We all know that regular folks lead very different lives than the ultra-rich.
Well, Reddit user u/CrookedGoodridge197 recently asked, "What does one learn from being exposed to the wealthy?"
And there were so many interesting answers! Here are some of the top-voted responses:
2. "The wealthy spend money to save time versus spending time to save money."
"I’ve met people before who do not consider parking tickets to be a penalty. They just mean 'It costs $50 to park there.'"
3. "If parents solve their kids' problems with money, it's generally a bandage solution, and a bigger problem is always on the horizon."
4. "That no amount of money will buy your way out of dealing with your insecurities."
5. "The few real folks among them will tell you how lucky they are to be wealthy. They realize that many folks have brilliant ideas, many folks work hard...yet aren't that fortunate."
7. "People think they can spot the rich guy based on stereotypes. But I know very rich people who drive old cars, shop at thrift shops, and donate regularly (anonymously). They don’t flaunt their wealth."
"My parents would always warn me our neighbors were not rich, but deep in debt. They gave their kids everything, always had brand-new things, and acted rich. They went broke in the early '00s and lost it all."
8. "Just how comfortable a life with financial security is. While many poor people are grinding every day, knowing any little mistake or piece of dumb luck can completely ruin their finances, rich people go to bed easy every night, knowing how secure they are."
"That's why I want to get wealthy in my lifetime. Not to have an extravagant lifestyle or run with the high rollers, but to just go to bed every night, not worrying about losing my income."
"I have a lot of wealthy clients, and the things they don't have to worry about is amazing. Money can buy so much peace of mind."
9. "Even the moderately wealthy, like the upper middle class, have 'a guy' for everything. And not just a sketchy guy, but a tailored professional. Maybe they bump into each other at country clubs and form reciprocal agreements, IDK. But it results in wealthy people getting the highest quality service on everything for a family and friends discount. You have money = you save money = you get more money."
10. "That a lot of successful people have rich parents."
"Kids of wealthy parents get wealthy themselves in three ways: 1) inheriting wealth directly, 2) having greater investment in their education, and 3) just getting better career advice. 1 receives all the political attention, 2 does a bit, but 3 is hardly ever mentioned. And I think we could have massive benefits from just educating kids from poor areas about what their options are and what they could be ambitious about."
11. "How much closer the upper middle class is to poverty than it is to the wealthy."
12. "That you can be cashflow rich and balance sheet poor. That becoming wealthy isn't as much about massive income as it is about consistent saving and investing over time. That acting rich generally means you're poor or soon-to-be."
13. "Mostly, I've learned they can make moral or ethical stands because there are no consequences. Unhappy at a job and think they are wrong? Just quit. No true repercussions for doing so."
"I knew a guy who argued that staying somewhere you felt was ethically or morally corrupt was a choice, and he had walked out of a job because of it. But he could move back home. He had his wealthy parents. He was never sacrificing his home, his car, his family, nothing, except he might have to hang out with his parents. It was really eye-opening to me. No fear of repercussions except Mom and Dad would have to help."
15. "Not how much THEY have, but just how LITTLE you have. They put no thought into buying a $1,500 espresso maker that they never use because Starbucks is easier...But for me, Starbucks is an expensive treat."
Have you learned anything by being around wealthy people? LMK in the comments below!
Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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