People Explain What 'Rich People Sh*t' They Do Even Though They're Not Rich
Reddit user Abbas_Noorani asked: 'what is some rich sh*t you do even though you are not rich?'
When I started college, I had every intention of cooking all my meals. It became very apparent very quickly that I simply didn't have the time to accomplish this, and I became the Takeout Queen.
I ordered food constantly. Between getting a monthly "allowance" from my dad (intended to go towards groceries), finding coupons taped to my apartment door everyday, and essentially being "allowed" to tip less than handsomely since I was a college student, I was able to afford this.
When I graduated and moved into my own place, things changed. I was too old to not tip properly, I didn't get any supplementary money from my family, and I had more expenses, such as rent. Still, I continued to order food, and it became my main expense.
My friends tell me the way I order food is only meant for "rich people." I have to skimp on everything else in order to have enough saved to support this. It's definitely true, but I don't think this habit will ever change.
I'm not the only one that does "rich people stuff." Redditors do lots of things that is classified that way, despite not being rich, and they are ready to share their stories.
It all started when Redditor Abbas_Noorani 16 asked:
"What is some rich sh*t you do even though you are not rich?"
Ravenous
"Food. I buy what I want and I try new stuff. I like cooking."
– 34i79s
"Grocery shopping without concern for budget is what made me realize I had made it back in the day. Good times."
"Now I have hard budgets again and it truly sucks. You question every damn decision and convince yourself to do without or downgrade to the lowest priced quality."
– txmail
"On the same boat. The other day I looked at expensive butter that I used to stock up on without even thinking twice and sighed."
– cat101786
Monthly
"Forget to cancel my free trial."
– Adept_Insurance5550
"Damn. Thanks for the reminder."
– -Bk7
"I'm still a member of AOL."
– __SpeedRacer__
Too Hot
"I leave the fridge door open when getting the butter out even though my dad said it would cost billions and send us to the streets."
– frank-sarno
"I leave the front door open when I pop out to grab my mail. Took me years of living on my own to realize the AC bill doesn’t shoot up by hundreds of dollars if I do that."
– MelodramaticQuarter
Necessities
"Buy the good toilet paper."
– FrankGehryNuman
"Absolutely!"
"Good toilet paper. Can't stand cheapo toilet paper, you give yourself a surprise when your finger goes through the paper when wiping your chuff. Don't get me started on that stuff they used to have in hospitals! It was awful - sandpaper that didn't soak up but rather moved stuff 🤐"
– helensmelon
Clean And Sweep
"I have a maid that comes weekly. I've found that my sanity is worth the cost."
– Eringobraugh2021
"Weekly? Oo la la!"
– a**ypantz72
Comfort Matters
"My thermostat stays at the temperature setting of what is most comfortable to me and nothing will change that."
– Cyb3rTruk
"Lol this really outlined how different climates can be. My thought was "Yeah, I'm going to be as cozy and warm as I want and not freeze in the comfort of my own home.""
– McCoyIsFun
Double
"Some days I have two sandwiches at lunch. I smile as I watch all my fellow proletariat eating their single sandwich."
– ShambolicPaul
"Brotip: Cut your sandwich an infinite number of times and rearrange the pieces into two full sandwiches. Don't give your money away to Big Sandwich!"
– NotInherentAfterAll
Sparkling
"Paying for car cleaning."
– angydevil
"Justified, tho my dad would kill me."
– Abbas_Noorani
The Big Cheese
"I sometimes buy name brand cheese instead of the store brand."
– NeuroguyNC
"Tillamook or nothing for me! I’ll buy store brand beans and paper towels and other stuff. But not for my cheese!"
– VariegatedThumb
Replenish
"We have a garage fridge that is full of all different kinds of beverages."
– SixStinkyFingers
"It's not the fridge itself, it's keeping it stocked!"
– 4x32Studio
A House Is A Home
"I own a house...."
– 1d0m1n4t3
"Oh damn rich people sh*t."
– Abbas_Noorani
"We shouldn't be able to joke about owning a modest home being rich people sh*t. Anyone who works full time should be able to afford a home."
– 1d0m1n4t3
Write Better
"I buy the gel comfort pens. Makes me feel I'm a higher class when writing at work. Smooth crisp consistent ink."
