Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
When you are growing up, it can be pretty easy to forget that, in reality, most families are not alike and your circumstances can be massively different depending on all sorts of factors. Unfortunately, if this bubble doesn't burst early, people end up making some embarrassing realizations, or, worse, statements later in life.
Someone asked “People who grew up rich, when did you realize you were living in a bubble and not like everyone else?” and netizens shared their personal experiences. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts and stories in the comments below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Rich is relative. I grew up in a trailer park, so definitely not well off. Made a new friend one day and invited him over for dinner.
Kid was blown away by the size of the hamburgers we were eating. And you could have another one if you wanted. Just typical 1/3lb or so patties.
We were poor, but they were "rationing serving sizes" poor. We had HVAC, they didn't even have window units. We didn't have holes in our floors/ceilings, it rained inside and out at their place.
Edit: Thank you all for the replies. This sort of blew up while I was finishing up my day.
That kid was always welcome at our house, as was the next neighbor kid that moved into the same place a couple years later and any other friends I made. Stay for dinner or stay the night. My folks were good people, and presumably far more aware than I was at the time of how different our little life was compared to that of our neighbors. And that's really the thing... it wasn't like we lived in a better part of town, went to different schools or anything like that. The difference *was* my parents. I had two of them, and the both pulled 40+ hour weeks. That was it. They could afford to buy a new trailer and just rent the lot. They paid for daycare in the summer so they could put in the hours. My friends had stay-at-home moms or single parent homes, not bad people (save for a few), just spread too thin. We had two reliable cars, they were lucky to have one that ran. We were "poor" due to the cost of living... they were Poor due to the cost of *life*.
I'm thankful for the experience. I never thought of life as being hard growing up. I was always surrounded by those who had it harder, and they were always welcome in our home.
Bryn 11 months ago
"poor due to the cost of living vs poor due to the cost of life" isn't something i hadn't thought of before. sad tho ):
Michael None 11 months ago
And there are NAZI saluting billionaires building personal rockets. If we were all sane enough we'd burn it down and start over.
Sand Ers 11 months ago (edited)
Everybody now bring your family down to the riverside. . Look to the east to see where the fat stock hide. . Behind four walls of stone the rich man sleeps. . It's time we put the flame torch to their keep. . Burn down the mission. . If we're gonna stay alive. . Watch the black smoke fly to heaven. . See the red flame light the sky. . Burn down the mission. . Burn it down to stay alive. . It's our only chance of living. . Take all you need to live inside. .
Load More Replies...
Max Fox 11 months ago
I've mentioned this elsewhere - the correlation between emotional well-being and income starts breaking down once a family has enough income that they no longer have food or shelter insecurity. The difference in emotional well-being between the OP and their less-fortunate neighbor is far larger than the difference between the OP and an upper middle-class family, even though the difference in income and income percentile may be larger. A lot has to do with the OP's parents managing to figure out how to provide food and shelter security to their family with an income that was likely pretty low.
Steve Robert 11 months ago
And melon muskrat, stingiest man on the planet, laughs merrily to the Bank. The End.
Andrés Ardila 11 months ago
Just amazing the kind way you tell this story. Thank you for that. Lots of people also see this kind of situations around but don't have the sensitivity to really understand them.
RELATED:
#2
This isn’t a great response because I didn’t grow up rich, but rather very poor. I feel like I should share though. I met my first best friend in grade six, when she brought me to her home I was flabbergasted. They had a vacuum that plugged into their walls, they could even vacuum downstairs with it. She had a trampoline and Xbox- I begged each time to play with both. She had a small alcove with a mini fridge that was full with ICE pop and different sodas, that was cool. I remember thinking I should take more than one because I wouldn’t get another chance. When they invited me over for dinner her mom always made me take extra because I was nervous to ask for seconds. I couldn’t believe the amount of food in the house, and we all would have a huge glass of milk with dinner. Milk was always a treat and being able to drink as much as I wanted was so overwhelming. I just remember being astounded by everything- and three years later they adopted me.
Abdul Rahman Falih 11 months ago
Its.. nice to hear this story amongst all the other sad ones..
Load More Replies...
Steve Robert 11 months ago
There is something very morally wrong with a society where 69% of the people are living paycheck to paycheck, where one out of five children are food insecure, yet we allow the billionaires to get richer. Wtf is wrong with us?
#3
I'm not super rich, but things really hit home when I was with a friend and his mother started to panic because she couldn't afford milk for her toddler son (my friends little brother). I was just walking around with $40 in my pocket for no real reason so I gave her $20. She was embarrassed to be taking money from a 13 year old, but swallowed her pride for the sake of her children.
I knew my friend wasn't as well off, but it never fully hit me what that meant before then. To me, being poor just meant someone couldn't afford nice things. What it meant to struggle with basic necessities like milk never really struck me before then.
The Big Bad 11 months ago
Ah man... We went out to get soda's or something when my friends and I were about 13 also. One friend couldn't come because she didn't have any money. So I offered to pay for hers, she wouldn't take it and got a bit grumpy with me. I really didn't understand het reaction back then, but later I understood she was ashamed to take my money, was so sad when I realized.
Michael Largey 11 months ago
Something's wrong when a teenager has money he doesn't need and a mother with a child lacks the money she does.
