Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
“Just tell my assistant, and she’ll add it to my calendar. I might be out of the country that week, but I can fly in for a few hours if I have to. Thanks!”
There are some sentences that a person would never utter unless they had an extremely large bank account. But when you’re rich, you tend to forget that your lifestyle isn’t considered normal.
Redditors have been discussing privileges that wealthy people don’t even realize are “rich people things,” so we’ve gathered some of their replies down below. From flying first class to having a maid, these are luxuries that most of us could only dream about. So enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the things that you find the least relatable!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I am by no means “rich” like a millionaire or anything like that, but I have a decent job that pays well. I have worked minimum wage jobs in the past and have worked myself up through the years to be quite comfortable. I absolutely promise anyone who currently lives pay check to pay check, the richest I have “felt” was when I realised that I haven’t checked the price of groceries in years. Like I understand just how expensive things have gotten over the last 5 years, but I’m luckily at the level now where I go into do my food shopping and just buy what I want, pay the bill and leave. I’m not driving around in a lambo or anything but having the ability to just buy what you want/need without looking at the price is just the best feeling ever, and a million miles from when I was living pay check to pay check. You legit don’t need any more money than that, once you can but your day to day stuff without caring then it brings you such a level of peace to your mind.
#2
I like the saying:
Having $1,000 isn’t a bunch of money, needing $1,000 is.
#3
“Just have your accountant handle it.” Bro, my accountant is me with a calculator and a mild panic attack.
#4
Rich is relative. Living in a small home with water you can safely drink out of the tap might make you rich to many people in the world but you might be poor in your area.
#5
The unwavering belief that all it takes to be successful is hard work.
#6
Most people in the thread aren't describing rich people things, they are describing "above-living-wage" things.
F**k it, destruction of middle class isn't 'going on', it's done done.
Petra Peitsch 6 days ago
Yaps, I have the same feeling. I think, the answers are coming from the USA ... mainly. What they are saying as "rich-people" things, are for me, let's say normal. And I'm a middle-class person, based on my country's ranking.
#7
I have one that nobody ever thinks about, but friendships!!
When you move in wealthy circles, maintaining a circle of friendships is much easier. They have the time, energy and money to prioritise trips away together. They can meet their girlfriends for dinners because they have access to childcare and don’t have to be up at 5am 5-7 days a week. They can outsource their admin, they don’t have to be calling the electrician or spending the day taking their car to a mechanic. They have access to a high level of medical care so may spend less time chasing medical issues around. They have the freedom to pursue these friendships.
When you’re working class, you and all your friends are working their assess off just surviving and keeping on top of their responsibilities. We’re all busy and exhausted, so maintaining friendships takes a lot of work and sacrifice.
It’s why we always see wealthy people with like 40 close friends and we have like 2 close friends we struggle to make time to see.
#8
The stress caused by lack of money or debt. If you’ve never experienced it, you can’t imagine it.
#9
Choice: the rich choose what they want to do and the poor choose what they can do without.
#10
There was an article in Norway some years back asking rich people how they saved money. I think this was after the 2008 financial crisis.
One billionaire, Stein Erik Hagen, answered that he was frugal by sending his old shirts back to his Saville Row tailor to have his shirt collars replaced. He suggested more people should save money like that...
It has become an example in Norway of how absolutely clueless and detached some rich people are.
Bob Brooce 6 days ago
I save far more money by buying shirts that are cheap enough that I can just throw them away (or use them as rags) when they're no longer good enough.
#11
People who hire others for household tasks like laundry, housekeeping, grocery shopping, cooking, and yard work often assume everyone does the same. This might explain why they think you should work longer hours and have little time off. For us everyday folks, just managing housework can feel like having another job.
#12
Unpaid internships. So many people have no idea what a luxury it is to be able to gain valuable experience and contacts in your chosen field while in college. I could never afford to take an unpaid internship because I had to earn money to pay for my tuition, rent and food. So while some of my classmates were working unpaid at law firms, I was delivering pizzas and working on a moving truck.
