Stuff Rich People Do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have very large expensive beach cottages, which they use to house their many children and grandchildren and friends of the children and grandchildren (which is how I got to see this first hand.) The daughters or wives mostly don't have to work, so stay at the beach all summer; the Dh's fly down to see their wives and kids on the weekend. They were very generous and provided food for everyone in the house and took us out to eat.

When my friend and I left the house, she turned to me and said "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" It was really nice and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.

In many European countries, this is pretty common both in the upper AND middle classes.

OK, dads drive (not fly) to the nearby beach house/ condo in the weekends, and said house/ condo is way less spacious, but essentially everything else is the same.

Something is broken in our country.

What you describe isn't more common in Europe than America. Real estate is notoriously expensive in many European countries. Of course there are huge differences between countries but to claim many Europeans have second homes is silly.

Lady, use your brain. Europeans (well, most) do. What matters is the access and the quality of life, not the property.

Hint: ever heard of the word Family?

+1 access to quality of life is definitely more widespread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have very large expensive beach cottages, which they use to house their many children and grandchildren and friends of the children and grandchildren (which is how I got to see this first hand.) The daughters or wives mostly don't have to work, so stay at the beach all summer; the Dh's fly down to see their wives and kids on the weekend. They were very generous and provided food for everyone in the house and took us out to eat.

When my friend and I left the house, she turned to me and said "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" It was really nice and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.

In many European countries, this is pretty common both in the upper AND middle classes.

OK, dads drive (not fly) to the nearby beach house/ condo in the weekends, and said house/ condo is way less spacious, but essentially everything else is the same.

Something is broken in our country.

What you describe isn't more common in Europe than America. Real estate is notoriously expensive in many European countries. Of course there are huge differences between countries but to claim many Europeans have second homes is silly.

Lady, use your brain. Europeans (well, most) do. What matters is the access and the quality of life, not the property.

Hint: ever heard of the word Family?

+1 access to quality of life is definitely more widespread.

NP. This is exactly right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have very large expensive beach cottages, which they use to house their many children and grandchildren and friends of the children and grandchildren (which is how I got to see this first hand.) The daughters or wives mostly don't have to work, so stay at the beach all summer; the Dh's fly down to see their wives and kids on the weekend. They were very generous and provided food for everyone in the house and took us out to eat.

When my friend and I left the house, she turned to me and said "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" It was really nice and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.

In many European countries, this is pretty common both in the upper AND middle classes.

OK, dads drive (not fly) to the nearby beach house/ condo in the weekends, and said house/ condo is way less spacious, but essentially everything else is the same.

Something is broken in our country.

What you describe isn't more common in Europe than America. Real estate is notoriously expensive in many European countries. Of course there are huge differences between countries but to claim many Europeans have second homes is silly.

Lady, use your brain. Europeans (well, most) do. What matters is the access and the quality of life, not the property.

Hint: ever heard of the word Family?

+1 access to quality of life is definitely more widespread.

NP. This is exactly right.

Btw, what I meant earlier is that people in Europe often leverage the property in the extended family. Being close to a large family can be a pain...but also means you get free access to a decent beach house/ condo nearby multiple times a year. In the US everyone prefers to have their own castle, instead of sharing, (plus families are spread all over the place) and obviously that approach is much much more expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have very large expensive beach cottages, which they use to house their many children and grandchildren and friends of the children and grandchildren (which is how I got to see this first hand.) The daughters or wives mostly don't have to work, so stay at the beach all summer; the Dh's fly down to see their wives and kids on the weekend. They were very generous and provided food for everyone in the house and took us out to eat.

When my friend and I left the house, she turned to me and said "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" It was really nice and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.

In many European countries, this is pretty common both in the upper AND middle classes.

OK, dads drive (not fly) to the nearby beach house/ condo in the weekends, and said house/ condo is way less spacious, but essentially everything else is the same.

Something is broken in our country.

What you describe isn't more common in Europe than America. Real estate is notoriously expensive in many European countries. Of course there are huge differences between countries but to claim many Europeans have second homes is silly.

Lady, use your brain. Europeans (well, most) do. What matters is the access and the quality of life, not the property.

Hint: ever heard of the word Family?

NP. I'm European and you don't know what you are talking about. It is no more common than in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not rich but I grew up with rich people. From my observations:

1. They spent very little on designer goods. No Tory Burch flats for their dds or no Chanel quilted purses for the dw. DWs wear basic lbd from Brooks Brothers and Ann Taylor Loft; kids in LLBean hand me downs from cousins and friends. As they get older the kids do not deck head to toe in a try hard Vineyard Vines preppy style. They instead wear more boho chic labels and wear no make up and are "horse girls". The boys are super nerdy and become engineers or investment bankers etc.

