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I agree, it's somewhat ignorant to think because someone drives a certain kind of car, that they are rich. This is why so many people out there are buying cars the can't really afford, hoping it will impress others. There are people who drive a brand new Mercedes who have nothing in their bank account and don't even know what a 401K is.
Most people don't give a second thought to what other people drive, what credit card they have - or what they earn. In my mind, it's people who are unhappy and/or dissatisfied with the direction of their own lives who would even attempt to analyze/figure out if someone is 'really wealthy' or not - and I agree with you; it's simply not possible on all counts - not just cars.
To take it a step further, however - why is it significant to even attempt to 'tell if someone is rich'?
I don't think it's always easy to tell, superficially. I've worked with some millionaires. A couple of them were doctors but aside from their profession and their zip code, you couldn't tell by just looking at them.
They drove modest cars, had a modest home for the area, and dressed normally (no designer clothes). Another one lived in a solidly middle class neighborhood which was new in the 60s. The house was paid off as soon as possible. He also drove a modest car, dressed in clothes from Wal-mart and pinched pennies until they screamed. A typical "millionaire next door" type.
What did make them different from non-millionaires is work ethic. The doctors worked hard for their money and they distinguished themselves in their respective specialist fields. The older man was an engineer who started playing the stock market as a hobby and got so good at it that he quit his day job. It's something that he kept doing every day into his 80s until he passed away.
A few other millionaires I know became that way by doing well with a niche business, or even MLMs. They are also not very show-y in their appearance or spending habits either, although one of them drives a used Mercedes. However, since he still lives with his mother it kind of cancels out the shine factor a bit.
the term millionaire means little today in many areas .. a million dollars today generates a 40k a year income safely , about what my buddy gets from his dept of sanitation pension .
heck , we have multiple 7 figures .. we rent in a nice building and drive a Subaru . the starter homes in our area clock in at 7 figures . so a million here in nyc ain't much . in fact if that is all we had we would not have retired here in queens ,.
Apparently here in Sydney some of the top private schools bill 70% of the fees straight to grandparents. So if someone told me that their grandkids go to Cranbrook, I might deduce that there is a good chance they are very wealthy.
I know a man who wears old jeans, drives an older car, no fancy watch, no fancy phone. He is a multi millionaire you would never know. I know a couple who have a nice home, nice furniture but nothing outlandish, they drive an older vehicle. They watch for sales and use their money wisely. Their friends spend money on trips, eating out buying fancy new vehicles. This couple donates and does things behind that people don't know about. You would not know they were millionaires. They seem like any other middle aged couple.
I can remember reading articles on the retail scene in Brazil, and apparently it's pretty common for status-conscious middle class Brazilian women to buy luxury handbags on an installment plan. Just one of those little things that sticks in my brain.
Haha. You think that doesn't happen here? Go to purseforum and read the threads. I saw people who were in college buying Chanels. There was one girl who worked at McDonalds and was spending every dime on used Louis Vuittons.
It's not because it's 'impressive' to anyone; if someone wants to 'flaunt' their wealth, they can do it much easier by other means (stating their salary or net worth online, for example - lol) much more so than a credit card (which is usually in one's wallet - lol). That would be a huge investment for limited return - if prestige is all you're after.
That said, I agree it's not necessarily worth it, especially if you have an Amex Platinum and travel for business regularly, as many of the perks are relative to concierge service, airport lounges and so on - and many overlap with elite status on most airlines anyway in re: upgrades (and the Platinum fills in the holes for a fraction of the cost).
i think it is a huge investment with limited return (especially in the case of the black card). im sure there is also personal satisfaction to having such an exclusive card. but ultimately, its more for that kind of stuff than the benefits. i dont think the guy that has the black card travels a lot, he owns a business that services customers locally (like a 50 mile radius). im not sure how good amex concierge is but any time i have used a credit card concierge service it was an inferior experience to me just booking stuff online.
btw, im not criticizing him for having the black card. if it makes him happy, then i think its great that he can afford it.
Not sure why people are stuck on the nice teeth one. I would say bad teeth Can be a sign of poverty but nice teeth do not mean someone is rich.
Very straight, symmetrical white teeth are signs of access to expensive dental work, especially in younger people. Whitened, cared for teeth in older people is a sign of such access as well.
Obviously, that is not the only sign of wealth, but it is a signifier.
Very straight, symmetrical white teeth are signs of access to expensive dental work, especially in younger people. Whitened, cared for teeth in older people is a sign of such access as well.
Obviously, that is not the only sign of wealth, but it is a signifier.
It is very easy for those on assistance to get braces for kids, at least where I live.
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