– UltraCoolPimpDaddy
"I have gotten into arguments over people stealing my G2 .07."
– savvyspoon2
Me Too!
"I buy small trash bags for the bathroom trash bins. My whole family uses grocery bags, but I don’t like how they always rip at the bottom."
– Deleted User
It's Required!
"No Margarine in my house, Butter Only, and lots of it. My arteries think I'm rich."
– weisblattsnut
Unused
"I have HBO but I don’t watch it."
– MillionToOneShotDoc
"I have Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Don’t watch any of it. Watch YouTube all the time and I’m too stupid to get Premium."
– AngryDerf
Now, that's the definition of having money to burn!
Of course, I wouldn't know. I need to save money for my food!
No matter how empathetic we are, or how hard we try, there are just some things we can't understand without walking in someone else's shoes.
That said, people who live with more privilege can say some especially out-of-touch things.
Prepared to side-eye, Redditor BananaBR13 asked:
"What was the most out-of-touch with reality thing a rich person ever said to you?"
Invest in Property
"My boss asked me why I didn’t just buy a house in her neighborhood instead of renting an apartment. The houses there were $300-500,000 (very pricy for my area), and she was paying me nine dollars per hour…"
"I had literally just applied for food stamps."
- Far-Owl1892
Dress Shopping
"A coworker of mine was talking with a parent once (summer camp in a rich town). The parent mentioned how she loved my coworker's dress, and wanted to know where she bought it, with the stipulation that it cost under $10,000…"
"It turns out she had bought the dress on clearance for something like $10."
"When she explained this, the parent just laughed like it was a joke, saying, 'No really, how much was it?'"
"I've never seen someone thaaat out of touch."
- _Decal08_
What Paid Vacation?
"Not a quote from the person, but my sister and I were planning a weekend trip with our two cousins, and one of them just could not understand why we couldn’t make the trip longer and couldn’t seem to understand the concept of taking time off work and that we can’t just not show up whenever we feel like it."
- SensitiveCycle1098
Yeah, Because That's the Same.
"I was complaining about mortgage payments, and she said, 'I know, I finally just took the money out of savings and paid mine off so I wouldn't have to worry about it every month.'"
- Frosty-Shower-7601
Yay for Trust Funds
"I overheard a girl (one of my wife’s cousins, whose dad is very, very wealthy) say, 'Yeah, things got really rough for a bit there, I even had to pull money from my trust fund.'"
" I actually laughed out loud and she looked at me disapprovingly because I wasn’t in the conversation."
"This same girl gets an allowance (separate from the trust) of $6k per month. When she turned 21, she posted on Facebook, 'Hooray everyone, I finally got a raise this week!'"
"Everyone was congratulating her on her hard work, which is funny because she doesn’t have a job, it just meant her monthly allowance increased because she got older."
- masterpate
Tales from the Gift Closet
"One time a client’s kid gave a coworker an iPad. Brand new, unopened box. My coworker was a little uncomfortable receiving such an expensive gift from a kid."
"The kid just said, 'Don’t worry, I just grabbed it out of the gift closet.'"
"We were confused, so we asked him what a gift closet is."
"Apparently, their family keeps a whole closet loaded with stuff like this - Apple Watches, cameras, iPads, etc so that whenever they need to give a gift, they always have something on hand."
- El_mochilero
Dishwashers
"In college, I was washing a bowl in the sink and someone said, 'That's the weirdest thing about college for me, not having a dishwasher.'"
"I said, 'Man, I didn't have one until high school and it was s**t so it couldn't clean pans.'"
"Him: 'Oh, I meant like someone to wash the dishes for us...'"
"Me: 'You're joking, right?'"
"He was not joking, but I got invited to their upstate place for spring break so that was cool."
- Bron_3
Oh Yes, the Nanny...
"My husband was on a business trip w some rich people in Hawaii. They asked why I didn’t come."
"He told them I was home with the kids."
"The guy said, 'Well, couldn’t the nanny just stay with them?'"
"Nice enough guy. Just out of touch for sure."
