How to appear rich?

[happyasharry]

I know this is crazy and it's a million miles away from how I normally think but I have a reunion coming up soon and I don't want to be the 'poor' one.
We have a 3 bed semi, a 3 year old Volvo and we're really strapped at the moment. I have a college reunion soon and most of my friends have travelled the globe, found rich spouses and live the dream.
Anyway, for one night only I want to appear like them. I love my life and I am proud of what we have achieved as a family but this is playing on my mind. Any idea how I can achieve this and just fit in a bit?

You have no idea how these other people who seemingly have it all actually feel on the inside. You can travel the world, have the fanciest cars and still be unhappy and unfulfilled.

Your wealth is your happiness in life, objects and material things aren’t important. If you wake up feeling grateful to be alive, can smile at your children/spouse and appreciate that you live in a pretty safe country then to me you’re rich.

This is a next level keep up with the Jones!

Seriously, just don't. Be yourself for goodness sake. If you act confident, no one will look down on you. And if they do because they have money, I wouldn't want to be reunited with any of them!

You've got more than I have so you're rich to me!

I think it says that you think a lot about social status. Certainly more than I do.

Who knows who thinks about it most, out of us two. It’s impossible to say surely.

But I like to think I don’t give that impression to those I have just met because I don’t ask questions like this.

But I wouldn't begin to think that anyone I had just met who asked questions like this was trying to define my social status because I am not obsessed with social status.

You’ll sometimes catch them looking at your engagement ring or handbag, for instance.

It's quite a leap from "someone is looking at my engagement ring" to "someone is looking at my engagement ring because they are inordinately interested in my social status".

STOP LOOKING AT MY HANDBAG, YOU SNOB!

I know a few billionaires -male - oldish money as in at least since 1870s.
You could walk past them in the street-jeans, desert boots, shirt, nice sweater- all very expensive but not flash in any way. One is more chinos. Cant say that I have ever looked at their watches.

DHs CEO is also multi-millionaire if not more. Jogging gear and sweatshirt all the time on TEAMS- made money in tech

I’m not sure there is a way to look rich. Some of the richest people I know live in stately homes, the sort which they open to the public. One of them cleans all her own loos and you wouldn’t give any of them a passing glance in Sainsbury’s.

Don’t worry about it and just be yourself.

You have just reminded me

I remember all of the school mums in their flash new range rovers looking down a bit on the woman in the scruffy jeans in the beaten up land rover always a bit covered in mud. No make up ever.

When it was her sons birthday party it was in the cellars of their country mansion/estate that had been in her husbands family for 500 years. The children got to drive beaten up land rovers all over the grounds on a hay bale course (they were primary age). I had known both her and her husband since childhood but it was certainly the most discussed party!

It had open days- some condition of the grant they received to help renovate it I think.

Exactly this.

Buy some nice 2nd hand clothes off Vinted, wear it with a smile. They might tip up all wealthy, but they'll gave just as many issues as you do, mortgages going up (drastically) and just show you're very content in life amd happy.

I can assure you that they did.

There was a very definite split between rural and town with rural very much seen as the poor alternative. The parents who were somewhat snooty all lived on the same gated community (very unusual around there) . The middle group were mostly medics- they tended to go with rural rather than town but tended to live in town. So 3 mains tribes at the school.

@Readytoevolve Wealth is silent. Indeed it is.

OP I would not go but that's just me.