The Worst Cases Of Rich Kid Syndrome Ever

Sometimes, kids are spoiled. And can you guess what spoiled kids often turn into? Spoiled adults. Unfortunately, these types of people sometimes have to learn their lesson the hard way. Have you ever seen a person overreact because of first-world problems?

It does make for some occasionally funny scenarios every now and then, but it’s still mostly just sad to witness. Other times, dealing with spoiled people is just more annoying than anything else. They expect the world to be handed to them on a silver platter, and they’re used to being the star of the show.

For the people around them, things can turn uncomfortable in a flash. Thankfully, for those who aren’t as spoiled, watching these people in action can be pretty humorous (or downright surprising). Here are some of the worst cases of rich kid syndrome we have seen.

Not The Mercedes

A Saudi Arabian guy that was in the UK ended up getting into a car accident. It caused some light damage to one side of his brand-new Mercedes. He called for one of his assistants to come and pick him up, even though the car was completely fine to drive.

My friend rolled up on the call with his tow truck and asked the guy where he wanted the Mercedes to be owed. The guy gave my friend the keys to the car with a flourish and said, “Keep it; I don’t want it.” Um… okay, I guess I will then? Reddit User: Aiku

Surprise, Surprise

A girl in my high school was “surprised” by her parents in the school’s parking lot with a brand new BMW. Yes, a freaking BMW. Everyone who was outside was basically just watching this whole thing go down. So when they give it to her, she starts crying.

At first, we were all thinking it was because she’s so happy, but then she runs back into the school. Apparently they were supposed to show up earlier (I’m assuming when there would be more students to witness the surprise). I felt bad for the dad, because he looked totally embarrassed and sad about it. You know in his head he’s like, “I created this monster.” Reddit User: PazzaCiccio

Joy Ride

A fourteen-year-old was in a full-volume cursing meltdown because the pilot of the private helicopter that had brought him there had gone off to get a cup of coffee. He was just screaming “WHERE THE HECK IS HE!!???” The kid was apparently skiing before and was done for the day.

This kid had found it totally unacceptable that he had to wait 10 minutes before he got flown home in a helicopter. The helicopter pilot would have been better off just hovering over the kid the entire time to make sure he was ready when needed, I guess. Reddit User: picksandchooses

A Helping Hand

I had a kid from Honduras that lived across the hall from me my freshman year of college. During one of the ice breakers after freshman move-in, he asks me a question that made me completely floored. He leaned over to me to ask if I knew when the maids came to make his bed.

Not only he did expect them to make his bid. He also expected them to clean the entire place from the floor up. I guess his family was very well off in his home country, and the entire semester was an eye-opener for him in actually taking care of himself for the first time. Reddit User: ACrossEyed Sniper

What A Nice Reward

My cousin just graduated from high school last year. His parents are these big-time real estate agents in our hometown. They do extremely well for themselves. Like they both probably clear $1 million a year easily. So my cousin goes off to college and gets in trouble.

He gets busted for public drunkenness and resisting arrest his very first semester. Gets expelled from school, starts bumming off his folks for money. His dad just bought him a brand new Range Rover last weekend as a “reward for learning from his mistakes and staying positive when the law targeted him.” Reddit User: NCDE336

Allowance

My college roommate’s mother had given him $1,400 “for the weekend” just randomly. He ended up blowing through the entire thing by Saturday morning. He mostly spent it by purchasing things like different game systems and a ton of food. He then asked his mom for more money.

When she presumably told him no, he started screaming at her because “she promised $1,400 for the whole weekend.” He spent most of what she gave him on Friday, which isn’t a part of the weekend (according to his logic). Hoo boy. Reddit user: chuteboxhero

Not One But Two

I used to work at a wholesale kitchen appliance distributor. It was a multi-million-dollar company. The CEO’s daughter was my age (23 at the time) and would often come chat with us in sales. She had a high rise condo by herself downtown worth about $300,000.

After I left, I bumped into one of my old co-workers, and she came up in our conversation. I asked how she was doing, and my co-worker informed me that Daddy bought her another high-rise condo. It was directly across from her current condo and the only other condo on that floor. Why did she get two high-rise condos? Well, she wanted the floor to herself. Reddit User: [redacted]

Her And Her Jeans

I had a friend in uni whose parents, it turned out, owned multiple tea plantations. At this point, I had no idea she was wealthy, and she was driving me to work one morning. Her phone went off, and she said, “Oh, just read that message for me.” It was all in German except for one bit that was like €1400.

I read that number and said I couldn’t read the rest, and she said, “Oh great, mum has transferred me the money.” I was like, “Omg that’s a huge amount, is everything ok?” She said, “Yes, I’ve run out of clothes and mum’s sent me some money to get more this weekend.”

I was like, “What do you mean when you say you ran out of clothes?” She said, “I don’t know how to work the washing machine, so I’ve sent my clothes back to Germany. I’ve got nothing to wear now.” I was so completely shocked that I sat there in silence.

She just said, “I mean, €1400 is only like 4 pairs of jeans, but it will get me through till next month when I go home.” To this day, I still have not found a pair of jeans I like enough to spend £350 on. I became so self-conscious about my own poverty, which was such a shame. Reddit user: cattawalis

An Honest Threat

There are a lot of rich kids in my particular business program at my university. I met this one girl a few months ago at a social gathering. We were chatting a bit about our program, and she proudly tells me about that she actually threatens to sue the school whenever things don’t go her way.

After I heard that, she also said something else to me to the effect of “they have to take the threat seriously, because they know I actually have the means to follow through, haha.” I really can’t believe some people exist like that. Reddit User: [redacted]

High-Quality Protection

I worked at a Sunglass Hut in South Florida. One day, a family of four came in to buy some pairs of glasses. Now I am used to people having money and buying stupidly expensive sunglasses. But the dad of the family had told his kids, to get whatever glasses they wanted.

Now, mind you, the kids were only about 4 years old and 6 years old. So they both end up grabbing 4 pairs of sunglasses that cost over $250 each. Then both of these kids  just pulled out wads of 100-dollar bills to pay for them. Reddit User: Flapadoodle

Trust Fund

I knew a trust fund girl whose dad gave her the money to start her own company. She ended up having the company shut down. Why? Because she decided to go vacation for six months and totally forgot that she was supposed to pay her employees ALL THE TIME.

She assumed they would not get paid for the 6 months that she was gone and would still be working there when she got back. I quizzed her on this for a little while, and it was clear that she just had no idea what a job actually was. Reddit User: pencilowner

Drive Safe

Yes, this is a true story, believe it or not. A kid in my graduating high school class was from an extremely wealthy family. His parents decided to buy him a Land Rover for his sixteenth birthday. What did he do? He ended up crashing it into a school bus.

Then his parents went and bought him another Land Rover. What happened to this one you ask? He lost it street-racing. Guess what? They bought him a Mercedes. I mean, if his parents didn’t get the hint by then, they were never going to. Reddit User: NordyNed

Being Broke…

When I was a broke bike messenger, I was dating a woman who was an heiress to a major restaurant fortune. One evening, she wanted to go to a club downtown, and I said I couldn’t go because I didn’t have any money. She said I should come anyway, so I figured that meant she would be footing the bill….

When we get to the club and it’s time to pay for the cover charge at the entrance, she pays for herself. She then starts to walk in without saying anything. I’m like, “Hey, I don’t have any money. I can’t get in.” She comes back out and tells me to just put it on my credit card.

But of course, I don’t have a credit card. Then she tells me she’ll drive me to an ATM. I’m standing there in the street with her, trying futilely to explain that I literally do not have any money. She could not grasp the concept. Reddit User: [redacted]

Promo

My girlfriend’s family is very rich. Her family is wealthy, and she’s working on not having everything just given to her. But one day, at her job, she was waiting to get a chance for a promotion and she said something I couldn’t believe.

She said, “I cannot believe anyone would make somebody work for almost a year to get a promotion.” And all I did was just laugh Seriously, talk about being out of touch! But I guess I can’t completely blame her, given her upbringing. Reddit User: steve-the-sloth

Living Rent- And Worry-Free

This dad had bought his college-aged daughter a house in a VERY nice neighborhood so that she and her friends could live rent-free while they attended university. He remodeled the entire house for them. In all, he probably spent close to $2 million on it.

Two weeks after moving in, they left a candle burning while they went to the store to get snacks for a football game. They came home and the house was on fire. A month later, it was good as new for them to move back in. Rich people, eh! Reddit User: party_atthemoontower

That’s Trashy

I know a garbage man that works in some rich neighborhoods. He takes out the trash around moving-out time for the uber-rich-kid university in the area. Every year, he finds 200-300 game consoles just laying around unclaimed. They’re always the newest ones.

Sometimes, he also finds desktop PCs. The kids don’t want to take them home and they just throw them all out. He makes a good ~40k a year on eBay from this. He just cleans stuff up and sells it; it’s a nice supplementary income. Reddit User: cheeseguy3412

Girls And Cars

A girl I went to high school with got a Mercedes for her 16th birthday. She constantly complained about the fact that she didn’t get a Lexus, because her name was Lexi and she thought it would be “sooooo cool!” for Lexi to drive a Lexus with a custom license plate saying “Lexi.”

Her parents caved and bought her a Lexus for her 17th birthday….Similarly, my college roommate threw a massive tantrum, like on the floor screaming and crying, because her parents got her a used truck for graduation. It was a 2013 truck with less than 10k miles. Reddit User: [redacted]

Bookings And Cancellations

The girl I dated in college was a rich brat. I was planning to come visit her over winter break, on the other side of the country, when a snowstorm canceled my flight. The airline was slammed and couldn’t get me out there for about three days because of the delays. It sucked, but whatever….

However, she realized that there were other flights available on other airlines the next day and encouraged me to just buy another ticket. She didn’t think it would be a big deal and literally couldn’t understand when I told her I couldn’t afford to do this and that my parents wouldn’t just pay for it either.

I later found out that the year before this, her family had a trip scheduled to Costa Rica, but when they got to the airport for it, they realized her dad’s passport was expired. They simply just booked a new trip to Hawaii. Reddit User: AccusedOak04

The Honors Program

My first year of college, I was accepted into the “honors program” and lived in the “honors dorm.” I quickly learned that I was a black sheep in this program, as it was all about status and who your parents knew. The first meeting we had as a group, our advisors did an ice breaker….

Everyone listed what countries they had visited, which was their favorite, and why. Most had at least six to pick from (me: I visited Canada, but I also lived on the border, so I don’t think it counts). In my suite, most of my roommates had never done their own housework and genuinely seemed uncomfortable without some sort of maid…. The solution: They paid other students to do their laundry for them. I quit that program by my second year. Reddit User: saltydecay

The Grumpy French Maid

My mom’s college roommate had a French maid who tried to toss out all my mom’s stuff on move-in day because she didn’t really understand the concept of having roommates. As my mother’s French was rather weak, she had to physically block the maid from throwing her things out.

Finally, the roommate decided to turn up and explain to the maid what was happening, who still wasn’t happy. They ended up becoming really close friends (my mother and the roommate, not the maid). They still laugh at this incident today. Reddit User: scolfin

Fender Bender

In high school, there was this really rich and super annoying kid that was bragging to everyone that he got in his third fender bender in his “old” car (which was only three years old). His parents had given it to him as a birthday gift, but he hated the car.

The reasons why he hated it are unknown to me and every other sane person who heard him bragging. So his parents were buying him an entirely new car from that year’s model. This was supposed to incentivize him to drive better. Reddit User: captain_screwup

“Is That A Lot?”

I worked with this kid who was a good kid but was so completely disconnected from financial reality for most people. He’d just moved out West from another state and was trying to make his way like a “normal” adult. One time, he went to buy a brand new car from a dealership.

He was shocked that they couldn’t just bill his dad for it since they didn’t know him….He ordered a bottle of wine at a restaurant, and the sommelier said, “Certainly, sir.” Then the sommelier whispered, “Just for your knowledge, sir, the bottle is $700.” He looked straight at him and asked, “Is that a lot?”

The sommelier honestly didn’t know how to answer, and neither did we, who joined him at dinner…. He was a good kid, and he got a lot better, but he just didn’t know. Once he casually told his mom he needed some help with bills, and she deposited $20,000 into his account. Reddit User: [redacted]

I’ll Foot The Bill

This case isn’t too bad, and it’s a bit funny. I became friends with a kid whose family was really well off. He was a really nice bloke but a bit sheltered, and university was the first time he really had any independence. So he had very little sense of what the value of a dollar really was….

There was one particular time he wanted us to eat at a restaurant, and he assured us “it’s really good!” So we all ending up rocking up to this place, and it’s so fancy. Like the price for main courses started at $40 to $60, which as poor uni students we couldn’t afford.

When he realized this, he was so embarrassed he got his folks to pay for it….He finally wised up a few years later, once he got more independence away from his family and made his own money, and he remains one of the best blokes I know. Reddit User: goater10

Mom’s Got It Covered

This is about my best friend, and she is the best person I know; in other words, not normally a “rich kid” or anything. I was complaining about how I was short on money one month (just couldn’t go out to eat) because I had to pay rent and pay for tag renewal all in the same paycheck….

She looked at me with this super serious look on her face and was like, “Don’t worry, they send you those in the mail for free!” After a long discussion, she learned that in fact, her mom had been paying for her new tags every year. Reddit User: helenayo

Playing With Money

Dad To The Rescue

I worked as a bouncer at a high-end nightclub. The biggest jerk of a rich kid gets a VIP booth and bottle service, then racks up a massive bill trying to act like a baller. His credit card gets denied, and he has to call his dad to come down at 1:30 am because he can’t order any more bottles….

His dad comes down in his pajamas, obviously ashamed and furious at this kid. He ends up embarrassing the heck out of his kid in front of his whole group of friends. He takes the kid’s keys and is about to leave when his kid makes some snide comment and goes back into the club….

The dad is all ready to then walk away. After he apologizes for his son, we then offered to drag him outside the rough way. He smiles to us and accepts our offer. That kid must’ve hit every door and step on the way out. Reddit User: ScientisticalMystica

Cut Off The Crust

When I got out of the Navy, I decided to use my GI bill at one of the Penn State satellites. I was sitting in the cafeteria drinking coffee and typing up a paper when a girl sits down across from me and opens her backpack. She pulls out a sandwich bag and looks at it in disgust, then looks me dead in the eye….

And she says, “I don’t even know why I bother; my mother never cuts off the crust.” I let out one of those high-pitched short laughs like is this girl for real? Oblivious to the tone of it, she says, “I know right?” then asks me if I want it. I look around, thinking I’m getting pranked. She shakes it at me and gives me a “well?” look….

That sandwich was awesome; I think the bread was homemade, and it had all kinds of expensive-looking meats and Dijon mustard. I know this girl’s mother will never see this, but I just wanna say someone appreciated that sandwich. Reddit User: Vinegar_Fingers

The Improv Skit

The summer before my senior year of high school, I went to a drama camp. I met my roommate; I’ll call him Richie McSheltered III. He was a nice kid, really. But he was completely and utterly clueless about how money worked and how much of it he and his family really had….

On our first night in the dorms, we were each lying in our twin beds and doing some “get to know you” small-talk late at night. He casually mentioned that his father had just gotten a brand new car, so he was probably going to have to take the “old” one.

But he wasn’t sure that he even wanted it. Why not, you may ask. Well, Daddy had bought a brand new Mercedes, and he just didn’t think it was fair that he was expected to drive around in a one-year-old Mercedes instead of brand new one. Reddit User: del

You Can Afford That, Right?

A really rich girl once tried working a regular-person retail job and quit within a couple of weeks, as it “just wasn’t right and I didn’t like it” (she had actual responsibilities for the first time). She had moved cross-country for an 8-month education course, where her parents paid for food, rent, and school….

They also gave her a debit card which automatically replenishes up to $500 when it gets to $50…but she would still post snaps (on Snapchat) and stories (on Instagram) with captions of “that broke person life” over pictures of her getting Starbucks every day.

She then insisted she could survive on her own….She would constantly suggest the most expensive options for meals, activities, etc. and tacked on things like “we can just split the bill, it’s just [amount at least $50]; you’ll be fine, right?” Reddit User: toilandbubble

Living Arrangements

A friend of mine inherited a lot of money. Like it was money enough for him to buy a house. But he ended spending it on two cars. One was a Subaru that was completely modded to Ken Block’s version of it and some BMW. Both of them were extremely expensive.

