Stuff Rich People Do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Places I have not stepped foot in months -- a grocery store, a gas station or a dry cleaners. All the things that I need from these places are taking care of by someone else, without my ever even really thinking about them. It's like food is in the pantry and gas is in the tank and clean clothes are in my closet just magically without my ever having to think about it. But I do appreciate it greatly.

That just sounds like the life of a child to me.

What I'm paying for is my time. I work very hard and earn and good salary, so I am fortunate to be able to pay someone to do all of that. Then when I am home, I am able to spend my time with my family instead of running around crazy doing errands I don't enjoy. What is childish about that?

What struck me about it was that I have been teaching my kids for years to clear their own plate from the table, make and pack their own lunch, be responsible for their things, and do their own laundry. It seems like a step back in terms of personal responsibility to never do any of those things. It just seems infantilizing to me. If your cleaning lady and cook go on vacation, do you just get take-out and let the laundry pile up? If you spill something, do you clean it or wait for the maid to do it?

This is OP...go away already. Fine, you think it is infantalizing to not have to do the bs in life so you can spend time doing the things you really want to do. Good for you. You are such a superb example of the human race. You epitomize adulthood and maturity with your table clearing and gas pumping. Kudos. Now, please, go away.

Sounds like either a rich person, or a man with a SAHW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that nanny gig would be awful. Surrounded by a luxury lifestyle that you couldn't hope to afford from your own earning power. Depressing.

Not when you're young. I was an on-call nanny for very rich people at one of the nation's most selective country clubs during summers in high school and college, and living that lifestyle even for a day or two and getting paid for it was AMAZING to me at 16 and 17. I would take the kids to the beach or club pool, or just watch them at the house (where they had a private pool, but no ice cream stand or water slide, LOL), and the parents always told me to make myself at home - if I wanted lunch, the chef would make me something, I could use their nice cars to take the kids out to the playground or the beach, and they left petty cash to cover any activities the kids wanted to do. I was very well paid, in cash, usually with an enormous tip. I loved that gig. I basically played with really nice little kids (none of them were monsters) and worked on my tan at some of the nicest private beaches and pools in California, ate fabulous food for free, drove luxury cars everywhere I went, and made tons of money. Hell, I wish I could have that gig NOW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that nanny gig would be awful. Surrounded by a luxury lifestyle that you couldn't hope to afford from your own earning power. Depressing.

Not when you're young. I was an on-call nanny for very rich people at one of the nation's most selective country clubs during summers in high school and college, and living that lifestyle even for a day or two and getting paid for it was AMAZING to me at 16 and 17. I would take the kids to the beach or club pool, or just watch them at the house (where they had a private pool, but no ice cream stand or water slide, LOL), and the parents always told me to make myself at home - if I wanted lunch, the chef would make me something, I could use their nice cars to take the kids out to the playground or the beach, and they left petty cash to cover any activities the kids wanted to do. I was very well paid, in cash, usually with an enormous tip. I loved that gig. I basically played with really nice little kids (none of them were monsters) and worked on my tan at some of the nicest private beaches and pools in California, ate fabulous food for free, drove luxury cars everywhere I went, and made tons of money. Hell, I wish I could have that gig NOW.

Yeah sign me up, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've learned that there are no schools but private schools, that rich men need their wives to stay hot or they'll be summarily dismissed, that "Mrs. Simpson's" is a thing, and that 1000 square foot per family member is "just right" in a home. And I've learned that nobody cleans their own house.

What's "Mrs. Simpson's"?

And by the way, have you seen Warren Buffet's wife? What about Melinda Gates? I hope not every millionaire is as shallow as Donald Trump and had to have a hot supermodel 25 years younger than him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Places I have not stepped foot in months -- a grocery store, a gas station or a dry cleaners. All the things that I need from these places are taking care of by someone else, without my ever even really thinking about them. It's like food is in the pantry and gas is in the tank and clean clothes are in my closet just magically without my ever having to think about it. But I do appreciate it greatly.

That just sounds like the life of a child to me.

