent and not owning their own home just didn’t occur to me. (I live in London, so it’s not like home ownership is common)Also, taking education for granted. The Sri Lankan and Ghanian girls in my school got so pissed when I’d mess around with some of the boys in RE… Turned out because they felt lucky to be in education at all, and one had to leave home at 16 to carry on to higher education :(
My parents divorced when I was seven after my Father committed tax fraud (and adultery). Prior to that ‘normal’ was a few hundred-acre country home and private school. ‘Otherwise’, turned out to be a council estate home, comprehensive (state) school and jam sandwiches for dinner.
A good friend of mine from college grew up with money. Lots of money. He ended up coming with me to go grocery shopping one time and was horrified that I was getting store brand items. He said that he had never had or heard of such a thing.
Not everyone has a magic debit card that refills itself every other day or so. My parents cut me off when I got married at 22, but thank God my wife was raised 100% different than I was. It was a rough couple of years to start, but we are now solidly upper middle class.
Direct deposit. Didn’t know what a check-cashing service was.
I thought it was normal to just abandon your car when it runs out of gas….
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