Stephanie Barnes
As kids, we don’t always notice our privilege (or lack thereof) because we just assume everyone is having the same childhood experience. It’s not until something happens or someone makes a comment that we realize when it comes to money, the world isn’t a level playing field. And not all our friends are growing up with private jets and massive playrooms and an unlimited supply of well, everything.
In a recent Reddit thread, someone posed the question, “When did you realize you were rich?” And Redditors aren’t holding back.
People are discussing how some parents prioritized the health and wellness of their families; while others didn’t think a knee injury was worth the hospital visit. There are also lavish vacations that happened every month, character-building jobs because they didn’t need the money, and of course, a pony or two.
Here are 20 of the most interesting responses from Redditors.
1. Priorities
I had a knee injury and was limping around everywhere ~14 years old. My parents told me they did not have the money to see the doctor. When I repeated this to my soccer coach he was in shock and pissed. Told me, “Do you know how much money your parents make?” I think he had a strong word with them and my parents took me to the doctors. Found out they were Multi Millionaires and my Dad was a CEO. My meniscus was torn.
2.
Apparently, it wasn’t normal to go on holiday once a month…
3. That’s what friends are for, right?
When my dad’s friend lost his job and lost his house in a divorce, my did casually went out and bought him a new house, replaced his car and gave him a monthly “salary” for his friend to go and live his life on so he can remember that life can also be amazing.
4.
When I started talking in school about the pros and cons of Disney World vs Disney Land, and people were like “YOU’VE BEEN ON VACATION?! LUCKYY”
5. Who’s the boss?
Dad came home late from work and I had been eagerly wating for him for a reason I don’t remember now. I do remember clearly him coming up the stairs and me asking him why did he take so long, did’nt his boss allow him to leave on time?
His answer was: What are you talking about? I am the boss.
It suddenly hit me that the hundreds of people he had around him all day weren’t exactly his pals.
6.
When the 2008 recession had absolutely no effect on us and we still had tons of music lessons and other expensive hobbies and still went on vacations.
Also when my parents bought me a horse. Not a pony, a full-sized American Saddlebred (though I was a horseback rider and still was up until I was in college). We still have him too 🙂
7.
We had a “play room” in our first house. It was in the finished basement and was lined with custom built in cabinets, furnished with all the latest toys from FAO Scwartz and none of my friends had ever seen a toy room before. It was glorious for 6 year old me and my 200 Barbie Dolls.
8.
When my friends were talking about all of their student loans and how hard they had to work to pay for tuition and I was just sitting there like “Oh.” Mine was covered 100% by the folks.
Edit: some people are telling me that doesn’t mean you come from a well off family. In my case it did. I was the first person in my family to go and they didn’t save for it or use any programs. And that was just the first time it really hit me that my family wasn’t the norm. Not that it matters.
9. Started from the bottom…
I’ll play this game. My dad recently sold his company for good money. He worked his way up from bottom to owning. I am in no way set for life on that sale…he is (I don’t expect to be). I realised I had a wealthy dad when I sold my first house to move closer to home, he recently sold company and offered to buy out mortgage. So currently my bank is bank of dad. He still expects full money but no interest. I realise how special I am
10. Classism?
I was outside the roller rink talking to a boy I liked and waiting for my dad to pick me up. Boy asked me to call him as soon as I get home. My dad picks me up and I cant get home fast enough so I can call boy.
I call boy. He tells me he “didnt know i was a rich kid” and couldnt talk to me anymore. All because I showed him my watch (to check the time), and my dads car. 🙁 I had no clue
11. Okay, Batman.
When my butler, Alfred, explained to me what a butler actually was…
12.
When my Dad’s health became a concern, he sat me and my siblings down and showed us his will and how to get into the financial accounts should anything happen.
None us knew we would each inherit a sum where we wouldn’t have to work again, if we didn’t want to.
This man raised us to go without nothing so he could give us everything. Thanks, Dad.
13.
Not my parents cuz they leech off my grandparents, but my grandfather casually mentioned buying a Ferrari like it was nothing. Also my grandma crashing her Mercedes-Benz and getting fixed without fretting, owning multiple houses all over the country, my granduncles being kidnapped and the ransom being undoubtedly big, my grandpa and his other brother’s paying said ransom MULTIPLE times, going on business class almost for every trip, both my grandparents wasting millions of dollars on rehab/financial help/psychiatrists for their siblings.
14.
Dad owned a financial advisory company. never knew i was rich because since he was so financially literate, he just invested alot and didnt splurge. when we moved into a new house i accidentally found the paper for the house listing and saw that the house we were moving into was a million dollars.
15.
My parents were always super frugal (we camped instead of hotels on road trips, siblings had to share ice cream cones, rarely ate out at restaurants) but then my parents bought a jet ski, new car, and a boat all within a couple months and I went “wait……”.
Turns out Dad was a VP at a Fortune 500 company, but his emphasis was always on paying for education and experiences and passing down fiscal responsibility rather than being flashy.
16.
At my high school we had the ACT sponsored by the state. This wasn’t right but I glanced at the 3-4 friends around me filling out their demographics and noticed their parents were making < $50k. I filled out the top bubble which was > $160k and didn’t realize that was significantly high. This was probably 10th grade too.
17. Keep the change.
Thinking back, even when I was like 9-13, I’d ask for like 5 bucks to go to the arcades, I’d always be handed a $100 bill.
18.
My father was giving my twice as money as I earn. He called it early inheritance. I am a well paid software developer. Felt really weird for me.
19.
When I was 12 year old, we moved not far from our home to a new place. And I realised that nobody in my school were living in a 200 squaremeters flat with a view on the eiffel tower at every window.
20. Sounds about right.
My 3rd grade teacher (1980’s) asked the class what we would do with a million dollars, and I remember thinking, well I have about a million in my trust fund….so I answered what was to me very obvious: invest it conservatively and live within my means.