Sand Ers 11 months ago
Something's really wrong when 50 greedy sociopathic hoarders have more wealth than the rest of the world's population combined. And have convinced hundreds of millions of people that they are morally obliged to allow them to keep it.
Load More Replies... #4
Not rich - but in high school, there was this one kid who wore the same shoes from sophomore to senior year. I kept telling him to buy a new pair, but he would claim that they were broken in and he didn't want to waste money on uncomfortable ones.
I decided to do that thing where the class would surprise him with a new pair of Vans for his birthday. But when I asked our classmates to chip in, they all said they didn't have any money to spare. That didn't make sense because most of them had after-school jobs - that's when I found out I was the only kid in class who wasn't working to help support their own family.
EDIT: I ended up getting him the shoes on my own.
Lila Allen 11 months ago
When you're poor that doesn't matter. My husband has toe deformities because of wearing shoes several sizes too small for years
Load More Replies...
#5
I was 8 or 9 and we were on a family trip for one of my sisters tournaments. We were driving through a somewhat run down neighborhood of multi family homes and trash in the streets. I remember distinctly my sister and her friend saying how gross everything was and laughing about it. My dad, the sweetest most soft spoken mid western country boy ever, piped up and almost yelled “Hey! This is how most people live. You need to understand what you have!” Everyone in the car just sat there in silence and he drove on. We grew up upper middle class. I am a pediatric dentist now and will always accept Medicaid largely because of this moment when I was a kid.
Petra Peitsch 11 months ago
Dad is one of the 'good guy' people with understanding and emphaty.
The acorn fell 11 months ago
In the USA there is a "safety net" for people who are on benefits to cover basic medical expenses. Doctors and health professionals etc. can choose whether they will accept Medicaid (many don't because the government isn't great at paying them in a timely fashion, and medicaid sets payments so low) There is also Medicare for elderly on social security. It's the same situation - it can be hard to find docs who accept it. So the OP is a saint for taking medicaid patients.
Load More Replies...
Tommy DePaul 1 month ago (edited)
I was on a AOL first date and we were driving to see a movie at Christown Mall in Phoenix. IYKYK He made similar comments about the surrounding neighborhood which was basically middle class. In the theater he chose to sit directly in front of people who were significantly shorter than we were. That was the last time I chose to see him.
#6
When I started talking in school about the pros and cons of Disney World vs Disney Land, and people were like "YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION?! LUCKYY".
The acorn fell 11 months ago
I've lived in a lot of different places, lot of different people. One thing I didn't understand was why people who lived 20 miles from the international border, but had never been out of the county/shire, let alone the country. When I got a bit older and a fair bit wiser, I realized that for a lot of people, nay, most people, traveling even a short distance is out of reach. Having the $$ to get to work is a good day.
Load More Replies... Petra Peitsch 11 months ago
There are a million reasons, why communist systems in Eastern Europe s.ucked very bad beyond imagination. But one thing, I'd say was good: the children and youth organizations. They also s.ucked at some point, but one thing was good about them: they were organizing summer holiday camps. Sure, there was a fee, but it was a small one, what could afford even a lower-income family. So happened, that kids could have 7-10 days vacations in the Carpathians, at the Black Sea or Danube Delta ... places, which would have been hardly reachable for them otherwise.
Tommy DePaul 1 month ago
My parents were landlords. Although we had the money we NEVER took an overnight vacation because some tenant's pipes might burst. In high school I worked for JCPenney selling cameras on commission. I made enough to pay for a 5-week "study" tour of Europe. I've never lost the travel bug although age and finances have taken their toll.
#7
When my dad bought me a house to live in rent free, no mortgage. And realising that most people dont holiday in the algarve twice a year.
My house is now a hostel/safe space for anyone I'm friends with/close to who needs a place to stay.
Anxiety Panda 11 months ago
I'm 48 years old. I had to Google "Algarve." What a beautiful place!
Ace 11 months ago
It's a well known and popular area for tourists from across Europe. Not just super-wealthy ones either.
Load More Replies...
#8
Conversely, I remember a summer where me and my mom lived in a car and I thought it was the coolest thing.
Turns out we were just homeless.
Meanwhile in university there was a guy who didn’t understand why we didn’t all have our own condos right by the school. He also never understood why we didn’t have money to go to Mexico on reading break and would just tell us to ask for a bigger allowance from our trust.
He learnt to just stop talking after someone fed him a left hook when he made a comment about how stupid we are for taking out student loans and not just paying tuition upfront.
Pandarosa 11 months ago
A bit off topic but OP thinking how cool it was to live in the car, a close friend told me about his dad taking him on a spontaneous road trip when he was young and how awesome it was, turns out he'd been kidnapped from his mum's custody and driven to the north of the country, 3000km away. Far out.
Tom Brincefield 11 months ago
And I bet if anyone told him most of the people around him weren't rich like him, he would say he wasn't rich.
Tommy DePaul 1 month ago
I graduated from Stanford and went to school with the sons and daughters of some of the wealthiest families in America. None of them would have said anything this stupid.
#9
When I realized Americans don’t have health care coverage through taxes. I was like “bling bling I’m rich b***h”.
camomooey 11 months ago
A lot of our taxes go for stupid stuff. Like building a wall between the US and Mexico, etc. If I ran my household budget the way the government does, I wouldn't be able to afford food or any necessities.
