Reply to S/O The obsession with class/tackiness/social standing

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Well fwiw, I wouldn't say I am "obsessed" but I find the topic interesting. Primarily because I am a person who changed classes (maybe). Grew up poor, parents worked as a waitress and mechanic, barely got by, I'm a first generation college graduate, then I got a master's degree. Husband grew up the same way then through luck was involved in an IPO and made millions. Of course that was life changing. It kind of felt a little bit like winning the lottery. But I don't feel that the "social" part of our class changed that much.

The word is "social class" right? So I think it's interesting to question how much of it is social and how much is economic.[/quote]

OP here.  This doesn't really explain *why* you are concerned about your "social class."  You are educated and wealthy- what is missing from your life? [b] Are you ever in some social situation where you don't fit in despite having money and an education?[/b][/quote]

To answer the bolded question, no. In my life, I've generally found that the only color people care about is green. If you have the money to be there (including "fancy" places like charity galas and country clubs), they think you belong. We're not trying to join the social elite though so I'm sure that makes a difference.

I'm not concerned about our standing at all, I just find the topic interesting.

According to the profile writer in the other thread, my DH and I are "nouveau riche" which I get the sense from her posts most people think is the worst, lol. It's perfectly fine with me. I'd much rather splurge and have fun on vacation, buy nice cars, have a nice house, etc. then live such parsimonious lives as she says the UC do in America.

Honestly, it's a head scratcher to me as to why anyone would want to live like those people (Old Money WASPs). Reusing tinfoil? Driving the same beat up Volvo for over 20 years? Not updating the finishes in your house or going to fancy restaurants or luxury destinations? No thanks. [/quote]

I think I can step in here and explain this, Waspily, as I come from the Old Money WASP culture thing. It’s pragmatic. You never, ever touch your capital. Instead, you live off the interest that capital accrues. And you don’t work, unless it’s in a gentleman’s profession that you do because you enjoy it. So while you have money, the amount you can actually live on is likely to be less than what people with salaried professions are bringing in. And you pay in full for everything, because that way you spend a tiny percentage of what everyone else does for the same things. No mortgage, house bought outright; no student loans; no car payments; no credit cards except Amex, ever. It looks mysterious and arcane to people, but it really isn’t. It’s capitalism. If you earn a bunch of money and you’ve never had money before you’re probably going to spend it. That’s why that way of life is called new money, and it isn’t going to last. And the other way of life is called old money, because it has been around for a while and will continue to be. Also, if you grew up with money, you know that money doesn’t make people happy. I mean, you KNOW it. And, you probably don’t really want people knowing you have that money, because it’s so antithetical to the whole work-all-the-time and pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps and the-poor-are-lazy-and-deserve-to-be-poor ethos that Americans are so sold on. But, you have time, which no one can put a price on. My mother always reused tinfoil.[/quote]

This is the best description I've seen of "old money," with a few exceptions. I use credit cards but never carry a balance. I don't have an Amex card anymore. I pay in full for everything, house, school tuition, cars, vacations...I work because of satisfaction. I live off interest on investments. I don't wear trendy clothing or drive a status car (Toyota Rav4 currently). I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi. I'm interested in people who talk about books, art, food, travel and culture. I have no interest in celebrities or reality TV (except Survivor). [/quote]

Most of this is a pretty common immigrant mentality as well as almost a word-for-word profile of people in the book "The Millionaire Next Door."  It doesn't seem like a class thing to me?[/quote]

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