While most of us are very aware of the value of the dollar, there are those which never bat an eye at the cost of something. It may be hard to image, but to help some of the very wealthy share the extravagances in their own lives that they thought was simply the norm for everybody.
What’s A Stainless Steel Refrigerator?
“I thought everyone’s refrigerators had wood-paneled cabinet doors. The first time I saw a metal fridge I thought it was weird, and I thought it was even weirder that the fridge and freezer were combined. But then I got really jealous because you could put magnets on it. I also thought everyone had a “central vacuum” system where you can sweep dirt into a little hole under the cabinets by the floor and it sucks it up. We had these little holes all over, in every room.”
Insurance Policies You Never Thought Of.
“Kidnapping. Whenever we travelled there were guards, I was trained in what to do if it happened, we had insurance policies against it. When I dated a middle class suburbanite and talked about it she thought I was paranoid, but that was a thing.”
We All Eat With Camping Gear.
“Probably a weird example but, growing up all of our dishes were made of fine china. And I just thought that’s what plates and stuff were made of because we didn’t have anything else. Then one time I went to a friends house for dinner and we ate on colored plastic plates and non-matching plastic cups, I just thought that was the weirdest thing ever and asked why we were eating with ‘camping dishes.'”
“The Lower Class Makes $1 Million A Year.”
“I always heard college was expensive and some people could afford it, or that their parents had to save up or the kid had to get a job. I thought it was $1 million per year. I based that on thinking that the lower class made $1 million/year so spending a years wage on 1yr of college would be unreasonable. Then I found out the average salary was less than my brother would spend partying in a weekend in college.”
Eating With The Most Powerful Man In The World.
“I thought everyone got to eat dinner quite often with the president. I always thought the president has dinner at random houses until I learned otherwise when I finally joined regular school (I was homeschooled till I was age 9) and no kid believed my ‘dinner story.’ My dad was Ambassador of Kenya to Saudi Arabia.”
Feeding Yourself Is Too Much Effort.
“My boyfriend grew very rich. His mom told me a story about how, after the first few days of kindergarten, the teachers called her. They expressed concern that he might have an “eating problem” because he would not eat his packed lunch. His mom came to school the next day to investigate, and after watching him for a little while she noticed he was visibly avoiding eating his lunch and talking up a storm to other kids. Then it hit her. He didn’t know how to feed himself. Yes, that’s right. HE DIDN’T F—–G KNOW HOW TO FEED HIMSELF because apparently, up until that point, he had been PHYSICALLY FED BY HIS HOUSE-KEEPER.”
One Home Is Never Enough.
“I remember my parents having a sit down talk with me after a parent-teacher meeting and letting me know that there was ‘one’ student in our class that was feeling insecure because his family was the only one that didn’t have a lake cottage or mountain home.”
The Alps Are For The Poor.
“Going on ski holiday every year. Living in Germany, where the alps are just a two hour’s drive away, but still flying to western Canada for skiing at Whistler mountain.”
Only ONE Car??
“I feel bad having said this while joining a friend on a road trip up into the mountains to go to his brother’s house. The internet at the house was slow and the connection dropped frequently. I didn’t have my car with me and this was also before personal wifi was a thing. Me: ‘If there’s any way I could borrow a car to hop into town for Internet tomorrow that would be awesome.’ Friend: ‘Well, my brother uses his car every day and I’m using mine to go to that event we talked about.’ Me: ‘That’s fine. Is it okay if I just use his extra car?’ Awkward silence, until… Friend: ‘He just has that one car.'”
$100 Bottle Of Wine = Franzia.
“I thought until the start of high school that a $100 bottle of wine was cheap. Expensive ones are several thousands after all. At the end of the year we decided to offer our retiring teacher a bottle of wine and he said, ‘Don’t buy a $100 bottle.’ I made a joke about how picky he was and made a fool of myself.”
Catered Meal, Every Meal.
“My roommate in college would order a catered meal for every dinner. Like he’d have a restaurant bring so much take out that they’d bring it in those aluminum trays and heaters underneath and a server would stick around to dish out the food and clean up afterwards. He thought this was totally normal behavior and was confused why we made such a big deal about it. Until I just pointedly asked the server who else he did this for in the entire city we were living in. ‘Um… Just him.’ My roommate just looked shocked.”
What’s An Onion Look Like?
“I was 23 the first time I had to figure out how to use a washing machine. To this day I can remember how helpless I felt, staring at it like a dead fish. Had to call the family maid. Also, did not know what an onion actually looked liked until my mid twenties. Not last but not least either, I was clueless to the fact that you could have a meal with less than 9 pieces of cutlery. #iknowiamfuckingdouche“
“Family Guy” For The Reality Check.
“My dad opted for the latest and greatest of foreign automobiles so I had no idea Mercedes, BMW’s, and Land Rovers were fancy cars. I actually found out by watching an episode of Family Guy when I was 15.”
Wow, That 3 Bedroom House Is Tiny.
“My mother always tells me about the time I was about 5 years old and I went over to a friends house. I came home extremely confused and upset about how ‘small”‘ my friends house was (It was a 3 bedroom/2 bath). It literally never occurred to me that people lived in houses that tiny and it blew my 5 year old mind. My friend shared a bedroom with one of her sisters too and I had never met siblings who had to share a room.”
Looking At The Menu Not The Price.
“I think the moment it really sunk in was around middle school. I took a trip to some festival, which meant a ferry ride and then drive to a Canadian city and have a big fancy meal. The girl I picked to go with me had been my friend for years, I had no idea her life was so different. She had never seen Canada before. My parents realizing immediately that his was a huge deal for this girl bought her souvenirs, which she later gave to her mom since her mom has NEVER LEFT THE AREA. My mom would not let her order the cheapest thing on the menu, which I never realized is something poor children are trained to do. I thought you could just pick whatever you wanted to eat.”
Who Has To Wait At The Airport?
“Complaints about airport security. We never got around to owning a plane, but most of our family friends who we would vacation with would share theirs with us. Basically you show up at the local airport and hop right on. If we ever took a commercial jet, we had a pre-paid TSA pre-check that let us zip through our own security line. I never understood why people would say they planned on heading to the airport two hours before their flight.”
Why Do What You Can Pay Others To Do?
“I thought every family had staff. We had a chef, gardener, chauffeur, two nannies, handyman/errand guy and two maids. These were full time and several lived with us. We had a host of part time staff as well. When I went to college, I was shocked by how everyone took care of themselves so well, when I barely knew how to tie my own shoelaces. Also, everywhere I would go, either with my family or friends or their families, we were treated with what I understand now is a ridiculous amount of respect. It’s hard to explain this one, but I think others in the same situation understand.”
What 6-Year-Old Doesn’t Love Tartare?
“Taking trips overseas constantly. I remember being so surprised in elementary school that my friends had never been to Europe. My earliest memory takes place in a villa in Monaco. Also, apparently 6 year olds aren’t supposed to like tartare or oysters on the half shell.”
So Much More Fun Than A Blanket Fort.
“Playing around as a 9 year old in my friends dad’s Ferrari F-40 like it was a playhouse.”
What Is Ground Beef?
“This wasn’t me but a filthy rich friend didn’t know that filet mignon beef tacos was not the norm.”
“Everyone Has Maids And Drivers.”
“I was trying to show a friend of mine that she’s rich because her family has a TEAM of maids and drivers. Seriously, a driver for every member of the family. She said she’s not rich, because ‘Everyone has maids and drivers.’ I asked her, ‘Do you think your maids and drivers have maids and drivers?’ I think then it clicked that she might be rich.”