Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not about money, but more about mustering up the bandwidth to prepare lunchboxes.

Yes, so do rich people muster up that bandwidth or not?

The richest person I know has a full time house manager and cook who musters up that bandwidth for them.

Anonymous wrote:
It's not about money, but more about mustering up the bandwidth to prepare lunchboxes.

Pretty much this. I never pack my lunches. My free time is more valuable than what I am spending on food.

We make in the $1.2-1.5m range. I either eat at home or am at a client meeting where food is served. Never pay for lunch. DH also WFH but does a lot of business lunches. We are more likely to eat dinner out than lunch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you are wasting money. My husband and I make about 800k between us, so could afford to eat lunch out every day. We almost never do. Unhealthy and a total waste.

Who is packing the lunch every morning? Do you have kids? I have enough to do getting their lunch and gear out the door

My brother and SIL's nanny prepares them packed lunches. Our nanny cooks dinner, but I WAH so I don't need a packed lunch. If you are well off, you can pay someone to prepare home cooked food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not about money, but more about mustering up the bandwidth to prepare lunchboxes.

Yes, so do rich people muster up that bandwidth or not?

They likely have a cook or a SAHW who makes their lunch for them.

I doubt the rock star lawyer is slathering mayo and egg together in the morning to make egg salad while in their bespoke suit.

You guys just don't understand that "normal" people can be quite wealthy. My husband goes to work in casual clothes, drives a small Japanese car, packs his own lunch, yet we have several millions in assets.
He could buy a healthy lunch at his workplace cafeteria if he wasn't so frugal.

You have very inaccurate ideas of what rich really means.

This just means your husband is cheap or doesn't know how to dress.
Rock star biglaw partners go to work in bespoke suits. They don't pack lunch. They have several millions in assets.

My spouse is on the high end of income for biglaw. He doesn’t wear bespoke suits (and I don’t think many of his partners do). He has brooks brother suits but usually just wears khakis and a button down to office. He usually brings his own lunch because he’s been on a diet for the last decade so only eats fruits and vegetables for lunch.

I’m also a lawyer, who makes a lot less money, and I usually get a salad or rice bowl or something a couple times a week. I’m too lazy to pack stuff and we don’t often have leftovers now that we have teens. I don’t think I spend $20 a day though—more like $10-15. I work from home a couple times a weeks.

I pack lunch almost every day because it takes much less time than going out, waiting in line, and picking up something that isn't even very good.

What do you consider rich? I make $250K, my husband makes around $350K, we have one kid who is now a teenager. I usually pack lunch to help maintain my weight. If were to buy lunch every day, even if a salad, it would entail significantly more calories, fat and salt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who become rich people pack their lunches, do their own yard work, and drive cars until they fall apart. People who were born rich eat out, hire everything done, and drive expensive depreciating assets.

Let me correct it for you.
People who become rich people, and are insecure, and scared of becoming poor, pack their lunches, do their own yard work, and drive cars until they fall apart, and life in fear.
People who become rich people, and are confident about themselves, eat out, hire everything done, drive expensive depreciating assets, and enjoy life.

Jeff Bezos wasn't born rich. He doesn't pack lunch, he doesn't do his own yard work, he drives expensive depreciating cars.

Live life. Don't be scared.

Living life does not mean spending extravagantly. To me living life and having money means donating to charity and saving money for my kids. I drive an expensive car and eat expensive dinners out, so I'm not afraid of becoming poor. I just respect all the work I put in to accumulate my money.

Anonymous wrote:You can spend your way to poor but you can’t save your way to rich. You have to earn more.

Totally wrong. I accumulated my first million without ever making more than 100K a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who become rich people pack their lunches, do their own yard work, and drive cars until they fall apart. People who were born rich eat out, hire everything done, and drive expensive depreciating assets.

Keep telling yourself that.

My husband and I became rich after growing up without money through our own work (started and owned business). We don't always pack our lunch, we definitely do not do our own yard work, and we drive nice enough cars. We certainly don't sit around not spending the money we worked hard to earn. Our time is valuable. Most valuable thing we have. We'd be dumb if we acted like you think "rich" people acted.

Why do people need this narrative to be true?

+1000

Why do people think you need to live below your means to be “rich”? How about get a high paying job?

Because if you make a million a year but spend a million a year, you'll never ever be rich? You need to live below your means to grow your net worth. Rich is net worth, not income.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who become rich people pack their lunches, do their own yard work, and drive cars until they fall apart. People who were born rich eat out, hire everything done, and drive expensive depreciating assets.

Keep telling yourself that.

My husband and I became rich after growing up without money through our own work (started and owned business). We don't always pack our lunch, we definitely do not do our own yard work, and we drive nice enough cars. We certainly don't sit around not spending the money we worked hard to earn. Our time is valuable. Most valuable thing we have. We'd be dumb if we acted like you think "rich" people acted.

Why do people need this narrative to be true?

You're nouveau riche - first generation. Good luck getting your children to stay rich.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not about money, but more about mustering up the bandwidth to prepare lunchboxes.

Yes, so do rich people muster up that bandwidth or not?

They likely have a cook or a SAHW who makes their lunch for them.

I doubt the rock star lawyer is slathering mayo and egg together in the morning to make egg salad while in their bespoke suit.

You guys just don't understand that "normal" people can be quite wealthy. My husband goes to work in casual clothes, drives a small Japanese car, packs his own lunch, yet we have several millions in assets.
He could buy a healthy lunch at his workplace cafeteria if he wasn't so frugal.

You have very inaccurate ideas of what rich really means.

You're not a great ad for being rich, if driving a college-kid car, dressing like a fast-food worker and packing your daily lunch is "what rich really means." Or on second thought, maybe you're just wrong. You're not describing being rich so much as being cheap. You enjoy knowing you have "several millions in assets" and living like you don't. There are many people who enjoy having the several million in assets and live like it.

Then they won't have the several millions for long.

DH has a catered lunch or take out every day at work. I pack a lunch because I need it to fit my macros and calorie targets, but not because of cost.

I eat at home on my work at home days, I grab something from the building deli the days I'm in the office, or once in a while I bring leftovers from home. It's time and convenience driven, not financial or health related.

Health is wealth.