PeepPeep the duck 6 days ago
I’m so glad we don’t do unpaid internships like America - we as teenagers generally speaking, will do a weeks worth of ‘work experience’ and then when you get the job your get paid, cos it’s a job. Do other countries do the US style ‘unpaid internships’ or is it just there? It’s seems like just free slave labour with the excuse that’s it’s work experience
#13
I’ve found something Harrison Ford said decades ago sticks with me - money buys time. You can hire anything from a lawn service to a nanny to a chef, so you only do things you enjoy and hire others to do the stuff you don’t.
#14
Worked for a guy who inherited the company from his father: “If people hate their job why are they there”.
#15
When I told my boss my wife was pregnant she told me how we should go on a trip before the baby comes. She started talking about how much she enjoyed her recent trip to Hawaii. I'm just sitting there like, she's back in school, she's cutting hours at work, we have to care for a baby soon. Like I'm not made of money we can't all just go to Hawaii on a whim.
Yellow dot 6 days ago
I dont understand how a person with a $1,000,000 paycheck can look at someone with a $1,000 paycheck and say "Yup, you can do everything I can do!"
#16
Back in college, a girl I had met from Europe (can't remember where) was telling me about her home and she casually mentioned "the maid" like it was a normal thing. I asked her about it, and she told me that everyone there had a maid. She looked absolutely dumbfounded when I asked, "Does your maid have a maid?"
Petra Peitsch 6 days ago
I'm really curious abput that girl's country, because no specific european country comes to my mind, where having a maid is an everyday-noermal thing.
#17
When rich people hear about poor people getting check cashing loans with high interest rates they assume it’s because poor people are dumb or irresponsible, not that they have an urgent need for cash now and are forced to take a hit due to urgency. .
Michael Largey 6 days ago
Guess who own those check cashing companies and get richer from them?
#18
My buddy who is rich asked me if I had a personal assistant. I do well but I'm not rich. There is no room in my budget to pay a person an entire annual salary to look after my errands. He has 2.
#19
Constantly going on vacation
had a friend once that was much better off than me surprised when I explained to them that I hadn't been on vacation since I went to Disneyland when I was like 12.
Marla Singer 6 days ago
In the states, even being allowed that much time off work is uncommon in a lot of job sectors. Let alone having the money to travel when you do get time off.
#20
Their social networks. Small example: “my son just graduated college with a degree in blah blah, and my good golf buddy owns a blah blah firm. I’ll ask if he has a summer internship opening.”
Michael Largey 6 days ago
This is part of the reason the aristocracy were guillotined during the French Revolution.
#21
My wife once got stuck overseas during the pandemic. Her covid test came back 'inconclusive' at the airport and there wasn't time to retest before her flight. The airline refused to let her fly and wouldn't refund her flight. My rich aunt happens to live in that city and heard what was going on. She offered to let my wife spend the night at her house and to pay for a new flight (she is an amazing lady). My aunt was out of town at the time, so she had her driver show up at the airport and drive my wife to the house. The driver had been told to give her 'pocket money' for the evening. I then got a call from my aunt. She was all embarrassed and wanted to know if we always fly first class or if business class would be okay. Apparently there were no more first class tickets available for a few days and she didn't know what to do. It literally never occured to her that economy was an option or that her nephew and his wife might never have flown business class, let alone first class.
PeepPeep the duck 6 days ago
She sounds sweet 😂 I have friends like this, really nice and well off but they don’t have any comprehension of how a regular person does things 😂 ❤️ I can’t help but giggle at her idea of a lesser quality flight and being stumped over having no first class options 😂
#23
Starting off with help from Mom and Dad that allows them more flexibility in maneuvering their life than everyone else has.
