To wonder why “new money” is so frowned upon in the UK?

[Namechanged2026]

Dh and I are what you would describe as ‘new money’. We both had very working class childhoods but have since earnt very well. We live in a big modern house, drive new cars (financed as it’s silly to put so much money into a depreciating asset - it works out cheaper to finance if you want a new car every 4 years) and enjoy a few abroad holidays per year (yes, we do like Dubai for the guarantee of weather, relatively short flight and quality of resorts (although we’re definitely not flashy Instagram types😂)). Our children go to private school and have had experiences that me and DH could only have dreamed of as kids.

We worked hard, got lucky and enjoy a lifestyle that we can afford. We don’t dress in tacky designer clothes (although we do have a few designer bags, belts, shoes between us), nor are we ‘flashy’.

But why is there so much snobbery towards this in the UK? Many people on super low incomes would talk about my situation negatively in a way that would suggest they would rather chose a lifestyle with a modest income and fewer luxuries because it’s almost embarrassing to want more than this. I see working class people use the phrase “money talks, wealth whispers” in reference to anything that looks like it might have been very obviously expensive. What do these people think that they would do if they all of a sudden had a super high income… just remain as they are as “money talks”?! Of course not. Yet they see no problem with the “old school” kind of wealth (country estates, kids at boarding school, muddy wellies etc etc).

It’s only in the UK that I think this attitude exists. In other countries it seems like such a positive thing to aim for a high flying career, to admit to wanting to earn as much money as possible, to discuss wanting to travel lavishly and experience lots of things. It’s actively encouraged. However in the UK, I think there is an attitude of mocking these kind of attitudes and suggesting people are shallow for aiming for this. I remember being at uni and telling a family friend that I wanted to buy a house in X area when I was older, only to be met with “is round here (a council estate) not good enough for you then?”.

Well that's not something to be proud off

I agree with this. Even if we don’t consciously realise. It’s why we see a lot of hate towards Americans in my opinion. They’ve created their own structure without a monarchy etc and anyone can be filthy rich. Only here you would hear something like “But they can’t buy “class”.
There’s an inbuilt belief that older rich families are closer to God.

The Spencers came from sheep farmers in the 1500s.

It’s a mix of jealousy and entitlement that some people feel toward others’ money. Those with less often resent those with more, while also wishing they could use their money to cover expenses. I notice this a lot on Mumsnet—people with more wealth are often disliked by those with less, who not only want what the wealthier have but also covet their actual money. For example, if I have £50 in my hand, someone without it might feel resentful and think I should pay for everything simply because I appear wealthier. I know wealthy people who never show anything worth more than £50 to avoid being disliked or targeted, and others who steer clear of spending time with those who have less to prevent stirring up negative feelings.