We asked him a few months later about why he didn’t buy a house with the money because he still lived with his parents….So he told us that he already owned a penthouse; he said he just didn’t want to move yet. The nerve of this man! Reddit User: Arukaone

Pay Upfront

I knew this one guy at my college who didn’t understand why everybody was so worked up about student loans. I remember him saying something along the lines of “why don’t people just pay the tuition upfront?” He made this comment in public and got the dirtiest looks from people who had heard.

But even though he was in his late teens, it wasn’t really his fault. His super-rich parents had ended up sheltering him so much to the point where he thought everyone who could attend university could pay for it in full. Reddit User: JimmyTheOtherCat

Spoiled Rotten

I went to high school with this insufferably spoiled and ridiculously rich kid. His family had a couch in their home’s elevator. Yes, their home’s elevator. That’s how much freaking money they had. That’s not even talking about all the artwork they had in their house.

There was this den of classical European sculptures that they had collected (this was in the United States), which he would not stop talking about. The kid talked down to/about the less fortunate on a regular basis. He once made fun of me for picking a coin up off the ground. Reddit User: ProbablyDrDre

Real Estate vs. Rehab

My brother works at a rehab center for the kids of wealthy parents. He’s always got stories, but the one that sticks with me the most was a kid who was in trouble with the law and was going to rehab before one of his court appearances. You know, to look like a better person so that hopefully the judge would go easier on him….

This kid was being mopey one day, and my brother asks him what’s wrong. The kid starts talking about how tough the whole experience has been for him, how it’s been so hard on his family that his parents had to sell his house to pay for his rehab (even though this was his 3rd stint)….

My brother ended up feeling sympathy for the kid and said, “That really sucks that your parents had to sell their house over this,” to which the kid corrected him and said, “No, they kept their house. They just had to sell mine.” Reddit User: Anagoth9

When In Mexico…

I went to this destination wedding at fancy resort in Mexico. Some rich kids rented a golf cart, tore through the hotel grounds and the streets, and actually flipped the cart. They ended up injuring people and causing a huge commotion and traffic jam.

This Mexican lady comes out and begins to scold them for their terrible behavior…. “You wouldn’t act this way at home!” The rich kid responds with, “I promise you, we do.” It was the earnestness of his reply that got me. Reddit User: thecrusadeswereahoax

A Good Parking Spot

The high school my husband went to had limited parking for students, so there was a lottery every year to see which seniors would get parking spaces and could drive to school. Well, there ended up being this story in the paper that you wouldn’t believe to be true.

Apparently there were families who were buying up houses near the school so their kids would have a place to park when they drove to school. They weren’t living in these houses, mind you, they were just buying them so their kids could park in the driveways. Reddit User: awhq

It Has The Wrong Layout!

In high school I had an acquaintance (classmate) — we’ll call her ‘S’ — that I sometimes hung out with. Her family was one of the first to ever get a DVD player (this is the early 1990s), and I was amazed that it was hooked up to a projector that could display movies on a screen at least 10 feet wide….

That summer, her parents took over another company and decided to build a new house on the edge of town. I hadn’t seen S in a while, and she invited me over one day. When I got to the new house, it was a huge mansion! Inside it was like a Mexican standoff. S was standing in the large kitchen, hands on hips, staring down her parents and demanding they “change the layout!”

Apparently, the design for the house needed to be changed, all because her new bathroom was on the wrong side of the sitting room, and the sitting room also had to be made bigger so it was larger than her sister’s bathroom and sitting room. Reddit User: 7upcurly

Freshwater Showers

I was an RA (resident advisor) during college. And nne of my residents was this rich freshman from Rhode Island. He apparently lives on an island and takes a ferry into town. Anyways, his first week of school, he asks if there was any fresh water available.

Not to drink. Fresh water available in the shower. I really didn’t understand what he meant. But it turns out, he didn’t like showering with city water and didn’t realize it was everywhere he went. I was so shocked and didn’t know what to say that I suggested he use water bottles. Yeah, he didn’t last long. Reddit User: elsani

Boarding School Problems

When I was in boarding school, one of my co-boarders handed me some mail saying, “Do you notice anything special about this envelope?” When I checked it out, I realized his face was on the stamp. He was royalty. But there are even crazier stories, since my classmates were all incredibly rich.

A kid from Taiwan also attending the same boarding school had an advent calendar with a remote control car, Sega Game Gear, etc. Another teenager (16) argued on the phone to his grandfather that he didn’t want a Porsche, he wanted a Ferrari. Reddit User: gentlefury

Where Is The Maid?

I worked at a Starbucks one time, and we hired a new guy, who I was responsible for training. At one point, I had to show him how to clean the bathrooms. I grabbed the bleach and handed him a pair of gloves, and he just looked at me with this disgusted face.

He said, “We don’t have a maid to clean the bathrooms?” He was apparently told to get a job by his folks or they would cut off his ridiculous weekly allowance. He thought Starbucks would be the easiest. He quit the next day. Reddit User: sholbyy

While some of these stories of spoiled rich kids probably left you speechless, wait until you hear some of the surprises rich people had when they married someone below the poverty line. From food insecurity to having totally different perspectives on life, these rich people share some of their biggest surprises…

Getting married always comes with a learning curve. From moving in together, to figuring out how to share the same bathroom without going crazy, there’s always something new to work through. But, when two people come together who are from totally different backgrounds, they might get a little more than they initially bargained for—including a whole new appreciation for how the “other half” lives.

If you grew up rich, but the love of your life grew up below the poverty line, you’re probably in for a lot more learning than you ever imagined. But with enough time, patience, and a lot of love, you can get through just about any bump in the road towards marital bliss, right? Check out these stories from rich people who share some of their biggest surprises, and hardest lessons-learned, from marrying someone poor…

Say When

This is more of a funny incident, but I was the poor one. My husband, at the time still my boyfriend, took me out to a very nice restaurant. The waiter asked if I wanted pepper on my Caesar salad, which had just been made table-side. I said sure, and he goes about it. The thing is, I didn’t know you had to tell them when to stop. My husband slowly realizes this, but decides to see it play out. Cute.

He did, eventually, tell me that I needed to speak up and tell them when it was enough. I was so embarrassed. I just thought a Caesar salad was eaten that way—with a lot of pepper. It was my first time eating a salad that wasn’t just iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing. It still tasted fine, just a little bit too much pepper. Reddit user: singlewhitewolf

F.H.B.

When my in-laws had people over for dinner, if they ended the prayer before the meal with “F. H. B. Amen,” it was a signal to let the children know that they didn’t have enough food for everyone—and that they were to take smaller servings, so that the guests could have enough to eat. I was eventually told that F.H.B. stood for “Family, hold back.”

They were always so generous to their friends, and didn’t let their lack of funds keep them from spoiling their guests. I don’t think any of their family friends ever knew that they weren’t very well off. They hid it well. They still try to hide it, even from me. When they invite us over for a family dinner, I always insist on bringing a large dish. They’ll never have to hold back for me. Reddit user: Cartoonlad

A Different Experience

Honestly, food insecurity was the biggest shocker for me. When we were first married she’d get visibly uneasy if the food in the house was running low. She never over-ate or anything, but she was always concerned about how much food we had, and if we’d be able to get more. A lot of times when she was younger, she went hungry.

On the humorous side, though, she hates camping with a passion. When I ask her if she’d like to go on multi-day hike and camp out under the stars, her answer is always the same: “You camped because it was fun; I camped because my parents couldn’t afford hotels.” We don’t go camping a lot unless there’s an RV involved. Reddit user: r-cubed

Doing Something Special

She and her mother lived with her grandfather in order to not be homeless. Her grandfather owned a house, so it made sense. She was putting community college payments on her credit card, and building debt. I paid off her credit cards when we were dating, and she cried over me being so nice—it was only like $1,300 bucks. It was nothing to me, but everything to her.

I bought a condo when we first started living together. When we got married, we bought a house. I never really considered myself rich until I started dating her, and learned that a trip to Wendy’s was a treat. I grew up middle class, and we are currently middle class. Still, we get to Wendy’s a lot. Not to be cheap, but because she’ll always equate it with doing something special. Reddit user: Amazingawesomator

It Only Happens Twice A Year

The biggest realization I had was being informed that, when you’re poor, you end up making financial decisions based around the three-paycheck months. If you’re paid every two weeks, most months you get two paychecks, and all of your monthly bills and budgeting is based on those two paychecks.

Rent, utilities, groceries—literally everything you do depends on making those checks stretch. But, twice a year there are three paydays in a month. And that’s when you can actually solve financial problems. That’s when you can get the car registered, or fix the dryer, or get the cat spayed.

The other ten months, you’re doing maintenance and trying to scrape by. During those three-paycheck months you can actually try to fix problems. I was totally blown away when she explained that to me. No wonder she never had a savings account. Reddit user: appleciders

Totally Different Perspectives

I’m on the other side, as well. I married a girl from a very rich family. Although we both earn the same and I tend to worry about money, savings, and the future, through the years I’ve realized that —even though she worries less about that kind of stuff— she still manages to save more and spend less than me. She says it’s because she was always taught to just throw extra money into her savings account.

I feel like coming from a lower-middle-class family makes me think about saving more but, at the same time, I spend money on things as I could not have them all before I got my own job. It’s a weird “experiment” in how the classes handle money. I guess if you grow up rich, the appeal of being able to buy that $1,000 TV isn’t really there like it is for someone who could never afford it before. Reddit user: oauth20

She Won’t Spend A Penny

I’m not well off, but my stepfather is. I was raised by a single mom who spent money on everything she wanted and was always behind on the bills. She just couldn’t manage her money at all. In her 50s she met and married a multimillionaire. We are in Middle America, so that goes further than in a lot of other areas.

They’ve given themselves a $10,000 a month budget to live on, and they own their own home. Very My Fair Lady.Anyway, once my mom met him and they got all her finances situated and paid off, she refused to spend a single penny more unless she absolutely had to. Yet my step-dad spends like it’s going out of style. He’s begged me to take her shopping for clothes and “whatever she wants,” but she won’t do it.

She spent more when she was a single mom with nothing. I really think she’s just worried that, if she spends any of his money, his family will think of her as a gold digger. But, I guess it could just be that she never wants to make those same mistakes again. Reddit user: danapca

I Still Try To Horde Food

My partner and I are both poor, but different kinds of poor—she’s never been homeless, or experienced food insecurity, while I have. She’s extremely frugal and hates buying anything we don’t need. I feel a desperate need to stock up if we have any extra money, and it’s a struggle for me not to fill our house with canned and dry goods. You know, in case we don’t have enough money to buy food next month for some reason, or the world collapses.

It makes no sense, but my instinct is to hoard food, because there was just never enough of it around growing up. She knows she doesn’t fully understand my need to stockpile food, but she’ll humor me once in a while and let me buy the 10 for $10 boxes of pasta, or get a case of canned beans. I don’t get to hold onto them, though. She insists that we use them, or it’s a waste. Reddit user: [redacted]

Quantity Over Quality

I’m from an upper-middle-class American family, and my husband is from a poor Southeast Asian family. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around how poor they really were when he was growing up. He’s told me about eating only rice with sugar for all their meals because they couldn’t afford to buy meat. They were probably, at times, living off less than $0.50/day for a family of five.

He tries to make it seem less sinister because, as he says, “In my country, you really can get food that cheap!” But I know it really affected him. He still wants to buy the absolute cheapest food he can find. He’d rather be able to get more food than enjoy better quality food. Food insecurity is a horrible thing, and you don’t know how it haunts someone until you see it in action. Reddit user: magenta_cobra

He Was Like “Whoa”

My husband came from a very poor village in rural Mexico. He told me that he used to shower outside because there was no indoor plumbing, and that he had to use leaves as toilet paper. I mean, there’s poor, and then there’s my husband’s-previous-life poor. He insists, though, that there were villages that were even more impoverished than his.

It’s a hard concept to wrap my mind around. He’s been living in the US for twelve years now; but when we first met, it was so interesting to see life through his child-like eyes. Going to the cinema was a huge event for him. Heating food up in a microwave was a totally foreign concept.

Staying at “fancy” hotels when we went on vacation was like “WHOA” for him. I still see him being surprised by things I was used to now and then, and it just reminds me how much I take my middle-class upbringing for granted. Reddit user: uselessartsdegree

I Made Enough Money

My significant other says, “Today, I made rent” once every few months. I’ve learned that what that really means is, “Today, I’ve accumulated enough money to pay the rent this month,” and I realized that this is a monthly accomplishment for someone who isn’t on a salary or fixed income.

I’ve never experienced that before, so when I heard it from other people—like my friends who wait tables—I always thought they literally made enough money to cover their rent in one day of working.I mentioned this to him and he was a little blown away that I’d never had to think about where my rent money was going to come from.

For us, fortunately, it opened up a conversation about how the “class” you happen to be born into not only affects your outlook on life. But it can really have a huge impact on the employment opportunities that you may have later on in life. Reddit user: colombodk

He Always Had To Put It Back

My husband grew up in a family where they were comfortable, but still on a strict budget. There were six kids, and his mom was on disability. My family, in contrast, had no budget. We weren’t allowed to just spend like there was no tomorrow, but when we asked for this or that, cost was never a factor in whether or not my parents got it for us.

We were at the grocery store, years into our relationship, when I realized that he always insists on walking up and down every single aisle. One day I totally lost it because he was taking so long, and I demanded to know why he did it.

“Growing up,” he said, “we could only spend $100 a week on groceries for all of us. I always had to put what I wanted back because we couldn’t afford it. Now I can afford whatever I want, so I like to look at everything I could have.” It took him 10 years to tell me this. I felt like a terrible person. Reddit user: PonyPuffertons

A Little Bit Of Cushion

Credit cards were avoided in her family. Her parents actually taught her that they were the devil—which, I guess, isn’t totally incorrect if you aren’t taught how to use them properly. For me growing up, we were encouraged to get a credit card in our name, and use it as much as possible in order to build credit. There was always money to pay it off each month, so it made sense to 1) build credit and 2) collect airline miles, or whatever the reward was back in the day.

When we got together, she always used cash or a debit card. She had a credit card “for emergencies,” but avoided using it, otherwise. It took a long time to get her over her aversion and skepticism, despite us both having jobs that pay well. It also taught me a healthy appreciation for what it means to have a financial cushion. Reddit user: [redacted]

She Just Replaced It

My experience is from the opposite perspective; I was the poor one. It absolutely floored me how my wife acted when something broke or wore out. Her car, appliances, clothes, etc. As a child living below the poverty line, replacing a tire or other necessities was a disaster. It required tricky trade-offs in the budget, or acceptance of just how screwed you were.

When my wife’s phone broke, I went into full panic mode. She just shrugged and said, “We can just a new one this afternoon”. And we did—just like that. She didn’t panic, didn’t cry, didn’t wonder how she was going to afford to replace it. She just went out and replaced it. We’re pretty well off now, but it still boggles my mind how easy it is for her to deal with it when something breaks or goes wrong.  Reddit user: DigitalSheepDream

I Thought Warranties Were A Waste Of Money

I’m from a wealthy family, and my partner grew up poor. A couple months ago, our new TV—from a big-box store—suddenly broke. I was just like, “Great, now we have to buy a new one.” But he said that wasn’t necessary. He had bought the warranty with it. That’s something I never do; I didn’t think they worked, so I didn’t want to “throw away” the extra money.

He spent about five hours on the phone, over the next three days, and got us a replacement TV. Brand new. Never seen the floor of a big-box store. That’s something I would never have done, or even thought of doing. I grew up in a family that just bought something new every time something broke. It makes me sound so spoiled, but I learned something, for sure. Reddit user: [redacted]

He Thought He’d Never Retire

My husband was making good money when I met him, but came from a poor family. The one thing that surprised me the most was his lack of budgeting. He had no knowledge of what a 401k or Roth IRA were, and retirement was something that he thought he’d never get to do. So even though he made good money, he was starting to rack up credit card debt, because he’d never been taught differently.

