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When most of us think of “rich people stuff,” we tend to imagine boats with helipads and separate houses for every season, perhaps with a jet or two sprinkled in. But the truth is that fancy toys are just the beginning. If one has the right amount of money, there are goods and services out there most of us have never even thought of as a possibility.
Someone asked “What’s something money can buy that we poor people don’t even know of?” and people shared their best examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and examples in the comments section below.
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#1
I do IT for the hilariously rich in LA. My favorite thing you can buy is a $300,000 theater streaming device that allows you to watch just released movies directly into your home theater. It requires a background check and a huge amount of money, but then any movie released in theaters is directly uploaded into your system and then you can watch at home in your own little movie theater.
Red PANda (she/they/he/ze) 4 months ago
I stayed at a rich house for a bit. I lived in the little home theater; I slept on the cushy chairs in there. It was crazy, it had this really fancy shower with like 5 showerheads and so many different knobs
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#2
“Punishable by Fine” just means “Legal for Rich People”, if that helps.
#3
Private island getaways—imagine a whole island to yourself where the only worry is which beach to lounge on.
#4
There are companies that sell books by the foot. Usually leather bound. It’s for decorating so your in home library is stocked with books. Normally you can pick genres or just let the company fill your shelves, you just give them the length of your shelves and your color scheme and they send you books to fill the shelves in bindings that harmonize with your rooms color pallete.
Emma London 4 months ago
When my great aunt died, she left behind hundreds of books that all had a nice leather cover. The books themselves were whatever, think step up from Readers' Digest, but she had re-bound the books to all look cohesive and nice. Apparently in 50s and 60s this was perfectly doable in upper middle class households.
#5
In some countries, rich people hire poor people to serve prison sentences for them.
#6
More money.
Once you have enough money you can pay people to use your money to make more money. And enough money to pay them and you still end up with more money.
#7
The biggest thing is time - need to get to London for a meeting? Leave for the airport and your plane/charter waits for you. Need a haircut? A person comes to your house to do it for you. Imagine a lot of the things you go out to do on a daily basis and imagine having people to do all that. Need a new phone? Peter will get you the latest iPhone, programmed l, and working the way yours was before. Drop it in the toilet? He bought 5.
Oerff On Tour 4 months ago
My hairdresser works in a salon 4 days a week, and one day she goes to the elderly and infirm. Same rate as the salon, and cheaper for those in a retirement home (as they usually live on a small pension. And she only has to make one trip)
#9
Time.
It's the greatest thing money can buy. Lawn care, maid service, personal chef, home repair, personal shopper, chauffer, concierge services other folks mentioned, etc.. Some things like that aren't too expensive... some of them are wildly expensive. You may be perfectly capable of doing these things yourself, but they take time and effort.
If you can get past the cost (and afford it), what they all can do is free up your time to do the things you actually want to do... whether it's family time, playing sports, watching sports, video games, traveling, whatever.
Time is really the true currency of life.
Oerff On Tour 4 months ago
That's also the reason why a lot of very nice, but rich people buy or charter bizzjets. Having to spend 2-3hours in an airport, after having traveled 2 hours to get there, to be flown where they don't want to be (and travel another 2 hours to get where *do* want to be) for 1.5 hour flight because you can't get there overland. For example from the middle of France to somewhere in Ireland.
#10
Personal concierge services. Pay an annual fee of several thousand dollars, and be able to request help getting.... whatever. Hard-to-get concert tickets, dinner reservations, you name it.
ByeFelicia 4 months ago
My American Express offers this as part of the annual fee. Comes in really handy sometimes.
#12
Pet cloning. Ex boss was getting his dog cloned for $100k.
Oerff On Tour 4 months ago
The pet's personality is not genetic. Therefore it IS a totally different dog.
#13
We all know that a lot of wealthy people own nice yachts. What a lot of people may not know is that many of these yachts aren't taken across the ocean. Wealthy people hire yacht transportation services to move their yachts around. A larger ship will pick up the yacht and ferry it to the desired location. The wealthy person will fly to that location on a private jet, then head over to the yacht to party.
Oerff On Tour 4 months ago
If you have ever seen pictures of Monaco, the majority of those yachts, with a full maritime crew as well as a full staff, haven't left port in years, except for maintenance (so without any guests)
#14
Citizenship in other countries. Costs about as much as a house for less desirable countries, and about as much as starting a small business for the nicer ones.
#15
1) concierge medicine. You get your own dedicated doctor, perhaps your own whole clinic. You never wait for tests. You never wait for an appointment. Your doctor will make house calls and even diagnose and prescribe over the phone.