Michael Largey 11 months ago
If you ran your household budget the way the government does, the rich would manage tpo profit from that too.
Load More Replies...
Andrew Cowles 11 months ago
Ironically USA taxpayers actually pay about double the amount each towards "Health care" as UK taxpayers pay for universal free health care... they just don't get much to show for it.
Petra Peitsch 11 months ago
I really can't comprehend, how USA-people are willing to make this system work.
Lila Allen 11 months ago
We aren't, but unfortunately all our elected officials took a lot of money from insurance companies....so we are trapped
Load More Replies...
#10
The first time I went to my best friend's house. His circumstances were the exact opposite. His parents tried their best, but his dad often didn't have much work during the winter, and his mom didn't work outside of the home. They had 6 kids, and usually had things like pancakes for dinner. I'm in an upper class part of DC, with every toy and electronic imaginable, and he had none. It was a good lesson for me to learn, but it was a shame that it was at the expense of a person I loved so very much.
blueskys 9 months ago
I had a friend with twelve siblings and her parents just gave birth again
Load More Replies...
Rebecca Joan 10 months ago
Seems like the ones with the least money seem to be popping out the most kids.
#11
Two times come to mind. I didn't grow up stupid rich but definitely well off. My grandpa is a successful doctor and was able to build his "empire" and live a very good life. As I've gotten older and things have changed my lifestyle has certainly shifted towards myself being more self reliant. I was dating this girl and we drove past my grandpas giant house he used to own (still in the family but he's moved) and she asks me to slow down. She was in love with this house and told me she'd always dreamed of living there as a kid and her parents telling her she'd never be able to live in a house like that.
Another time was when my best friend tripped into the whole "I f*****g love you guys" rant one time when he was drunk. He slowly worked his way through our friend group talking about why we were important to him and when he got to me he mentioned how when we were younger he'd try to not be home around dinner time so that his mom wouldn't have to worry about feeding both him and his sister and that my family and I always took care of him and made him feel at home. This is something that never crossed my mind in the 20 something years we've been friends from him practically living at my home for an entire summer or the weeks he'd stay over during the school years when we were in high school. I never gave it any second thought and just wanted my friend to be around whenever he could be.
Tom De Paul 9 months ago
We were by no means rich, but my mother would have loved feeding my friends. Likewise my best friend's mom (also not rich) loved feeding me. That was their love language.
#12
In terms of raw cash flow, my parents were never rich, they were just teachers. However, they were international teachers so I got to see and do things many people have on their bucket list by the time I was 18. I definitely had a very privileged upbringing, if not a rich one. I was kinda aware of it, but it never really hit home till my first year living back in the States, where people just... didn't know about so much of the world.
Max Fox 11 months ago
My wife and I are academics. Our kid always had more "experience" than what was normal for our income class at that point. We also prefer paying money for experiences rather than for things.
Tom De Paul 11 months ago
I am a retired LCSW child and adolescent family therapist. I worked doing in-home family therapy at one point. You could tell a family's economic status by looking at their television. The larger the TV the poorer the family.
Load More Replies... Petra Peitsch 11 months ago (edited)
Hm, for this is also has to be blamed the US-school system, and the allowing of home-schooling by individuals not capable of it. I was going to school in a communist eastern-european country.... we were learning about USA's states back in '80s in geography classes. Sure, not just about USA, but every other continent and country.
Tom De Paul 11 months ago
I was always amazed that young Soviet students were being taught English. I bet a majority of US colleges don't offer classes in Russian.
Load More Replies...
Hoban Michelle 10 months ago
Teachers in the US do not get paid what they are worth! Canadian teachers are very well off. It is a job that deserves a top wage.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I had dinner with my aunt last week. She was talking about her sister who is 'very well off' and was selling her house by the beach on Phillip Island (Australia) for millions. My cousin chimed in that my aunt was pretty well off too, being able to travel lots and live overseas because she was a teacher in International schools and I have always thought the same. They may live in small apartments and be able to buy local foods for cheaper than Australia, but being able to move overseas in the first place is pretty expensive. My uncle had a pretty low paying job in Australia, teaching horticulture at tech school, but my aunt worked at a Catholic school that paid much better than a lot of teachers here and the house they owned in a more well off suburb they are getting rent from while overseas.
#13
I wouldn't call my family rich by US standards, but upper middle class, so rich by world population standards. My dad grew up super poor though, so he made sure we understood how lucky we were. But to be honest I didn't REALLY understand until my teenage years when he took me to Costa Rica to visit where my older brother had lived for a couple years. We didn't go to the beach or touristy spots, and I got a much better idea of what poverty can look like. It made me really appreciate the luck I had being born into the family I was born into. I try to keep it in mind as I go through life, and hope my kids learn not to take their luck for granted either. It's a pet peeve of mine when people are born into wealth and act like their own wealth is 100% from their hard work. Sure they may work hard, but never discount how much easier they had it than others born into poverty. I worked to pay for my undergraduate degree, but if I hadn't been able to one semester, my parents could have bailed me out. I don't know if they would have, but knowing they could have made it substantially less stressful.
Steve Robert 11 months ago
My daughter always knows that if she or the grandkids are in trouble, The Bank of Dad will always be her backstop.
