11 Activities Upper Middle Class People Think Are Normal That Everyone Else Can’t Afford
The income gap is especially prevalent for the middle class.
DukiPh / Shutterstock While the average middle-class income has increased slightly over the past decade, a great deal of their expenses, from healthcare to groceries, rent, and transportation, have become more expensive than their slight increase in wages can keep up with. However, for an upper-middle-class individual, typically making more than $150K annually, their disposable income ensures they have money for necessities, while also spending on more fun, active, and personal activities.
Whether it’s travel or luxury shopping, many of the activities upper-middle-class people think are normal that everyone else can’t afford are representative of the growing income gap many Americans are experiencing. The lower-middle-class is struggling financially, living paycheck to paycheck, and focusing only on basic needs, while their higher-income counterparts are overspending on trips, clothes, and conveniences that they don’t need.
Here are 11 activities upper-middle-class people think are normal that everyone else can’t afford
1. Dining at restaurants weekly
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While the average person might be able to afford a fast food dinner once a week, studies on rising prices reveal that even that is growing more unaffordable, dining out and spending hundreds on a restaurant meal is one of the activities that upper-middle-class people think are normal that everyone else can’t afford.
For many of these households, going out is a social investment. They appreciate the quality time and excitement of a sit-down meal, even if they spend more than $200 per person monthly on dining expenses. However, for the average person who is struggling to afford groceries at home or rent at the beginning of the month, activities like this aren’t just unsustainable, they’re impossible.
2. Traveling internationally
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According to a poll conducted by Newsweek, the majority of Americans can’t afford to take a single domestic summer vacation, so it’s not surprising that regular international travel is one of the activities upper-middle-class people think are normal that everyone else can’t afford.
Of course, with a shrinking middle class and income gaps across the country, this experience is even wildly different for opposite ends of the middle class. Upper-middle-class people, making more than $150K annually, have far more disposable income than their lower-middle-class counterparts, making a fraction of that salary.
So, while upper-middle-class families travel abroad, spend their summers exploring different countries, and take multiple trips a year, their lower-income counterparts are taking on debt for just a few days of respite.
3. Going to private school
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Research shows that private school enrollment for lower-income families has dramatically decreased in recent years, while upper-middle-class families have remained stagnant. While tuition prices and a lack of financial aid resources are part of the reason why this is an activity unaffordable for most Americans, the picture of educational attainment is far more nuanced.
From affording school supplies to daily transportation, uniforms, housing costs, and even having the time to drive kids to after-school programs and extracurricular activities, lower-income families are set up to fail. They can’t afford private school baseline tuition fees, but they also don’t have the time, money, support, or access to keep their kids thriving once they’re in.
4. Going on seasonal shopping sprees
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Whether it’s back-to-school shopping, getting new clothes for changing seasons, or simply running to the mall for fun, many upper-middle-class individuals have the disposable income to spend on things like new clothes without worrying about how they’re going to afford other basic necessities.
Especially when it comes to scrolling and shopping online, it’s these income demographics that spend the most. They value “saving time” more than other lower-income groups, so they tend to do most of their shopping online or in other convenient ways, even if it ends up costing them more.
It’s an incomprehensible hobby for lower-middle-class people who are living paycheck to paycheck, because nearly all of their expenses on a daily basis are unavoidable necessities, never “just for fun.”
5. Getting cosmetic treatments
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From Botox to spa treatments, facials, blow-outs, and regular nail salon trips, cosmetic treatments are often some of the activities upper-middle-class people think are normal that everyone else can’t afford. If they are making time for these things, low-income individuals are doing what they can at home, avoiding the expensive and time-consuming nature of going to a salon or cosmetic center.
While the average American spends nearly $1K on their appearance each year, low-income people are doing what they can at home, focusing on unavoidable expenses like rent and food, even at the expense of their own well-being, self-esteem, and happiness.
6. Upgrading tech gadgets
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While trend cycles and consumerist pressures to have “the next best thing” tend to affect all income levels, especially lower-income individuals who feel “left out” for not being able to afford these items, upper-middle-class people have the disposable income to indulge them. They upgrade their cellphones the second a new one comes out and always seem to have the latest technology gadget in their home.
Even when it comes to seemingly niche things like smart home devices and car technology, they overspend on things not just for the convenience and accessibility, but also for the belonging and status that come with them.
7. Renovating a home
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According to a report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, home renovations, especially when they’re unexpected, from natural disasters or similar events, are often huge burdens for low-income people. However, for upper-middle-class families, they’re a choice, a fun activity that adds to their comfort, happiness, and life satisfaction in a living space.
For these higher-income households, renovations are also on the rise, with more people than ever spending on home renovations. At the same time, their low-income counterparts struggle to afford rent and basic necessities.
8. Using free time for hobbies
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Although people tend to have similar amounts of free time regardless of their income, many lower-income households have to spend their free time doing chores, household labor, and other family responsibilities that wealthier people can outsource.
They don’t have the money to hire domestic labor like a nanny or a housekeeper, so when they’re not working, they have plenty of things to catch up on that aren’t necessarily personally fulfilling. However, wealthy or even upper-middle-class people can often afford to spend their leisure time engaging in active hobbies, personal interests, and social activities.
When they have household labor or childcare responsibilities creeping into this personal time, activities that largely boost their life satisfaction and general happiness, they quickly outsource.
9. Shopping at luxury grocery stores
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Even basic errands and responsibilities like getting groceries look incredibly different between upper-middle-class individuals and their low-income counterparts. While low-income people rely on other people’s cars or public transportation, community food services, and low-cost grocers to feed their families, as a 2018 study argues, higher-income households prioritize status, nutrition, and convenience.
If that means shopping at organic luxury grocery stores or buying their groceries to be delivered online, they don’t mind the hefty price tag that comes along with it.
10. Buying luxury goods for pets
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While it’s true that higher-income households have more time to spend with their pets, going on walks and making accommodations to travel with them, they also have more money to spend on them. From luxury clothing to personal space in their homes, expensive grooming services, and even high-end food products, these are some of the activities and purchases that upper-middle-class people think are normal that everyone else can’t afford.
Especially as the general cost of having a pet continues to rise, even frugal pet ownership on its own could grow to be unaffordable for the average middle-class family in the next few years.
11. Using ride-shares
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Whether it’s taking an Uber to work or skipping public transportation for convenience while running errands in a big city, taking ride-shares is one of the activities that upper-middle-class people think is normal that everyone else can’t afford.
Especially in big cities and urban areas, where a 30-minute Uber ride can cost more than $60, it’s not surprising that it’s completely unaffordable to rely on these transportation services if you make below a certain income threshold. Of course, most transportation, especially owning and driving your own car, is expensive, but this is one of the more obvious activities that upper-class people have the privilege of relying on.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
