Things that are unintentional status symbols.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

I love this. Also the kids who, on picture day, had the largest packages and extras checked off for the most money. Though these aren't really status symbols (and may or may not even be linked to actual wealth status), they sure are for kids. Probably a different thread though.

I never buy more than the $13 package because Lifetouch is shitty. My kids get their portraits done by a professional photographer every couple of years. I also have a very nice professional camera and I've taken many good portraits of them myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unintentional status symbol - things people own or do that indicate

1

A lot of confusion here because a lot of things rich people do to demonstrate, intentionally or not, their wealth like homemade organic baby foods or wearing shabby but quality clothes are also things poor people do. It's about whether you have a choice. Being poor takes away a lot of choices and takes a lot of time because you can't pay for convenience.

Wearing lulu lemon pants because "they fit me best" and because $100 is nothing to you is a status symbol. Wearing Old Navy yoga pants can go either way. Maybe you're too rich to care what people think and you wear your ON pants to your $40/session Pilates trainer or with your Tory Burch flip flops. Maybe it means ON is all you can afford and you don't work because you can't afford childcare. That's the catch with intentional frugality / shabby chic among the closeted rich - you don't know who is who. Unintentional status symbol is ON yoga pants and an old car on a mom with a 2+ carat engagement ring who sheepishly replies when you admire it "oh thanks, it was my grandmother's".

I think the above poster is onto something important. I was born and raised very poor and I remember one day at university I was running a used book sale. I picked out a few for myself and one of my friends made mention of that being nice b/c I was contributing to charity (proceeds went to charity). I corrected her and said, I want the books and only wish I could buy more. She said "aren't you old money". I will never forget that. my classic shabbiness coupled with my proper behavior (I loved books on manners), made her think I was from old money.

now I'm new money married to somebody from old new england money (not crazy amounts) and see so many similarities. Those people will wear an LLBean thing until it falls apart...which takes decades. They keep cars until the die. They have "boats" but most people would call they yachts. I also have the inherited tasteful diamond earrings. I love them. Small, sparkly, "european cut".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

I love this. Also the kids who, on picture day, had the largest packages and extras checked off for the most money. Though these aren't really status symbols (and may or may not even be linked to actual wealth status), they sure are for kids. Probably a different thread though.

Are you all saying these are high class or low class?

I have had (and will send DD) to school w/ lunch in a Giant ice cream paper bag b/c we are frugal and we recycle and care about the earth. We will re-use these paper bags (and Ziploc bags -- the sturdy kind) until they are not use-able anymore

On the other hand, school pictures? No, I will not buy them. I think they are cheap and low-class and my parents never bought them and I never buy them either. I consider people who buy a lot of them pretty low-class or climbing class. I spring for a professional photo shoot for DD for her Christmas card photo each year b/c I think those are nicer! My MIL asked me if she could have copies of DD's school pics and she has this pic frame with like 12 holes in it for each of her kids' and each of her grandkids' school pics over the 12 years of schooling and I think that is lower middle class and/or climbing class. I told her I do not buy school photos but I would be happy to send her extra copies of the Christmas card pics. I felt snobby when I was saying I did not get the school photos b/c I do not care for them, but I felt it also said something about us in that she automatically thought everybody does buy the school photos, without question, and I obviously do not.

So, all in all, with the paper bag issue and the school pics issue, I don't know if this is saying I am high class or low class or something in between!

[Anonymous]

Framed school pictures on the wall = lower class.

Don't believe me? Watch Cops sometime and notice the background of the suspects' homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Framed school pictures on the wall = lower class.

Don't believe me? Watch Cops sometime and notice the background of the suspects' homes.

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Paying full price and not caring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Framed school pictures on the wall = lower class.

Don't believe me? Watch Cops sometime and notice the background of the suspects' homes.

Really, did not know that? What do middle and upper class people do? Put the pictures in digital albums?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

I love this. Also the kids who, on picture day, had the largest packages and extras checked off for the most money. Though these aren't really status symbols (and may or may not even be linked to actual wealth status), they sure are for kids. Probably a different thread though.

Are you all saying these are high class or low class?

I have had (and will send DD) to school w/ lunch in a Giant ice cream paper bag b/c we are frugal and we recycle and care about the earth. We will re-use these paper bags (and Ziploc bags -- the sturdy kind) until they are not use-able anymore

On the other hand, school pictures? No, I will not buy them. I think they are cheap and low-class and my parents never bought them and I never buy them either. I consider people who buy a lot of them pretty low-class or climbing class. I spring for a professional photo shoot for DD for her Christmas card photo each year b/c I think those are nicer! My MIL asked me if she could have copies of DD's school pics and she has this pic frame with like 12 holes in it for each of her kids' and each of her grandkids' school pics over the 12 years of schooling and I think that is lower middle class and/or climbing class. I told her I do not buy school photos but I would be happy to send her extra copies of the Christmas card pics. I felt snobby when I was saying I did not get the school photos b/c I do not care for them, but I felt it also said something about us in that she automatically thought everybody does buy the school photos, without question, and I obviously do not.