Linda Thorsen 10 months ago
Good for you that you realized that, and appreciated it. I never had anybody to help me if I got into a tight spot and always had to pay for myself. My mother could never help me and by father was absent. Once I mentioned to a friend with wealthy parents how lucky she was to have them as a "safety net". She looked at me and said she never had thought about them like that and that she knew what it was like to be poor because for a short time after she divorced she had to feed her children pasta with ketchup for a few meals. I agree that is not great but she still had a beautiful home in a good area and her children never missed anything. And if she had really been in financial trouble her family would have bailed her out. She has never realized how privileged she really is. That safety net means all the difference.
Sand Ers 11 months ago
a hillside covered in lots of houses on a foggy day Download this free HD photo of mérida, venezuela, favelas, and merida venezuela in Mérida, Venezuela by Pedro Romero (@pedrox99)
Load More Replies... #14
So this happened young. My dad worked in IT. International company, bunch of business trips to like every major country in the world and every major developing country.
He got fired/company filed for bankruptcy.
This happened whilst I was 8. Suddenly the only income we had was from my mum, working in the public sector for the state, helping mentally ill people. We went from expensive toys, Nutella for breakfast and expensive lunch items to buying birthday presents at basically dollar stores and hoping for hand me downs so that I could get clothes that fit me. Whenever we had a school trip, we had to save up 2 years in advance and ask relatives for help paying for those school trips, maybe not see relatives that lived far away for birthdays and other important things.
My dad only got a job after 9 years of looking.
My teen years consisted of hand me down clothes, worrying about social events and lunch. I still haven't grown out of the mentality despite my dad having a well paying job now. It's crazy what the 2008 crisis did.
Edit: I also realise that my comment is affected by me not having things I loved available, which is why I mentioned food and toys. We also lost a things my parents cared about, house, car etc, but I didn't care about that. I cared about not being able to get baby bell cheese with me for lunch, so.
Also, I live in Denmark, so some of these things might not seem expensive to Americans, but they're luxury in Denmark and usually not affordable to working class. Just to put things into perspective.
Atom Bohr 11 months ago
I had an experience like this when my parents separated. I went from a big house with a pool, holidays, randomly being given hundreds of dollars equivalent as pocket money, to my mother and I barely able to afford to eat some months and bailiffs constantly at the door.
The acorn fell 11 months ago
That must have been a difficult time. I suspect you were also affected by your mom's distress and the overall insecurity. Hugs!
Load More Replies... Steve Robert 11 months ago
It took your dad nine years to find another job? Now that's a very long time!
#15
I grew up middle-class. When I was in 5th grade I spent the night with a girlfriend. In the morning I remember asking what was for breakfast, and I remember seeing my friends face. I then realized the kitchen was literally empty. The dad came in and gave us a small package of those small white donuts from the gas station- 4 in the package. I felt so embarrassed that I asked. We had a great day hanging out, but I learned what poverty was that day.
#16
The first time I met other kids who didn't have domestic household staff. I remember not understanding why they didn't have people to maintain their household.
BookFanatic 11 months ago
Conversely, I went to a friend's house that had a housekeeper. I was in my 20s but it was my first time encountering domestic staff. I remember being intensely uncomfortable that she wanted to wait on me, bring me seconds, and clear my plate. I actually offended the poor woman when I told her I could do it myself.
Hassel Davidhoff 11 months ago (edited)
I've been in that situation and I too felt profoundly uncomfortable. Not to be weird but I'm also a librarian and book fanatic, we have that in common too!
Load More Replies... Petra Peitsch 11 months ago
IDK, but I would feel a bit "violated", if my underwear would be washed and fold by somebody else. But just my thing ....
Max Fox 11 months ago
That is a very middle class attitude (I have it myself). It is a mix of having enough income to have privacy, but not enough income to consider "the help" to be "lesser beings". You wouldn't be bothered by a robot folding your clothes, or by your cat getting into your underwear. You look at all other people as your equals, and as such, any other person who folds your clothes is violating your privacy.
Load More Replies...
Louise Tatam 11 months ago
Did they think the people maintaining their household, concurrently had people maintaining their own properties?
Lila Allen 11 months ago
When you're little, you think that the way you live is normal and you don't think of how others live. You just assume they are just like you.
Load More Replies...
#17
I did not grow up rich. But my husband did.
His sister once said "I didn't know everyone didn't live in big houses until I went off to college." Apparently she led a VERY sheltered life.
The acorn fell 11 months ago
I imagine that's due to television as much as anything. Even " poor" families have big and comparatively fancy houses. Oh, and nice clothes! Even the "scruffy" clothing hangs and drapes nicely.
Tom De Paul 9 months ago (edited)
Ever watch "Good Times," or the "Waltons?"
Load More Replies...
#18
I was talking to a friend about going to the town's public beach and they were saying how horribly crowded it gets in summer, and I suddenly realized (I was well into my 20s) that I had never had to go to a public beach because I always had at least two private family beaches to go to, one with cabanas, outdoor showers and space for cooking. I always had taken it for granted.
Bryn 11 months ago
it's crazy. i used to live in a beach town. and i could walk to the beach anytime i walked. meanwhile, i know people who have been to the beach 1x.
Lisa Watson 11 months ago
I'm from Florida, and the public beaches in my home county all have free parking. Looking back, when we had no money, Mom brought water and pbj's. When we had money, there were Pub subs and we'd stop for ice cream on the way home.