What I'm paying for is my time. I work very hard and earn and good salary, so I am fortunate to be able to pay someone to do all of that. Then when I am home, I am able to spend my time with my family instead of running around crazy doing errands I don't enjoy. What is childish about that?

What struck me about it was that I have been teaching my kids for years to clear their own plate from the table, make and pack their own lunch, be responsible for their things, and do their own laundry. It seems like a step back in terms of personal responsibility to never do any of those things. It just seems infantilizing to me. If your cleaning lady and cook go on vacation, do you just get take-out and let the laundry pile up? If you spill something, do you clean it or wait for the maid to do it?

This is OP...go away already. Fine, you think it is infantalizing to not have to do the bs in life so you can spend time doing the things you really want to do. Good for you. You are such a superb example of the human race. You epitomize adulthood and maturity with your table clearing and gas pumping. Kudos. Now, please, go away.

Sounds like either a rich person, or a man with a SAHW.

Compared to world population - rich. Not DCUM rich. Not a man. We both work out of the house but have friends with different set ups. Not one would act uppity about their need to pump their own gas and go to the post office themselves if they had the cash to get someone else to so it- woh or sah. They would likely prefer to spen their time reading, camping, travelling, playing with their kids...basically doing the fun things in life vs the really boring chores. You are so weird!

[Anonymous]

My "rich" (i.e., non-working and living from a trust fund) friends do not appear to spend money on vacations and, instead, visit various family homes around the world (the beach house in Nantucket, the flat in Paris, the villa in Rome).

They also seem to buy everything using millage credit cards and, of course, pay it off every month so they fly for free too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stays at $800/night hotels regularly, like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Four kids in private school, all full pay, plus big contributors to the annual school auction. One of the spouses sits on the school Bd of Trustees.

More than two of any of the following: personal assistant, personal private banker, maid (1-2x/mo cleaning lady doesn't count), personal chef, driver, night/weekend nanny).

This isn't us, btw. It's based on my observations of friends who I'd describe as rich.

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stays at $800/night hotels regularly, like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Four kids in private school, all full pay, plus big contributors to the annual school auction. One of the spouses sits on the school Bd of Trustees.

More than two of any of the following: personal assistant, personal private banker, maid (1-2x/mo cleaning lady doesn't count), personal chef, driver, night/weekend nanny).

This isn't us, btw. It's based on my observations of friends who I'd describe as rich.

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

PP again. I consider ourselves upper middle class. To me, rich people are trust fund babies who fly around in jets. they don't have to work. DH studied and worked very hard to earn his $1 million per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stays at $800/night hotels regularly, like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Four kids in private school, all full pay, plus big contributors to the annual school auction. One of the spouses sits on the school Bd of Trustees.

More than two of any of the following: personal assistant, personal private banker, maid (1-2x/mo cleaning lady doesn't count), personal chef, driver, night/weekend nanny).

This isn't us, btw. It's based on my observations of friends who I'd describe as rich.

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

PP again. I consider ourselves upper middle class. To me, rich people are trust fund babies who fly around in jets. they don't have to work. DH studied and worked very hard to earn his $1 million per year.

What sort of work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her college roommates got a bad housing lottery number (meaning they won't get the suite they want to live in next year). So the parents of one of the girls just bought a $4M 4 BR house for the girls to share next year. Sweet.

I remember a story like this from back in the 90s.

Guy was so appalled at GWs housing options and costs he bought a 2 bedroom condo in foggy bottom. Both kids went to GW and after 10 years and the housing boom, when he sold it he basically covered college tuition for both kids!

Rich, smart or lucky. One of the three!

I went to school with a lot of Asian kids from Asia. This was pretty common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stays at $800/night hotels regularly, like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Four kids in private school, all full pay, plus big contributors to the annual school auction. One of the spouses sits on the school Bd of Trustees.

More than two of any of the following: personal assistant, personal private banker, maid (1-2x/mo cleaning lady doesn't count), personal chef, driver, night/weekend nanny).

This isn't us, btw. It's based on my observations of friends who I'd describe as rich.

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

PP again. I consider ourselves upper middle class. To me, rich people are trust fund babies who fly around in jets. they don't have to work. DH studied and worked very hard to earn his $1 million per year.

