People Are Sharing Everyday Things Wealthy People Miss Out On, And It Shows Just How Different The Lives Of The Rich And Non-Rich Can Be
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the everyday experiences and unique perspectives that wealthy people miss out on — and it shows just how different the lives of the rich and non-rich can be.
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Here are the insightful results:
1."Being super happy when you find, like, two dollars in between the couch cushions or in the pocket of an old pair of jeans."
2."The intense family bonds that come from it; when you work together to get by, you become a tight team. 'You and me against the world.'"
3."Learning how to be bored and learning to have fun in non-ideal situations."
"Most of my creativity comes from being absolutely beside myself with boredom and trying to find ways to entertain myself without money or with very little money. I've gone on long walks, found free museum days, written short stories, and I draw to keep my brain occupied."
4."Not having the fear that my relationships are fake because of my proximity to wealth/status/privilege."
"An old friend of mine was super wealthy and also very guarded because he was always anxious people were his friends or partners to take advantage of his resources. The benefit of being a student is all I can give you is my love, some tasty food, and the occasional present/plant baby. Sure, I have the same risk of being emotionally taken advantage of, but at least not financially."
5."The thrill of finding your favorite treat on sale."
6."Learning to do or make things yourself. Growing up, instead of saying 'no' if I asked my parents for something we couldn't afford, they would say, 'Can you make it yourself?'"
"I made my own chalkboard paint, built my own dollhouse, and made furniture and accessories for the few Polly Pockets and Littlest Pet Shop figures I had. My mom painted our house exterior, tiled our kitchen floor using tile remnants, and grew a lot of our veggies in the garden. My dad fixed all our cars, and he made hooks to hang pots and pans in our kitchen. I think it taught me to be self-sufficient, creative, and also helped me appreciate things more because I better understood the work that goes into items."
7."Taking public transport such as buses, trains, or economy-class flights."
"You get to meet interesting people — or just get to stare at strangers, wondering if they're heading to work or shopping."
8."Not feeling like the amount of money someone spends on you is tied to how much they care about you."
"I never expected gifts from family members, but it never occurred to me as a kid to question why my grandparents, aunts, and uncles never gave me anything for my birthday; they showed up to enjoy a homemade cake, and that was awesome. Similarly, Christmas was never about the presents — there weren’t many, and I still prefer this! I also knew that my parents wouldn’t be able to contribute much if anything for college and definitely never even imagined them taking out a loan for me. That being said, I would still choose financial security; it seems like it would be such a luxury to know that you don’t need to worry about everything falling apart if you lose your job or the HVAC goes out. I’m a lawyer now, but I still never waste food and keep my house set at 60 degrees in the winter and 85 in the summer — even this feels like an extravagance!"
9."Having only a few items in the kitchen and figuring out creative ways to eat interesting foods."
"Right now, I have some lentils, a lemon, and some potatoes in my fridge from a food-sharing place. I'm constantly trying to think of easy and new recipes so that I don't get bored with the food I have and don't have to eat the same thing every day."
10."That feeling when you fill up your gas tank for the first time and aren’t worried about overdrafting your bank account before your next paycheck."
"I never realized that would feel like an accomplishment until it happened."
11."Anonymity, to some degree. (Obviously can be bought if one is super rich, but celebrities and public figures don’t have it.)"
"After being quite active on social media after building a small following, I stopped using it after a close friend passed away. I’ve been mostly offline since and have really relished the privacy and anonymity that comes with it. It’s so much better for my mental health, and I measure my happiness by my own guidelines. It’s been nice to be away from both social and capitalistic pressures."
12."I'm from a small town in Texas, and when I visited Austin pre-pandemic, my friends and I stopped at a convenience store — literally at a gas station — after a night out. We couldn't find Cheetos, Takis, microwave popcorn, or any other junk food."
"The cashier told us that 'that type of food' wasn't popular in Austin and suggested handmade organic rice cakes instead for $8.99. It kind of ruined our post-bar-hopping snack plans but made our night because it was so funny. If you can't grab some dirty junk food on your way home from a fun night out without judgment or expensive artisan recommendations, I'm not interested 😆."
13."The feeling of extravagance when treating yourself to lunch out, the fun of staying in hostels when traveling, and eating in hole-in-the-wall/underground-type places run by locals for locals."
"The thrill of getting a bargain or someone asking, ‘I love your __. Where’s it from?’ when it’s from a discount store or homemade. And, of course, the ultimate poor person guilty pleasure: instant ramen."
14."I appreciate the feeling of security that comes with having my bills covered. Before, I lived paycheck to paycheck and would have to monitor my spending and check my bank account to be sure I didn't spend too much on groceries so I could pay my rent."
"Also, small wins like this: I previously couldn't afford to decorate, and most of my furniture was used or handed down to me from friends and family. Now, I look around my place and admire the furniture and decor I've been able to buy for myself."
15."How to really take care of yourself and your things."
"When some rich people stain or ruin something, they can just throw it away and get another one. Not us poor people. You have to get that stain out and fix that faucet yourself. Also, if you've had people take care of your shopping, cleaning, and cooking, once you hit an age when you have to do it for yourself, you end up clueless. I'm so happy I could do my own laundry and cook a decent grilled cheese by the time I was 12."
16."[Rich people can] become so out of touch they’re no longer able to really relate to the majority of the population — or worse, try so hard to and don’t realize they’re missing the point completely."
"(See celeb-fronted Imagine video)."
17."Growing up without wealth, I learned to cherish everything I had and was given since I couldn’t just go buy a new one or replace things whenever I wanted."
"I valued everything and was extra careful with it. I also wasn’t a brand-name snob and was content with clothes and toys that were secondhand or thrifted. I loved getting things from yard sales. You learn to appreciate everything, regardless of price."
18."Some of my most creative periods have been when I was trying to find ways to earn more money."
"If I had had a stable source of income, I wouldn’t have had the impetus nor the incentive to think in that way and come up with some cool ideas. A lot of people who have made it stupid rich have restricted their children’s income because they recognize that the hunger that comes from needing to make a decent living is just not there if you have everything handed to you on a plate."
And finally...
19."The sense of accomplishment you get after buying something for the very first time with money you’ve worked for."
"You value your money a lot after that."
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What do you think of these responses? What are some other everyday experiences that rich people miss out on? Let us know in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