He took a few classes, and now he’s much better at it than I am. He adores budgeting and looks forward to FIRE. FIRE stands for: “Financial Independence, Retire Early.” I guess my privilege is showing, because I was so shocked that he really thought he’d have to work until the day he died. Apparently, that’s a reality for a lot of lower-class people. Reddit user: kyrira1789

Getting Thrifty With It

I’m from the poorer family—not super poor, but my in-laws have a stupid amount of money so, by comparison, I was very poor. My wife and I have two young kids, and she was shocked when I said we should look for clothes and toys for them at local flea markets and garage sales. I didn’t think anything of it. I’d grown up with a hand-me-down and thrift store wardrobe.

The idea never occurred to her that we could save money by getting some gently-used items. She’d never even been to a garage sale in her life. She’s grown to love them, though, and now questions whether it’s worth it to buy any item new or not before running to Amazon or a store. Her parents think it’s disgusting that we “make” our kids wear clothes that another child had before, but they don’t pay our bills. Reddit user: PorkchopSquats

Learned Habits Die Hard

I came from a relatively wealthy family. We were “new money”—my dad started his own, very successful business, but he grew up poor. My wife came from a lower income, blue-collar family. We got married out of college, and neither of us made much money in the beginning. My biggest surprise was how she wanted to handle money.

She was shocked when my mom bought her a $100+ pair of jeans as a birthday gift. In her eyes, it was a waste of money. But at the same time, she wanted to get me a motorcycle—I didn’t, and don’t, ride, so I’ve no idea where that came from. And then, a new living room set, a new bed, and a new car. She wasn’t concerned about savings or retirement.

It took a long time for her to come around to the idea of having an emergency savings account, focusing on paying off debt, and not spending money on things we didn’t need. She eventually realized that she was on the same track as her parents. They had terrible spending habits—that she learned—and were in a huge amount of debt. She still has her moments, though. We recently paid off my car, and she immediately thought I should get a new car. Reddit user: shawn77

An Indirect Result

This doesn’t directly relate to the amount of money my now-in-laws have, I don’t think, but their homes—they move a lot—were always filthy. I mean, dog poo everywhere, dishes piled up, the floors were grimy, the places stunk of urine and cigarette smoke. They are such pleasant people, and put in a lot of effort to appear neat when they go out.

I’m not sure where the breakdown is. I suspect a mental illness and so does my husband, and I’m sure a low income doesn’t help. My husband was baffled when, after we first got married and moved in with each other, he’d come home to a house that was spotless every day. Well, by comparison, anyway. I’m not Cinderella.

On the flip side, though, I once dated a guy whose stepfather was a lawyer, so they lived a very lavish lifestyle. The only thing that he was surprised about when it came to my lifestyle was that I did not eat pizza with a knife, fork, and a glass of wine. Reddit user: RIPChairModel

That’s Why They’re Wealthy

My wife genuinely thought—and her family still does—that there’s a direct relationship between someone’s net worth and the labels they purchase. If someone doesn’t have a Gucci bag or a Rolex watch why, it’s because they can’t afford it. Do you drive a five-year-old Honda?

That must mean that you don’t make a lot of money. Otherwise you’d never drive anything older than three years, right? She was astonished when I first told her that people exist who are ultra-wealthy, and yet choose to drive old cars, and wear clothes without high-end labels.

She was even more baffled when I informed her that, in some situations, it’s because of those choices that they’re able to stay wealthy, or accumulate more wealth. Her family, who are what they call upper-lower class, refuse to believe it. Reddit user: markjohnjacobsjingle

She’s Picturing A Deathtrap

I grew up in an upper-middle-class family, and was making just shy of six figures myself, by the time I met my wife. She grew up in poverty, and was homeless at times. Her dad went AWOL when she was 10. She’d gotten an Associate’s degree while working full-time, but was only making about $25k per year when we met.

We both had a lot of lessons about how the other half messes up their finances, but our first co-owned car was a serious trip for both of us. We weren’t married yet, but we were—obviously—headed in that direction. I suggested we get her a new car, and she treated me to a mindset about car-buying that sounds like a dystopian nightmare.

She thought I meant getting a 10-year-old injury-mobile to replace her 20-year-old deathtrap. Meanwhile, I’m picturing a chariot full of airbags, crumple zones, and anti-lock brakes.She’s telling stories about being bullied by car salesmen into buying the crappiest car on the lot.

I’m insisting that we can walk out with a 0.9% loan that we’ll pay off just a few months later, just to pump up her credit score. It really is kind of shocking how your money situation can color your whole world differently. Reddit user: OfficialControlGroup

They Say Money Can’t Buy Happiness

I’m about to marry him. We met in college. My parents paid for everything. He had to take out student loans and get a part-time job. If he was really hurting, his parents would transfer $40 into his account. But that was pretty rare, and they’d give him such a hard time if he asked. He was always very anxious about spending money, and never bought name brands. He’d also buy essentials only when he was completely out. We’re talking only two rolls of TP at a time—single ply.

He didn’t really realize that buying so little every few days, rather than buying in bulk, was wasting money. When we booked our first vacation—a cheap road trip—he couldn’t pay for anything, and was worried the whole time. The anxiety would keep him up at night. It made me so sad to see him that way, and we had a hard time enjoying the trip.

We both have great full-time jobs now, and he rarely has any anxiety. But, he still never fills up his gas tank all the way. Only $10 at a time. Drives me nuts. He never has to worry about money anymore, though, and is so much happier as a result. Reddit user: flop_unflop

He Doesn’t Have To Eat Off The Dollar Menu Anymore

My family is far from rich, but I grew up in the upper-middle-class realm, and was making three times as much as my now-husband when we met. He grew up extremely poor, and his family is still living that way. We’ve offered to help, but they always refuse. He says it’s probably pride, and to just let them do what they’re going to do.

One big difference is how he’s surprised that my parents pick up the check when we go out to celebrate a birthday or a graduation. It also still amazes him that my parents ask him to pick whatever restaurant he wants when it’s his turn. Outside of the ritziest steakhouse in town, they don’t care. For him, a big meal out used to be going to McDonald’s, and not ordering off the dollar menu. Reddit user: scthoma4

I Got A Lot Of Respect For That

My wife earned many times more than I did when I was a high school teacher. That was back when we were dating. Sometimes, she’d drive the 10-year-old, primer-black, stick-shift Honda Civic that my cousin lent me until I could buy another car. She was totally blown away at how aggressively mean people are to you when you drive an ugly old car.

She was even more shocked that, when she got out of the car and turned into a pretty girl again, the meanness-curse lifted.I got a lot of respect from her for that. She seemed to think I was a saint for not letting it turn me sour. Especially considering I was constantly getting pulled over, targeted for road rage, and even harassed by pedestrians who felt empowered to be aggressive.

I drive a brand new Honda now, and it’s such a completely different experience. I still drive the same—okay, I probably drive a bit more aggressively now that I can’t hear the wind roaring when I’m going over 40mph. I haven’t been pulled over, and haven’t had a negative interaction on the road in a long time. Also, my wife now enjoys trading cars with me. Reddit user: PhilSMeowman

It’s The Little Things

This is a story my mom told me. I wouldn’t quite say that my dad is rich—he’s a doctor, though. Compared to the family she grew up with, he’s definitely very wealthy. As a kid, my mom’s idea of extravagance was buying gum at the movie theater. She had to pay her father back for the gum, though, and he was always trying to make every penny count.

When she started dating my dad, he’d take her to the convenience store for a soda. That’s it—just a normal Styrofoam cup full of fountain soda. After they married, they continued to do this every week. She was always so shocked. To her, the idea of getting a soda was a rare treat.

For dad, it was nothing. Not even pocket change. To this day, many years later, mom gets a soda every week. Sometimes it’s hard to see their love for each other, but these little rituals tell the story of their relationship. Reddit user: heraclitus_ephesian

Her Flashy Life Wasn’t Typical

My fiancé comes from a wealthy family. They have a beautiful home in a highly-sought-after zip code, three brand new cars, and they used to go on regular vacations when she was still in school. My single mom raised my sister and I, alone, in crappy apartments. The only way we could afford anything was because of hand-me-downs and government assistance. We weren’t dirt poor, but I never bought anything new until I graduated college and moved out on my own.

Anyway, throughout our relationship, we’ve had a series of conversations where she’s realized her family’s flashy lifestyle wasn’t typical. I, on the other hand, got to see how the other half lives. She was surprised to find I had never been camping in an RV or cabin, only tents. We didn’t go out to eat, except for very special occasions, while her family ate out every single weekend at nice restaurants. For most gift-giving holidays, we got practical gifts, and she got nice electronics.

Outside of these little realizations, though, our financial backgrounds don’t really affect us because her family is completely toxic, and she has nothing to do with them. It only ever really comes up anymore when I make jokes about her marrying down. Reddit user: FrizzTheWizard

She Didn’t Want To Waste It

She wouldn’t waste any food, ever. We went through a few rounds of her getting sick from eating month-old muffins and the like, before I convinced her it was okay to toss old food and go shopping. She grew up very poor so there was never enough to eat, and they absolutely never threw away food unless it was totally covered in mold.

One of our regular activities, when we first got together, was cleaning all the old, stale, and rotten food out of her kitchen. I know she was embarrassed by it, but it was really hard for her to break a habit that she’d had all her life. She still doesn’t like to waste food, but now we do our best to only make what we can eat in a few days, or to share meals when we go out. It might sound silly to some, but she doesn’t deserve to live with that kind of anxiety. Reddit user: scratchnsniffy

There Are Perks To Marrying Up

I’m not the rich one. We’re also not married yet. I was blown away, though, that my boyfriend believed public colleges are all tuition-free. I literally had to show him the financial aid pages for a couple of schools, to prove that public universities also cost money. I just can’t imagine, like, not even having to think about paying for college.

Not only that, but to live my life really, truly thinking that public schools and services are free. What a world to live in. Obviously, he’s realized how privileged he is, and does his best not to sound totally out of touch. Also, I can’t lie, there are definite perks to “marrying up” that I enjoy. Like, you know, not worrying about money. Reddit user: s0urfruit

Apparently, People Mow Their Own Lawns

I come from a family that’s in the top 1% of the 1%. I was walking out of my ex’s garage one day and I saw a lawnmower. I asked her why they owned their own lawnmower if they weren’t in the landscaping business. She—rightly—looked at me like I was insane. That was the day I learned most people don’t hire other people to mow their lawn. I was 20, and really dumb.

Now, when I’m afraid that I’m about to sound like a totally out-of-touch moron, I announce myself first. Like, “Okay, so my privilege is probably going to show, but…” Honestly, I probably still sound like a sheltered twit, but at least I’m a little more self-aware than I used to be. Pretty sure it was that lawnmower incident that made up her mind about me. Reddit user: IGotYouThisBox

He Thought We Were Going To Raise A Baby In That

He grew up in a very poor, and seriously dirty, house. There was literally trash EVERYWHERE. I asked him to do the dishes one day and he said, “Why? They’re just going to get dirty again, aren’t they?” Apparently, at his mom’s house, they kept all the dishes in the sink and only washed one when they needed to use it.

His mom was a single mom with three kids. She was in school full-time, worked full-time, and she never made any one of her kids clean. So it never got done, and they never learned how. Now they’re all desensitized to living in filth, which is really depressing. We’re no longer together because of a lot of issues relating to the kind of environment he was raised in—and expected to raise our baby in. Reddit user: nothingtastesthesame

She Can’t Believe They’re Still Stuck

She just ignored things and didn’t plan. Car needs to be registered? Well, it has a service light on and can’t pass inspection, so I’ll just drive it unregistered until I get stopped. Student loans need to be paid? I don’t have the money for it, so I won’t open my mail from the servicer, and ignore the problem.

Need to fly somewhere for a big event? I can’t really afford the plane ticket, so I’ll push it off until the ticket is twice as expensive. It drove me crazy, because I’m the opposite. Luckily, I was able to change her worldview on these things. Her credit score went up a few hundred points, she got back on track.

Now I can’t believe her other family members are still stuck in that same pattern. I know I make her sound bad, but it was all learned behavior. She was never taught any different. Unlike her family, though, she was open to fixing it. Reddit user: blinkanboxcar182

I Can Spend A Lot More On My Hobbies

The biggest shocker was probably how often she shopped at Ross, grocery outlets—I had no idea those were even a thing—and other discount stores. I shopped at Whole Foods, and bought my clothes at Macy’s or online. Hear me out, though. I know I sound like a jerk. She totally changed how I choose to spend my money.

For grocery shopping, we now go to grocery outlets almost exclusively. Every once in a while we’ll go to Whole Foods. I find I spend a lot less on groceries and clothes now which, in turn, allows me to spend more on my hobbies. She never forced her lifestyle on me, and I appreciated that. She just did her thing and allowed me to either shift my views, or not. Reddit user: Chinmusic415

They Pay For Everything

My boyfriend is from an upper-middle-class family. I grew up very poor. My amazing grandfather not retiring until he was 80 was the only reason we weren’t homeless. In contrast, the first time he and his siblings set foot in a public school was in college, which their parents paid for. We drove our car until the shop refused to release it because it was in such bad shape, and they regularly buy brand new cars for cash. Not super-rich, but practically millionaires compared to my family.

Originally, I was the reckless spender, and he was far more guarded. My mom has a lot of mental health issues, and didn’t teach me any “adult” skills, like finances. It wasn’t until I left to go to college that I started figuring stuff out. I opened a credit card to build credit, got a small amount saved up, but I still struggle with impulse-buying, especially when my depression gets worse.

He used to never spend any money, but now he makes all these impulse-buys, and I worry about getting money saved. I think the big difference is he’s still living at home while finishing school, and his parents pay for everything. Reddit user: panda3096

She Didn’t Even Know How To Cook

I’m the poorer spouse. Growing up, I lived off of cheap/food-stamp meals, like scrambled eggs, ramen, rice, and the like. Eating at McDonald’s was the equivalent of going to a steakhouse for me. Needless to say, there wasn’t much variety. But, I was always in the kitchen, learning how to make these small meals with my parents before they passed away.

My wife, on the other hand, had a lot of fast food and big, home-cooked meals made by her mom. Most things were provided for her—she didn’t have to do much. When we moved in together in college and got married, the kitchen was mostly my domain, simply because she didn’t know how to cook, apart from a couple of recipes from a book her mom gave her.

Her go-to was, “Let’s get pizza!” or, “Pick up McDonald’s on the way home.” Being newlyweds and broke, we needed the kitchen more than we needed to be served. So, I’ve been teaching her how to cook. She’s gotten better, and I enjoy cooking with her and our son, but we still have a long way to go. Reddit user: SpikeKintarin

No Room For Dessert

I’m answering as a poor person whose partner’s family is rich. I about fell out of my chair the first time we went out to eat, and he ordered an appetizer in addition to his entree. That’s when I knew that we were from two separate worlds. Growing up, you never ordered an appetizer, and heaven help you if you asked if you could order a dessert.

I can’t lie, though; the simple pleasure of getting appetizers and desserts is so nice. To him it probably seems silly, but it makes me feel so fancy. We don’t even have to go anywhere nice, either. We could go to Red Lobster and get an appetizer, and I’m on cloud nine. Of course, those cheddar biscuits alone are enough to make most people die happy. Reddit user: missyelliottontap

It Made Me Realize How Much Stronger She Is

I came from a family worth multi-millions. My wife came from a family who could barely eat, and dealt with CPS at times. We fell in love in high school. We’ve been married for 12 years and love each other more each day. About five years into our relationship, though, I realized how weak I was compared to her. I realized that much of what I had growing up, while providing a safety net, caused a lot of the issues I have with anxiety.

In contrast, when we faced adversity in our earlier years, my wife was a solid rock. I don’t mean this to sound insensitive but, at times, I’m envious of what she experienced growing up, because it has made her into an amazing human being full of strength and peace. Nothing fazes her.

I was told, by so many people, how there would be challenges with our upbringings being so vastly different. The only challenge I see is on her end. She’s the one that has to deal with someone who’s so out of touch and was so sheltered—my parents had good intentions—from the harsh realities of life. Reddit user: tallbeardedwonderman

One Cup For Everything

I was shocked by how many tools her family could replace with a butter knife. Seriously. I was also surprised how they used the same cup for everything. Each person’s cup was used for everything from coffee to wine, milk to beer. I’ve come to appreciate many aspects of my wife’s previous lifestyle. I find I’m much less stressed now knowing how unimportant material things are.