ILoveMySon 11 months ago
My adult son has often thanked me for adventures such as these. We had a lot of fun.🙂
Load More Replies... Michael Largey 11 months ago
No matter how much money they pile up, the rich are always beaching.
Dav Carro-Ripalda 11 months ago (edited)
Private beaches are a nono in Spain. Those are public spaces and private beaches are forbidden. They belong to the country, thus, to the populus!!!!
#19
I remember as a kid having nothing in the fridge and nada in the Kitchen to eat. Doorbell rang and opened it, no one was there but a bag of groceries someone left for us. That was the moment I realized we were poor. Not rich story, but it hit me regardless.
#20
More upper-middle class. Since I started using Reddit, especially reading askreddit posts, I've been realising more and more every day how fortunate I am.
Max Fox 11 months ago (edited)
Most people who think that they're "upper middle class" are actually wealthy. Upper Middle class" means in the top 40th to top 20th income percentile, which is a family income of roughly $100,000 to $170,000 a year for a family of four. Most people who believe that they're "upper middle class" are from families that make $250,000-$400,000 a year (top 20% to top 5%). A family that has two SUVs or full-size sedans that are less than 5 years old, a home worth more than $500,000, family vacations that require air travel, summer experiences that are paid for, etc, are wealthy, not "upper middle class".
Petra Peitsch 11 months ago (edited)
At least OP realized .... there are so many people, who never do. The most I'm reading social media posts from the US, the more thankful I am not living there ( Yes, I said US, and not some 3rd world country from Africa, because theoretically US is 1st world).
Gunný Petersen 11 months ago
Not anymore. The USA has become The largest third world country in the world. Sorry.
Load More Replies... #21
I grew up upper middle class. Not private jet rich, but definitely was able to enjoy life's luxuries (nice vacations, newer products, etc.).
Honestly? I think it was the small things that were a lot bigger for other people. I never really cared much about the price of a meal. I simply ordered based on whatever sounded the best. Add on some sides? Sure, why not!
Same thing with driving. I always volunteered to be the driver on long trips because I never really thought much about swiping my card for gas. Just fill up and go, no need to check my account.
I definitely realized in college that a lot of people didn't have that privilege.
Dragon mama 11 months ago
And still people will try to tell us money doesn't buy happiness. It certainly eliminates worry and that's close enough for me.
Max Fox 11 months ago (edited)
It doesn't "eliminate worry". However, it reduces worry, but, again, once you have enough income that you aren't worries about losing your home or not eating in the near future, any extra income doesn't help much. Somebody whose family owns a $250,000 home (paid off), has a new/ish Kia, and a good public school is generally just as happy as somebody with a paid off $500,000 home, a Honda CR-V, and good public school or an affordable private school. Yes, the former probably wishes that they could have the life of the latter, but the latter is just as likely to wish that they had a more expensive house, car, and perhaps school, etc. So while an increase in income for either with make them temporarily happier, they will revert to the same level of happiness, once they get used to the new situation. However, the former ($250K home, Kia) is always happier than somebody who is one missed salary from losing their home, cannot afford any major repairs on their older car, has to choose between fixing their house and seeing their doctor, or cannot afford either, etc.
Load More Replies... The acorn fell 11 months ago
Lol, my first week at uni (scholarship kid). My roommate was talking to her friend and mentioned her family's summer place. I blurted out "You have TWO houses!?" They were clearly shocked to discover that some people didn't, and frankly rather appalled to realize they were living with one 0¿0
#22
My uncle was in a famous rock band. We didn't have a ton growing up, but whenever I went to my uncle's it was always super fun with all the toys and snacks he'd get me. He wasn't crazy with his money (his favorite restaurant was the waffle house) but his home was on the beach, nice cars, etc. so I recognized the wealth. It wasn't until I was like 8 years old that I realized not everyone was related to a celebrity.
He died a couple years ago and my heart still hurts.
#23
I was about 12, I think. When friends would come over they would go on and on about how big the house was and how I had more games and computers and s**t than them (they especially seemed freaked out about the maid) and I just started to realize that I didn’t have the same circumstances as most. They wouldn’t all say it if it weren’t true, I assume. I did have other friends with money, especially when I started attending private school, but I didn’t realize they were well off either.
#24
I grew up in an extremely privileged family (multimillion dollar house, country club, multiple cars, etc.). There were a few times I can think of where I realized just how unique my upbringing was.
First and foremost, before my father started his business, he grew up extremely poor as one of six children in a one bedroom house. From a very early age, he always taught my brother and I just how good we had it compared to what he had as a child. This helped broaden my perspective, but because we lived in a very affluent area, it was difficult to actually see until I moved away.
I attended a small college in a rural area, and to be honest, I had a massive culture shock. Most of the people I met were struggling to survive on student loans, working multiple jobs, and had little to no financial help from their families as they tried to get through school. I had never been around so many people going through financial hardship and it really made me appreciate how lucky I was to grow up in an affluent household. Aside from realizing how lucky I was, I also had a strong feeling of guilt, especially because in addition to being more than able to pay for school, I was on a full ride scholarship for athletics. I couldn’t stop thinking about how hard many of my friends were trying just to make ends meet, and how unfair it was. From that point on, I always try to be considerate of those who are less fortunate, and help them in anyway I can. The people I met at college are still some of my best friends to this day and without a doubt the nicest individuals I have ever met in my life. I’m grateful for the lessons they taught me including, that while money may be a facilitator of happiness, it does not automatically lead to a happy life.
