Things that are unintentional status symbols.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if it's mentioned, but I was thinking about it today as I arranged some flowers.

Always having beautiful fresh cut flowers throughout the house. It isn't the sort of thing most people do to impress others but it can be very costly.

Not really. I buy fresh flowers every 2 weeks. $20 for 4 bouquets that I break up and distribute.

What sort of flowers? I don't spend a fortune (about $100 month) but one of the ladies in the neighborhood keeps huge vases all around her house full of flowers that have to cost her about $1000 month. I don't say anything other than how gorgeous they are but I also think it fits the bill as an unintentional status symbol to be able to spend so much on cut flowers just because you like looking at them.

My sister is a florist, some of her clients have $50k/year floral budgets (including Christmas).

That is my dream come true. I LOVE fresh flowers, though if I had that kind of money, I'd probably hire someone to tend a beautiful flower garden for me, I'm in love with peonies, hydrangeas, dahlias, sunflowers, and enjoy the occasional rose.

Dammit, I think I just convinced myself to build a big flower box this weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone said dogs that don't shed? I was driving through a community last week and say people walking Poodles, Golden Noodles, Giant Schnauzers, Bichons, Airedales, and the like. I think they buy them because they don't want to deal with dog hair, I mean, who does? But to spend 500-1000 or more on a dog? Definitely an unintentional status symbol.

Why not extend this to all pure breads? A non shedding dog is no more expensive than One who sheads. Also as a mmatter of fact my inlaws who have been chronically unemployed and surviving off cashing in 401k early have purchased 3 pure breeds, one of which is a teacup yorkie that has had over 3k in medical expenses. My HHI is 400k and we have a rescue mix.

I don't think the breed of dog says anything about wealth

Which is why it's unintentional...

Not that everyone with money does it, but chances are you have to have money to buy the breed.

I see many pure breeds as the opposite. People who are simply hood rich.

I think of pure breeds as for the neauveau riche also.

[Anonymous]

Ice cream paper bag from giant for your lunch bag. At least it was when I was a kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if it's mentioned, but I was thinking about it today as I arranged some flowers.

Always having beautiful fresh cut flowers throughout the house. It isn't the sort of thing most people do to impress others but it can be very costly.

Not really. I buy fresh flowers every 2 weeks. $20 for 4 bouquets that I break up and distribute.

What sort of flowers? I don't spend a fortune (about $100 month) but one of the ladies in the neighborhood keeps huge vases all around her house full of flowers that have to cost her about $1000 month. I don't say anything other than how gorgeous they are but I also think it fits the bill as an unintentional status symbol to be able to spend so much on cut flowers just because you like looking at them.

My sister is a florist, some of her clients have $50k/year floral budgets (including Christmas).

Wow. Good for your sister's business!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone said dogs that don't shed? I was driving through a community last week and say people walking Poodles, Golden Noodles, Giant Schnauzers, Bichons, Airedales, and the like. I think they buy them because they don't want to deal with dog hair, I mean, who does? But to spend 500-1000 or more on a dog? Definitely an unintentional status symbol.

Why not extend this to all pure breads? A non shedding dog is no more expensive than One who sheads. Also as a mmatter of fact my inlaws who have been chronically unemployed and surviving off cashing in 401k early have purchased 3 pure breeds, one of which is a teacup yorkie that has had over 3k in medical expenses. My HHI is 400k and we have a rescue mix.

I don't think the breed of dog says anything about wealth

Which is why it's unintentional...

Not that everyone with money does it, but chances are you have to have money to buy the breed.

I see many pure breeds as the opposite. People who are simply hood rich.

I think of pure breeds as for the neauveau riche also.

The non shedding dogs are also necessary for some people that have breathing issues or allergies, it is not about status or even cleanliness, it is about wanting a dog and wanting it not to make you sick.

[Anonymous]

Being a Tiger mom!

[Anonymous]

Transfer station (town dump) sticker on older station wagon from town where vaca home is.

[Anonymous]

What about long highlighted hair, in your late 30s early 40s? I noticed at my kids' expensive school yesterday, at a PTA-type meeting, that so many of us have long hair with highlights and it costs so much to maintain that look as you get older!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monogrammed towels, sheets (matching of course) and bar ware. Also clothes, shoes and other apparel and housewares.

No. Just no.

Lollllll that's just painfully middle class.

Are you serious?

Then my mother was painfully middle class, but we grew up with her monogrammed towels and when I was married she got me my own, as part of a trousseau?

Word does not exist anymore. But anyway, it was kind of fun having things handed down and shopping for others and registering at Tiffany's. And yes, I have Crane stationary, also provided initially to write thank you letters for wedding gifts............

We have no monogrammed anything else, unless you count LL Bean bags that have the kids full first names on them, which are for in house use only. Don't like anyone to know their names from canvas bags and seem like a long lost friend.

PS for all those mistresses of modern etiquette out there, my husband is from Latin America, which means that his surname comes first, followed by mine - no hyphen, nada. Just the way it is done down there.

How do you MAKE a monogram with four letters?

But I did get married in my grandmother (and great grandmother's) wedding gown, because it meant something to me, and we have pearls from grandparents but are still waiting on I guess what would be monogrammed silver (has our family crest on it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Transfer station (town dump) sticker on older station wagon from town where vaca home is.

I love this, but do you have to be from New England to get it?

[Anonymous]

Being the recipient (and thus presumably a sender) of beautifully handwritten notes/letters by mail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being a Tiger mom!

How on earth?

Being a Tiger Mom is clawing your way to the top, if I ever saw it. Its trying to overcompensate for all of the opportunities you never had in your home land. You know that right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone said dogs that don't shed? I was driving through a community last week and say people walking Poodles, Golden Noodles, Giant Schnauzers, Bichons, Airedales, and the like. I think they buy them because they don't want to deal with dog hair, I mean, who does? But to spend 500-1000 or more on a dog? Definitely an unintentional status symbol.

Actually, I think it's the opposite. Having a dog that doesn't shed it totally middle class, well probably upper middle class. But, the truly rich, the blue bloods don't CARE if their dogs shed or get mud on the rugs and sofa. That is an unintentional status symbol. They can pay to get it all cleaned and that is one of the reasons they have a full time housekeeper. Plus, that is one of the reasons slip covered were originally invented, so dirty, sandy dogs and kids wouldn't ruin the sofas and chairs. You just got the slipcover cleaned or had a new one made. Original well made sofas didn't wear out. Pottery Barn was the first mass-retailer to make slip covered sofas for the masses because they realized this was an "unintentional" status symbol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being a Tiger mom!

How on earth?

Being a Tiger Mom is clawing your way to the top, if I ever saw it. Its trying to overcompensate for all of the opportunities you never had in your home land. You know that right?

Yeah, the rich send their kids away to boarding school to be educated and disciplined by someone else in the worst years - the teenage years. They Rent about to spend all their time educating and pushing their own children for gods sake. That's what you hire nannies, governesses and tours for. Some folks REALLY don't get the differences between social class at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being a Tiger mom!

How on earth?

Being a Tiger Mom is clawing your way to the top, if I ever saw it. Its trying to overcompensate for all of the opportunities you never had in your home land. You know that right?

Well, the privileged White moms are obsessed with Tiger Moms. They direct all their cattiness towards them. Recognizing envy and the "sour grapes" mentality of this class - being a Tiger mom is indeed an unintentional status symbol!