I've seen it a lot of times. Usually lovely, kind, caring people who certainly don't think of themselves as rich, aren't over the top about spending, live in the suburbs and have 2.3 kids and a dog, think they are where they are because they work just as hard as everyone else, think they have similar life problems to everyone else. And they may well work just as hard as everyone else and have any number of life problems...but because of the push they got at the beginning, usually in the form of downpayment assistance on a house, their life is VERY different than many others. They don't see it that way. But, the difference in having a $100,000 mortgage and a $200,000 mortgage is hugely enormous to what your monthly budget can look like, and truly rich enough parents can and do make that change happen for their kid(s). AND then usually Mom and Dad (or their financial advisors, whose contact info they pass on) know the best ways to use extra money to make more extra money, whereas people who aren't in that position don't know or find out anything about these topics.
Source: grew up in a town and went to a university that were each quite financially diverse. I'm definitely not from the top or bottom ends of that diversity, but have seen many things since college that make it clear that the "parents helping out" thing is something that if it happens is a rich person thing that the kids don't realize fully is a game-changer.
#24
The people in those Rocket Money ads that don't realize they have multiple subscriptions coming out of their account that they don't know about. How?????????
Edit: Based on replies, anyone not noticing charges on their account is not living paycheck to paycheck. If you are well-off enough to not live paycheck to paycheck, you are richer than you think.
Courtney Christelle 6 days ago
Meanwhile I’m scrutinizing the $1 hold on my checking account for pre-paying at the gas pump.
#25
I had a GF end the relationship because I couldn't go to Monaco on a whim for breakfast. She went alone.
#26
Had a super wealthy boss that refused to give me a raise. Just outright wouldn’t pay me more. He’s turn around and spend hundreds of dollars on dinners. Dude was always wearing $500 plus shoes.
He once offered me a piece of furniture. I loved it and thought it was simple so he let me have it. His wife had ordered it from Europe and they decided it didn’t fit in their decor. I looked it up after I got home. It was worth as much as they paid me in a year.
They’re all nuts.
#27
I always told myself when I was younger that I would know when I "made" it when I could fill up my car without caring about how much it costs. Filling up was such an unobtainable luxury for me until my mid to late 20s.
#29
Access to quality healthcare is definitely one of the most important ones.
Bartlet for world domination 6 days ago
It's almost like European 'socialism' makes everybody rich.
#30
My company introduced 'unlimited PTO' (AKA a tool to deny workers vacations) a few years back with some blurb about a higher-up who thought it was a wonderful idea because a year ago he had a chance to go on a $99k (my estimate) 5-week safari in Tanzania but the poor sap only had 3 weeks vacation available and had to make compromises to go....
Yeah. I'm sure that happens to factory workers, secretaries and junior engineer ALL THE TIME and we can all totally relate!
#31
Viewing politics strictly from the lens of their investments.
Marla Singer 6 days ago
On the flip side, poor people have to fixate on what they think particular candidates or legislation will do to their daily cost of living, so it becomes all about money for them too.
#32
Nannies. When a rich woman has a baby the talk is "who is your nanny", not "did you find a daycare with decent hours that doesn't suck away your whole paycheck?".
I was shocked when hearing about a young couple's trip to Europe and how they had to pass on their first choice flat because they needed more space for the nanny. They bring the nanny on the trip - to care for the child while they do all the fun stuff. Legit thought I might switch careers and become a nanny when I heard that.
#33
Just paying to fix all of life's problems, big and small.
Nail in the tire? My old boss would go get it patched. I would take my tire off and plug it myself.
Painting the house? He hired painters. I bought paint and brushes.
Cleaning the house? That's what cleaners are for! No, that's what a swiffer and a vacuum are for!
No time to cook tonight? Takeout! Not me, meal prepped last night instead!
And he never understood why I didn't just PAY for this stuff. Probably could've figured it out if he looked at my pay check once when he signed it...
Edit: Holy f*****g s**t you people that took this to mean "you're rich if you can't plug a tire" are f*****g idiots. The point is my old boss solved EVERY problem with the "throw money at it" solution and wondered why I didn't solve ALL my problems the same way. Not EVERY example above applies to EVERY person or situation. F**k I can't believe I need to explain this.
