Stuff Rich People Do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious- what HHI do you consider rich? We have a HHI around 450k. I don't know if that is considered rich or not, but one of the luxuries I've enjoyed is having a nanny come 3 days a week while I'm on maternity leave. I go see my trainer, get my nails done, go spinning etc. she comes for 4 hours T-R. It feels like a major luxury to me, but we did that instead of a night nurse that cost way more because DD was decent at night and since I am EBF it didn't even give me any more rest (we tried it for a few nights).

$450k = rich

Nothing special. Like a counsel salary in Big Law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Mrs. Simpson's?

You obviously aren't rich.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

We are comfortable but certainly not private jet or even first class travel rich. What it buys us -
- a beach house that we don't rent out
- being able to choose between private or public school without the cost being much of a factor. Chose public high school for one, private for the other.
- ability to save/pay for any college
- can ski out west a couple times a year (but we aren't staying at the four seasons or the St Regis, and often using miles for flights)
- weekly cleaning and outsource yard care at both houses
- 2 nice cars
- no real money worries, although we don't buy much in the way of luxury goods
- ability to be a decent level donor at schools, etc.

On the downside I'm afraid I'm not hot. I work full time and travel a lot for work so not a lot of time for being a trophy wife. And no fun designer clothes or bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A whole family, two month vacay in Europe.

Same and add lots of travel during the year. Retired but constrained by kid's elementary school vacation schedule... And no, we are not leaving him at home and going off by ourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here-
Yes! On the two month vacay...my first thought is how do we accumulate that kind of time off and then we would have to save for years and...oh, right, if you have to think about it like this, not your world.

Well,as you said, you are poor. And jealous seeming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We take the nanny on vacations with us. I haven't been in a supermarket in months - someone else does our food shopping for us. They also do the basic errands - post office, dry cleaners, places like that.

Post office?

People still go there??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Free time, location flexibility & low stress are the best things about having enough money that you don't have to worry about it. We bought a second home overseas & have turned it into our primary home. Neither of us work, and we mostly spend our time as we please: exercising, exploring our new place, finding local artists to commission work for our new home & learning the language. Not much stress or pressure; it feels like an extended vacation.

OP here-
Wow! This is AMAZING. I'd to this and dabble in charity work/donating. I've come across a few people who claim they "do not have to work" but "enjoy it" and it has always confused me. I am very, very happy to know that wealth is not wasted on at least some rich people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Mrs. Simpson's?

You obviously aren't rich.

Duh. I am not. Hence, the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here-
Yes! On the two month vacay...my first thought is how do we accumulate that kind of time off and then we would have to save for years and...oh, right, if you have to think about it like this, not your world.

Well,as you said, you are poor. And jealous seeming.

You are hilarious. Of course I am jealous. I am human. I have a lovely life and a lovely family and an absolutely lovely existence that is far, far richer than the vast majority of the world. Could 10 million make it better? Sure! Would I trade 10 million for many of the things in my life? Of course, not. But I would not necessarily have to, many rich people have love, family, health AND lots and lots of money as well. It is benign jealousy, don't worry. In this reply I am merely commenting to the poster who provided this example that, yes, this is in fact the type of thing that I was trying to seek out info about on the thread. It has been very interesting to sort of have these types get on my radar as a result of reading dcum when they likely would not have crossed my mind otherwise. So, basically, not sure what your point is, captain obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are comfortably off...upper middle class (the "poors" around here in some circles) with typical DC-type jobs- think lawyers, think tank, middle career researchers. One of my favorite things about dcum is learning about the stuff rich people do/can afford/consider typical. This is a totally non-judgmental thread. It is intended to be enlightning. Can you share some of your discoveries? I.e. you click on a thread and it leaves you thinking, "huh. I had no idea that was a thing. Cool window into a totally different world!" Most recently for me: the baby nurse thread!

I'm confused. What are "think lawyers"? Do they work in a "think tank"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are comfortably off...upper middle class (the "poors" around here in some circles) with typical DC-type jobs- think lawyers, think tank, middle career researchers. One of my favorite things about dcum is learning about the stuff rich people do/can afford/consider typical. This is a totally non-judgmental thread. It is intended to be enlightning. Can you share some of your discoveries? I.e. you click on a thread and it leaves you thinking, "huh. I had no idea that was a thing. Cool window into a totally different world!" Most recently for me: the baby nurse thread!

I'm confused. What are "think lawyers"? Do they work in a "think tank"?

lol- sorry. crappy grammar due to being on my phone. meant:

think - lawyers, think tank wonks, mid-career researchers. In other words, under a quarter million a year HHI but a fair bit into the 6 figures. You know, "poor" around these parts in terms of the responses I am looking for but quite wealthy in reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are comfortably off...upper middle class (the "poors" around here in some circles) with typical DC-type jobs- think lawyers, think tank, middle career researchers. One of my favorite things about dcum is learning about the stuff rich people do/can afford/consider typical. This is a totally non-judgmental thread. It is intended to be enlightning. Can you share some of your discoveries? I.e. you click on a thread and it leaves you thinking, "huh. I had no idea that was a thing. Cool window into a totally different world!" Most recently for me: the baby nurse thread!

I'm confused. What are "think lawyers"? Do they work in a "think tank"?

lol- sorry. crappy grammar due to being on my phone. meant:

think - lawyers, think tank wonks, mid-career researchers. In other words, under a quarter million a year HHI but a fair bit into the 6 figures. You know, "poor" around these parts in terms of the responses I am looking for but quite wealthy in reality.

[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.

Attractiveness allows for class mobility

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are comfortably off...upper middle class (the "poors" around here in some circles) with typical DC-type jobs- think lawyers, think tank, middle career researchers. One of my favorite things about dcum is learning about the stuff rich people do/can afford/consider typical. This is a totally non-judgmental thread. It is intended to be enlightning. Can you share some of your discoveries? I.e. you click on a thread and it leaves you thinking, "huh. I had no idea that was a thing. Cool window into a totally different world!" Most recently for me: the baby nurse thread!

I'm confused. What are "think lawyers"? Do they work in a "think tank"?

lol- sorry. crappy grammar due to being on my phone. meant:

think - lawyers, think tank wonks, mid-career researchers. In other words, under a quarter million a year HHI but a fair bit into the 6 figures. You know, "poor" around these parts in terms of the responses I am looking for but quite wealthy in reality.

OK. I would suggest moving, so you could enjoy a lower cost of living, but there are very, very few places other than here where one can work as a wonk.