- Xceptionalcmonplcness
Gotta Have That Car
"Back when I worked in payroll, a doctor yelled at me because his administrator didn’t process his bi-monthly incentive on time so it missed his check"
" He was supposed to go pick up his new Mercedes with that money (it was 6 figures) so he threw a fit to have a check cut that day."
"Two weeks later, that same doctor did not approve a check to be cut for an hourly employee whose hours (two weeks' worth) didn’t get approved on time because it was only $1000 and they wouldn’t miss it."
"I had to go above him to get it approved because I knew that employee would definitely be negatively impacted by not being paid on time."
- jtuley77
Tell Me Something I Don't Know
"2008, Great Recession: My job was cut from full-time salary to hourly, and then my hours were cut regularly."
"My boss, the business owner who was in the midst of a company-paid whole home remodel, handed me my paycheck and said, 'Wow, you don’t make s**t!'"
- toomuchisjustenough
So Closeminded
"I didn't go to college for seven years after high school due to struggles with alcoholism and bipolar disorder."
"A kid I worked with asked me what I was doing working and going to school at 25, and when I said I took time off due to personal issues, his response was, 'Wow, if you're not making at least 100 K a year at 25, you've basically f**ked your life up.'"
- D**nGoodOwls
Why Didn't We Think of This?
"Why have roommates at all? I don't think anyone I knew had roommates. Seems like too much trouble. Just spend the extra hundred on rent and live in peace."
"Said by an 80-year-old man."
- DarthDregan
Cheaper to Replace Than to Fix
"'If your car is broken, why don't you just go buy a new car?'"
"He was dead-pan serious."
- waywardcowboy
Travel Those Feelings Away
"'Oh, you get seasonal depression? Why don’t you just go to the Caribbean for a week and the Mediterranean the next? It always helps me.'"
- spicyhooligan
Five-Figure Months
"I have a friend and she is very wealthy. She was talking about finding a charity for Christmas."
"I mentioned that there were people going places and paying off Christmas layaways. I mentioned a town I grew up in as a possibility. I told them the per capita income is 9k."
"And she said, '9k a month!!!! How do those people live!'"
"Then I had to tell her it was 9k a year. She was floored."
"She is actually a very very sweet and caring person and donates millions a year to so many wonderful places and causes."
- Aromatic_Mission_165
While these people likely meant well, it's eye-opening to see how little financially privileged people understand about how people in lower income brackets live.
Hopefully some of the people in these stories had their eyes opened and were able to make a difference, especially that last one.
We all have those friends who do extremely well for themselves. They're rich, and they know it... and everyone else knows it too.
They go on expensive vacations and buy the latest and greatest in technology. They want for nothing and always seem to have the means to go out or buy something on a whim.
However, we may also know someone who can do all of those things but doesn't. These are the people who are just as wealthy as those who flaunt their money (maybe even wealthier) but are subtle about it.
They live modest lives, rarely, if ever, talk about money, and never make it obvious they have money.
Sometimes, they even try to do the opposite -- make it seem like they are middle class.
However, no matter how hard they try, there are few subtle, but tell-tale, signs that they are rich.
Redditors are revealing what those signs are.
It all started when Redditor ues1bredev asked:
"What's a non-obvious sign someone is rich?"
Travel Light
"They don’t have luggage when taking a flight."
"So many wealthy people have multiple homes with separate wardrobes at each. To just jump on a plane with no carry on bags must be a dream lol"
– Just-My-Pinion
This Is Off The Rack, I Promise
"They wear very nice clothing without any brand identification."
– BobbyB90220
"this is kind of funny. I knew someone whose family was new rich and he would go to lengths to buy brands that he could remove the brand tags because he didn’t want people to know what brands he wore."
– Pochusaurus
Money Talks, People Don't
"Most of the time, they will stay quiet about money, but never balk when presented with a bill"
"They will be very selective in those they choose to be friends with, for various legal reasons."
– veleriphon
"I had a close friend and I never realized he was from a wealthy family until he died. He told me that his father and brother lived in another state and ran a moving company, so I pictured a two guys and a truck type of company. When I looked up his father to send condolences after my friend's death, I learned that the company operated out of multiple states and is worth millions."