2) concierge banking. You don't go to the bank to withdraw cash on the rare times you need cash. You call the bank rep and they will courier the money to you.
4) family offices. The legal and financial equivalent of a private clinic of your own. One or more lawyers, one or more CPAs, both with the usual staff. Want to buy a property? Just call the office and they will handle all the paperwork. Even spin up a numbered Delaware company and sign deeds for you.
5) bespoke cars. At the lower end, this means you sit down with a Rolls Royce rep and going over choices. They will arrange a custom paint colour and guarantee no other car will get that shade. Ditto for upholstery, dash treatment etc. In the middle, the likes of Lamborghini and Koenigsegg have lists of billionaire car collectors. When they come up with a concept, they consult with the members of that list before any metal gets shaped. When they release the latest hyper car and say only 25 will be made, that's because only 25 billionaires said they wanted one. Being able to say you have a 1 of 25 car is valuable over and above the car itself. At the very high end, you can call them and pitch your own concepts and they will build a complete 1 of 1 car for you. The Sultan of Brunei famously had a lot of total one off cars made to his exact specifications from many different manufacturers. The "Rainbow Sheikh" Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan has also done this numerous times.
#16
Bulk. I'm not boasting because what's the point? It's anonymous. I'm financially stable now, not wealthy but I'll probably never have to worry about money.
When I was really poor I would buy part worn tyres for my car because I never had the money for new tyres. But I'd have to replace them more often.
Now I have some money I can buy good tyres that last longer. When I see dishwasher tablets on offer I buy about £100 worth and that's me set for a few years. I bulk buy anything on offer which isn't perishable when it's on offer. It's like I'm looking after my future self.
I can also be incredibly irresponsible with money too. I'll be frugal for myself and won't spend more than £100 on a coat or £80 on shoes, but I'll spend far more on a gift for a relative.
And I'm not saying that to sound like a great guy, I'm just an average guy. But one with a s**t load of dishwasher tablets.
Ace 4 months ago (edited)
Buying in bulk and hoarding things like that is a hard habit to break. I'm the same with coffee - our preferred brand of beans is usually about chf17 per kilo, but I'm too mean to pay that much, so I keep an eye out and every few months it's reduced, somewhere, so under 10. I'm having to resist right now because Lidl have an offer on at the moment, but I already have enough in the larder of each of our homes for at least six months, probably more...
#17
I didn't know self opening and closing microwaves were a thing until I house sat for a friend in a gated community.
#18
Access. Friends and I flew from DC to Dallas to watch a Redskins/Cowboys game before they moved to the new stadium. Last minute a friend joined and didn’t have a ticket to the game. My well connected friend picked up the phone and called someone and next thing we know some guy is standing at the stadium with a sign with our names on it to hand us our tickets.
It should be noted that 3 of us had tickets and he didn’t. Since he couldn’t get a ticket to sit next to us he just bought 4 tickets in even better seats for all of us. To pay it forward we let someone in the nosebleeds take our original 3 seats.
#19
The majority of my clients are in the $10m+ club and many are worth well over $100m. They buy services, things that save them time. Subscription to a company that comes and fills up the gas tank to all your cars every morning. Car delivery service that goes and picks up the Ferrari you wanna drive from the warehouse and brings it to you. Stuff like that.
#21
Death by super yacht or submarine.
I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 4 months ago
I never thought about it but true. Though knowing my luck I'd probably wina trip on a sub or helicopter only to then die lol
#22
Worked in employee benefits consulting.
There are doctors who exist who only see people who are executives at their companies.
If you aren't in the c-suite, then you don't have enough money to see these doctors.
Oh and emergency evac insurance. One of my clients had this specifically for their executives. So that way if an executive was off in another country and things started to pop off or the executive gets hurt, a helicopter goes and gets them. Anywhere in the world. 24/7.
Edit: only because I'm still getting responses. This evac insurance came with armed guards who were ready to drop bodies if needed. I'm guessing all of your helicopter insurance you keep telling me about doesn't include this service.
#23
Getting jacked, legally and in a healthy fashion. Any guy over 40 in rich areas who is ripped is likely supplementing testosterone because they can afford to go to the doctor regularly and keep it monitored. Paired with private trainer and personal chef, you can be super fit.
#24
I saw this while installing cabinets in a mansion. Espresso machine in the bathroom.
#25
I'm not sure what the correct term is, but I think the best term would be a *Household (Family?) Manager*
I grew up with a kid whose parents were extremely well-off because they owned a chain of casinos (you'd probably know the last name). Every single thing in their lives was managed by some lady and her assistant/team. When I mean everything, I mean *everything*. Foreign trips, domestic trips, doctors appointments, dinner reservations, sports practices, meetings with attorneys, business meetings, grocery delivery, household duties, get-togethers, every. single. minute. detail.