TLDR: Went to college and met amazing people less fortunate than myself. Got exposed to many new perspectives and life lessons.
Upstaged75 11 months ago
I could have written this myself almost word for word. A lot of the people who I grew up with got culture shocks when we went away to college. Best thing that could have happened to me.
Max Fox 11 months ago (edited)
I am pretty skeptical. Kids from very wealthy families almost NEVER attend small rural colleges which have that sort of population. According to studies by Chetty and others, fewer than 1% of the kids who are from families which as as wealthy as the OP claims to have been attend a college which has that many low and mid income students, and the majority of these colleges are urban or suburban.
Tommy DePaul 1 month ago
80% of Stanford students are on some type of financial aid. The Iveys are all similar in this respect. So there's that.
Load More Replies...
#25
Grad school.
I wasn't really even aware of how wealthy my dad was until recently, but he did a pretty good job of raising me with a middle class outlook. My high school ran from pretty poor to upper middle class, so I never stood out. College, I lived pretty normally, and I was on a major scholarship, so loans weren't an issue anyway.
When I started my PhD program and he bought a f*****g house for me to live in, it was an eye opener.
The other people in my program are generally renting, sharing a place with other grad students, and trying to get by on a stipend that means they can scrape by if they're frugal. I don't have any expenses for housing and own my car outright, and that means my stipend feels pretty damn generous.
#26
When I went to college and had friends who were complaining about student loans.
BookFanatic 11 months ago
My privileged self just assumed everyone's parents were 1) willing and 2) able to pay for college. Luckily, I had a good poker face when I met my roommate--who was up to her neck in student loans and had 2 part time jobs. Pretty sure she would have decked me if I'd asked "what do you mean you have to pay your way?"
Tommy DePaul 1 month ago
No, she probably would have pitied your naivety. I did when I met the clueless sons and daughters of the very wealthy at Stanford.
Load More Replies... Bryn 11 months ago
this doesn't always mean you're wealthy. I didn't have to worry about student loans because my poppy covered college for me.
Jennifer Clayton 11 months ago
To many of us, the majority of the planet, that is wealth.
Load More Replies...
#27
Reading ask reddit threads where people talk about the things they ate or went without as a kid.
It was always foreign to me that Ramen was an actual meal for some people and not just a quick unhealthy snack.
Joseph Miller 11 months ago
Ohh La La! Ramen with hotdogs! That's extra fancy, unlike us poors with just ramen!
TuesdayDangerGirl 11 months ago
I think those are carrots? If not, where do you get hotdogs that look like that?
Load More Replies... Hoban Michelle 10 months ago
Mmmmmm ramen! Great with added egg and/or peanut butter for protein And shredded cabbage
Petra Peitsch 11 months ago (edited)
Ramen is a very healthy dish ... made properly. The unhealthy snack is not ramen, just the fast-food version of it. It's like making a chicken-soup like your grandma did, slow cooking it for 3-4 hours, or buying some Maggie/Knorr powder for the soup-base.
#28
I have a family member that grew up with a private jet. The first time she flew commercial she turned to her family and asked “who are all these people on our plane.” On flying- I’m no way rich but I was reading that the majority of the worlds population, over 90% didn’t take one flight last year. I’m not sure if that’s true, I’ll look for the post, but that hit me pretty hard how fortunate I am to fly to see family sometimes.
David 11 months ago
There was a story a rich CEO told a magazine recently, that their private jet needed last min repairs, and they couldnt get a rental in time, so they booked last min first class tickets for their family vacation. And he said his 8 year old asked why were strangers on their plane. He said, it was then he realized how out of touch with the world his kids were, and said he began to change how he raised them. This CEO grew up as the child of 2 teachers (said his parents lived in the mansion next door he bought for them), not rich, but he had come so far, his kids had no clue about the rest of the world
Brian Droste 11 months ago
I have flown on commercial jets when I was young but its been many decades since I been on one.
BookFanatic 11 months ago
I can count on one hand the number of times I've flown. But that's less $$ and more that I'm a big fat chicken.
Tommy DePaul 1 month ago
I'm a retired LCSW child, adolescent, and family therapist. I have a Stanford u-grad and a law degree and Master's in Social Work from the University of Texas. I haven't flown in 10 years.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I've only been on a plane to Queensland once (paid for by Make a Wish) and Canada once. I doubt I will ever have the money to do it again in my life.
tracy black 11 months ago
many dont fly simply because of the cost its crazy and cheaper to drive
Aileen Grist 11 months ago
I've not flown since 1993 when I went from Manchester UK to Crete and back. I've not been out of Britain since 2010 either - that was my last holiday, anywhere actually
#29
Wasn’t rich per say, but my step dad was a OBGYN and made tons of money from it so I came from a very wealthy family but I realized I was living in a bubble the day I moved out and went to college when I was 18. My buddy and I got an apartment and I got my first job to help pay for it. I soon realized what it’s like to be living paycheck to paycheck and that not everyone has just excessive amounts of cash they can throw around lol.
BookFanatic 11 months ago
Same. My parents were comfortably well off and I'd never had a job until after college (the rule was, my school was my job) beyond a few summer gigs. It was a hard lesson when I got my first apartment and had to start paying for everything on my own.