– haloarh
In A Rich Kid's World
"I went to high school with the offspring of millionaires and billionaires and something that I always noticed was how close sibling groups are. It's because they exist in the same space in life, they understand what that means, and they don't have to worry about each others intentions (unless they plan to Macbeth each other)."
"But then also, if you manage to become friends with someone then you kind of get absorbed by the whole sibling group. They're all kinda like "well ok, clearly he's ok.""
– throwawaysmetoo
Basic Human Kindness
"In my experience as a waiter in a fine dining establishment, they treat you like a normal f*cking human."
"Not sure if my boss coined the term, but a "100k millionaire" will treat you like you're just "the help" and make you feel like less of a person..."
– ImNotAFatKid
Ivy League Brain?
"Went to a good university but is kind of dumb"
– BjornBeetleBorg
"I went to private prep schools all my life. I'm doing this just to see what people say. But in reality, first hand, this is so unbelievably accurate I can't even tell you. I did a paper for my economics class in college about how wealth plays into elite university admissions."
"And first hand, I've seen many friends go Ivy who wouldn't even get into state schools based on test scores"
– ues1bredev
Stuff Or No Stuff?
"Minimalist homes. I don't know why...but rich people like the simple aesthetic which honestly doesn't feel homey. They'd rather live with very few things."
– Inevitable_snow_gal
"It is because they can go buy anything they need, so no need to have anything on hand in the home."
– Helicopter0
"I don't get this, if I was rich I'd have so many fun things in my house like fancy lamps and sh*t"
– ism659
"When you have several houses and probably a house sized yacht you have to spread your stuff around"
– SigmaBallsLol
"Part of this is just a lack of clutter because they have ample hidden storage."
– AltaDK
Only On TV
"If they wear a monocle and a top hat?"
– More-Escape3704
"And when shocked they drop their monocle and say "well I never!""
– Chromattix
That's The Dream
"They're too young to be retired, yet they don't seem to go to work"
– Mental_Task9156
"That is telltale."
"Retired early. So, you are correct, don’t work. But truthfully we just work at different things now. We work on the house. We actually DO a lot of it ourselves. We work on growing the money for our children and grandchildren. We think of it as “family money” and treat it as such. We have helped our adult children when they truly need it. We don’t squander. We worked too hard for it."
– Alarming_Honey5015
Stealth Mode
"Real generational wealth keeps an extremely low profile."
"They have no digital footprint. They actually pay people to keep information about them off the internet, and out of any publications."
"They will keep a low profile, driving cars that blend in. Nice, reliable vehicles, but nothing too flashy."
– fifercurator
I Won't Talk About It
"They are quiet when the discussion is about cost of living pressures, and will deflect the questions from themselves and/or nudge the conversation into a different direction"
– hdhdhdhdzjursx
"This works both sides, depending on "who's in the circle"... Poorer/Richer than the group sign"
– Cautious_Bicycle_494
"I do this for the exact opposite reason though"
– Domhausen
Opening Nuts
"Doesn't bother with the pistachios that are hard to open."
– altheasman
"That’s where the true wealth shines."
"Pre-shelled pistachios."
– FILTER_OUT_T_D
Experience The World
"Casually having expensive hobbies. Stuff like sailing, skiing, and golfing. Especially in areas where those activities aren’t as accessible and if they’ve been doing it for a long time. You live in the Midwest but you’ve been surfing since you were 10? Probably rich."
– belowthemask42
Don't Touch The Readable Artwork!
"I used to have a running buddy who was very rich. For me, the non-obvious sign were the books on his bookcase. They weren't books to be read. They were investments. He told me once that if somebody tried to rob his place, they might go for the big TV, but they should go for the bookshelf."
– rueguard
Honestly, those would be what I'd buy if I was rich!
Do you have any telltale signs we should be on the lookout for? Let us know in the comment below.
When I was little, I used to imagine all the things I would buy if I were a billionaire: a fancy car with a driver to go with it (because I was too young to drive back then), a huge mansion with 50 bedrooms, and a personal chef who would cook me pizza anytime I wanted.
While those aren’t the things I want anymore (well, I still do want the house… and the driver), I still have a list of things I would buy if I were a billionaire.
