Looking wealthy or being wealthy?

[Animallover87]

AIBU to think there's a difference between looking wealthy and being wealthy?

I think understanding the difference, between being wealthy and looking wealthy, is key to changing your financial situation. Our culture today almost encourages looking wealthy as being the ultimate aspirational target.

With beautiful Instaperfect homes, 2 shiny new cars, amazing garden makeovers, £1200 phones, and £200 trainers being shoved down our throats, many people desperately want a piece of that. Reality TV and social media encourage us to have that perfect lifestyle and it can be really difficult to avoid the trap of looking wealthy.

But while some can afford this lifestyle, many of these "Joneses" simply cannot. They might look wealthy, however, they are anything but. Many of them are up to their eyeballs in debt, are continually spending more than they earn, and constantly worrying about how they can afford to pay their bills.

Have you ever felt the pressure to spend to keep up with others? Or are you able to resist the spending but feel jealous of others?

Please feel free to share your own story and thoughts.

Honestly? If you really are rich, it’s so much easier to not look it. Having lots of money tucked away removes the insecurity around what others think of you.

And you?

😂

What is your opinion on this? Are you wealthy or do you just look it?

Is this a joke? Or a post to collect responses for some project or article?

I have expensive stuff but I nearly always look like a bag of shite! Where do I fit? 🤷🏽‍♀️

As a very general rule, the more money you have, the less you care about whether other people think you have money.

Most people don't know what "wealthy" looks like — e.g. scruffy worn clothes paired with expensive shoes. Rich people don't walk around in new clothes flashing the bling all the time... they wear what they want. Because they can.

I think these days most people know that you cannot always judge someones wealth by how they dress, what they drive etc.

Many people have expensive cars on lease and put clothes and gadgets etc on credit cards. I know someone who is very wealthy but drives an old car and has quality but old clothes with holes and subtle expensive jewellery and watch.

I definitely don't feel I have to keep up with anyone, I like nice things but shop second hand and have always driven second hand cars even though I can afford new.

Well if you spend all your money on looking wealthy it’s not going to help actually be wealthy is it?

Looking wealthy just displays the money you used to have, or the debt incurred, in looking that way.

Are you a reall lazy journalist OP?

Proper wealthy people often drive battered old cars and wear tatty clothes. However if you look carefully you can tell the clothes were expensive when new.

The people who spend their money on looking wealthy will get through their cash a lot quicker and probably have few savings. Far better to look poor and know you have a financial cushion.

I buy what I can afford if I need it.
I would sooner buy a few good clothes than a lot of cheap ones and the same with household items, I’ve had my towels for years but they were good ones when bought.
My car is 12 years old.
I have a friend who has new carpets regularly but they’re alway cheap. And they don’t last.

Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s not my business, and what other people think of me isn’t my business either. We all live our lives differently and living my life is my business/concern.

That not really wealthy - that’s working class behaviour. I think different classes and groups of people have different aspirations. I don’t think our culture encourages it but the media/advertising does but surely that’s no different to the Victorian era but different products and more adverts.

Proper wealthy people often drive battered old cars and wear tatty clothes. However if you look carefully you can tell the clothes were expensive when new.

This is just mumsnet tripe. It’s always repeated and based on nothing. Some wealthy people wear tatty clothes, some wealthy people take pride in their appearance and are incredibly well dressed.

Genuinely wealthy people are understated. Those who want to look wealthy will go for luxury brands with all the iconic logos; Chanel bags, Louboutins, flash cars because they are status symbols.

It's not just about being wealthy. Where people are comfortable with their finances and don't feel they have anything to prove, they don't feel the need to project the certain image you describe.

Very wealthy people who don't feel they need to impress will probably wear expensive, high quality clothes, have a nice, high quality car, and take expensive holidays, but your probably won't see them taking a photo of their latest PCP Audi for their Instagram and they probably aren't wearing the sort of (what I'd call) tacky designer items with the monogram/logo/name splashed everywhere.

it can be really difficult to avoid the trap of looking wealthy

Can it? looking down at what I'm wearing I'm not having a problem.

What's this a pitch for, OP? how to throw a Christmas party as if you're wealthy in a tabloid woman's section later this week?

I'm not a journalist - promise! It was a hot topic on my lunch break with colleagues so I thought it might be an interesting discussion on here.

I'm neither wealthy nor look wealthy but I am conscious I have an ancient phone, last year's M&S boots on and the young folk at work are cutting about in designer gear with the latest iPhone. I could afford these things at a push but I'd rather have a bit of a cushion.

But there is only one answer to that question surely? I mean call me pedantic but I’m hardly going to say no there’s no difference unless I was completely insane or not the full shilling.

I spend my time watching minimalism and van life videos on YouTube so it’s not something I think about much.

How would someone know that you had last year’s M&S boots on?

I think some people (who often poorer) judge those reality stars/types & prefer to believe they are poor & everything is on a credit card!

What industry do you work in? I can't say I've ever noticed or bothered about people's boots or their phones but is your's one where appearance matters?