#30
When, compared to other people in my class and country, I'm not as rich as them. Compared to other people in the world, I realize I'm very rich. I always have food in my table, I have a home and health services when I need them. I always felt jealous when I was younger because my friends always had stuff that I couldn't have. Now, I realize how lucky I am.
ROSESARERED 11 months ago (edited)
That's me. I'm not rich. Low income job, living from pay to pay, overbudgeting expenses incase one bill is higher than expected. But by world standards I am, I have a home, bought it when I turned 50, so I'll pay it off by my 80th birthday.....renting costs more than buying where i am.Three meals a day, able to see a doctor when needed. Have electricity water gas...can't afford to use the heater in winter though. But a statistic I heard 15 years ago always stayed with me. Only 3¹percent of the world's population have access to a car, only 2 percent own one. I'm in the 3 percent, a friend is letting me use a car they weren't....35 years old, but it gets me from A-B, and back home. I'm wealthy buy world standards...blessed.
#31
I have a rich friend and he "found out he was rich" when I asked him why he buys a new car like every two months (slightly exaggerated).
Him: Engine light was on.
Me: And they couldn't fix it?
Him: Fix it? I thought that meant it's broken. I just got a new one.
I had to explain to him that normally, people get their car checked out first when something's wrong and only buy a new one when the repair costs more than the car.
Kiss Army 11 months ago
We used to make a joke that my dad got a new car every time the ashtray was full. He grew up extremely poor and did well in life... new cars were his thing and he with everything he did for us and gave us (especially in the lean years when he did nothing for himself) he deserved to have whatever he wanted and and I am glad enjoyed getting his new "toys" until the day he died. (He had a motto about helping anyone in need, which he would always do... He said "It's not your place to judge. If someone is scamming you, shame on them, but if you can help and don't shame on you.")
DeoManus Argentem 11 months ago
Yeah, defo seems fake - a "check engine" light can be caused by something as simple as fueling while the engine is running/not replacing the fuel cap correctly. But regardless the cause, "new cars" are under warranty for quite awhile... Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple) famously bought a new car every six months, because that was the length of time paper temporary tags were valid, and I guess he was paranoid or something... but he definitely knew he was rich AF.
Load More Replies... #32
When I stopped being well off. We were upper middle class and had a very very large nice house in a fancy part of town. Had a pool and all that. We took regular trips to Cancun or Jamaica etc. I had every toy I ever asked for for the most part and nice clothes. I was very spoiled as an only child.
My parents divorced and their money got split in half and so we no longer had the money to live in that neighborhood or have a house that big or fancy. My mom could not afford to buy me designer or name brand clothing anymore. Money got tighter.
I started getting made fun of by my former friends for not having nice clothes or things or living near them. Former friends dumped me. Turned me from Regina George into a loser I guess.
It was a hard fall.
Caryn C Crespo 11 months ago
Here's the thing . . . Regina George was a loser to begin with. So if you stopped being Regina George? That's a good thing.
#33
Reading most of the comments made me feel poorer.
Sami Smolwing 11 months ago
Reading most of these made feel more wealthy, and more grateful. Not only can I afford to put ground beef in my hamburger helper now, I'm so well off I can choose to never ever eat it again. One of many small blessings.
Nicole Weymann 11 months ago
Had to look up "hamburger helper". It doesn't look too appealing.
Load More Replies... #34
I learnt at 21 that people have water metres, some people actually put money into the side of the box and get water and electricity like pay as you go.
I'm not rich by any means, but I realised how privileged I was that day and I haven't taken anything for granted since. 👍🏻.
#35
I didn’t understand that not everyone had a parent that was a doctor - because I had two.
Tom De Paul 11 months ago
While at Stanford I lived in the African-American theme house (dorm). We would watch the Cosby show in the lounge and several of the residents would argue that the Huxtables WERE a typical black family because THEIR parents were doctors and lawyers.
#36
More upper-middle-class than "rich" but we've always been quite comfortable.
I really respect that my parents always made it *very* clear that we were incredibly lucky and that a lot of hardworking people out there don't always have much to show for it. One of my first childhood friends was from a pretty crappy part of town and had a single mom with 3 jobs.
I didn't appreciate it at the time (this was kindergarten-ish) but I eventually realized just how different our lives were. It must have freaked my folks out to have me going over to his house in the hood during the crack epidemic but they felt strongly that I understand how differently people's reality can be and that effort has little to do with it. It makes me sad now but it was an important lesson.
I wish I hadn't lost contact with him, I'd like to know how he is.
Child of the Stars 11 months ago
It blows my mind that some of these say "not rich, but upper middle class." To me, that's rich. I didn't grow up in "no food in the fridge" poverty, but we were toeing the line pretty closely. I'm now a single mom of 2 and although my job pays several dollars over minimum wage in my area, if it wasn't for Medicaid and SNAP, my kids and I would definitely be at that level.
#37
It’s embarrassing looking back but I was in sixth grade. A girl in my class had a shattered screen on her phone. I asked her why she didn’t just upgrade it to the latest iPhone. She explained that she didn’t have money. I asked why she didn’t ask her parents to help. She explained they didn’t have money to buy her a new one. I reached into my pocket, handed her 25$ and bought her an ice cream from the cafeteria. Her jaw dropped and asked why I was being so generous. I was confused and said “it’s only one week of allowance”. They whole class was staring at me, stunned. It was that day I learned most kids don’t grow up with their parents 170K annual jobs.
