11 Embarrassing Ways Middle-Class People Pretend To Be Rich While They Stay Broke
They are robbing Peter to pay Paul, and the math ain't mathing.
frantic00 / Shutterstock The biggest downfall of the middle class is trying to keep up with the Joneses. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck, but you wouldn't guess it because we are definitely living above our means. It's important that everyone be aware of their financial limitations and do their best to live the best lifestyle possible within their budget.
With everyone on social media, it's easy for the green-eyed monster to rear its ugly head. We are inundated with images of rich people frolicking in exclusive locations and enjoying the finer things in life. We all want just a taste of that experience, and that desire can lead middle-class people to do embarrassing things, pretending to be rich while staying broke.
Here are 11 embarrassing ways middle-class people pretend to be rich while they stay broke
1. Buying or leasing a luxury car
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It's hard to feel good about your perfectly fine economy car when the people around you are driving high-end luxury cars and looking like money. You know full well that you cannot afford that BMW or Mercedes payment that costs as much as your mortgage, but you do it anyway. If you're not going to be rich, you at least intend to look rich.
But how embarrassing it is to be unable to afford the bare necessities, yet have the fanciest car you could find parked in your driveway? Every month, you're sweating bullets because you have to figure out how to keep your home and your car. It's really not that deep. Getting from point A to point B is much more important than making people ooh and aah at red lights.
2. Purchasing designer goods
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Rapper Kash Doll famously says in her hit song The Kash Kommandments, "Don't go blowing money on a bag if you can't put a bag in it." Those are words to live by. Why on earth would you spend $1000 on a handbag and not have the same amount to put inside it? Make it make sense. I'd much rather have money in my pocket than an expensive bag on my arm.
People go out of their way to show others that they have it. They will spend money on a designer belt to hold up their bargain basement pants because it makes them feel like somebody. But I assure you that wearing Gucci belts and Louis Vuitton bags while dodging calls from creditors is not the flex you think it is.
3. Paying for expensive vacations just for the photo op
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You've seen it. Everybody and their momma are going on high-end trips to Bali, Tulum, or even Greece to take a breathtaking flying dress photo on the white sands. I won't lie, it's on my bucket list, but I digress. Most of us middle-classers don't know a soul in those exotic places, but we are willing to fly past all the people who should matter for a once-in-a-lifetime photo op.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and when we post those bougie flicks, we want some of those words to be "opulence", "excellence", and "goals. Even if it was just for a weekend, we felt like we were amongst the upper Echelon of society. Never mind the embarrassment of returning home to past-due bills.
4. Having your dream wedding
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It's wild how many people invest more in the wedding than they do in the actual marriage. Even middle-class couples have been known to drop upwards of $40,000 on a dream wedding while still paying off debt and student loans. The sad truth is that studies show people who spend less on their weddings have the longest marriages.
Imagine blowing your life savings on a big party to show off your new husband or wife, only to have them walk out the door while you're still making the payments. Now, that's especially embarrassing. You're better off having a meaningful ceremony with people who really love and care about you and investing the rest so you can really live like the rich folks you aspire to be.
5. Moving on up without the finances to support it
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Some of us are more concerned with looking the part than actually being it. People visit gentrified areas where the streets are free a little and crime is almost nonexistent and dream of living there someday. There is nothing wrong with that, but don't make that move before you are financially ready to do so. If you are already struggling, trying to build wealth in a more expensive neighborhood won't help.
Paying sky-high rent for a cracker-box-sized apartment just because it's in a trendy, upscale area is the epitome of buffoonery. Sure, you get to proudly announce to anyone who will listen that you are in the expensive part of town. Then you drive back to where everyone you know lives on the weekends because you actually like it there. Drop the pretense and stay where the love and support live.
6. Living paycheck to paycheck while refusing to budget
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It's bad enough to barely be making ends meet. But it's downright embarrassing to refuse to set a budget and carry on as if your money is burning a hole in your pocket. Remember that the fall from middle-class to less fortunate is much shorter than you think it is. Don't be so dead-set on other people's opinions that you put yourself at financial risk.
Dave Ramsey said it best: "Live like no one else today, so you can live like no one else tomorrow."
I took that golden nugget from a financial class of his that I took before. He meant that we don't have to pretend we are cash-rich, while hanging on by a thread. It does nothing for you to tout how much money you have to the public while watching your savings diminish in private.
7. Upgrading your phone because a new one came out
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I am of the mindset of Snoop Dogg when it comes to my phone: "I'm gonna rock it 'til the wheels fall off." It usually takes my phone to completely stop working for me to head in for a new one. I am unmoved by the latest iPhone upgrade and am usually a few series behind. But my brother is another story. As soon as Apple drops a new product, he is Johnny on the spot.
Running out to grab a new phone without needing one while actively working to build wealth is crazy work. Not only did you sacrifice one that was in good working order for another that you likely will not do anything different on, but you've locked yourself into a finance schedule that will take a couple of years to pay off. We've gotta do better, my middle-class peeps.
8. Eating at fancy restaurants when you have food at home
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I am guilty of this, but lately, I've been reeling it in. The service, the ambiance... it just smells rich in some restaurants, and being there makes you feel like you are wealthy and just don't know it yet. The food might not even be worth the cost, but there you are with your middle-class self, acting and looking like you have money to blow.
It's okay to treat yourself from time to time, but if you find yourself dining at fancy and expensive establishments more often than not, you might be living above your means. Yes, fine dining is a fun experience, but if you find yourself crying when you look at your bank balance afterward, you should try cooking meals at home for a while.
9. Paying for subscriptions you don't use
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I once reviewed the number of services that I was subscribed to with utter shame. I had cable, but then I had YouTube TV, Hulu, Netflix, Disney Plus, and on and on. I couldn't even remember the last time I had accessed some of them, but when I had company, I proudly boasted about all of the entertainment options I could provide.
It's not uncommon for rich people to forget about the minute things they are paying for, but when it comes to middle-class buyers, those little purchases add up to a lot of money. You don't need to be a part of every country club, association, or committee just to show that you can, especially if it causes you undue financial hardship.
10. Home decor that looks good but costs too much
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Imagine walking into an unassuming apartment building and entering an acquaintance's home to find it decked out in the finest of furnishings. That's what happened when I visited a colleague's home along with co-workers. We marveled at the beautiful, eye-popping décor, wondering how on earth she could afford it on a middle-class salary. She boasted of the custom couch that had just come in the week before.
Not saying she was stretched thin, but she might have been considering that she asked to borrow money the next week. Turning your humble abode into an Instagram-worthy set with high-end furnishing and expensive accoutrements may garner a few likes, but it will undoubtedly tap your pockets in the most disrespectful way.
11. Throwing lavish parties to impress people you don't even like
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Have you ever been to a party that your middle-class friend was hosting and wondered how in the heck some of the attendees got in? You know for a fact that your bestie hates their guts, but there they are, sipping the finest of wines and devouring hors d'oeuvres at record speed. You watch your friend flutter around in his or her finest threads, sure to snap a photo with every guest.
If you were rich, this would be a drop in the bucket, something for everyone to talk about until the next over-the-top event happens. But why waste hard-earned money on something you really cannot afford, let alone people you don't really like? The most humiliating part is that even after they suck down all your drinks and inhale all of your food, they are still going to talk about you like a dog.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and the author of seven books. She focuses on lifestyle and human interest stories that deliver informative and actionable guidance on interpersonal relationships, enlightenment, and self-discovery.
