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There are many ways to define a person, and a lot of these stem from the social groups they belong to. From fandoms to friend groups to social classes – all of them define a person in one way or another.
And usually, they come with certain signs that give away a person's belonging to them. Today, we're going to delve into how to differentiate a middle-class person, and let's just say that these signs provide quite an interesting perspective on this group of people.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Having a two-car garage but not being able to park your car in it because you have years worth of Christmas decorations and lawn tools stored in there.
superfluous 5 months ago
What does it mean if you have a two car garage with two cars in it? I really don't think either means middle class! Who knows how far in debt they are to afford it all?
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#2
Having a second, older refrigerator in your garage that you only use for storing beers.
Most people are obsessed with labels. Well, maybe in most cases not obsessed, but they definitely like to be defined by something. Basically, we’re wired in a way that we crave labels, so we can not only understand ourselves but others better.
We can define ourselves by a variety of things, from the things we are fans of or haters of, personality types like MBTI, and things like our gender identity and the social class we belong to.
#4
Driving several hours away to take a 5 day vacation. Eating cereal in your hotel room for breakfast, but going out for dinner. It's nice, but not too nice.
Lil Nitemare 5 months ago
Omg I never realized how middle-class we were, and I barely started this list.
#5
When you can’t be bothered to work an extra day for $100, but spending $100 in one day still hurts you.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Spending a hundred is a net loss, but earning a hundred isn't if you planned to take an easy day or do some gardening or something that is just as desirable as money. I have turned down extra work (like during the summer holiday) because I value my time more than the income of the extra day would be.
#6
When there are people behind you and in front of you in the classroom.
For instance, belonging to the middle class can be a way to define yourself. This class refers to people who are in the middle of the social hierarchy, because, as the name suggests, they have an average income, education, and occupation. Granted, the exact definition depends on different countries’ economies, but the general idea of “average” stands.
Yet, how do you know that you belong to the middle class? Well, there are some general signs to look for. Here, Forbes has distinguished 6 of them, and they kind of overlap with things we already mentioned. Like income – in the US, it’s believed that middle-class families earned a little more than $106,000 in 2022.
#7
A full pantry.
I have a couple less advantaged friends and one saw the inside of my pantry and was like... Y'all have food in there???
I should have sent him home with a box of cans and snacks...
#8
Starbucks or 3rd wave coffee. Target. House in the suburbs. Newish car. Vacationing at Disney. Gym memberships, summer camps, craft beer and bottle wine,, basically having a modicum of nicer things but not really rich. By contrast, The poor are more likely getting coffee at home, going to Walmart, apartment or trailer, old shite car, vacationing in the back yard if at all, no money for gyms or summer camps, Budweiser or box wine.
LooseSeal's $10 Banana 5 months ago
I'd call this upper middle class. We fall squarely into the latter behaviors but we are by no means poor. I think a lot of this has to do with location.
#9
Being in debt due to large luxury expenses (cruises, oversized house, college for unmotivated/dumb kid) and looking down on those who are in debt due to small luxuries (cigarettes, hair weaves, soda.).
Apatheist Account2 5 months ago
I look down on anyone who smokes, particular the young. In this day and age, they really should know better.
Then, there’s education. Apparently, a college degree is a “ticket to a middle-class life,” as two-thirds of college graduates consider themselves a part of this social group. At the same time, student loan debts can be an obstacle to achieving this, so it’s rather tricky to look at it from an educational point of view.
So, you can look at employment instead. Turns out, jobs like the military, public administration, and education, to name a few, have the most middle-class employees.
#11
Not having to worry too much about expenditure but not really living life to the fullest.
superfluous 5 months ago
You have been programmed - living your life to the fullest isn't entirely dependent on income! Capitalism! Spend! Spend! Spend!
#12
Caring whether you’re lower middle, middle middle or upper middle class.
I tell people I don’t care about class, secretly suspect I’m actually upper middle class, but am middle middle middle class in reality.
Nota Robot 5 months ago
I am in a class all of my own , while at the same time lacking any class at all.
When it comes to homeownership, it used to be a firm sign of the middle class and still is, but it’s getting trickier, as owning a home becomes more and more difficult in current times, with prices rising exponentially.
The last two are savings and retirement, which are also kind of tricky to look at, but knowing what kinds of sums these funds involve for middle-class folks can be used as a sign to tell them apart from other social classes.
#13
A plastic bag filled with more plastic bags.
#14
Saying you are broke while wearing name brand clothing.
Forrest Hobbs 5 months ago
A lot of my clothes are named-brand. George. 😂 https://direct.asda.com/george/clothing/10,default,sc.html
#15
Pocket money.