#38
Define "Growing up rich". My dad didn't start making real money until I was at least 10 or 11. We were comfortably middle class before that.
I guess it started when we moved to a new city and people in my school would openly ask/tease me about being rich. I think the first thing I started noticing was that we took a big annual family vacation, usually on a plane, while many of my friends have never flown before.
#39
I know some people like this where they think they are out of the bubble, but never ate ramen noodles for three months to survive.
I don’t think they will ever realize what it’s like to live without a blanket of financial security.
Lyoness 11 months ago
I lived off ramen and celery with cheese whiz all the way through university because it was the cheapest, fastest, "balanced" diet I could find. When you can get ramen 5 for $1, a bunch of celery for a buck or two and cheese whiz for a few dollars more, it can feed you for a week. I couldn't afford meat or fruit and was too embarrassed to tell anyone why I ate the way I did. I was just that weirdo who ate the same thing all the time. But I was lucky enough to have a friend whose Mum seemed to know what was going on. Every time I went there for dinner she sent me home with a huge bag of leftovers. I'm still grateful Mrs. Singleton.
#40
When I started learning about globalization. People living in poverty in the US are still rich when compared to other countries throughout the world. If that’s not a bubble, I don’t know what is.
Brian Droste 11 months ago
That is true but when you live in so-called developed world things are so much more expensive so it is still harder for people to live. I would be rich compared to a underdeveloped world but I am doing OK here in the US.
Hausser 11 months ago
Not really. In developed countries, you could beg on the street for a day and have enough money to fill up your car with gas. In the 3rd world, you could have a rather good job, but a full tank would still be a hughe chunk of your monthly paycheck.
Load More Replies...
General Anaesthesia 11 months ago
This is a very good reason not to support the poor: the poor in other countries are *really* poor. /s If you can't afford food or clothing or a roof over your head you are poor, no competition, wherever you are. There should be no poverty anywhere.
Growing up in unique family setups often shapes our perceptions of the world. It's crucial to understand that perspectives can vary widely, much like the unusual tale of a pair of foxes finding solace on a rooftop amidst wintery conditions. Interestingly, this unexpected scene not only displays the adaptability of animals but also echoes the realization that each environment—be it familial or natural—has its own unique set of circumstances.
Discover more about this surprising winter tale and what it tells us about adapting to our surroundings by exploring unexpected rooftop visitors in Colorado.
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
BookFanatic 11 months ago
I grew up in a town where everyone looked like me (white, two parents, upper middle class). When I was 12 or 13 my parents put me in a different, more diverse school. Years later, Mom told me she and Dad made that choice because my little friends and I were starting to sound like racist a******s and my folks realized they needed to expand my horizons ASAP.
Panda Panda Bo Banda 11 months ago
I knew a guy who thought he wasn't rich because the other mansions in his neighborhood had stables for their horses but his didn't.
Chris the Bobcat 11 months ago
My grandfather was a commercial airline pilot and owned his own plane. It wasn't a private jet, instead a twin-engine propeller aircraft called a Cessna Super Skymaster. He used to take me up in it on weekends, and would take my friends too if they came to visit with me. This was my normal. I didn't realize how expensive a hobby this was or that other people's grandparents didn't also own airplanes. I was a rather sheltered child.
Torres (Student) LI 10 months ago
I feel really weired out by like maids being uncommon in the US casue in HK here pretty much most middle class families have an indonesian or asian helper, and they usually have their own rooms here as well
Steve Robert 11 months ago
I don't consider myself rich. But I'm able to live comfortably in retirement and still plan on my daughter having an inheritance over seven figures. Sometimes it's just enough to be plain lucky!
BookFanatic 11 months ago
I grew up in a town where everyone looked like me (white, two parents, upper middle class). When I was 12 or 13 my parents put me in a different, more diverse school. Years later, Mom told me she and Dad made that choice because my little friends and I were starting to sound like racist a******s and my folks realized they needed to expand my horizons ASAP.
Panda Panda Bo Banda 11 months ago
I knew a guy who thought he wasn't rich because the other mansions in his neighborhood had stables for their horses but his didn't.
Chris the Bobcat 11 months ago
My grandfather was a commercial airline pilot and owned his own plane. It wasn't a private jet, instead a twin-engine propeller aircraft called a Cessna Super Skymaster. He used to take me up in it on weekends, and would take my friends too if they came to visit with me. This was my normal. I didn't realize how expensive a hobby this was or that other people's grandparents didn't also own airplanes. I was a rather sheltered child.
Torres (Student) LI 10 months ago
I feel really weired out by like maids being uncommon in the US casue in HK here pretty much most middle class families have an indonesian or asian helper, and they usually have their own rooms here as well
Steve Robert 11 months ago
I don't consider myself rich. But I'm able to live comfortably in retirement and still plan on my daughter having an inheritance over seven figures. Sometimes it's just enough to be plain lucky!
You May Like “What’s The Most Unexpected Way Someone You Know Became Wealthy?” (65 Answers) Tech Workers Share 40 Dark Truths That The General Public Rarely Understands About AI
Rugilė Žemaitytė
Greta Jaruševičiūtė
Related on Bored Panda