The one thing I couldn’t accept, though, is how she used to put safety second. For example: no railing on stairs, and standing on makeshift ladders to grab things from high shelf, etc. I should add that I’m not what most people would consider rich; however, I was absolutely comparatively rich. I’m also proud to say my wife now makes more than me—get it girl! Reddit user: kbaltimore22

It’s A Humbling Reminder

Food was a privilege or luxury, not a given. My wife and I do well enough together—not rich, but comfortable. My parents are fairly well-off, and I grew up in a house with a fully-stocked pantry and fridge. Always. If I was hungry, I ate. I never had to wonder if there would be something in the fridge. I just opened it up, and grabbed whatever I wanted.

My wife grew up in relative poverty. If she was hungry, there was a strong likelihood that there was no food in the house, and she’d stay hungry. Trips to her grandparents’ homes to be fed were common. Her gratitude that our son will never know the despair of an empty refrigerator is a humbling reminder of our very different childhoods. Reddit user: [redacted]

She Was Rationing Toilet Paper

I never really considered myself rich growing up. We never went to Hawaii, or Disney World, and I didn’t get a $60k car when I turned 16. My parents were just super frugal because of my mom’s very poor upbringing, and dad was happy enough to leave her in charge of the finances. He made multiple 6-figures before the financial crisis. When I think about my experience compared to my now-husband’s childhood, though, I see how privileged I was.

When we first started dating I was staying over at his house while he was at work, and I ran out of toilet paper in his bathroom. Panicked, I called him and asked him if 1) there was more, and 2) if we needed to go buy him some when he got home. He said, “No. There’s plenty in the laundry room.” The laundry room was on the OTHER side of his apartment.

I asked him why, and he told me that it was because his mom only ever had one roll in the bathroom at a time, and kept the rest in the laundry room. So I asked why he still did that. “Because she didn’t want us to use it up too fast. She said we used too much, and she was afraid we’d clog the toilets.” After a little more digging, I realized that she was actually rationing TP, because she literally couldn’t afford it. Reddit user: [redacted]

While these personal stories probably left you in awe, you’ll never believe the strange things workers for rich families have experienced while on the job. From a midnight trash run to filling a hot tub with bottled water, these workers share the craziest things they ever witnessed…

When you think about the lives of the wealthy, you probably picture them as being pretty normal people, who just happen to have a lot of money. Sure, maybe they jet off to the islands every other weekend, or spend hours relaxing on private beaches. But, when they’re not taking advantage of what their money can buy, they just have to be like everyone else, right?

Some most certainly are, but wealth and “normalcy” don’t always go together. Sometimes, the rich might even appear to be “regular Joe’s” when they’re out and about. But who knows what goes on behind closed doors. Here are a few stories from people about the absolute strangest—and, in some cases, completely insane—things they’ve seen while working for rich families…

Don’t Go Into The Basement

I once helped my mother-in-law, who was a maid, with a very large mansion in North Carolina. It was a beautiful house. The architecture was astonishing. The owners traveled the world all the time, and were completely loaded. The way that they lived when they were at home, though, was confusing. The kitchen had very old appliances—think 1970s—and the wife’s bathroom had a broken toilet seat that was duct-taped together.

What made it even odder was that we weren’t to go in the basement for any reason. I peaked down there—I couldn’t help myself. There were piles of clothes, three feet deep, in the basement; she took off her clothes, and just threw them down there. There were thousands of pairs of underwear. Turns out she refused to wear the same underwear twice. Judging by the piles, she didn’t wear anything else twice, either. Very weird people. Reddit user: 2greenToes

Just Buy What You Need

I delivered furniture once to a very rich person’s mega-mansion, only to discover that several of the rooms were empty. I didn’t think anything of it at first. I figured, that’s why we were there. I mentioned it to a coworker, and he said, “Maybe they’re still working on picking out their furniture.” The owner overheard us and said, “Nah that room is staying empty. I have no use for it. Same with the others, too.”

After that, I couldn’t really wrap my head around a lot of things rich people do. To be rich enough to afford a house like that, and then purposely let parts of your house go completely unused, because you don’t care about them. Why even buy a house that big then? That just doesn’t compute. Why not just buy what you need, and use it all? Rich people are weird. Reddit user: DaveDavidsen

In The Name Of Frugality

I know a lady who’s secretly rich. Well, maybe not “secretly;” she’s just very, very discreet about it. She’s one of those that, unless you knew about some of the more obscure high-end brands, you wouldn’t be able to tell. One of the more oddball things she did was wear designer jewelry sets to the gym. I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to get sweat all over the diamonds that I don’t have.

Anyway, her main quirk was that she liked Costa coffee. She’d get one every other day, drink half of it, let it cool, and then put the rest of it in the fridge. The next day she would reheat it, and drink the other half. When she told us about it, naturally we asked her why. She just laughed and said, “I try to be frugal where I can.” Yeah, okay. Reddit user: sambeano

They Forgot To Eat

I used to be a live-in nanny for the CEO of a major investment bank in Berlin, Germany. They were a lovely couple, with a sweet baby girl. They made me feel like part of the family from day one. They paid me well, had a separate car for me, and weren’t concerned with what I did in my spare time. They were very generous, lovely people.

My only gripe was that they had extremely strange eating habits. Some days they’d have three enormous meals, and other days they’d “forget” to eat all day. I was often too shy to speak up and say that I was hungry, so I just sort of starved, or went out and got meals on my own after the little girl was in bed. Reddit user: time_is_galleons

Taking Out The Trash

My sister is a nanny for an NBA player and his wife. The wife called my sister once at 9PM to come to their house for an “urgent” matter. When my sister gets to their house, the wife tells her to take the trash out. That’s it. My sister drove for an hour, in total, to take out someone else’s trash. She has so many ridiculous stories about this family, but that one’s my go-to.

My sister signed an NDA, so I can’t share his name, but let’s just say he’s in his 20s, and he seems like a decent guy. His wife, it sounds like, has let the money go to her head. There are plenty of names I could call her, but who knows what her life is really like? I mean, she felt like she had to call my sister after hours for a comically simple task. Reddit user: WhoReadsfor400

More Than Just Lawyers

My friend works for a tax lawyer for the obscenely wealthy. Their firm is one of those places you go to when you want to take advantage of tax loopholes in other countries—think Panama or Luxembourg. He told me once that one of their clients had an issue, and called the people he always turns to for help. His lawyers. So, I’m thinking, “Okay, they got themselves into some legal trouble. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride.”

Well, not so much. Want to know what the problem was? He’d just bought a new jet, and realized its entertainment system didn’t have a Blu-ray player. His lawyers were to find someone that could fix it. That day. He had lawyers at three different firms searching for a solution that afternoon. He got a separate bill from each of them. I hope they charged him double. Reddit user: [redacted]

You Can Do Whatever You Want

I briefly worked at a large architecture and design firm. The boss was a Yale-educated guy in his 50s, probably a millionaire in his own right. Every other week or so this one client—an elderly man—would call and say something along the lines of, “I don’t like how my lawn is oriented anymore, could you get down here?” The boss-man would stop what he was doing, and immediately head over with a couple of guys.

He and the old guy would spend all afternoon sitting in lawn chairs, drinking beers, and directing the staff to move things around. “No, move that plant a little to the left. Wait, I liked where it was originally. What do you think?” My boss billed over $1,500 per hour, not including what he charged for the staff. I guess when you have that much money, you can hire whoever you want, to do whatever random tasks. Reddit user: yellow_jelloo

No Drinks Allowed

These people I worked for were goofy. The wife was driving through the home improvement part of the city, and saw a sale on bathtubs. So she popped in and bought three of them. As she was leaving, she saw another tub she liked, and simply had to get that one too. She wasn’t renovating their house at the time.

They also refuse to throw away food. Used by and best before dates are completely ignored. I once found a tin of marinara that was 15 years out of date. They have a holiday home in the South Pacific, and have a housekeeper clean it three times a week, yet they only visit a few times a year. When they’re not visiting, no one lives there.

When the family goes out for dinner, the father will happily pay for the expensive meals, but not the drinks. The kids—all in their teens or older—have to pay him back for the drinks. He will even send reminder messages, and include the amount owed. Yet, when any of the kids offer to pay for the meal, he won’t accept. Reddit user: Pregnancyinsomnia

I’d Do It All Over Again

I was a babysitter for some pretty rich people once upon a time. Their silverware was constantly filthy. It would be caked with what resembled peanut butter and regret. Their children were pleasant, but refused to brush their teeth unless their parents made them. Turns out the parents were pretty “hygiene illiterate.” The kids continued to refuse, until I told them gross stories about gingivitis.

The mom had a small Buddhist altar in the living room, but was also extremely vocal about her faith—which was not Buddhism. I always wondered why she even had it in the first place, if she thought it was sacrilegious. I’d totally do it again if I was given the opportunity, though. It was mostly getting paid to help with homework, and watch Voltron in pillow forts. Reddit user: LittleGravitasIndeed

That’s How Rich People Live

The most bizarre people I worked for were this newly-rich, young family in Vienna. The bedtime routine for the kids—age three and seven—included, basically, a spa treatment for both. I’d never seen that amount of product in a child’s bathroom in my life. The seven-year-old girl had next to no hair on her head, but I was required to slather her in the most expensive adult shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, and hair oil. Every. Single. Night.

They only had one tiny box of toys, and playtime was scheduled for a mere 30 minutes before bed. But only after they’d brushed their teeth. Dinner was normally a bland fish fillet, and a ton of salad. Not a grain of sugar anywhere in the house. Hot cocoa was made with skim milk and pure, high-quality cocoa—no sweetener whatsoever. It tasted awful.

I’ve always thought there was something else going on behind the scenes. You know, something that was just a little more sinister. But, there was never any real evidence to suggest that they were anything other than just some super weird young people who knew very little about kids. Maybe they just thought that’s how rich people were supposed live. Reddit user: bananamedley

Down The Drain

Growing up, my mother would clean houses for wealthy people in the area. One in particular was an elderly widowed woman with large, all white poodles. She insisted that my mother clean them with bleach. She would provide two gallons of bleach each week, so that my mother could give them their “baths.” No idea where this lady got the idea to bleach her dogs, or why it even seemed logical.

My mother never did bleach them. She bought a proper dog shampoo with her own money, and rarely did more than just brush them and fluff their coats, so it looked like they’d been bathed. There was no way that she was bathing those poor animals more than once a month or so, much less bleaching them. She just poured the bleach down the drain. Reddit user: ousala

We Thought It Was Going In The Kitchen

I worked for a beverage distribution place in a very ritzy resort area for awhile. This one guy’s assistant shows up, and says he needs a pallet of Evian for his boss’s house. No problem. That kind of thing is normal. We got requests like that all the time. So, we load the pallet onto the truck, and drive it up to his house.

After unloading, we ask him where he wants it and he leads us into the garage, and asks if we can help break down the pallet. So, we start down-stacking, and carry cases of the water into what I thought would be the kitchen or pantry. Nope. Straight through the house, to the back deck. He was filling his hot tub with Evian. Reddit user: Odell_Stranglehams

I Never Told Anyone

I regularly babysat a wealthy widow’s two kids. They were seriously sweet little kids, and hanging out with them was always fun. They even liked sharing their newest toys with me. I don’t think anyone in our rather small town realized how loaded she was, though. When I babysat, it was always because she was helicoptering off to the city for a party, a date, or some five-star function in a new outfit.

She paid very well, and always offered me “trinkets.” Things like gold bracelets, that I still couldn’t afford nearly twenty years later. I think she was always trying to give me nice stuff, because I never gossiped about her. Not even to my mother, who was friends with her. I’m pretty sure she was rewarding me for not spilling the beans. Reddit user; MonsieurIncredible

That’s Not How I Spend My Breaks

The family I worked for had a nanny. The youngest daughter once forced her nanny to push her around the entire property, while she emitted a high C note. Seriously. She wasn’t screaming it, either. She was actually singing the note. The property was hundreds of acres, so they were at it for quite a while. I’ve always felt sorry for the nanny.

The breadwinner was the husband, and he was a menace to the trees. He would need to take breaks from work, so he’d grab a pole saw and go to town on random trees. Then he’d get bored, tell me to clear up the mess, and “pretty the trees back up.” This was their weekend home, by the way. They had a mansion in the big city, cottage in cottage country, and this property in farm country. Reddit user: JustHereToConfirmIt

Off Brand Instant Coffee

My dad is an electrician, and has worked in the homes of some very rich people. He did a job in one where the couple only drank very posh fresh coffee. Fair enough, who wouldn’t? They had a cleaner who was permitted one cup of coffee each day, but not their coffee. She had her own separate coffee. It was the cheapest possible coffee you can imagine.

It was some kind of off-brand instant coffee. If a person comes to my flat, whether they’re a friend or the plumber, they’re a guest and they’ll drink whatever tea or coffee I drink, because I see them as equals. My dad has told me that some of the stingiest people he knows are also the wealthiest. Maybe that’s how they stay so wealthy? Reddit user: TheLibrarianOokOok

Protect It At All Costs

Once, when I was a nanny, I was house-sitting while the family was out of the country. The refrigerator in my apartment broke, so I packed up some perishables and brought them to their house to store, until the landlord could fix my fridge. When I brought the food back to my place, I realized I’d accidentally grabbed something that wasn’t mine from the cheese drawer.

It was a mysterious, gallon-sized zip-top bag. Inside was a smaller zip bag. Inside of that smaller bag was a bundle of wax paper, wrapped around a bundle of plastic wrap. Once that was peeled away, I found another bundle of plastic wrap around a wad of tinfoil. Seven layers deep, I found an old lump of fruitcake. I don’t know what they were protecting it from. Reddit user: [redacted]

A Pirate Hoard

I was a live-in groundskeeper for a wealthy eccentric for a while. He had three cars from old movies in his garage. One was even from a Bond film. They were covered in layers of dust and trash. One of them was a convertible, that had the top caved in by trash. Those awesome cars were just totally neglected and forgotten. He also had a freezer full of decades-old frozen food.

I know about this stuff because the garage was where my equipment was stored. I only saw inside the house once—I lived in the groundskeeper’s quarters. Their house was full of all this crystal, pewter, and silver tableware. Random, pricey décor was lying around everywhere. There was easily hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stuff, just lying around in piles. It was like a pirate hoard.

I’m honestly not sure why he had the house. He didn’t actually live there, and only came by once every three months to pay bills, and take care of a few things in town. Then, he’d just jet back to France, where he and his wife lived. Actually, now that I think of it, I wonder if it was just a house he’d inherited, and didn’t want to deal with it. Reddit user: dis_ABLED

By The Caseload

I’m the former nanny for a very wealthy Silicon Valley family. The mom had recently married her new husband when I was hired. The new husband was an older, wealthy lawyer, and she was in tech consulting. They were always really kind to me, and the kids were good despite having insane privileges. I think she did a great job parenting them, actually.

Honestly, the only weird thing was that the parents were addicted to Five Hour Energy and Coke Zero—I assume because they were total workaholics, and needed the caffeine. I’d get texts at random hours begging me to bring over Coke Zero and Five Hour Energy. I’d purchase multiple cases at a time, and it would all be gone by the end of the week. The kids didn’t touch the stuff, the parents made sure of that, so I know it was all them. Reddit user: thatmodel

Immediately Buy More

I was a nanny for a rich family in Vegas. The amount of food they wasted was crazy. One truly strange thing I remember is the woman buying Monster Energy drinks for her nephew. He only visited them once or twice a year. The garage was stocked with cases of it, though. When it went bad, they threw it out and immediately bought more.

Oh, and there was also the time they had me run around and buy $25 dollar gift certificates for their annual company Christmas party, from 25 different places. In Las Vegas. Two days before Christmas. Vegas is wild at the best of times, but that close to a major holiday? Fun isn’t really the right word to describe it. It was an experience. Reddit user: Pretty_Wonderful

I Have A $200k Credit Limit

I work at a skiing school office at a fancy resort in Colorado. I’ve had guests come in and get a private instructor, just for them, for three weeks straight. Private instructors go for a grand a day, just so you know. The really “fun” ones were the guests who would throw the biggest hissy fit when their credit card declined a $20k charge.