#34
Being pretty and well kept. Having health care and resources impacts the way you look so much.
Bobby McKee 6 days ago
That ain't no lie, I have no teeth but a few broken nubs because I can't afford to go to a dentist. I'm sure rich people have like perfect teeth.
#35
I find most the rich people I meet are aware of the money advantages they have, but they often still underestimate the compounding effects that access to all kinds of experiences and opportunities has had on them. Not that they don't appreciate them, but they're not fully aware of the scope of the advantages.
#36
I mean, it's one banana, how much can it be? 10 dollars?
#37
I once met a dear old lady at a gas station, we were both filling up our cars.
I just threw the petrol nozzle in and let it fill up - probably $100 worth in those days.
She commented in a quavery voice: "I can always tell when people are wealthy, they can afford to fill their cars up right to the brim! I just put in $5 at a time when I can afford it."
She wasn't expressing jealousy or animosity in the slightest, in fact she was quite cheery about it.
Bless her soul, I hope she's doing well.
Brian Droste 6 days ago (edited)
Sounds like you could have offered to pay to fill her tank up and pay her gas then.
#38
Easy networking. Rich people tend to know a lot of other rich people, and rich people are connected. References for elite colleges, internships, jobs, etc are all circulated through roughly the same group. Someone’s parent or brother in law or best friend definitely knows someone.
Christine Gutkowski 6 days ago
They've often gone to prep schools together too. They tap into a network right there, their parents often having gone to the same schools and they have connections across the country.
#39
This is the biggest blind spot, in my experience. Rich people understand that they have more money; they do not understand that they also have far, far fewer consequences if for any reason their money runs out or falls short.
It’s that, and not checking prices at the grocery store. Those are the two biggest rich people things.
#40
Flying business/first class (apparently).
Sand Ers 6 days ago
That "(apparently)" made me suspicious, so I checked. Posted by someone who thinks "I have to save up to fly 1st class twice a year" means they're one of the working stiffs. Bítch, I'd have to save up for 10 years to fly 1st class once, and it would be a "just once in my life" experience. And by save up I mean bank every dime that currently goes toward any sort of "extravagence". No more "walking to the shop for ice cream coanes a few times a year" kind of extravagence.
#41
That way of planning with others kind of assuming people can take leave from work at any point and without much notice.
Marla Singer 6 days ago
Even people with flexibility in their work schedule (like people who work from home) and retired people forget their privilege. I'm still shocked whenever someone tries to make plans with me during the workday. Like no, I can't just leave the office early cuz I feel like it.
#42
Not realizing when payday is.
#43
Having "spontaneous" vacations without budgeting or planning ahead.
#44
Having a cushy life, not having to deal with normal adult stuff at all.
I went to university with a bunch of students from well off families. They didn't have an ostentatious lifestyle, but parents bought them a one bedroom apartment, financed the education, bought them a (modest) car, paid for holidays.
They didn't have a mega rich lifestyle, but they sure never had to struggle to find an affordable place to stay or worry about how to finance all the books needed while still eating or how they were going to survive the summer breaks. (They got a cushy internship job because of connections and parents made sure they still had funds.)
After each exam, they would go somewhere to relax (SPA, Mediterranean, ski resort), while the rest of us were passed out, trying to get back together, while eating ramen noodles.
I can't imagine having such a stress free, well connected life from the beginning.
Sandella 5 days ago
I've known people like this from my student days. I've found it's a lot harder if not impossible to maintain these friendships into adulthood, the class difference seems so much more stark and it becomes impossible to relate when one of you is struggling to pay rent, whilst the other is living easy in one of their family's 70plus property portfolio which they're all set to inherit. Still miss them sometimes though sigh.
#45
I have a niece who is clueless about finances and has always had money available to her. Growing up she would always invite her friends and cousins to very expensive restaurants on her birthday or other occasions and expect everyone to chip in at the end for the bill. She got pissed at my son when he started declining her invitation, even when he explained he couldn’t afford it.
