Someone Asks “What Is Something That You Thought Was A ‘Rich People’ Thing When You Were A Kid?” And 50 People Deliver Answers
It was always a sobering moment as a kid when you sort of started to understand that your parents couldn’t get every single toy in the store and you had to choose just one. You would perhaps visit a friend's house and see that they had two whole game consoles and maybe even a pool. Then, innocently, you would ask your parents why you all don’t have as much.
While these experiences were probably an important part of growing up, they could be pretty individual, so one netizen asked the internet what they thought was the apex of luxury when they were young. So get comfortable and be sure to upvote your favorite answers as you scroll through.
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When a kid had one of those small cars they can ride in.
A kid living down the street from me had a little toy car which he could actually drive around in. One day I was out on my bike and bumped into said kid with his family, and in mock indignation I said "how come HE gets a car while I'M stuck with just a bicycle?!" Kid thought it was hilarious. XD EDIT: Clarification; I was a grown adult when this happened.
"Bathing" in a tub full of gold coins and gleefully flinging handfuls of them into the air.
It helps if you're also a duck.
Having a full on Barbie Dream House instead of just a doll and few accessories
The most common indicator of wealth, even though it’s pretty deceiving, is, of course, the pool. Despite being an indicator of luxury, around 10% of US households have at least one. This number increases to around 17% for the cohort aged 18-29, which makes sense, as younger people tend to prefer more activities in the sun.
This number decreases to 16% in the next cohort, 30-49, but in general, this means more than one in ten households has this item of great luxury. Now, pools come in all shapes and sizes, and one can have a sizable, above-ground inflatable pool as well, but the idea of a pool by the home is obviously pretty attractive to a kid.
Going on vacation every summer
I hadn't even left Canada until a few years ago. My mom took me across the country once and the rest of our vacations were just sticking close to home. Those who went to Disneyland I thought were rich.
Summer vacation, as a kid, was a joyous, gleeful time, for the most part. Even more special were those times your family actually went somewhere, maybe abroad, or to a more exotic location within the country. National parks, resorts, and amusement parks are all staples, though some families also insisted on taking young children to old battlefields, museums, and other historical sights which they no doubt had zero appreciation for.
Ice & water dispenser fridge.
Huge houses w pool -> come to find out it is still a rich people thing cuz its a money pit
Canned soda in the fridge. Something about a friends parent offering an ENTIRE CAN TO MYSELF out of their own home fridge was just insane!
Statistically, most US adults went somewhere on vacation about four times over their whole childhood, so the idea of going every single year was absolutely a sign of wealth. If you have ever encountered a person who unironically asks you “Where do you summer?” then know you are in the presence of (mostly) inherited wealth. Nevertheless, most American adults do think a summer without a trip is a waste.
Cable TV. Especially if you have HBO.
Now people are more likely to subscribe to 15+ streaming services than buy cable...
Of course, some things were not so much a sign of wealth, but that the family had less impulse control or just a sweet tooth. Easy access to soda, particularly cans in the fridge is not actually that hard to do, but a child tends to overfocus on small luxuries, candies, video games, and, yes, soda, over larger things, like healthcare and housing. So sometimes a family just using a different brand may seem luxurious.
When I was a kid in the early 1960’s, one of our neighbors had a doorbell that played a song whenever someone rang it. We little ankle-biters somehow came to the conclusion that this was a special doorbell that the police gave to rich people.
Buying a new car. My mom always bought used cars so I thought only rich people could afford new cars. This was before I learned about financing - apparently my mom was just averse to car debt, which is okay too.
None in my family (parents, siblings) has ever bought a new car and my parents were absolut middle class (for reference: the house was a duplex payed with inheritance and a 25 year payment plan)
In fact, this would extend to so many things. One respondent said that foreign holidays were a sign of wealth. Without additional details, we must conclude that they encountered a family from a minority that happened to be wealthy at the same time and the reputation stuck in their head. Others talked about juice from a carton instead of a can, despite cardboard being a less premium material. It seems that the grass really always is greener.
Cars with sunroof
Basically everything I saw at my upper middle class aunt/uncle's house, like name-brand Pepperidge Farm bread, getting an appetizer and dessert when going out to eat, or ordering takeout more often than once/week.
I grew up in a trailer in a neighborhood of mostly trailers, so I thought that only rich people lived in houses.
2 story houses 😂
Having one of those gigantic satellite dishes in your back yard. They look so ancient now.
[Viennetta always seemed so decadent.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE9wVHjKWM8)
I grew up in a house that rarely, if ever, had ice cream. If we did, it was the Winn Dixie brand Neapolitan or some other nonsense. I never got to try Viennetta before it got discontinued, so I'll never get to have my expectations unmet. It will always be this lofty, high society treat my blue collar a*s would never be able to experience.
My parents were super cheap and were the type of people who didn't think spending money on kids beyond the basics was worth it.