Seems like no big deal, right? But, you try explaining credit card fraud alerts to a petulant man-baby. They just totally lose their minds. “I have a 200k limit, it shouldn’t decline!” No, in theory, it shouldn’t. But, if you normally don’t charge that much in a week and, suddenly, you’ve spent $20k in a day, the credit card companies don’t care who you are. Reddit user: immortalluna

He Threw The Burger Back

I’m an assistant to a rich guy; I help him run his business. Most of the rich people I know are very entitled, and don’t understand the word “no.” I have no idea how some of these people got so rich. I’ve watched my boss have a full-blown temper tantrum because a customer called him 40 minutes before he was leaving on vacation. I mean a complete meltdown.

He ordered a burger one day, and they used a sesame seed bun. He doesn’t like sesame seeds, so he threw the burger at the cook. He always complains about how awful his life is, even though he can buy anything, and go anywhere, he wants. It’s hard to explain until you see it, but money and greed really screws people up. Once he gets back from “summering in LA,” I’m looking for something new. I can’t take it anymore. Reddit user: rbilly0001

The Dragon Lady

During the summer, while I was on vacation from college, I helped my mom at her first landscaping/greenhouse job. We went to this particular lady’s house in the rich part of town. It was this big Antebellum home. She was a realtor. We called her Dragon Lady because a) she looked like a wrinkly old dragon, and b) she hoarded the most ridiculous jewelry, and was always covered in “gems.” Even in her pajamas.

We took a job to fix up her backyard. She was a terrible excuse for a human being. Mean-spirited comments, snide remarks, the works. She always had an inordinate number of young men going in and out of her house the entire time we were there. Quite the variety, too. And, if we ran into one, she always introduced him as her “cousin.” Somehow, I doubt they were related. Reddit user: RunesToMyMemory

He Thought He Was Better Than Everyone Else

I used to work for a guy who ran his businesses into the ground and declared bankruptcy—more than once, I believe. He married rich, and his wife paid for him to go to school for a particular kind of certification. He now owns a business that’s also failing because of how he runs it, but he and his wife still have plenty of family money, and they’re well-respected in the community.

He complains, non-stop, about “lazy millennials” who are so “entitled,” and “think they deserve free stuff.” It bothered me so much to see how he was so dependent on the grace of his wife, and the kind of pure luck that just doesn’t exist anymore. He thought he was so much better than anyone else who wanted a leg up in life. Reddit user: [redacted]

It’s Still In His Backyard

My neighbor won the lottery. Nothing huge, but a decent amount. He took the lump sum, and upgraded his little ranch by adding this massive garage, an in-ground pool, and a cabana. He was pretty much of a loner before he won, but afterwards he suddenly had “friends” there all the time. One of the first things he bought, of course, was his dream car: a red Lamborghini.

One day, in the middle of the summer, he was having a party, and his “friends” wanted him to show the car off. So, he started it up, and was revving the engine in the garage, when it caught fire. The fire burned the house to the ground, taking half the money he had in cash—stored in duffel bags—with it.

He didn’t have insurance, and ended up using the rest of the lottery winnings to rebuild the house. Somehow, he managed to push the Lambo out of the garage, but it didn’t do any good. To this day there’s a half-burnt Lamborghini under a big tarp in his backyard, and all that happened over twenty years ago. Reddit user: btao

He’s Not Learning Anything

I worked for this family that regularly bought complicated Lego sets for their five-year-old, and then assembled them for him, because they were too complicated for him to do himself. At first, I thought they were just people who liked Lego, but felt embarrassed that it was for them. But, they did this while the child looked on, and complained they weren’t doing it fast enough. From the looks on their faces, they were afraid of the kid.

Like, dude, he’s not learning anything, except that mommy and daddy were put on the planet to please him. He’s also learning that he shouldn’t have to do anything that’s difficult himself, and that he can make other people do things for him. They also bought him new toys once a week. I don’t understand how you get to the point where you can’t stand up to your own kid. Reddit user: MySecretLair

At Least She Tried

When I was in college, I lived with a girl from an insanely wealthy family. What amazed me the most was how completely clueless she was when it came to cleaning. I mean, she grew up with maids her entire life, and college was the first time she didn’t have someone cleaning up after her, so I figured she might be untidy – but I wasn’t prepared for the truth.

I asked her to clean the kitchen once, and she came home with a box of powdered bleach from the Dollar Store. I found her sprinkling it around the counters, and pushing it around with a wet paper towel. She said that she’d seen me clean like that, so she knew that it had to be the right way to do it. Lord help me, at least she really tried. Reddit user: [redacted]

She’d Call Me From Her Bathroom

I worked for an insanely wealthy woman in New England. She was just as crazy as she was rich. She was pretty old when I worked for her as a personal assistant—my job was mostly researching the location of religious artifacts, including the Shroud of Turin. She was a devout Catholic, and she had a slew of fellow Catholics working for her.

She’d call me first thing every morning from her bathroom, and I’d have to go through every email that she got, including spam. (Yes, she was “using it” during those calls.) She had some sort of skin condition that left her mostly bedridden, and it was so bad that her maid had to change her sheets three times a day.

Her mentally ill daughter still lived with her, as well as her daughter’s boyfriend—also mentally ill—who’d just moved in. He’d managed to trick her into giving him Power of Attorney over her daughter. There were wild rumors among the staff as to why the daughter was mentally ill. Most revolved around the lady having driven her to insanity. Reddit user: [redacted]

It Was Like A Toy Store

I’m a male, and I used to babysit for people on my street when I was a teenager. Male babysitters, I found out, were a hot commodity for parents of male kids, because they would play sports and video games with them. Not that female babysitters couldn’t do those things, but they tended not to. Fair. I don’t see many female babysitters being super-eager to play football in the backyard.

This one family I worked for was rather well off. They had a big house, and two really nice cars. The parents bought these kids every toy that existed. The basement rec room was like a toy store. For real. Half the toys hadn’t even been taken out of the box. On the first day, I discovered the Lego collection. There were so many sets, and none of them had been used.

I asked the boys why they hadn’t played with the Legos, and they said, “We kinda just haven’t gotten around to it yet”. Judging by all the toys around, I could believe that. “Well, we’re going to play the heck out of these Legos today,” I said. We cleared off some space on the coffee table, and opened every box.

We tossed all of the instructions aside, and built the biggest space station that 40 some-odd Lego sets can possibly build. I would even come back sometimes when I wasn’t working elsewhere, just to build more stuff with the boys. They had a ton of fun, as did I, and became “Lego maniacs,” just like me. Reddit user: [redacted]

Handmade In Italy

I’ve been in a couple of really rich people’s houses where they’ve had fires—I work for one of those disaster-recovery companies. One is a semi-famous boxer. He had two world championship belts, both of which he had sitting on his kitchen table. The weird part was, he had pictures of himself hanging all over the house. Not with his kids or his wife in the pictures mind you. They were just of him.

Another couple screamed at their kid because he “allowed” smoke to get into his trombone case. Not sure how he was supposed to prevent that, but whatever. They also lost their minds because the insurance company wouldn’t pay to get them brand new cabinets. I thought it was unfair, too, until they mentioned that they must have them handmade, in Italy. Reddit user: fireinvestigator113

45 Minutes A Day

I was a nanny for a pretty affluent family for a summer and, on the whole, they were really nice people, and great parents. Two things stood out to me, though. On one occasion, they had family friends visiting with their three children, so I worked a full day taking care of the five kids, while the four adults just hung out in the house. They were “working from home,” but really just drinking wine and hanging out.

I understand occasionally having the nanny come while you’re there so you can work, but nannying five children, whose parents were ten feet away, seemed a little absurd to me. The second thing was that they reused Ziploc bags. I probably spent a good 45 minutes a day washing, drying, and organizing their Ziploc bags. They weren’t super environmentally conscious, so I don’t know what the reasoning was. Reddit user: [redacted]

Solid Platinum Reindeer

My husband used to work for a landscaping company. He said that most wealthy people were pretty normal when you actually started talking to them, but he had a few rich clients who were a little “out there.” He would always come home with crazy stories about this one lady, in particular, who was a little more out there than the rest.

For instance: she and her husband paid a pilot, year-round, just to be on standby in case they wanted to fly somewhere. (That sounds like a great job, actually.) Also, they apparently paid Google a fee every year, to keep their property off of Google Maps. And, if I’m remembering correctly, she had two solid platinum reindeer in her collection of Christmas decorations. Reddit user: GabsterWebster

A New Car Fixed The Problem

I used to work security for a high-rise in Uptown Dallas. There was a VIP parking garage underneath the building, and entry required a special gate tag to be in the window of your car. The wife of a guy that owns a large part of a well known home improvement store had it mounted on the bumper of her Bentley. She had the entire bumper repainted to hide the tag.

The tag wasn’t only covered in paint—it’d been placed at the wrong angle. Now, even if it could’ve been read it through the paint, the scanner couldn’t “see” it. She’d wasted thousands. She could’ve just asked, and we’d have told her it wouldn’t work. Of course, she wouldn’t ask personally—it would’ve been her personal assistant. In the end, she bought a whole new car, and stuck the tag in her window. That’s one way to solve the problem. Reddit user: whuebel

Nothing Is Ever Not New

I’m a support worker, and one of the guys I support has very wealthy parents. They want his jeans thrown out once they start to fade, or have any stitching that is ripped. It’s not just limited to jeans, though. Once he got a new couch, because it was starting to look like someone had sat on the old one. Basically, everything he wears and owns is replaced the moment it starts to show signs of wear.

The stuff get donated, which is fantastic, but throwing out jeans because they’re faded and it’s easier to buy a new pair seems crazy. They aren’t cheap jeans, either. Not to mention the furniture. Those are the situations where I really would love to dig around and find out what the deal is, but it’s not my place to ask those kinds of questions. Reddit user: [redacted]

An Object Lesson

I was a custom A/V installer for many years. I once installed 14 televisions in a client’s master bedroom suite—not including the six installed in the bathroom. They were all set to play the mirror image of whatever he was watching on the main TV. He claimed it was because he couldn’t sleep at night. Who knows what the real reason was.

His family totally hated him. His wife had her own suite on the opposite side of the mansion. She couldn’t stand the sight of him. The kids were both teenagers, and left the room whenever he came in. He mostly just sat in his master suite smoking, and teasing his employees all day. He was like a walking object lesson in economics. Specifically: that money can’t buy happiness. Reddit user: mikemclovin

$30,000 Every Time

This isn’t my story, but I have a friend who’s an artist that specializes in painting frescos. For those who don’t know, a fresco is paint applied to wet plaster. It’s very delicate and meticulous work that needs to be completed in a timely manner because, once the plaster is dry, you have to remove it all and start from scratch if you have to make changes.

So, this friend was doing a mural in the house of a wealthy couple. The couple didn’t want any of the builders to know who they were, but they would drop in to check on the progress of the house from time to time. Each time they’d visit, they insisted that none of the “help” be in the same room as they were.

So, whenever they came in, my friend would have to stop working, leave the room until they were finished, and then start the fresco over from scratch. This cost $30,000 every time he did it. The couple knew this, but they still insisted on no one knowing who they were. I believe, in the end, the job cost over $200,000. Reddit user: artsyfartsyfool

She Just Doesn’t Care

My sister is married to an anesthesiologist, who makes a ton of money. They recently spent $22,000 on an 8×11 inch painting that looks like a three-year-old painted it. Yet when we visit my sister, she serves us meatballs that she bought at Dollar Tree. She won’t buy liquid hand soap for the guest bathroom. She just puts a few chunks of old bar soap in a bottle, and adds water.

However, they own a million dollar vacation home, and millions worth of art. She couldn’t care less about how the house looks. Nothing in her home is decorated. In fact, the picture frames don’t even have family photos in them—they just have the generic photo that comes with the frame. She buys way too much food and, when it goes bad, returns it to the grocery store to get her money back. So bizarre. We don’t visit much. Reddit user: DareWright

I Found Him In The Parking Lot

Not a domestic worker, but used to do a lot of hospitality work in very high-end hotels. Rich people get up to the weirdest things, especially when they’re not at home. I once served a full three-course meal to two tiny dogs. That was ridiculous, and I was so close to telling them what I thought, but I needed to keep my job. I did get a nice tip out of it, though.

When I was a valet, I frequently picked up guests who were clearly intoxicated. They were always talking smack, and making wild claims. I found one guy in the parking lot, wearing nothing but a pair of boots, holding the keys to his luxury sports car. I discreetly escorted him back up to his room. I even made him hot chocolate before putting him to bed. I saw him the next day, and he couldn’t look me in the eye. Reddit user: SoMuchF0rsubtlety

She’ll Outgrow It In Three Months

I was getting a wealth woman’s daughter dressed for a party, and pulled a beautiful dress out of her closet. The mother saw it and commented, “I know, you tell yourself you’ll never spend $300 on a dress for a five year old, but then you see it in the window of Crew Cuts…” Wait, Crew Cuts has dresses? Apparently, a girl was wearing it on their poster, and she tracked it down.

I have no idea what I said back to her, because $300 was almost half my monthly rent and, unless they’ve won an Oscar or gotten into Harvard at the age of five, no child ever has a use for a $300 dress. They’ll grow out of in three months, and cover it with strawberry yogurt or pasta sauce. But, I’m sure they’d probably just throw it away. No big deal. Reddit user: MySecretLair

The Omen

A friend of mine is a private tutor in Hong Kong. She told me about a Chinese power couple, who lived in a huge penthouse that occupied the top three floors in one of the high-rises. They had an extremely spoiled two-year-old kid. The couple demanded of my friend that the kid should learn math by the age of two.

She had huge problems convincing them that this was, in fact, developmentally impossible. The kid had five nannies, who all took turns caring for him. He was described to me as “Damian from the Omen,” and it was extremely draining to be around him. This was in 2011, so the kid should be about 10 or 11 now. I’m sure he turned out just fine. Reddit user: ColinZealSE

While some of these workers’ stories were hard to believe, wait until you hear firsthand accounts about what it’s actually like to be wealthy. From so-called friends to relatives always asking for money, these people share what life’s really like when you’re rich…

Money can buy you a lot of things: private jets to Paris, VIP access to the best clubs or sporting events, and free nights at high-end hotels—in some cases, you can even buy the hotel if you feel like it. It must really be the best kind of life to lead, right? Nothing is off limits, and nothing is out of reach.

They say that money can’t buy happiness, though. The lives of rich people aren’t always filled with exclusive trips and free meals. Sometimes being rich comes with a whole heap of problems that no one ever bothered to tell them about. From freeloading “distant cousins” to shallow relationships, these are stories from rich people who share what it’s really like to be wealthy…

Anything He Wants

I’m affluent, but not rich. A friend of mine is rich, though, so I get a front-row seat to the “show.” The best thing is he can do anything he wants, whenever he wants. But, interestingly, he’s put limits on himself: he’s settled down, purchased a normal-sized—but very nice—house, and had kids. So he is tied down a lot more.

The worst thing is that all motivation to do things must come from within himself. Nobody is telling him to do anything, so if he wants to accomplish something he has to have enough self-discipline to do it. Also, he is very generous, but has a weird attitude towards money. I’ve seen so-called friends assume he’ll just pay for something because he can afford it. When he doesn’t, that friendship cools off pretty fast. I think the reason we are so close is that I’ve never asked him for anything financially. Yes, he’ll pick up the dinner tab more often than me, but I take my turn, too. He’s not a bank. Reddit user: cisco45

No Big Deal

Decision making, for the most part, isn’t based on affordability. Especially not when I go out to eat, or something like that. My lawyer jokes that, for me, $20,000 is “chump change” and he’s more-or-less right. My education was top notch; my food, car, and house are the best money can buy. I have a lot of room to take risks, and if I suffer a major failure it’s not a big deal. It’s a good, safe feeling. I’m my own boss, and that feels safe, too.

There’s very little downside to being wealthy, to be honest—at least, in my experience. If the question wasn’t specifically asked, I’d never have thought about it. But, I think the hardest part is feeling misunderstood. People who aren’t wealthy have a lot of trouble understanding my motivations and decisions. They sort of assume that I’m only in it for myself. Reddit user: sockalicious

Can’t Buy Happiness

The number one benefit of having money is not having to worry about money. Number two is being able to be generous towards friends, family, and loved ones. Anyone who wasn’t born into it daydreams about all the things they’d buy when they have lots of money. If you come into it fairly suddenly (maybe by landing an incredible job straight out of the university, or getting in on a successful startup, etc.), for a little while you’ll collect things, and it’s cool.