2. Money is spent on experiences. Riding lessons for the girls, hockey equipment for the boys etc. Cotillion registration, ballet lessons etc. When they're older, high school graduation gift is a trip to Europe. In college, every semester is ended with trips to Europe or service trips to South America or Africa. In college, these girls also join the top tier sororities and they do become momentarily flashy; decked in Lily Pulitzer and Jack Rogers to emulate their sisters.

3. They always have a beach house in Florida or some place where the whole family gathers for easy last minute vacations. Adult children will move out and into an apartment in Georgetown owned by parents.

Hm, maybe it was true 20 years ago. Their kids going to Europe at the young age, not in college. They have properties in London, Swiss alps and not Florida. Their kids dressed up in the latest high end designers clothes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have very large expensive beach cottages, which they use to house their many children and grandchildren and friends of the children and grandchildren (which is how I got to see this first hand.) The daughters or wives mostly don't have to work, so stay at the beach all summer; the Dh's fly down to see their wives and kids on the weekend. They were very generous and provided food for everyone in the house and took us out to eat.

When my friend and I left the house, she turned to me and said "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" It was really nice and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.

In many European countries, this is pretty common both in the upper AND middle classes.

OK, dads drive (not fly) to the nearby beach house/ condo in the weekends, and said house/ condo is way less spacious, but essentially everything else is the same.

Something is broken in our country.

What you describe isn't more common in Europe than America. Real estate is notoriously expensive in many European countries. Of course there are huge differences between countries but to claim many Europeans have second homes is silly.

Lady, use your brain. Europeans (well, most) do. What matters is the access and the quality of life, not the property.

Hint: ever heard of the word Family?

NP. I'm European and you don't know what you are talking about. It is no more common than in the US.

+2 I know Russians who have a summer dacha, but middle class western European families don't have something comparible. Property on the Mediteranean coast is expensive and owned by the very rich.

[Anonymous]

I felt pretty rich when I booked the family business class seats, all private tours and an $1000+ per night Tuscan villa for an upcoming trip to Italy. Then two couples spent our entire Italy "budget" on front row seats to a high school graduation. So I know nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have very large expensive beach cottages, which they use to house their many children and grandchildren and friends of the children and grandchildren (which is how I got to see this first hand.) The daughters or wives mostly don't have to work, so stay at the beach all summer; the Dh's fly down to see their wives and kids on the weekend. They were very generous and provided food for everyone in the house and took us out to eat.

When my friend and I left the house, she turned to me and said "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" It was really nice and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.

In many European countries, this is pretty common both in the upper AND middle classes.

OK, dads drive (not fly) to the nearby beach house/ condo in the weekends, and said house/ condo is way less spacious, but essentially everything else is the same.

Something is broken in our country.

This is so LOL to me. Something is broken because the middle class can't afford second homes. Not, say, the income gap, the homeless people, that still not everyone has insurance, etc.

[Anonymous]

They get their nails done. Actually, I know a lot of people making not that much money who spend money on their nails. I'll never understand it.

[Anonymous]

Have birthday parties without food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have birthday parties without food?

This is so true. I wonder why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have very large expensive beach cottages, which they use to house their many children and grandchildren and friends of the children and grandchildren (which is how I got to see this first hand.) The daughters or wives mostly don't have to work, so stay at the beach all summer; the Dh's fly down to see their wives and kids on the weekend. They were very generous and provided food for everyone in the house and took us out to eat.

When my friend and I left the house, she turned to me and said "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" It was really nice and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.

In many European countries, this is pretty common both in the upper AND middle classes.

OK, dads drive (not fly) to the nearby beach house/ condo in the weekends, and said house/ condo is way less spacious, but essentially everything else is the same.

Something is broken in our country.

This is so LOL to me. Something is broken because the middle class can't afford second homes. Not, say, the income gap, the homeless people, that still not everyone has insurance, etc.

Seems you don't get it. First PP was saying "was that just a fantasy or do people really live like that?" when describing a lifestyle than would require $500k+ in the US but (with some frugal adjustments and family sharing) less than $100k in many countries in Europe. Why? Precisely because essentials like education and healthcare and retirement are already taken care of there...so people can focus on quality on life and family, not on killing themselves working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have birthday parties without food?

This is so true. I wonder why.

The after party is for the inner circle.

[Anonymous]

Pay for laundry service when their children go to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have birthday parties without food?

This is so true. I wonder why.

Allows the cocktails to hit them faster, so when Aunt Kitty starts getting passive aggressive with Cousin Biff, everyone is three sheets to the wind and can ignore her.