Redditors do as well, and they’re ready to share what the first things on those lists.
It all started when Redditor TrinityLisbon asked:
“If you suddenly became a billionaire, what's the first thing you would buy?”
Some people chose decadence.
The Good Life
“Someone to rub my feet while I eat $5,000 lobster tails drenched in truffle butter.”
– 8inchSalvattore
Spend It All In One Place
"I’m finally gonna try that Avocado toast I’ve heard so much about."
– Tigerchestnut13
"Aaaaaand it’s gone"
– Woolbuckle
Eat And Eat And Eat
"If we were to say literally the first thing, I’m thinking a crazy expensive dinner. I live in NYC. There would be something freeing about walking into a Michelin star restaurant and buying a $500pp tasting menu maybe with another $200pp wine pairing plus dessert, and not caring about the cost. I would drop several grand on an amazing meal and not think twice about it."
– Runningaroundnyc
"From the perspective of a lifelong cook who's tired of figuring out what to make for supper, I'd hire a top notch chef and not deal with having to prepare meals, ever. Enjoy amazing food all the time."
– DamnDame
Others were ready with the humor.
What Kind?
"House"
– HuguenotPirate
"Yes! The House of Representatives! Maybe the Senate too…"
– NorthNorthAmerican
"I feel like Hugh Laurie is still worth more than that"
– Flimsy_Finger4291
A Lot Of Green
"I would go do a mega grocery shop. Buy like four heads of broccoli."
– butt-sandwich
"Baller. Stop stuntin' on us."
– OHPAORGASMR
"I think you could afford to splurge a little bit..."
"You can finally buy some lettuce!"
– ApricotPenguin
A Whole Country!
"Italy. Definitely Italy"
– honeydewslayer
"You would buy Italy? I'm not an expert but I think it would cost more than a billion."
– MatureHotwife
Some were practical.
My Shiny Teeth And Me
"I'd fix my teeth. Buy a new roof."
– GeekyBookWorm87
"Teeth are my first lottery win priority as well. I’m lucky I have dental insurance- but I still can’t afford the copays on the major work I need done. That and the anxiety I have around being in a dentist chair. With too much money to care what it would cost I could hire a good cosmetic dentist that could put me under twilight anesthesia and I’d wake up and be done with it."
– Taxitaxitaxi33
Pay It Off
"Debt. Pay off all my and my family’s debt, mortgages, credit cards etc Then I’d pay off my friends and keep going Then I’d buy myself something nice"
– azmr_x_3
The Real Necessities
"The first thing I'd buy if I became a billionaire would be a personal assistant to help me manage all of my newfound wealth. And maybe a lifetime supply of pizza, because let's face it, money can't buy happiness, but it can buy pizza, which is pretty close."
– Azekan7370
Still others were thinking of all the good deeds the money could do.
Education Above All
"Start a school for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who have the drive to succeed. Remove as many barriers to their academic success as possible and track their outcomes. Small classes, full lab activities, teaching assistants, nutrition and health support…coaches, subject specialist teachers, arts programs… I would need a strong team to plan, organize, develop a program. I’ve considered this for a while"
– troutinthemilk
For Those Who Need It
"My state collects $25 million per year for bus fares. First thing I'd do is pay all bus fares for the next 10 years. I figure that will help with global warming, traffic, cleaner air, less oil wars and decrease the power of people like the ones who caused 9/11 and the invasion of Ukraine."
"And most of all, would put money in the pockets of the people who need it most. Thus it would be a great contributor to state commerce."
"Plus, I'd offer double that amount to expand bus service thruout more of my state."
– Adventurous_Oil_5805
Many Thanks (To Family)
"I'd buy my parents their dream ranch. I owe them the world."
– thespeculatorinator2
"My mum a house"
– Key-Ad-264
"I'd buy my mom and my MIL and myself and my bros a house."
– MangoBanana2012
"That house is gonna be crowded"
– ThunderAndSadness
But of course, there's nothing wrong with using money to make life a little bit easier.
No More Chores
"Hire a housekeeper, nutritionist, chef & personal trainer. That way I always have a clean home, tasty nutritious meals & a really personalized workout plan"
– theimpetusme
“I'd get a chauffeur too. I f*cking hate driving.”