Their entire days were pre-planned from start to finish--weeks and months in advance
All they had to do was just... exist. Their lives were essentially on auto-pilot.
#26
You get access to people, business opportunities, politicians, services.
Back in the 1980s my dad was appointed CEO of a mid size financial institution. Salaries back then were not as high as today but still well above average. We lived in a large house, best neighbourhood, had live-in maid, a company car with a chauffeur, gardener, cook, cleaners etc.
After his appointment suddenly I started being invited to parties, received free membership to exclusive nightclubs, met the kids of some truly wealthy individuals who had private jets, yatches, holiday properties in NY and Paris.
Banks give you priority, you reveive end of year gifts (paintings, watches, tv).
At Uni, the lecturers gave me better treatment and grades (sorry to admit), other students were keen to assist with assignments. You don’t even know who real friends are anymore lol.
Famous artists go to these after parties and dinners and you meet them.
Nothing is ever difficult, the secretary gives a call and all of the sudden that hard to get (whatever) becomes available.
I got, through acquaintances, to see what money can buy and the lifestyle it offers. It’s pretty good….
#27
Most major airports have a special VIP terminal for special rich VIPs who get to bypass all of the riff raff in the main terminals and wait for their private jets in luxury.
I am not talking about a first class lounge. Those are for the wanna be rich people. I am referring to a more special setup for the chosen few that is almost never discussed or advertised. But they are usually there.
ByeFelicia 4 months ago
Singapore's Changi Airport has this. My company did a partnership with them 10 years ago when I was living there and they gave me the full experience so I could develop the marketing plan. It was wonderful!
#28
You can rent out Disney. Like the whole park.
Mark Fergel 4 months ago
I went to a conference for a large software vendor. They rented out ALL of the Universal Studio side with Harry Potter from 3pm on for the rest of the night. All food was free. All alcohol was free. It was nuts. Of course attending the conference was something like $1500 per person.
#29
Vengeance.
My boss is a very decent man but don't rip him off...
Married in family member once ripped him off for maybe 100k but it it the wrong nerve as he was "family".
So he put a team of lawyers on it and a year later the other guy was divorced, bankrupt and vannished from all social media and LinkedIn.
It's been 10 years and I still look him up at times but just vanished.
#30
IVs for hangovers/bad days.
What do you think ?
Tempest 4 months ago
After building the house & moving in, my neighbours decided to get a dog. Went off & got a purebred beagle cause they wanted a short haired breed. Didn’t know anything about the breed’s characteristics. Got it a personal trainer but failed & never tried again so it’s an untrained & extremely destructive dog (not aggressive though). They also adopted a puppy that was abandoned on the street. The dogs receive the best food and vet care so they are well fed (actually nearly obese) & healthy. But the owners rarely if ever interact with the dogs. They are extremely wealthy & has housekeepers & drivers who are the ones who take care of the dogs. I sometimes take them on walks & play with them so they actually love coming over to my house (just today one of them refused to go home even for lunch, lol). They love animals but it saddens me that they see the dogs more like just a decoration. If I had the money or space to have my own dogs I would probably be swooning over them 24/7.
Kangaroo 4 months ago
Thank you for taking them on walks and playing with them, I bet you make them so happy when you do that 😊
Load More Replies...
Roberta Surprenant 4 months ago
During the Civil War, rich northerners paid poor folks to serve in their place when they got drafted.
Tempest 4 months ago
After building the house & moving in, my neighbours decided to get a dog. Went off & got a purebred beagle cause they wanted a short haired breed. Didn’t know anything about the breed’s characteristics. Got it a personal trainer but failed & never tried again so it’s an untrained & extremely destructive dog (not aggressive though). They also adopted a puppy that was abandoned on the street. The dogs receive the best food and vet care so they are well fed (actually nearly obese) & healthy. But the owners rarely if ever interact with the dogs. They are extremely wealthy & has housekeepers & drivers who are the ones who take care of the dogs. I sometimes take them on walks & play with them so they actually love coming over to my house (just today one of them refused to go home even for lunch, lol). They love animals but it saddens me that they see the dogs more like just a decoration. If I had the money or space to have my own dogs I would probably be swooning over them 24/7.
Kangaroo 4 months ago
Thank you for taking them on walks and playing with them, I bet you make them so happy when you do that 😊
Load More Replies... Roberta Surprenant 4 months ago
During the Civil War, rich northerners paid poor folks to serve in their place when they got drafted.
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