Once a year, after like months of pleading, we would get to go to McDonald's. I thought it was the height of extravagance.
I thought people who could eat at McDonald's everyday were rich. I think I was like 25 when I realized it was the exact opposite.
Spending money on kids beyond the basics isn´t worth it? Honestly, for clothes I agree. They don´t need super expensive name brand clothes if they will grow out of it in a year or so.
Any of the big name cereals. Eating out. Nike(air max 90).
Eating out, yes. Only rich people could afford to go to a restaurant, any restaurant.
I described them as 'plush houses' for whatever reason. No shoes, carpeted floors. Everything was clean looking and soft and organized and no amount of picking stuff up could make my house look that way. Bathrooms had little signs and clean little things on unused shelves, kitchen had ingredients in matching little canisters that were labeled. Ice maker on the fridge, big ol L shaped couch that was comfortable and clean.
Having pop up sprinklers in the yard
The thing I hated the pop up sprinklers was that you could NEVER see it coming
Having two landline phone numbers, one for the parents and one for the kids.
Foreign holidays
More than one bathroom.
Ice maker in the fridge
Big screen TVs
Not always true. When we were house hunting 30 years ago, I visited that nice little house that came on sale because the lady, à single mother of... many (bunk beds all over the place, 4 in a room) couldn't pay her mortgage. Yet they had big, brand new appliances, and in the living room, the biggest home-cinema I ever saw. And in the 90s those cost à mint. While we, with 4 kids, single salary... and à modest-sized, old-fashioned TV, were about to buy à house... Who was rich?
Being able to order what you wanted from a restaurant.
My parents always strongly encouraged us kids to choose the cheapest s**t on the menu.
Actual Guess Jeans and the polo shirts with the alligator.. I wore Kmart clothes I was always so jealous…
Juice that came in a carton instead of a can.
My coworkers and I were talking about this a few weeks ago, about how when we were growing up, our families always bought frozen juice from a can and then added water, and how we’d watch people buying juice that came in a carton and think “Wow they must be _rich_!”
I used to think any kind of bought juice was posh, because it was my task to squeeze the damn oranges. Funny how things change...
Having a home computer with Internet. That was rich people s**t.
We had dial up that took up the phone connection and I was never allowed on it. "Why do you need to use the internet? What are you wanting to search for?" If I needed to do research for homework my folks would make a huge deal about it like it was this major inconvenience to them. Whereas everyone else in my class had no problem getting access to the internet. One girl told me to tell my mom to get internet.
Going on vacations that required flying
Having stairs in your house
Buying the name brand foods
Polo brand polo shirts. Fully finished basements. Entertainment centers with a big console color TV. New cars.
When I was a kid my parents ended up babysitting some other kid once. We were fed bagels for breakfast. The kid went off about how bagels are rich people's food and was incredibly impressed.
I was incredibly impressed the first time I had croissants for breakfast.
I live in a very wealthy area. My family is middle class at best and a pool (in the yard) or TV in someone’s room was a big thing but the biggest one was a person’s parents having enough free time to pick their kids up right after school.
Having soda in the pantry. What kind of Richie Rich fantasy is this?
Drinking pineapple juice just by itself. Not rationing it for a holiday or recipe; Just buying it just because it is the nectar of the heavens and you want to drink it.
bringing you own lunch to school.
the rest of us poor folk eat the c**p in the cafeteria for free or reduced price.
Edit: Circa 1970s
I always wanted to be rich enough to have a staircase that I wasn't allowed to slide down.
We had a neighbor who had a two-story house. My best friend and I rang the doorbell and asked if we could see their staircase. We were about seven.
I used to think that rich people spend all their spare time counting their money. Putting the money in stacks of coins.
Note: this post originally had 66 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Am I alone in thinking this is still entirely relevant?? I for one still reckon swimming pools, holiday homes, affording new cars and country club membership are still pretty elitist. I can't afford any of them...
1. Clothing that no one else has worn. 2. Brand named food/shoes/soda. 3. McDonald’s. 4. Birthday Parties. 5. AC in summer, heat in winter. 6. Movie theater popcorn. 7. Movies in the cinema.
People that had credit cards and could charge their kids clothes and take them home the same day! We had to use layaway! Back in the 70's and 80's credit wasnt as easily obtained like is now.
Am I alone in thinking this is still entirely relevant?? I for one still reckon swimming pools, holiday homes, affording new cars and country club membership are still pretty elitist. I can't afford any of them...
1. Clothing that no one else has worn. 2. Brand named food/shoes/soda. 3. McDonald’s. 4. Birthday Parties. 5. AC in summer, heat in winter. 6. Movie theater popcorn. 7. Movies in the cinema.
People that had credit cards and could charge their kids clothes and take them home the same day! We had to use layaway! Back in the 70's and 80's credit wasnt as easily obtained like is now.