But after a while, you have all that stuff and, at best, you’d be upgrading things you already own, so the thrill of new things fades. And the final thing you’ll say to yourself once you’ve finally made it is, “Well, crap. Money really doesn’t buy happiness.” But then, on the other hand, it doesn’t necessarily make you unhappy, either. Reddit user: [redacted]

He Eventually Found Balance

My dad is an extremely successful corporate attorney, and our family’s wealth has exponentially grown over the years. Both of my parents grew up dirt poor and then were solidly in the middle class until I was about 13. That’s when dad really started raking it in. I distinctly remember when our summer vacation was a trip to Six Flags. And then, suddenly, it was first-class flights to private castles in Italy. My parents are religious, my mom is actually a pastor, and they have always juxtaposed humility with excess—if they want it, they get it, and they get exactly what they want, but half the time what they want is from Walmart, so it’s not really ever “excessive.”

I benefit from a trust fund and the security that I will never be homeless, bankrupted by a medical catastrophe, or need to worry about retirement, etc. This is a huge blessing, I know. I’ve definitely benefited from nepotism, too. I now work in the same industry as my father and have my own high-paying job. While all he did was to get me an interview, I know my last name carries weight. Growing up, dad would often travel for business, and was sometimes gone for weeks at a time. Huge chunks of time would pass where I didn’t see him at all. It strained my parents’ marriage, and my dad almost quit in his early 50’s. He eventually managed to find better balance, though, and they’re so happy together. Reddit user: rebelrevolt

You Might Not Even Know

The people who you might consider to be “snobs” are generally the people who don’t actually have much, at all. I worked in a golf club over summer—why I don’t work there anymore is a story for another day. Several very, very, very rich multi-millionaires would come in. Like, top .02%, I’d guess.

What did they order? A glass of Coke for the kids, a pint of Stella for themselves, and maybe sandwiches or burgers.

The somewhat rich? They spend like there’s no tomorrow. Incredibly expensive bottles of wine, and the most expensive things on the menu. They were constantly having their member cards declined for having a $0 balance. They wanted everybody, including the staff, to know how much money they were spending, and demanded the best treatment. It’s really kind of sad, but my biggest takeaway was this: if somebody is actively trying to be seen as rich, they probably aren’t. If somebody really is rich, you’ll probably never know. Reddit user: Swaggy_McSwagSwag

I’m Scared My Family Will Find Out

My husband’s grandfather passed away last year and, in February of this year, we found out that he left my husband an exceptionally large inheritance. We knew his grandfather was wealthy, but figured his money would go to my mother-in-law, or one of his favorite charities. My husband and I are in our late 20’s. I grew up in a blue collar, lower middle class household. My husband’s parents made their own money, and didn’t rely on the family for their income.

When we learned about the inheritance, we were in the middle of saving up to buy a house, and had no debt to our names. We clip coupons and buy things on sale. When we met with our financial adviser last week, he gave us a checkbook with enough money in the account to buy our first home outright, for cash. It feels very strange to know that I don’t have to worry about money anymore.

I still feel embarrassed when I buy treats for myself. I have bought one pumpkin-spice latte this year—yes, white girl in my 20s here, no yoga pants at the moment, though. The worst thing is worrying that people will find out. My family doesn’t know. They just know that I have a very good job, and that my husband and I are fantastic at budgeting. Everyone expects a payout when they know you have something. I guess I’m just afraid of losing people I care about. Reddit user: [redacted]

We Worked For What We Wanted

The best thing is having unlimited opportunities available to you. I am fortunate to study at a top-10 university, which will open doors for me to make my own life and not have to use my family’s money, unless I hit hard times. My parents raised us making sure that we’d know how to work hard. If there was something we wanted, it wasn’t just given. We had to work for it. In high school I worked at a restaurant to make all my money. My parents refused to give us an allowance because they didn’t want to spoil us. I hated it at the time, but I’m really thankful for it now.

The worst part is the guilt people make you feel if and when they find out how much money you have. They act as if it’s something you can control, or should be ashamed of. There also seems to be this misconception that rich kids aren’t motivated to work, which I hate. It’s for this reason that I don’t really share a lot about my family with other people. Only my close friends really know, but they don’t really bring it up because they know it’s a touchy subject for me. Reddit user: trashcompactor25

He Was The Biggest Influence On My Life

A teacher I had in high school who taught physics was very rich. He sold his consultancy company to a larger corporation for several billion dollars. Yes, you read that right. Billion with a B. He and his business partner split it fifty-fifty. After relaxing for a couple of years, he decided to go into teaching. He was the most laid-back teacher I ever had. Almost every Friday he would bring in donuts and, since he had an engineering background, he wanted to get a lot of students interested in engineering so he organized these “engineering dinners.”

Man, those meals were awesome. We would all be enjoying a delicious meal while sitting around with highly successful engineers who would tell us about their careers. I have got to say, looking back on it that’s what really got me into engineering. Most importantly, this guy never flaunted his wealth. Sure, he drove a nice car, but he never acted like he was above us. He was also probably the most influential teacher I had in my four years at that school. Reddit user: PhiloftheFuture2014

It’s About What You Do With It

My dad is in the top 0.5% of earners in the US. He’s an immigrant who came to the country with about $200 in his pocket. He begged his uncle to buy his plane ticket to America as a gift, and he earned a full-ride for graduate school. He was originally planning to get a PhD, but he got a job offer after his first summer internship. He hustled to finish an MBA and has been working like crazy ever since. You honestly would never know looking at him, though—he wears shoes from Costco, and still wears his favorite shirts from the 80s. We have a minivan and two sedans. He bought his first house in 1990, paid it off a few years later, and has lived there ever since.

I think the thing that makes me admire my dad the most is that he is very generous with his money, but he’s quiet about it. He donates to a lot of great causes, but doesn’t make a fuss or even tell many people. If his friends or family are ever in a bind, he is the first to help them out. Whenever I see people he knows, from work to friends or family, they always mention how much he helped them when they needed it most. I think my dad understands that money isn’t anything unless you use it to help others. Reddit user: twizzwhizz11

Everyone Knows You’re Rich

Relatives or friends wanting to borrow money, and resenting you for not helping when they “really need it,” is the most difficult part of being rich. Lots of people talk about it, but it’s usually about people who suddenly win the lottery and their “distant cousins” start coming out of the woodwork. But it’s the same for those of us who always had money in the first place. The only difference is that everyone always knew it was there.

Helping someone out during a medical emergency is one thing. Taking your kids to Disney World and then asking for money for the rent, though, is something else entirely. It makes it pretty obvious that you think we’re stupid, or a bank. “We can spend our money on fun things because we deserve it and so-and-so will help out with the bills. After all, we’re family.” Reddit user: Green7000

It’s Just My Parents Who Are Rich

It can cause you to feel like a total failure. Especially if you’re from a rich family where one of your parents was able to make a lot of money and neither of them came from wealthy backgrounds. It can be very disappointing to feel like you will never be as good, or reach that same level of success. I will NEVER come close to where my parents are with the career I want.

I might make $35-45k/yr once I get fully into my career. Compared to the $600k to $1.2mil/yr my father makes, though, it’s nothing. I expect I’ll inherit some money when I get older, but it’ll probably just go straight into my retirement savings. However much it is, I don’t think it’ll really do anything to change my lifestyle. I’ve had easier access to opportunities than my parents did. I could have done a lot of other things with my life and been better off. This is what rich kids mean when they tell you that it’s just their parents who are rich. Reddit user: LateCheckIn

Money To Spare

You feel awkward and out of place when you hang out with really good people that have serious money problems. Especially if they see you buying really expensive stuff all the time. I personally try not to show off wealth if I can help it, especially with girls I want to date, because people will absolutely treat you differently. Sometimes it’s subtle, but other times they make it completely obvious.

For example: this one ex-girlfriend of mine started texting me one day, out of the blue, asking for pizza for her and her new boyfriend because she was hungry and I had “money to spare.” Just like that. We weren’t together and hadn’t spoken in ages, but she still felt like she could just ask me for free stuff because I have money. Reddit user: [redacted]

So-Called Friends

The number of people that call themselves your “friends” is the worst. My family used to own a successful business and we were total ballers. We had money coming out of our ears. Then, something happened and we lost it all in a matter of days. It was a HUGE shock to me in terms of lifestyle change. We did not become poor, per se, as we had savings and a backup plan, but we were way worse off, relatively speaking.

I stopped doing a lot of things to try to save money. My so-called “friends” instantly ditched me because I no longer paid for their drinks or expensive dinners. I was heartbroken because I legitimately thought they were my friends. I still had my lovely girlfriend, though. She was the only one who was actually there for just me. My family bounced back and we are now doing even better than before. Of course, some of those “old friends” have tried making their way back into my life. I simply don’t reply to their texts. Reddit user: [redacted]

One Of The Lucky Ones

Growing up in a wealthy family can really skew your perception of what it’s like for other kids. My family never had to worry about money growing up. We took vacations fairly often, I never had to go hungry, and I didn’t have to take out student loans to attend my very expensive, first-choice university. It was only when I got a bit older that I realized just how lucky I was.

My parents did teach me to really appreciate everything I have, though. It really scares me how other rich kids act a lot of the time when things don’t go their way. I see teenagers throw actual tantrums while they are out and about. It’s appalling. We were taught to deal with disappointment with grace and humility because, even though we were privileged, it could all disappear in a heartbeat. Reddit user: drivingcrosscountry

It’s An Education Problem

I ended up making a friend back in graduate school whose family was very well off. One day I was explaining to her why I was missing a tooth. It was because they wanted about $2,000 to fix it back then—it needed a root canal and a crown that would be more like $3,000 today—and I just didn’t have the money. She was all over my case and said that I shouldn’t have let it go because “teeth last a lifetime if you take care of them,” and that I clearly just didn’t want to spend the $2,000.

She couldn’t even comprehend the fact that I was an undergrad when the tooth went bad, and didn’t even have a $2,000 credit limit yet. Plus, my parents were broke, too. I asked her why she figured it was that people in poor areas were always missing teeth. She was convinced it was just a lack of education. She didn’t understand that poor people don’t have secret savings. Neither did she understand that they’re not poor because they’re stupid. What a sheltered life… Reddit user: [redacted]

They Want You To Buy Them Things

When you become wealthy, you lose most of your old friends. Suddenly you can’t relate anymore. You both have problems, but they’re very different kinds of problems. You also have to be careful with conspicuous consumption—buying nice things—around family who aren’t wealthy. I bought my wife a Cadillac, and suddenly the in-laws have their noses out of joint.

“I can’t believe my child drives a Cadillac. I can’t afford a Cadillac.” How do you respond to that in a civil way? You can’t. “Um, sorry, Gary, but it’s not my problem you don’t have a fancy car.” And, you know it’s just them trying to get you to offer to buy them one, too. To be honest, if they weren’t so passive-aggressive about it, I probably would. Reddit user: jdoe74

I Can’t Tell Anyone

The one thing no one tells you about being wealthy is how hard it is to form quality relationships, and how not to be boring—because you can tell almost no one. I’m in university right now, and I’ve tried not to let money get in the way of friendships. I constantly downplay my family’s wealth just so I don’t attract people who only want my money. I don’t drive a fancy car and I live on campus instead of a swanky, downtown apartment.

Most of my friends are great people, and a ton of them are from lower-income families—I wish I could go, “You have had a hard life, and good on you for making it here. Here’s some money.” But I can’t without making myself look like a total jerk. I also can’t talk about weekend trips to play golf, visits to tropical islands, or going to Paris for fear of sparking jealousy. Because I can’t talk about it, I’m seen as “mysterious,” distant, or just totally aloof. Reddit user: Justanotherrichkid

Pay In Cash

The richer you are the more free stuff you get. How’s that for irony? Those who can afford to spend the money often don’t have to. My mom’s boyfriend is an engineer, and very well off—think multi-millionaire. He is constantly being given free suits, gift cards, money, and tickets to games. You name it, he probably gets it for free. Not that he doesn’t deserve it. He’s a nice guy, and he works hard.

A lot of the freebies do come from his job, but most of his friends are just as wealthy so they give each other thousands of dollars in Christmas gifts—sometimes in straight cash. Like I said, he’s a nice guy who puts in the hours, but he’s still a little out of touch. He thinks it’s ridiculous that anyone would take out a car loan when they could just “pay in cash.” Reddit user: [redacted]

They Have No Idea

I married into a really wealthy family, and after 12 years I’ve had a lot of eye-opening glimpses into the mindset of wealthy people. Here’s the thing: most rich people literally do not know what it means to be poor on a day-to-day basis. They may be aware of the problems faced by the poor, but they still don’t understand what it’s like to live it.

Simple transportation, for example. It’s unfathomable to them that somebody could be without transportation. For over a year I lived in the suburbs without a car. They couldn’t understand that it meant we literally couldn’t go anywhere that public transportation couldn’t take us. They don’t get that transportation literally dictates your job options, and that those jobs don’t actually pay enough to live off of.

I don’t mean to say that they’re mean-spirited people. They just have no concept of what it’s like not to have the means to take care of the basic necessities in life. The idea of having to take what you can get has never crossed their minds. It endlessly confuses them. I hope they never have to be poor. I don’t think they’d survive. Reddit user: [redacted]

Looking For Handouts

We went from making $35k a year for a decade to making around $150k-200k per year for the last seven years. In central Indiana, that’s a fortune. We’re not rich, but comfortable. The biggest, quickest change was everyone asking for money. “Nice new car! I’d buy one, but I can’t even afford to eat, because I’m late on my rent. But, it’s ok; if I can’t pay rent, I’ll just come live with you for a few months. Can I borrow $2k?” My brother is the only person I can trust about lending money to. He’ll always pay it back. The rest are just looking for a handout.

A few years ago we went to a family retreat to the mountains. We were supposed to split the costs between four families. So, I reserve a cabin and say, “The cabin is $2,800, your share is $700, and you’ll make one day of the meals.” Everyone initially agrees. But when I start asking for money, they all say, “We’ll pay when we get there.” That’s a red flag, right? When we all got there, everyone sat me down to explain how I had enough money, and I didn’t need theirs. You know, after I already paid for everything.

I was furious, but no refunds were possible, so I had to eat the cost. Speaking of eating, two families left early because they were starving and I “didn’t provide” enough food. I’ve since been “disowned” for refusing to book any more family vacations. Reddit user: [redacted]

It Could All Just Disappear

They don’t tell you that you will still worry about money. If you grew up without it you will always worry that it will go away. You will not be comfortable spending just “for fun.” You’ll fix what needs fixing, but you’ll still drive an old, used car. You won’t be able to justify the expense of a new, fancy sports car, or a large home. It’s virtually impossible to let go of the mindset that it could all disappear in a moment.

Your loved ones will have what they need. No one will have debts or student loans. You will live in a nice neighborhood, even. But nobody will know how much you actually have because you will never assume it’s permanent. I thought it would be really, really nice to have money. But, I never thought I’d feel like it wasn’t even mine to spend. Reddit user: fusepark

That’s Why We Stick Together

I guess the worst thing is that you get cynical at a young age, because you meet so many people who want to use you really early on. The psychiatrist I was seeing to treat my clinical depression, for example, asked me to introduce her husband to my father. Very professional. I lost a lot of friends because they kept borrowing money from me and refusing to pay me back because I “shouldn’t be selfish” when I have so much money. In the 5th grade, I invited a “friend” over to my house, and she stole things from me.

You know why rich people often end up sticking together? It’s not purely snobbery, or having a common background. It just feels safer. When they have as much or more than you, they’re less likely to use you. Not only that, you already know what they’re like when they make it. A lot of people are only nice because they haven’t had the opportunity to be anything else. Once they have money, though, they have a complete personality change.

One of my exes started out as a “nice guy” but, once I introduced him into my circles, he started acting like the stereotypical rich jerk, despite having no money of his own. Turns out he wasn’t a “nice guy.” He was just a jerk who’d never had the opportunity to let it show. Reddit user: bankergoesrawrr

Everyone Has A Motive

I had a successful startup that I sold to a large, multinational corporation for several hundred million dollars. The number of friends and family members that come out of the woodwork is astounding. People you haven’t seen for years—some you’ve never even heard of—all of a sudden know you, and have your number or email. Relatives, old school friends, etc. They have families to support, student loans, debt, health bills. You always think, “If I strike it big, I’ll help my parents and siblings, and that’s it.”

