What are the main differences between traditional middle class & new money?

[Firebird65]

Following on from the recent thread about normal things we consider posh. Most were arguing things were "new money" not posh.. So what exactly are the differences between new money & traditional middle /lower upper class?
I am neither & would love money new or old!

Spotless white range rovers seemed to be a marker of new money on the other thread

What do you mean by ‘differences’? Belongings, behaviours, class shibboleths? And there’s a huge gulf between the ‘traditional middle-middle’ and ‘lower UC’…?

It's just following on from the other active thread.. I guess lifestyle differences, parenting differences, holidays, mannerisms.
I found the other thread fascinating & maybe in my observation traditional middle class are more rural & new money more often based in cities?
I guess new money would be many oligarchs or very wealthy Europeans who got huge jobs in banking etc, footballers, tech types..
Traditional maybe the Middleton's (Michael's family were old money) or maybe Ben & Marina Fogle, Marina's Instagram is very traditional middle class, rural, horsey, kids in boarding school etc..

New money paint their houses a drab grey, have those ghastly metro tiles in their bathrooms and kitchens and knock down the back of their once lovely house to put in ghastly bifold doors. They aspire to electric cars, smart meters, have an Alexa and have a strong desire for their children to be neuro diverse.

Actually, I think grey everything is more of a working class trend than middle.

I’m not sure how you’d define this given ‘middle class’ seems to cover people earning from about £30k - £300k.

There’s a couple live near to us who bought an old bungalow and did it up. She drives a white Range Rover with a personalised number plate, he has an merc and a Ferrari. 🙄

With old money, there's more of a make do and mend attitude, where you buy expensive quality but it should last forever! Barbour jackets sent for repair, leather boots etc. Tailoring and alterations instead of buying another one.
Probably less ostentatious, but also probably out of touch with the real cost of living. Money goes into keeping horses, and keeping old houses running! Likely to complain about the price of hay, or builders, but have no idea of the cost of a pint of milk.

I think you’re confused about definitions. ‘New money’ doesn’t have to mean ‘very wealthy’ by any means, just that the family hasn’t been wealthy for generations. DH and I would technically qualify, as we’re both from very poor backgrounds with parents on low-paid, unskilled work, and we both have multiple degrees, work in professional roles, and have incomes many times that of our parents. However, we don’t tick any of the ‘new money’ shibboleth boxes. I cycle everywhere, wear Cos and Oska, we have a book filled old house etc etc. But our money is as new as it comes.

Im not sure I understand what you mean by ‘traditional’ middle class, or why it would be a rural phenomenon — I would have said the Middletons were rich upper-middle, and I would say the same of the Fogles, as I understand them.

DM would say my SIL has classic new money / nouveau riche behaviour because she likes to boast constantly about what she’s bought or what holiday she’s booked (to the point of overkill).

Her latest is that DNephew has been moved to a private school and the weekly relentless boasting about how fabulous it is and how state schools are crap is becoming mind numbingly boring. DM says old money/MC don’t feel the need to boast about such things like private schools because that’s their normal and it’s not a big deal like it is for SIL with her new wealth.

Middle class use the word ghastly a lot when referring to new money. See above.

New money don’t seem to judge the middle class in the same way.

New money - made from skills (maybe building etc) rather than inheritance, lots of big tvs, go on all inclusive holidays to hot places, send their kids to private schools, new Range Rover, watch sport on big telly, loudly.

middle class - slightly knackered/grubby house, one crap tv, holidays in old farmhouses in Europe, aspire to send kids to local state, have loads of books, university education as did parents.

light hearted!

New money talks about it, old money just gets on with it people without have chips on their shoulders about those who do and spend a lot of their time thinking about them

New money wears the Cartier love bracelet & Juste un clou bracelet combo, old money has bespoke jewellery or more stealth wealth brands.

I worked in a sector where we were selling the same service at considerable cost to traditional middle class and new money people. As a general rule (and there were exceptions) TMC people saw us working as long term partners to deliver a product, and consulted and discussed if there was something they didn’t like or understand. NM people constantly reminded us they were paying for a service, wanted their money’s worth on a day-to-day basis, and made formal complaints and threatened to sue if there was something they didn’t like or didn’t understand.

In that industry, you could spot new money within two minutes of conversation. It wasn’t very attractive.

From what I’ve seen, new money is a bit try hard and over excited about how money eg flashy designer clothes, flashy cars, flashy… everything! And not subtle class and style.

lots of big tvs, go on all inclusive holidays to hot places, send their kids to private schools, new Range Rover, watch sport on big telly, loudly

None of this is middle class of any flavour, apart from private schools.

Also new money will tell you

That’s why that poster put this under the ‘new money’ descriptor.

If I've got it right new money is loud and proud of their earning and spending ... some are very in your face about it. Range rovers, fancy watches and bags. But it is always in an over-the-top way. Well at least where I live they are .. or they are dealers 😂

Oh, I thought the OP was including "new money" as part of the middle classes, but perhaps not.

New money people are more materialistic and talk about money. Old money people don't talk about money and don't feel the need ro splash it about as it's "normal" for them

The clearest marker of this were I live is who drives what. And who shops where. Oh, and driving skills. And often the house.

Local landowner (worth probably in the millions, once family trust taken into account) arrives at the local market in clapped out Volvo or old Land Rover with straw poking out of the doors. If met when coming the other way on a narrow lane, is 100% capable of slapping said clapped-out Volvo/Land Rover into reverse and going back at speed to the nearest passing place. Will then proceed along the lane to an old and rather knackered-looking house.

New money is never seen in the local shops (except perhaps the more boutiquey ones that have opened in the advent of vast new expensive housing estates being built in the locality). Drives a large shiny new 4x4. Is utterly incapable of reversing when met on a narrow lane. Lives in impeccable, large modern house.

There's always a lot of jealousy and spite aimed at 'new money' on MN.

People with new money will have earned it but are looked down on by those who inherited, or due to background were able to ease their way into the professions and positions of influence.

My understanding of new money is having flashy designer items with large logos as a symbol of their wealth, such as a Louis Vuitton handbag or a Gucci belt etc.

I see these people as spenders and will burn through their money quickly, unlike people who come from generational wealth - these people tend to invest for their futures.