– LatexHorseboy
Now those are people who know how to live!
What would you do with the money? Let us know in the comments below!
We've all met those people who try to not-so-subtly slip into conversation that they are wealthy or "cultured," and it always feels ingenuine and cringey to witness.
It almost makes us feel bad to think about how hard they're trying to appear better off than everyone else. Almost.
Redditor LandPiranha63 asked:
"What's something that screams 'pretentious'?"
Foodie Culture
"People that say, 'I'm a foodie,' like SMH (shaking my head), just order your food and sit down."
"I loved how 'The Menu' movie poked fun at foodie culture. I have a few friends like this, and it drives me nuts."
"My girlfriend and I went to dinner with them at a hyped restaurant. We had all been there before and they are known for a particular dish. It was good, but I really like their cheeseburger (kinda like the movie)."
"My friends poked fun at me for going there to order a cheeseburger. It was the best entree and they changed their tune."
- destroys_burritos
Fancy Coffee Orders
"Someone called me pretentious yesterday. I nearly choked on my honey-cardamom latte."
- MrDagon007
Wine Tasting
"My brother once took me out to a fancy dinner for my birthday. He asked to taste the white wine, so the waiter gave him a sip in his glass."
"He swirled it around, held it up to the light, smelled it deeply, then took the sip in his mouth, slurped air through it, swished it around in his mouth, and then finally swallowed."
"He turned to the waiter and said, 'I don't know s**t about wine, but I like it. Two glasses, please!'"
"I was so embarrassed, but it was also very funny."
- PiDiddleMiDiddle
Purse Dogs
"Remember when girls used to carry around chihuahuas in their purses as a fashion trend?"
"Thank goodness accessorizing dogs like that isn't popular anymore."
- LandPiranha63
Unnecessary Ingredients
"Using expensive ingredients that are only expensive because they are expensive (edible gold is a big example)."
"When they do not have any noticeable impact on either the taste, nutritional content, or the environmental or ethics of the food. It's just wasteful."
- Narutophanfan1
Fast Fashion
"Judging me for shopping consignment for my kids. I would never spend $40 on a GAP sweatshirt for myself, let alone for my fast-growing kids. But $3? H**l yeah."
- cjati
Pretentious Music Notes
"When you tell someone you don't like a band, and they claim you just can't comprehend the music."
"Same with movies. If you don’t like a movie that they like, they will say you just didn’t get it. But no, I got it, I just thought it was s**t."
- wmgh
High-End Burger Joints
"When it's a restaurant that doesn't have combo plates when it feels like it should, like a burger restaurant that sells fries separately."
"I f**king hate that. And of course, the side of fries is six or more dollars, like what the f**k?! They’re fries, right?!"
- trogloherb
Genre Snobs
"People who s**t on genres of music that aren't their favorite one. You might be surprised to learn that there are as many pretentious metalheads, rap fans, rock fans, and jazz fans who are just as pretentious as snobby classical music 'listeners.' Luckily these kinds of pretentious music aficionados are in the minority in every music scene."
- Majestic-Love-9312
Law Students
"Harvard students/grads who invariably drop the H Bomb or say they 'went to school in Boston' within the first three sentences after meeting them."
- Edward_the_Dog
Summer Days
"Using 'summer' as a verb."
"Like, 'Well, we live in Los Angeles, but we summer in Martha's Vineyard.'"
- ppardee
Instagram-Worthy
"Intentionally including the words 'Business Class' part of your ticket in your strategically staged photo at the airport.
Table shot with wine glass and ticket showing and captioning it, 'Oh, I LOVE this wine!'"
- suibhnesuibhne
Luxury Styling
"Luxury clothing with the brands logo all over it."
- BreadfruitPhysical26
Language Affectations
"My cousin who rolls every 'R' on a word that she says in Spanish, like burrrrrrito, but not other words with two R's."
"She's been to Puerto Rico twice."
- 001235
Hypocritical
"People who complain about the smallest things and act like they can do better when they truly can’t."
- shadow_master3210
Many of these behaviors left the subReddit cringing just thinking about it, but the one thing they could absolutely agree on? These definitely screamed of being pretentious.