Shoe, Cars, Purses, and Country Clubs Why Are These Status Symbols So Important?

[Anonymous]

I think it's more that these trappings are indicative of lifestyle. I don't know any families where mom drives a Cayenne and they belong to a CC, but they have no assets. Actually, the moms with the fancy clothes and such tend to be SAHMs, have second homes at the beach or in Colorado, babysitters, husbands are BigLaw partners or CEOs, etc. there is another lower set who might have the purses and the CC and such without the other homes and great vacations, but that doesn't mean they have no assets necessarily - these tend to be working moms at least part time.

[Anonymous]

I don't care about any if that stuff.

[Anonymous]

Why do you care about someone else's shoes/cars/purses/whatever? I can't think of anything more boring.

[Anonymous]

Why do you think these people have no assets and are living paycheck to paycheck?

[Anonymous]

You are middle class by making ca 250k a year?!
I'm middle class, I make 40k a year, and I've saved up 150k for boy's college! What have you been buying? Purses, luxury cars, entrance to CC?
Where do you find the people you are describing?Never seen them, never had to compare myself to them.Besides, when I'm standing next to my paid-off banged-up ( hei, it's DC) Mazda3, nobody is looking at my car!
I want to say that the people who you are describing clearly bother you.Distance yourself from them.If they lived around me, I might find them annoying too.I live in 20007 and have yet to hear anybody brag about money or stuff they have.
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I agree that this is all in your head. Sure, there are plenty of parents with expensive things and CC memberships. Most of them don't care what you have and don't have. Most of them are just as friendly to the person wearing cheap shoes as to the person in Gucci loafers. And really, you have no way of knowing who can afford their lifestyle and who is living above their means unless they tell you.

I think your concern over these things speak more to your own insecurities than anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find the focus on dcurbanmom on these status symbols crazy. Why do you care what brand of shoes I wear and the purse I buy or whether I drive a luxury car or if I belong to a CC? We are middle income based on warped private school standards less than 250k per year but close to it. I could make my kids take put loans for college to buy that luxury car and belong to that CC ( we've saved 200k for college)... or keep a high mortgage balance and buy all of this crap to fit in with the parents. What bugs me the most are the wannabees who have no assets (one paycheck away from not being able to pay their mortgage):but flaunt their non-existant wealth and look down on us.

Except that you didn't buy all these things. They did all you did and still have money left over for their status symbols. Have some tolerance and curb your jealousy. They have twice the income that you do. It seems normal to them. Do you buy all of your clothes at a thrift store just because it is cheap? Neither do they. They just have a higher price point. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the focus on dcurbanmom on these status symbols crazy. Why do you care what brand of shoes I wear and the purse I buy or whether I drive a luxury car or if I belong to a CC? We are middle income based on warped private school standards less than 250k per year but close to it. I could make my kids take put loans for college to buy that luxury car and belong to that CC ( we've saved 200k for college)... or keep a high mortgage balance and buy all of this crap to fit in with the parents. What bugs me the most are the wannabees who have no assets (one paycheck away from not being able to pay their mortgage):but flaunt their non-existant wealth and look down on us.

Except that you didn't buy all these things. They did all you did and still have money left over for their status symbols. Have some tolerance and curb your jealousy. They have twice the income that you do. It seems normal to them. Do you buy all of your clothes at a thrift store just because it is cheap? Neither do they. They just have a higher price point. Sorry.

Ever read millionaire next door.


We know a family 10 years older than us who completed a 100k upgrade to her home, expensive car, very showy....a few years later was talking about a mortgage mod because couldn't afford monthly payment.

Second family filed for bankruptcy.

A third snobby family girl is always complaining family has no money but very starus conscience luxury cars, vacations and probably cc member.



Another family ent through bankruptcy due to overspending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't appreciate people dismissing us because they flaunt more.

I really think it's in your head. How about you get your kid in the best school for the kid and then leave it at that? Resist making it about you.

If parents are dismissive to other parents, you don't think the kids pick up on the queues. PLEASE.

I don't think parents are dismissive so no queues for kids in any event. Whatever that means.

She means Cues as in "kids pick up on parents' cues".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's more that these trappings are indicative of lifestyle. I don't know any families where mom drives a Cayenne and they belong to a CC, but they have no assets. Actually, the moms with the fancy clothes and such tend to be SAHMs, have second homes at the beach or in Colorado, babysitters, husbands are BigLaw partners or CEOs, etc. there is another lower set who might have the purses and the CC and such without the other homes and great vacations, but that doesn't mean they have no assets necessarily - these tend to be working moms at least part time.

What's a Cayenne?

[Anonymous]

Sorry for the typos writing.

[Anonymous]

I think it's all about priorities, and in my opinion, those who flash wealth have their priorities out of whack. Think of all the good you could do with $1,000 other than buying another handbag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the focus on dcurbanmom on these status symbols crazy. Why do you care what brand of shoes I wear and the purse I buy or whether I drive a luxury car or if I belong to a CC? We are middle income based on warped private school standards less than 250k per year but close to it. I could make my kids take put loans for college to buy that luxury car and belong to that CC ( we've saved 200k for college)... or keep a high mortgage balance and buy all of this crap to fit in with the parents. What bugs me the most are the wannabees who have no assets (one paycheck away from not being able to pay their mortgage):but flaunt their non-existant wealth and look down on us.

Except that you didn't buy all these things. They did all you did and still have money left over for their status symbols. Have some tolerance and curb your jealousy. They have twice the income that you do. It seems normal to them. Do you buy all of your clothes at a thrift store just because it is cheap? Neither do they. They just have a higher price point. Sorry.

Ever read millionaire next door.


We know a family 10 years older than us who completed a 100k upgrade to her home, expensive car, very showy....a few years later was talking about a mortgage mod because couldn't afford monthly payment.

Second family filed for bankruptcy.

A third snobby family girl is always complaining family has no money but very starus conscience luxury cars, vacations and probably cc member.



Another family ent through bankruptcy due to overspending.

Nice fairy tale. Has not happened in our circle of friends and acquaintances.

[Anonymous]

We are the millionaire next door. So is the guy two doors down, and wait the other neighbor, and the one up the street. They hide the cars in the garage, LOL!

[Anonymous]

Stop judging people so harshly, you do not know all the facts.

Please feel better about yourself, OP - I am prepared to bet that you are projecting and that most people do not look down on you.