Then that balloons to cousins. Then distant cousins and family overseas. Then neighbors, old family friends, and even their relatives. Everyone has things to pay for. And you can’t say no. If you say no, then it’s “but you helped so-and-so”. You’re called greedy. Family problems pop up. That coffee you spilled on someone a few years ago? You remember the one. You apologized profusely, and they insisted it was no big deal. Now, suddenly, it’s a lawsuit. You are a target. Everyone’s motives are in question. Reddit user: throwdataway

It’s A Fine Line

My husband and I are rich, but we’re basically the millionaires-next-door. No one knows. Our money is inherited—$7M between the two of us, and we’re eventually looking at an eight-figure inheritance. We live in a $175k house and drive older Hondas. We live very comfortably, but not extravagantly. We both went to top-10 universities, and I went on to get a PhD. Our “total household income” is only $120k/year.

The good: we were both able to pursue careers that we enjoy without worrying about compensation. We don’t argue about money. It is an incredible comfort to know that part of life is already taken care of. My children can go to college anywhere they choose. If we begin to dislike our jobs, we can quit before something else is lined up. It really is an amazing amount of security, and we feel very lucky.

The bad: there really are very few downsides. The hardest part is knowing when/how to step in when friends are struggling, or making bad financial decisions. It’s very uncomfortable knowing I could wipe out major debts, but I can’t or shouldn’t. There’s a real sense that this money is “not ours” because we didn’t earn it. But, that also comes with the feeling that we have to protect it. Reddit user: NotNotaCylon

An Attitude Problem

The best part is, obviously, the experiences. Most people cannot simply charter a private plane to Vegas for just one night, or choose between vacation homes based on the weather in each location. I’ve had the opportunity to see and go places I never would have been able to otherwise. From sightseeing at beautiful and historic locations to getting into bars and clubs reserved for the VIPs. It’s surreal, and I know I’m very, very lucky.

The worst part is the attitude some wealthy people have. Like passing judgment on the stupidest of things. Usually how much wealth other people have. I remember other women looking me up and down like I’d just walked out of a homeless shelter or something because I had the audacity to wear anything other than Burberry sweaters and Alexander McQueen shoes. Reddit user: [redacted]

I Don’t Know How To Tell People

When my husband and I got engaged, he sat me down and shared with me that his parents had set up a trust fund for him. Basically, when he turned 30, we became millionaires overnight. He’s super down-to-earth, and still works the same job. He doesn’t get paid a ton, but he is doing what he loves. He grew up knowing his family was rich, and had a lot of amazing experiences. He knew the trust fund was coming, so he was prepared.

I, on the other hand, haven’t quite figured out how to handle talking to friends about certain things. Like us buying a house that seems way too expensive. Most of them don’t know we have money. I find myself feeling ashamed a lot of the time, or scared that people will judge us or want money from us. I love being generous and treating people to things, but I don’t want it to become an expectation from friends, because then it won’t seem like a genuine friendship. Reddit user: fortunate_throwaway

Still In Mom’s Basement

I was fortunate enough to have entered the top 0.5% of earners about a year and a half ago. Before that I was living in my mom’s basement, barely getting by. I was only pulling in something like $15,000 a year. It’s completely surreal to think about now. Sometimes I wake up and forget, just for a moment, that I’m not still in mom’s basement.

I wouldn’t call myself rich yet, but by far the best thing about money is freedom. It’s very liberating being able to do what you want, when you want. Being able to travel wherever you want, eat whatever meal at whatever restaurant without thinking twice about the price, that kind of thing. The bad? It’s just minor things. But being expected to pay for tabs and things like that do happen. Usually, I’m more than happy to do it, but it feels tainted, somehow, when it’s expected. Reddit user: RPN

It Can Change You

Getting or losing money can completely change a person. I had a friend who came into serious money. I mean serious money. I’ve never been too sure how much he got, but it’s enough for him—and his kids—to never have to work again. He went from a guy we all loved to hang out with, to a stuck up, self-righteous, jerk almost overnight. Suddenly, he was too good for us.

He constantly complains about how we can’t do the things he does. For example: working for free in other countries doing relief work. He looked at one of our friends and said, “Well, I mean you could go do what I do, but you won’t because you don’t care if other people die.” I looked at him and said, “If any of us had the money you have, we would be there doing the same. Honestly, I think the money has made you one of the worst people I know.” I stopped being friends with him after that. Reddit user: [redacted]

Cars Don’t Replace Family

I think the biggest thing people don’t realize—people who actually work for their money—is what the price is for being rich. My father was an executive and made a lot of money each year, but the price of that was that he was never around while I was growing up. So, the ultimate cost of wealth was weak familial ties.

I’m not complaining, though. I learned a lot as I grew up, and came to be very independent. I also don’t think either of us would have been happy with each other if he was around more. But, that’s the price of it all. You may have a McMansion, nice new German cars every other year, and a sizable stock portfolio. But, that’s it. Cars don’t send you thoughtful Christmas cards. Reddit user: theoryofdoom

People Will Twist Your Words

I grew up in a very wealthy family, but I never realized how wealthy until my brother mentioned it. You don’t realize that a parent deciding that they need a new car—my dad drives a lot for his business, and so after 100k miles he buys a new car—and just going out and buying one for cash is not a common thing when you’re seeing this as a kid.

Talking to my non-affluent friends was always a touchy thing. I always tried to be mindful that not everyone was lucky enough to have been born into money. It’s put strains on friendships, and has ended many. People take what you say and twist it to get you to feel bad, or get money out of you. I’ve had girls date me for money, and then dump me for not showering them with expensive gifts, and friends end decade-long friendships because I didn’t invest in their next “big idea.” Reddit user: awkwardbaloon

A Shock To The System

Rich kids are in for an even bigger shock than middle-class kids after finishing college. Many middle-class people are forced to temper their expectations about what kinds of jobs they can get and how much they can make. They grew up knowing it wasn’t that easy. However, I’ve known many rich kids who majored in things like “video game journalism,” or Asian-American Women’s Literature, only to realize, four years later, that no one was particularly interested in their skill set, and of those who were, none of them were going to pay what they were expecting to make.

When you’ve spent your whole life having fun, with no regard for spending limits and the power of money, the “real world” seems insanely harsh. No longer can you just order food out every night, or always get a cab home. You can’t just decide to go to Europe on a four day weekend. When you see an item of clothing that you really like only to realize that it’s two months worth of rent… well, you’re in for a shock.

I know about a dozen rich kids who had a BLAST in college, only to graduate and realize they were unemployable by anyone other than their parents’ company. They had to either get another, more useful, degree or settle for never making as much as their parents made. Reddit user: [redacted]

No One Tries To Hide Their Feelings

I’m in my mid-twenties and reasonably wealthy. I own a really nice car and some property. I got lucky a few years ago and was in the right industry, with the right background, at the right time. People trash-talk behind your back, and try to devalue you. I took my girlfriend to Rome for our anniversary one year, and the next thing I heard was rumors about how I’d borrowed the money from my parents.

No one wants to believe that I made the money on my own. Clearly I’m just a spoiled rich kid who has no concept of how the world works, right? Sorry, guys. It was my money that I spent going to Rome. I guess it doesn’t really matter what they think in the end, but it’s still frustrating. Especially considering that no one really tries to hide those opinions from me. Reddit user: TheGuyInTheVest

We Have Real Problems, Too

Just because you, or your family, has money doesn’t mean you automatically have an amazing life. Rich people can be riddled with things like anxiety and depression, too. And, of course, people downplay it, because you “can’t have any problems” because of your money. Then, there’s an added bonus of hating yourself for being an ungrateful jerk who, somehow, despite having a lot of money, still hates their life. I’ve had friends—even one boyfriend—that said that I have no right to complain about certain things, because money isn’t an issue in my family.

My parents are pretty well-off and have used it to manipulate me in ways that have destroyed my confidence, causing much undue stress and anxiety in my life. My financial dependence on them has been used as, essentially, blackmail multiple times. I no longer want to trust my parents, but have to because I don’t have a degree or an “adult job.” I do have a part-time job that allows me some autonomy in my life, but it doesn’t mend broken trust. Reddit user: spookychan

It’s All About The Stuff

Two things. One: they don’t tell you how hated you will be because you’re successful. I hate how people with money are vilified on the internet. It annoys me to no end. I grew up in a wealthy home and I’ve gone on to build my own success, as well. However, I don’t think people understand how giving many people with money can be.

Two: they don’t tell you that many of the relationships you build will be shallow and unfulfilling. Many wealthy kids don’t realize that they bond over material possessions, even if they consciously don’t care about that stuff. They spend their time playing Xbox in the game room, or on hobbies that are super expensive. All of your relationships end up revolving around stuff, and what you can do for them. Reddit user: capecodcaper

You Get Taken Advantage Of

I’m one of those people that everyone loves to hate. I was born into a family that has become one of the world’s leading brands for what we sell. I’m not going to share who we are or what we do, but it’s been an incredible ride over the past 20 years. When I was born, we were a shell of what we are today, but have grown into a company with $4 billion in annual revenue.

It feels pretty great overall. Having the flexibility and access to do just about whatever I want is great. Not living paycheck-to-paycheck, not having to answer to a boss, and not needing to worry about material or financial things is a wonderful blessing. However, it doesn’t come without its own set of challenges. Once people know—and nearly everyone where I live knows the family name—you are automatically set up to get taken advantage of by anyone you do business with. While a lot of businesses will drop everything to cater to the needs of people like me, they do it with the intention of squeezing every nickel out of you that they can. Reddit user: anonymousthrowaway0

The Good And The Bad

The Good: my parents made it a point to emphasize that money can allow you to do the things that make you happy, but money itself won’t make you happy. Whether it’s taking family vacations or donating to charity, money allows you to do the things that you want. My dad didn’t work his butt off just for the money. He did it so that he could provide a better life for his family and friends. We were the house that always hosted parties, and let people have their weddings in our backyard.

The Bad: people try to make you feel guilty for being wealthy. People judge my character based on the fact that my father was very successful. I was so oblivious and uncaring about money when I was young, yet everyone assumed I was spoiled or a snob. To this day I don’t ever tell people where I grew up, because immediately they assume I am some rich spoiled kid. It bothers me because my dad was poor growing up and he accomplished so much for himself and his family. I am proud of my dad, not only for his success, but for becoming the generous man he is able to be because of it. Reddit user: [redacted]

They Won’t Let Me Take Care Of Them

I got my dream job, and started making more than my parents combined, while I was still living with them. Being 25 at the time, I spent a little money on some of my hobbies, but not a lot. About $500 went to a project motorbike. I’d always wanted to work on one. And, of course, I got myself a nice car and better clothes.

I couldn’t enjoy my earnings without being criticized at every turn, though. Offer to take my folks out to eat? I’m showing off. Offer to help them with medical or auto repair bills? I’m still showing off. Bought them groceries, just because? You guessed it: showing off AND wasting money by buying them brand-name soda. It created a lot of resentment, and I made the decision to leave.

I still see them regularly but, to tell you the truth, it isn’t the same. Why couldn’t they let me take care of them like they took care of me? Reddit user: 0xc0000e9

All The Money In The World Is Never Enough

The strangest thing I learned is that you can never have enough money, no matter how wealthy you are. There’s always something else to buy—something more, or extra, to spend on. They range from experiences, to necessities, to material possessions. For example, say I live in NYC and work on Wall Street (I don’t, but this is an example). Maybe my boss wants to take me out for lunch. We go to an awesome, but very expensive, place and he drops $4k on lunch. Okay, cool.

Next time we go to the bar, I’m expected to buy the drinks, right? My boss just took me out for lunch, and he’s also there at the bar with us. I can’t just say, “Sorry guys I don’t wanna buy tonight,” and literally risk my job. So, I order a round of some super-pricey wine or liquor. At the end of the night, my bill is over $1,000. People complain about spending a hundred bucks at the bar in one night. Well, I may earn two or three times more than they do, but my bar bill is about 10x theirs. And, if I don’t buy, I could be out of a job.

And no one understands, or cares, that I don’t want to spend all my money at the bar. Reddit user: [redacted]

Money Obviously Buys Success

I come from a well-to-do family, and so does my husband. We both have high-paying jobs. There is a crushing expectation of success when you come from a wealthy family. You’re never allowed to fail or mess up. For some reason failing at anything is about a million times worse, simply because you’re wealthy. You have a facade of inherent success to maintain.

But, there’s the weird flip-side to that: if you actually do succeed, it’s never your own success, even if your success had nothing to do with your family. You always got where you are because of something other than your merits—people mostly assume it’s because your parents paid someone off. For example: my husband once got asked who his dad paid to get him the job he has. Reddit user: [redacted]

While some of these stories probably left you speechless, you’ll never believe that rich people can also be stingy at times. From driving cars that are falling apart to refusing to pay for a taxi ride, these people reveal the craziest things they’ve caught rich people doing…

Rich people are known for shelling out tons of cash on things like cars, clothes, and partying, but even they have to cut costs sometimes. After all, why pay for super premium gas when you can get by on the mid-grade stuff? That’s if the fancy car can even run on anything less than premium, of course…

Sometimes, rich people can be out of touch with the cost of things, from boats to loaves of bread. And that means that when it comes time for them to actually think about pinching pennies, they’ve got some pretty ridiculous reactions. People shared their top stories of the cheap things they’ve seen rich people do, and some of them are pretty…”out there.” If you’d like to laugh at the cheapest things rich people have been caught doing, here goes…

Don’t Forget The Clips

I once worked for a very rich man who owned several car dealerships in the state. As you can imagine, he had several employees, and every time one of the workers took a deposit to the bank, he would send his secretary back to the bank to get paper clips….

The secretary had two choices she could make: She could decide to either wait at the bank for them to give the clips back or she could be sent back to the teller every time. It was so utterly ridiculous, and she hated her boss for it. Reddit User: bncosby

The Unexpected… Gift

I was working at a warehouse that used a lot of day workers. A guy on my team was down and out and not very well off at all. The manager strolled by and saw that the guy was tripping over his shoes because the sole of his sneakers had separated and was flapping.

He then pulled a wad of bills from his trousers, held together by an elastic band, and said to the floppy shoe guy that we can’t have this and that he wanted to help. The manager then pulled out the wad of bills, unwrapped the elastic band, and handed the band to the floppy shoe guy. Reddit User: Mistercrawlingchaos

Thirty Cents Adds Up

I used to work at this restaurant, and I always had this regular customer who’d come in maybe once or twice a week. She always wore designer clothing. I mean, everything from head to toe was a designer brand, and she was always very well put together.

She came in once and yelled at me for five minutes because the price of her favorite drink had gone up…. It was now thirty cents more expensive due to a company-wide price increase. Something I had no control over. I was completely shocked that she would be so angry for 30 cents. Reddit User: whittiez

A Game Of Pretend

On my commute to work, I saw a very wealthy man dress up in “homeless clothes” and stand on a street corner begging for money. He would do this for days on end and always on the same corner. When he was done with his “homeless shift,” he would hop into his Mercedes and take off….

I wasn’t the only one who noticed this. The local news actually even did a story on him, exposing him for being a fraud. They even showed him driving off in his fancy Mercedes. After that, he wisely decided to never go back. Reddit User: tinyhousebuilder

Stocking Up

I used to work at Costco, and trust me when I say that I’ve seen some weird things. There is this lady in particular who, while at the food court, would fill up jars (that she brought with her) of ketchup, mustard, relish, and the other condiments.

The absolute worst part was that this lady never even bought anything….She then proceeded to have her driver pick her up in a car. The car was also a Rolls Royce. I must have seen her do this at least five separate times. Reddit User: OnlyAskReddit

Taking It Back

When I worked in a bar, I got a variety of customers, but the most interesting, by far, were the rich yet cheap patrons. They came in all the time. The incident that sticks out the most was when a very wealthy businessman tipped me only because his date was looking.

I was happy about it because it was more than your average tip. When they were on their way out, his date was further along and wasn’t looking. The man turned to me, and he stuck his hand out, took the tip back, and ran after her. Reddit User: Amaseron

Wearing Them Out

One of my kid’s best friends has a very wealthy parent. They’re so wealthy that they’re retired and they’re not even 40 years old. I mean, that’s great, but for some time now, I’ve been hearing so many stories about horribly cheap things that their family practices, and it’s extremely hard to believe….