So, all in all, with the paper bag issue and the school pics issue, I don't know if this is saying I am high class or low class or something in between!

Don't your kids care? My kids are so hurt if I don't want to buy the school pictures. I don't put them in the house. I take a little one to work. It's definitely a waste of money but I'll always remember how my kids look at each age and my kids' feeling be are spared. If that makes me "low class" so be it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Framed school pictures on the wall = lower class.

Don't believe me? Watch Cops sometime and notice the background of the suspects' homes.

Really, did not know that? What do middle and upper class people do? Put the pictures in digital albums?

I think this is a funny observation but more of a generational thing. Look at all the homes in the 80s movies too. Or when people go back "home" in movies. It's something our parents do. Those people on cops just happen to live with their parents because their lives aren't exactly going anywhere

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

I love this. Also the kids who, on picture day, had the largest packages and extras checked off for the most money. Though these aren't really status symbols (and may or may not even be linked to actual wealth status), they sure are for kids. Probably a different thread though.

I never buy more than the $13 package because Lifetouch is shitty. My kids get their portraits done by a professional photographer every couple of years. I also have a very nice professional camera and I've taken many good portraits of them myself.

So do we. Your point?

I happen to like the class pics. So? Wow, so defensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family from Connecticut--parents did all the prep schools, etc. grew up in this area.

You can just feel, see and smell the $. Whenever I am in Greenwich or other areas I get that feeling and I'm eve good at reading it. It's super understated, but you can just tell.

The flashy Potomac/DC/Loudon/McLean brand whores don't have it. It always looks like they are trying way too hard. We have couple friends like this that are mortgaged out the wazoo, lease their expensive cars and have massive credit card debt-but put on quite a show.

LOL, my very good friend live in McLean and we were talking "fashion" the other day. We have very similar tastes in brands (Loft, Gap and Target for us, Children's Place and Crazy 8 for the kids!) and she says when a friend compliments her on a new top and asks where it came from she'll say "Thanks! BIG sale at Loft AND I had a coupon!" They just look at her like she's nuts on many levels. Number one, probably for shopping at Loft and not Ann Taylor, two, for waiting for a sale instead of instant gratification and 3, the white trash coupon usage!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cars.

Rich people drive Mercedes Benz.

Poor people don't.

They drive Kias.

Or Hyundais.

Or Honda Odysseys.

LMAO! I swear two out of three vehicles lined up for pre-school pick up is an Odyssey!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Framed school pictures on the wall = lower class.

Don't believe me? Watch Cops sometime and notice the background of the suspects' homes.

Really, did not know that? What do middle and upper class people do? Put the pictures in digital albums?

This is why we keep that grand piano in the corner even when we don't play very often. Where would be place the silver frames otherwise!?

Long sofa tables are also ok but you have to keep all of the photographs in lovely subtle frames and they must all be kept in a group. Not spread around the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cars.

Rich people drive Mercedes Benz.

Poor people don't.

They drive Kias.

Or Hyundais.

Or Honda Odysseys.

LMAO! I swear two out of three vehicles lined up for pre-school pick up is an Odyssey!

I'm rich and drive a Honda Pilot. How do you think I accumulated my wealth from a negative net worth fresh out of grad school? Not by throwing money away on expensive cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

I love this. Also the kids who, on picture day, had the largest packages and extras checked off for the most money. Though these aren't really status symbols (and may or may not even be linked to actual wealth status), they sure are for kids. Probably a different thread though.

Are you all saying these are high class or low class?

I have had (and will send DD) to school w/ lunch in a Giant ice cream paper bag b/c we are frugal and we recycle and care about the earth. We will re-use these paper bags (and Ziploc bags -- the sturdy kind) until they are not use-able anymore

On the other hand, school pictures? No, I will not buy them. I think they are cheap and low-class and my parents never bought them and I never buy them either. I consider people who buy a lot of them pretty low-class or climbing class. I spring for a professional photo shoot for DD for her Christmas card photo each year b/c I think those are nicer! My MIL asked me if she could have copies of DD's school pics and she has this pic frame with like 12 holes in it for each of her kids' and each of her grandkids' school pics over the 12 years of schooling and I think that is lower middle class and/or climbing class. I told her I do not buy school photos but I would be happy to send her extra copies of the Christmas card pics. I felt snobby when I was saying I did not get the school photos b/c I do not care for them, but I felt it also said something about us in that she automatically thought everybody does buy the school photos, without question, and I obviously do not.

So, all in all, with the paper bag issue and the school pics issue, I don't know if this is saying I am high class or low class or something in between!

You're something, alright.