Cheap Bostonians

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sigh - this thread makes me miss New England!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s called yankee frugality and is a well documented phenomenon.

It's WASP culture. Keep the money in the family

No WASP family would host a potluck wedding.

But they would absolutely host a tented luncheon reception. An aunt or some other elder would actually wear her ancient kid gloves to the church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They think JCrew and Gap are designer clothing.

Plus what is the deal with the sloppiness-in how they dress, how they keep their houses and yards?

It looks like regular sloppiness to the unfamiliar eye but there’s actually an aesthetic language, with distinctly good and bad examples.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s called yankee frugality and is a well documented phenomenon.

Yes. I'm from CT and have heard literally the same conversations in my life.

Yet Fairfield county is full of wasps nothing like this

Is there sub-groups of wasps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Examples-company rented me an Airbnb which was very nice and had a kitchen and I had a daily stipend for food. I usually made breakfast in the room, bought lunch and dinner. Someone at the company said “you should make all meals yourself and have them give you the money for the day.”

Heard one woman tell a guy getting ready to propose-“find out what ring she wants and get a cheaper knock off-she won’t know the difference.”

Same person “have a potluck wedding reception “

I'm a Fed and in my org if you have a long-term TDY people totally do this to save money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s called yankee frugality and is a well documented phenomenon.

It's WASP culture. Keep the money in the family

No WASP family would host a potluck wedding.

But they would absolutely host a tented luncheon reception. An aunt or some other elder would actually wear her ancient kid gloves to the church.

That's still a far cry from a potluck wedding reception, though. I feel like they may have been joking about that one.

[Anonymous]

Well not everyone can be as rich as the kennedy’s

[Anonymous]

I would love that but can’t do the winters. Sigh. Hate the conspicuous consumption here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s called yankee frugality and is a well documented phenomenon.

Yes. I'm from CT and have heard literally the same conversations in my life.

Yet Fairfield county is full of wasps nothing like this

Is there sub-groups of wasps?

Fairfield is its own animal.

[Anonymous]

Fairfield County is like NYC light. I miss Boston myself, after years living in NYC I am over the social climbing new money people always having to show off their Prada and Tiffany.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They think JCrew and Gap are designer clothing.

Plus what is the deal with the sloppiness-in how they dress, how they keep their houses and yards?

Based on the comments here about how expensive but coveted you all think Lululemon and Uggs are I don’t know if it’s any different.

The thing about growing up in and around Boston is the rich people and the working class people blend right in with each other. You won’t be able to identify the brilliant scientist or finance guy by his clothes or car or house. No one is impressed by the cookie cutter mansions except for people out of state. You’ll get the whole Suffolk County Court staff heading to the Cape for the weekends. Judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, clerks, the bureaucrats who take your papers all leaving the city in cheap flip flops and shorts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s called yankee frugality and is a well documented phenomenon.

It's WASP culture. Keep the money in the family

Oh give me a break! Give it up with WASP obsession. Many New Englanders are scrappy and blue collar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Welp, this didn't go the direction OP wanted it to.

OP, New Englanders are proud to be cheap - you can call them what you want, they generally do not care about anything anyone else says or does.

Different mentality than the DMV area.

I find people in the DMV extremely frugal. I live in LA now and it’s insane consumption.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They think JCrew and Gap are designer clothing.

Plus what is the deal with the sloppiness-in how they dress, how they keep their houses and yards?

Based on the comments here about how expensive but coveted you all think Lululemon and Uggs are I don’t know if it’s any different.

The thing about growing up in and around Boston is the rich people and the working class people blend right in with each other. You won’t be able to identify the brilliant scientist or finance guy by his clothes or car or house. No one is impressed by the cookie cutter mansions except for people out of state. You’ll get the whole Suffolk County Court staff heading to the Cape for the weekends. Judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, clerks, the bureaucrats who take your papers all leaving the city in cheap flip flops and shorts.

This is true. Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Examples-company rented me an Airbnb which was very nice and had a kitchen and I had a daily stipend for food. I usually made breakfast in the room, bought lunch and dinner. Someone at the company said “you should make all meals yourself and have them give you the money for the day.”

Heard one woman tell a guy getting ready to propose-“find out what ring she wants and get a cheaper knock off-she won’t know the difference.”

Same person “have a potluck wedding reception “

You’re judging an entire area based on a few people you interact with at your job?
Spend some time in the Wellesley/Weston suburbs and then tell us what you think. The Boston area has many different types of people. Many wealthy Wasps as well as new money. And blue collar and everything in between. Just like most major metropolitan areas.