The most unbelievable story that stuck with me the most is how the kid’s mother makes her kid wash and reuse paper plates. Yes, that’s right, paper plates. They keep up the practice and wash them until the plates can’t be used anymore. Reddit User: niva14

The Things People Do

When I used to be a bartender, I had a group of five work colleagues that once sat around the bar for some time, having a great time, getting drinks. After telling me that I was amazing, they each dropped 5 bucks at the counter, and a little extra, which was nice.

When they left, I started cleaning up the cups and glasses when my boss called my attention….But something told me to turn back around. I saw, and I kid you not, this new girl that was with them grab my $30 tip and run out the door. Reddit User: PaoloFromPhilly

Pizza Fees

I was a pizza delivery driver for a while. My most memorable moments while I worked there always included this one lady who would regularly order. She lived at the very edge of our ten-mile delivery area. She lived behind a big privileged gate with an access code that we had to call her for to let us inside….

For her usual order of three pizzas, she would tip a grand total of two dollars, citing that the $2.50 delivery fee was “too expensive” for her to give more. She had a freaking Porsche in her driveway for crying out loud. Come on. Reddit User: McGreevy

Plane Snacks

I dated a multi-millionaire once. Every time we traveled he always, and I mean always, took the first-class plane snacks (especially the chocolate brownies) and had me put them in my purse to save for later. He would then get these late-night cravings for them.

He said that he didn’t want the added expense of using the hotel’s mini bar or ordering room service….This one time around three in the morning, while we were in our hotel room in Las Vegas, there he was. Just munching on plane food. It cracked me up. Reddit User: [readcted]

A Water Issue

The craziest thing I’ve seen someone with a lot of money do was to refill an entire gallon water jug from the office common space water cooler. Every so often, this guy would bring in his empty containers to work with him and stand there while they filled up with water.

He would even wave as people passed by watching him do this….But that’s not even the craziest part, either. The most unbelievable part is that the man in question happened to own the company. Yeah, for real, the owner did this. Reddit User: honeybeeholcomb

There’s Cheese At Home!

This is about a former coworker of mine. Now, he wasn’t extremely wealthy, but he made more than enough money to not have to be doing crazy things like this. He told me that when he goes to McDonald’s with his wife, he always looks for ways to save money, even if it is a few cents….

This one time, he said that his wife wanted to buy a cheeseburger. So he makes her order a regular hamburger without the cheese, then told her that they had cheese at home. She could just use the cheese at home to make it into a cheeseburger. Reddit User: rak9999

The Peanut Muncher

One of my managers from my job, who made a decent six-figure salary would do this. He would walk into a fast-food restaurant, I think it was Five Guys, and eat the free peanuts that they offered to customers. But he would never actually end up ordering anything.

All that he did when he went was just sit there and eat a load of free peanuts. Then he would leave….It was so embarrassing to be seen with him. One time, I saw him do this while I was standing in line myself, getting my own meal. Reddit User: Charomid

Transferring The Ticket

One evening when a friend and I were just about to head out, we saw a bearded man do something that was probably illegal. He had parked his super luxurious and expensive Rolls Royce in a place that he wasn’t supposed to, and as a result, he got a parking ticket….

What I saw him do was pretty unbelievable. He ripped his parking ticket from his windscreen and placed it on someone else’s car. We locked eyes as I saw him do the crime.  I quickly scuttled inside, vowing never to mention it again. Reddit User: AbnormalSnail

Quiznos For Vegetarians

I was in Las Vegas once, and this rich guy I was with would not eat at the buffets because he was ridiculously cheap. in other words, he thought that they were too expensive. Because of this, we had to go to a fast food place to satisfy his cheapskate tendencies….

Oh also, did I mention that this guy I was with happened to be a vegetarian? So now our already limited food options became even more limited. So what did we end up eating? Quiznos. I refused to suffer any longer and left him. Reddit User: [redacted]

Big Spenders, Lousy Tippers

In college, I worked at a live theater. It was attended by CEOs/founders/owners of some of the largest companies in the area. They were always the stingiest tippers if they tipped at all. No matter what it was, whether it was the coat check, bar, or espresso bar.

One of the guys that sat on the board was there on the opening night. His date tried to give him grief for not tipping the bartender, and he made some “I earned mine, they can earn theirs” comment. None of us expected them to tip big, but even the broke elderly ladies that volunteer-ushered for free tickets usually tossed a dime into our coat check jar. Reddit User: Auntie_Ahem

Ditching His Friends

I didn’t know the status of this guy’s bank account, but I know that no one should ever do what this guy ending up doing what he did to his friends. He came up to the bar to pay for the table’s bill, saw how much the table had racked up (it was approximately $150 worth of drinks and food), then casually sat back down at the table….

He sat there for a little and talked to the others. He then proceeded to put his jacket on, ended up saying goodbye to everyone, and walked off. He left the bill on the table to be paid by the rest of the group. Not a very classy move. Reddit User: [redacted]

Late Payments

My grandmother had to mail in all her bill payments, as she didn’t own a computer. One month, she didn’t get her water bill, or it was delivered to someone else by accident. Whatever the cause was, her next bill included both that month and the previous month. 

It also included a minimal late fee that was less than the cost of a stamp…. For the rest of her life, she skipped the bill one month and then paid both the next because she saved a few cents by using just one stamp instead of two. Reddit User: ahadyar117

The Refill King

A regular customer came in every day and asked for a refill of iced coffee, hot coffee, and a small steamed soy. He brought in his old cups and had his membership card in order to get free refills. We always marked his cups (he doesn’t know), so we knew when he brought it in and called him out on it….

One day I just said, “I’m sorry, sir, but these cups are noticeably old, and our policy for refills only works if you stay in the store, not bring them back a day later.” It was probably the first time he ended up paying full price. Reddit User: justine7179

Not In The Budget

My sister is a really good pianist. She taught piano lessons all the way through high school up until she was 20 years old. One of her students needed a new notebook, and his family was one of those wealthy but still strict on the budget type of families.

So my sister said, “Head down to Staples! They have notebooks for 25 cents with the back to school sale….” His mom said, “I’m sorry, I haven’t accounted for that in my budget. It looks like (student) is gonna have to wait until next month when I have that accounted for.” My sister handed her a dollar and told her to buy the kid a notebook. Reddit User: [redacted]

His Turn To Pay

Some guy my dad used to hang out with all the time was a millionaire. He would ride to a supermarket and buy a large bag of their old potatoes and eat them with butter for lunch for the next couple of days in a row. They would go hiking then eat at a restaurant.

The guy would order one of the more expensive meals and several drinks and would say, “You pay for both of us this time, next time will be on me.” He always said that… One time my dad didn’t take any money with him. The dude hardly ordered anything that time, and I don’t think they ever went out to eat together after that. Reddit User: [redacted]

The Clam Bake

I have friends who only work to have something to do during the day that refuse to pay for their trash. Instead of buying special trash bags, they put theirs in grocery bags, then put them in the freezer overnight. In the morning, they would just throw the bags in the trash outside at a Publix….

One day after a clam bake where my grandfather purchased all the food (they hosted), they collected all the shells in a bag, then drove over to my grandparents’ house and tried to throw the shells there. They were never invited for dinner again. Reddit User: btreecat

Sharing The (Lack Of) Wealth

I lived in a fairly good neighborhood where there were several families with kids my age. They weren’t extremely wealthy, but they weren’t close to being poor.  My parents would let me go to baseball games with some of them, and every time we got there, we would always share the same drink.

They wouldn’t even let me buy my own when I had more than enough of my own money. The mother insisted that I share with her kids and her husband and herself! I did not partake, I just sat there…thirsty. How can you afford a game for a family of five and not drinks worth $10? Reddit User: Jeckle160

Rinsing Her Garbage Bags

I lived in a decent neighborhood where it wasn’t odd to see strange things. I once watched a lady across the road bring all her garbage bin bags out (filled with trash), empty them into the community garbage bin, then rinse the bags out with her yard tap once she got back to her home….

She would then end up leaving them on the washing line for a bit, would fold them, and then took them back into the house to reuse for more garbage. I mean, come on! I know you’re trying to save money, but that’s just disgusting. Reddit User: barnowl91

Obsessed With Pennies

I used to work at a gas station, and there was one lady that always bragged about finding pennies on the ground. She would come in and scour the store looking for dropped pennies. She would even find them behind heavy displays and then ask the employees to move them so she could get a penny….

Then when she finally checked out, she would steal every single penny out of the give-a-penny-take-a-penny thing at the counter. She was probably one of the least likable people I’ve ever met, mostly because she did this when she already had money. Reddit User: hydro123456

The Vouchers

In my area, the local animal rescue has a spay/neuter assistance program. Residents of the county can apply for them. They’re generally worth 45-80 dollars depending on gender and breed. My veterinary hospital has seen several expensive purebred dogs be fixed with those vouchers..

These purebred dogs would cost somewhere between the high hundreds into the thousands. Generally, I am just happy to see any animals spayed or neutered, but in these cases, I always think what the heck? I am pretty sure there is someone that needs this more than you. Reddit User: tattooedteacup

A Love Of Ketchup

I saw this one very large woman bring in a nearly empty ketchup bottle to a local Arby’s I was eating at, only to take almost all of the ketchup packets from the condiments section, sit down without buying anything, and refill her ketchup bottle one packet at a time….

She then got up, waddled out to her car, got inside of it, closed the door, unscrewed the cap, and then…. took a drink from the bottle of ketchup. Pretty gross. Also, her car was a really expensive model that came out that year. Reddit User: [redacted]

Can We Make It?

My uncle was visiting me while I was in Los Angeles, and he and my aunt were on their way back to the airport via their rental Jeep after we’d just had lunch. On the way there, they stopped at a nearby gas station where they proceeded to have a three-minute conversation….

It turns out that the long conversation they had was about whether they thought they could make it to the airport on $1 or $2 in the gas tank since they had already paid for the gas. I never asked what they decided to do. Reddit User: SaxifrageRussel

Reusing Teabags

I knew a very wealthy older lady who would actually re-use her teabags, and I’m not just saying once in a while. She did this all the time. She would make the tea, squeeze out the bag all the way, then would hang it outside to dry and use again and again.

It was the oddest thing and might have been the most disgusting thing that I have ever seen someone do….I ulltimately came to the conclusion that she liked the flavor of her barely-there tea. I honestly don’t know how she did it. Reddit User: jimmiethefish

All For Free Refills

I once witnessed a guy take his wife on a date to a matinee movie, and instead of buying popcorn, he decided to dig through the trash to find one of the large refill sizes of popcorn buckets. The funny part was that afterwards what he would do with the bucket.

He would then enter the bathroom, wash it out, and took it up to the counter for free refills….I thought it was kind of brilliant, but also kinda gross. I thought it’d be better to just save your own bag and bring it back each time. Reddit User: deltarefund

A Creature Of Habit

A guy at the insurance company I worked at was named Bud. Between new commissions and vesting, Bud made around $200,000 to $300,000 a year, a pretty good amount. But he also would drive a truck that was built when I was in elementary school, and he brown-bagged his lunch.

There was bologna or some other lunch meat with a slice of cheese, a slice of tomato, mustard, and wheat bread….He would also have a little Tupperware container of cold microwave popcorn to go with it. Every. Single. Day. It was one of the strangest things I’ve witnessed. Reddit User: politicaldan

Ketchup Soup

I once saw a guy order a glass of hot water at a restaurant. And that’s completely fine because people do that all the time. But the thing that made the situation strange was the reason he ordered it. Turns out he did it just so he could mix some of it with ketchup.

He would do this instead of ordering a bowl of soup off the menu….I wouldn’t say he’s the wealthiest person I know, but he could definitely afford a few dollars for bowl of soup. I’m not even sure if his made-up soup concoction tasted any good. Reddit User: ApperSauce

Getting His Money’s Worth

My grandfather had a firmly held belief that any drink served in a restaurant should cost no more than 10 cents per glass. Yes, you read correctly… ten pennies. So, if the restaurant charged $1.50 for a sweet tea with free refills, he would sit there until he’d drank at least 15 glasses of tea so that he would meet his ten cent goal….

To make matters worse, he had a rule that nobody else was allowed to leave until he was finished. The crazy part was he was not poor by any means. My grandfather was strange that way though there are a lot of people like that. Reddit User: DariusJenai

The Haggler

This story is about a lady I know that owns multiple Mercedes cars. She and her partner live in a mansion by the sea with some amazing views. Every so often, she drives to a local fishing wharf to buy lobster where she tries to haggle the price down.

She would negotiate so much to the point where it was almost free….She was already getting a sweet deal where she was buying it from. For those who don’t know, the wharf prices are much lower than what is found in a grocery store. I could not believe it. Reddit User: Chapwins

Every Pence Counts

My grandma and her friend (the wealthy one of the two) were shopping and had several heavy bags. My grandma wanted to flag a taxi, but in the UK, they cost a little bit more than the taxis you phone up to order. Her friend insisted on phoning one and waiting for it, despite the heavy bags….

She put 10 pence in the payphone to call herself a taxi, and it kept her money without giving her the call. She then insisted on calling the helpline number and waited 90 minutes for a technician to come out to give her the 10 pence back. Reddit User: kitjen

20 Minutes For 20 Cents

I worked as a cashier once. Our store has gift cards, and people get their hands on them in many different ways. If the card has already been used, I have no way of telling how much is left on the card. One day a woman came in with 10+ used cards and made me go through each one trying to squeeze every last cent out of them….

In the end, there was about 20 cents worth of money combined spread out between those ten cards, and it took the better part of 20 minutes to go through them all. The woman seemed particularly proud of her savings but didn’t care about the time wasted. Reddit User: bobothesecond

It’s Too Expensive

I work at a popular bank in New York City, and I have a 70-year-old client, who is worth upwards of at least $200 million. This guy is extremely wealthy. After visiting my office in Manhattan for a scheduled meeting, he said something that I was very surprised by…

After calling a taxi to find out how much it would be to go back to his hotel, he told me that he would not pay for it because it was “too expensive….” The hotel was just a short distance away, so it could not have been that much. I guess that’s how he managed to keep his millions so high. Reddit User: Subzero84

The $2 Gift

I saw a very wealthy man purchase a broken item at a thrift store, then ask me to repair it for him. It was one of the many favors I’d already done for him. But that’s honestly not even the most shocking part of the story…The item wasn’t even for him.

That’s right. He didn’t want the item for himself, but rather so he could give it as a gift to his dad….After doing some digging, I found out that the item was a two-dollar LED lamp for books. I was appalled by how cheap he was being. Reddit User: JoOngle

Pay Up Sir

In 2014, I was working at a pharmacy in New Hampshire when a famous politician came in. We’re talking former Presidential candidate famous. He came in to get a prescription for some medication, and his insurance didn’t end up going through or something. 

I can’t remember exactly what happened, but he ended up having to pay the $250 out of pocket. He wasn’t very happy. I reminded him that his net worth was $250,000,000, and he just sighed….After that, I went on my lunch break and later saw him jogging his cart back to the cart hut. I yelled at him, “Hey! I thought you weren’t running anymore!” and he just shook his head and sighed. Reddit User: vvsj

Keeping It Old School

My wife works for an extremely successful plastic surgeon and has done so for the past 10 years. This is her story, so here goes. Up until about two years ago, the doctor drove a late 1980s or early ’90s Volvo Sedan. The guy made close to a million dollars every year.

Still, despite the money he had, he drove the car until it literally fell apart….Even his wife wasn’t driving a particularly nice car. She was driving a 10-year-old minivan herself. They are probably the nicest people I’ve ever met, though. Reddit User: slowsuby

All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go

I umpire little league baseball and was calling a game between a couple of pretty snooty leagues. After I called strike three on a kid, the mom yells from the stands: “Don’t worry honey, he’s just some fat loser with nothing better to do!” I looked back to see who said it and saw that she was a young, rich-looking mom, probably about 35 years old.

I knew then that I’d make her regret her words. This woman clearly prided herself on how she looked, considering she was pretty dolled up for her kid’s little league baseball game. So between innings, I leaned back against the fence and said to her “Ma’am these are children. I’d expect a woman in her 50s to have a little more class than that.” Reddit User: [redacted]