Nikole 5 days ago (edited)
Many years ago I met two friends at a nice restaurant as it was one of their birthdays (I got her a little gift… I wasn’t doing well financially at all). When dinner was over I went to pay my share and the birthday girl opened her wallet. The other friend said, “Oh put that away! It’s your birthday so it’s our treat!”. I think I just kind of weakly smiled…
What do you think ?
Mari 6 days ago
Today I was walking home in the rain with bags of groceries. My feet were hurting but I didn't want to take the bus ( so I didn't have to pay the bus fare) my hands and shoulders were hurting because of the weight. When I saw everyone driving by in their nice, warm cars, I could cry. But then I remembered at least I can buy groceries, we are not hungry, so I was thankfull and happy again.
Rafael 6 days ago
My wife usually says "we're poor" or "we can't afford X" (clothes, electronics, a car), and it annoyed me very much, didn't knew why. One day I realized: she don't know "poor" as I do. We can definitely afford X or Y - maybe wouldn't be wise to buy it, but I still remember when I really, truly couldn't afford it, as in "I don't have that much money in my account" way. Saying we're poor now - that I can buy groceries without a worry, and replace a broken phone or computer with the latest model - feels like an affront to past me that panicked when his work/home computer (it was the same!) died and I couldn't afford the parts to fix it!
S 6 days ago
Bizarrely relatable. I was dating a girl who was oil rich (didn't know at the time). She asked me to go Argentina to her parents ranch in a couple of days (from the UK). I couldn't go because of working for a living... and not having the money. She goes "it's only a few thousand in airfare and then it's all free when you get there". It was a nice offer but completely detached from reality. She ended going via Rome for a couple of days, met a guy in a cafe, paid for his airfare and by the time she got back I was not her play thing anymore. Wild.
Richard Graham 5 days ago
I've always been Rich. That is my first name. Even when I am flat broke if someone asks me "Are you Rich?" I can honestly say "Yes".
Tams21 6 days ago
I remember having to decide between cheap shoes that would need replacing in a year and end up more expensive in the long run or expensive shoes that would last but cause me to struggle to afford to eat for a couple weeks. Healthy food costs more, you don't have time to exercise because you're working 60 hours a week to afford rent but heaven forbid they raise minimmum wage. And the healthcare you inevitably need after being forced into such an unhealthy lifestyle is also not affordable.
Rita Verschuure 6 days ago
My parents were never in the financial situation that they could help me out with housing, a driver's licence or our wedding or anything like that. But they did what they could with diapers, paid for groceries plus when they came over or would send some money (50 euros) for birthdays etc. It helped. Enough that we can do the same for our boys, plus help with rent every now and then and safe up some to help with an upcoming wedding. Our boys might get to the situation where they will have enough to pay for their kids' drivers license.
NennyRoh 4 days ago
So viewing the additional posts pre-selection including the last post (fir oldwr threads) is no longer available for free? BP Premium? Really?!? This world is overflown with subscription and Premium S**t, and now you too? You became the very thing you swore to destroy! GOOD BYE!!!
Mimi M 6 days ago (edited)
The biggest privilege? Not worrying (at least not about money). And not realizing that this is not the usual or natural state of things. Note: I am currently in a phase of life where I don't worry that much about money, but that's because I live very frugally. Which, btw, is another way of feeling 'rich', because I make a bit more than I spend. But not because I make a lot, but because I spend little. On the contrary, I know someone who's husband makes a lot but who feels 'poor' because their lifestyle leaves no room between income and monthly expenses.
Sanfransweety 5 days ago
Love my boss dearly, but a few months ago, he explained to me numerous times what. Laundry room of an apartment complex was....as if I had never heard of one in my life.... meanwhile he doesn't pay his employees enough to afford to rent a studio in a ghetto let alone apartment complexes that have their own names and laundry rooms.