What sort of work?

DH is a specialized surgeon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stays at $800/night hotels regularly, like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Four kids in private school, all full pay, plus big contributors to the annual school auction. One of the spouses sits on the school Bd of Trustees.

More than two of any of the following: personal assistant, personal private banker, maid (1-2x/mo cleaning lady doesn't count), personal chef, driver, night/weekend nanny).

This isn't us, btw. It's based on my observations of friends who I'd describe as rich.

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

PP again. I consider ourselves upper middle class. To me, rich people are trust fund babies who fly around in jets. they don't have to work. DH studied and worked very hard to earn his $1 million per year.

What sort of work?

DH is a specialized surgeon.

Wow. I thought we were doing well at $250k. (Don't laugh, it goes far in the exurbs, and we save a ton)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stays at $800/night hotels regularly, like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Four kids in private school, all full pay, plus big contributors to the annual school auction. One of the spouses sits on the school Bd of Trustees.

More than two of any of the following: personal assistant, personal private banker, maid (1-2x/mo cleaning lady doesn't count), personal chef, driver, night/weekend nanny).

This isn't us, btw. It's based on my observations of friends who I'd describe as rich.

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

PP again. I consider ourselves upper middle class. To me, rich people are trust fund babies who fly around in jets. they don't have to work. DH studied and worked very hard to earn his $1 million per year.

What sort of work?

DH is a specialized surgeon.

Wow. I thought we were doing well at $250k. (Don't laugh, it goes far in the exurbs, and we save a ton)

250k is peanuts, maybe in india it's a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stays at $800/night hotels regularly, like the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons.

Four kids in private school, all full pay, plus big contributors to the annual school auction. One of the spouses sits on the school Bd of Trustees.

More than two of any of the following: personal assistant, personal private banker, maid (1-2x/mo cleaning lady doesn't count), personal chef, driver, night/weekend nanny).

This isn't us, btw. It's based on my observations of friends who I'd describe as rich.

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

PP again. I consider ourselves upper middle class. To me, rich people are trust fund babies who fly around in jets. they don't have to work. DH studied and worked very hard to earn his $1 million per year.

What sort of work?

DH is a specialized surgeon.

Wow. I thought we were doing well at $250k. (Don't laugh, it goes far in the exurbs, and we save a ton)

250k is peanuts, maybe in india it's a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We have a HHI of $1 million. We live below our means in a $1 million home. Kids go to public school.

We stay at $1000 per night hotels regularly. I love to travel. We have a cook come to the house 3 times per week, cleaning lady 1x per week and a babysitter 1x per week so DH and I can have date night. I'm a SAHM and load the dishwasher and laundry a few times per week. Housekeeper usually folds. I don't have a personal trainer but I go to various fitness classes throughout the week and volunteer at my kids' school.

DH drops ~$100k cash on cars and likes to buy watches. I don't know exactly how much they cost but they are not cheap. I buy expensive handbags and shoes regularly.

This sounds similar to us, though HHI of $500-600K based on bonus. We both work (though I WAH), and DD is in nanny care. We will probably do private school, not sure yet. Biggest differences are that we tend to stay at less expensive hotels (like $300/night) and DH doesn't spend money on cash or cars (I do buy expensive handbags). I guess our discretionary spending is probably proportionately lower than yours based on our proportionately lower income.

BTW, we also work and studied hard...we have STEM PhDs and work in private industry. Some fields are less lucrative than others. My parents are both physicians (Dad earns low 7 figures, Mom is PT and probably earns similarly or slightly less than me) as is my FIL (though he's now retired)...but DH and I both have more education than our parents'. I'm just pointing this out, because when people point out how they've worked hard for their high incomes it suggests people who earn less don't do so. If DH and I had stayed in academia, we'd earn a lot less but still be working very hard. Our DD's nanny is working PT on a college degree and obviously earns less than us, but she's amazing, reliable, and extremely hard-working. She will probably continue to be those things when she becomes a social worker like she's planning, but she will likely still only earn around 1/10 of our HHI.