While these aforementioned signs are the most common ways to recognize middle-class peeps, there are some more unusual ones. You can find them in today’s list. These submissions weren’t written by experts at Forbes; they were suggested by netizens, and sometimes, you know, they can be pretty ingenious.
As you can see, people online think that things like enjoying Starbucks, having a house in the suburbs, having a full pantry, or simply having “stacking dolls” of plastic bags (a plastic bag filled with more bags) are signs of a person being middle class. So, we’re leaving you to decide whether you agree with such ideas and to express your own in the comments!
#16
Using your old t-shirt as a rag/doormat.
Forrest Hobbs 5 months ago
Keeping old clothes around for other uses was standard for all classes back when my parents were born. It's just that the upper classes had staff to do that sort of thing for them.
#17
Framed photos of the occupants of the house. Family photos, kid school photos, wedding photos.
Rich people hang artwork. Poor people don't bother with frames if they hang pictures at all.
Forrest Hobbs 5 months ago
Working class does not necessarily equate to poor and in any case, picture frames for photos are cheap.
#18
Saying you have no money while going on multiple vacations a year.
Peeka_Mimi 5 months ago
I haven't been on vacation since 2001. I have had staycations but more often than not, I cannot even afford that.
#19
Buying the biggest TV you can afford, without considering the size of your living room.
Now you've got a huge a*s TV, but the room isn't large enough that you can sit at a comfortable distance to watch it.
Forrest Hobbs 5 months ago
"Buying the biggest TV you can afford, without considering the size of your living room." - nah, where I come from, that's a working class thing.
#20
Having a new car and the 2nd car is a old one.
#21
Having a “live, laugh, love” sign in your house.
#22
Yoga pants and two kids while sipping on a $10 coffee from Starbucks.
#24
Shopping in Waitrose.
#25
Thinking your living on the edge, but you buy products made by chinese people who earn almost no money, instead of products that cost more and are of higher quality because you want to get something now.
#26
A certified pre-owed Nissan Altima with a nice office job that has a good 401k.
#29
Over spending on status symbols (phones, name brand clothes, gaming systems, other luxury items) so that you project wealth and your family "fits in" when it is financially damaging to do so.
#30
Endlessly keeping up with the Joneses.
Apatheist Account2 5 months ago
That's not middle class, it's pretentious lower class. Middle class is *being* the Joneses.
#31
Micheal kors.
#33
Minivan.
#34
Mediocre house with a 30 year mortgage that’s not even close to being paid off and a $60k SUV sitting out front.
Like.....pay off and own your house before you go buy stupid s**t you don’t need. WTF is wrong with people? I’ve seen new C7 Corvettes sitting in front of trailer park “houses” around here.
DrBronxx 5 months ago
This one is really judgy. The payment system is worked out so that, if you do it correctly, you *can* have a house and a car at the same time. Also, maybe people care more about their cars than their homes. I know a guy who lives in a really old house, but drives a very expensive car. He just loves cars, and sees his home as somewhere to sleep and eat. If that's his priority, who am I to judge.
#35
Giving the kids a car on their 18th.And the kids not batting an eye as though it's normal.
What do you think ?
Carl Roberts 5 months ago
This list was generalized nonsense the first 3 times you posted it. It's still generalized nonsense the 4th time.
Mel in Georgia 5 months ago
I think a lot of people have different notions about what "middle class" means. There's a huge difference between upper and lower middle class. UMC folks tend to be white collar and live quite comfortably and are able to save for retirement, vacation, college, etc. And lower can afford the basics but also can be one huge medical bill away from bankruptcy and poverty.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Apparently a sign of middle class is having bookshelves with actual books on them (and not those "classics" collections you can buy cheap but never read). If this is correct, I guess that makes me middle class as it's halfway to being a library here (and one day I'll sort out more bookshelves for all the other books, but it's not a priority).
Carl Roberts 5 months ago
This list was generalized nonsense the first 3 times you posted it. It's still generalized nonsense the 4th time.
Mel in Georgia 5 months ago
I think a lot of people have different notions about what "middle class" means. There's a huge difference between upper and lower middle class. UMC folks tend to be white collar and live quite comfortably and are able to save for retirement, vacation, college, etc. And lower can afford the basics but also can be one huge medical bill away from bankruptcy and poverty.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Apparently a sign of middle class is having bookshelves with actual books on them (and not those "classics" collections you can buy cheap but never read). If this is correct, I guess that makes me middle class as it's halfway to being a library here (and one day I'll sort out more bookshelves for all the other books, but it's not a priority).
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