Racing Tadpole 5 days ago
Generally just watch the pennies, fill up the car on cheap days, cheapest dish at a restaurant or share..as the portions are usually too big anyway
Mari 6 days ago
Today I was walking home in the rain with bags of groceries. My feet were hurting but I didn't want to take the bus ( so I didn't have to pay the bus fare) my hands and shoulders were hurting because of the weight. When I saw everyone driving by in their nice, warm cars, I could cry. But then I remembered at least I can buy groceries, we are not hungry, so I was thankfull and happy again.
Rafael 6 days ago
My wife usually says "we're poor" or "we can't afford X" (clothes, electronics, a car), and it annoyed me very much, didn't knew why. One day I realized: she don't know "poor" as I do. We can definitely afford X or Y - maybe wouldn't be wise to buy it, but I still remember when I really, truly couldn't afford it, as in "I don't have that much money in my account" way. Saying we're poor now - that I can buy groceries without a worry, and replace a broken phone or computer with the latest model - feels like an affront to past me that panicked when his work/home computer (it was the same!) died and I couldn't afford the parts to fix it!
S 6 days ago
Bizarrely relatable. I was dating a girl who was oil rich (didn't know at the time). She asked me to go Argentina to her parents ranch in a couple of days (from the UK). I couldn't go because of working for a living... and not having the money. She goes "it's only a few thousand in airfare and then it's all free when you get there". It was a nice offer but completely detached from reality. She ended going via Rome for a couple of days, met a guy in a cafe, paid for his airfare and by the time she got back I was not her play thing anymore. Wild.
Richard Graham 5 days ago
I've always been Rich. That is my first name. Even when I am flat broke if someone asks me "Are you Rich?" I can honestly say "Yes".
Tams21 6 days ago
I remember having to decide between cheap shoes that would need replacing in a year and end up more expensive in the long run or expensive shoes that would last but cause me to struggle to afford to eat for a couple weeks. Healthy food costs more, you don't have time to exercise because you're working 60 hours a week to afford rent but heaven forbid they raise minimmum wage. And the healthcare you inevitably need after being forced into such an unhealthy lifestyle is also not affordable.
Rita Verschuure 6 days ago
My parents were never in the financial situation that they could help me out with housing, a driver's licence or our wedding or anything like that. But they did what they could with diapers, paid for groceries plus when they came over or would send some money (50 euros) for birthdays etc. It helped. Enough that we can do the same for our boys, plus help with rent every now and then and safe up some to help with an upcoming wedding. Our boys might get to the situation where they will have enough to pay for their kids' drivers license.
NennyRoh 4 days ago
So viewing the additional posts pre-selection including the last post (fir oldwr threads) is no longer available for free? BP Premium? Really?!? This world is overflown with subscription and Premium S**t, and now you too? You became the very thing you swore to destroy! GOOD BYE!!!
Mimi M 6 days ago (edited)
The biggest privilege? Not worrying (at least not about money). And not realizing that this is not the usual or natural state of things. Note: I am currently in a phase of life where I don't worry that much about money, but that's because I live very frugally. Which, btw, is another way of feeling 'rich', because I make a bit more than I spend. But not because I make a lot, but because I spend little. On the contrary, I know someone who's husband makes a lot but who feels 'poor' because their lifestyle leaves no room between income and monthly expenses.
Sanfransweety 5 days ago
Love my boss dearly, but a few months ago, he explained to me numerous times what. Laundry room of an apartment complex was....as if I had never heard of one in my life.... meanwhile he doesn't pay his employees enough to afford to rent a studio in a ghetto let alone apartment complexes that have their own names and laundry rooms.
Racing Tadpole 5 days ago
Generally just watch the pennies, fill up the car on cheap days, cheapest dish at a restaurant or share..as the portions are usually too big anyway
You May Like 30 Realistic Ways For An Average Person To Become Rich That Are Often Overlooked "Last Laugh": Construction Worker Has A Mean Surprise For Employer Who Refused To Pay Him
Gabija Saveiskyte
Karina Babenok
Related on Bored Panda
