11 Things Rich People Do At Home That Normal People Find Extremely Weird
Could these be part of the reason why wealthy people are happier?
Max kegfire | Shutterstock Although many of the daily habits and rituals that fill rich people's free time and leisure hours are relatively typical in nature — things like reading, moving their bodies, and connecting with others — there are some things rich people do at home that normal people find extremely weird. While money is often an indicator of someone's freedom of choice, is it these habits that actually contribute to a rise in happiness with income, like a PNAS study suggests?
If normal people find themselves avoiding these habits and characterizing them as weird, could they be the key to unlocking more time, money, and freedom? Or are they simply financial habits and lifestyle quirks that are cultivated when a person no longer deals with money stress or financial instability?
Here are 11 things rich people do at home that normal people find extremely weird
1. Hiring people for everything
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Whether it's cleaning their homes, cooking them dinner, driving them across town, or cultivating the perfect front lawn, outsourcing labor and hiring service workers is one of the things rich people do at home that normal people find extremely weird. Oftentimes, when a household appliance breaks down or their car needs to be fixed, frugal and low-income people find a way to make it work themselves.
They don't have the freedom of choice, offered by money, to hire someone, so they instead have to spend more time and effort learning new skills or researching the best price. That's the reason why rich people are actually happier — they have more time and more choice when it comes to how they spend it. They don't have to waste time making household repairs, learning those skills, or doing chores, because they can hire someone else and save all that time for other things.
2. Caring for exotic animals
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While a normal person might have some kind of lizard in a tank or a fish on their nightstand, exotic pets are one of the things rich people have at home that others find extremely weird. Whether it's tigers, bears, or exotic monkeys, usually unaffordable and unrealistic for the average person to care for, these animals are a status symbol for the ultra-rich.
While some theorize it's simply a matter of harnessing the benefits of pet ownership or flaunting wealth to others, others argue it's the pursuit of wildness. These exotic animals can't be trained to the same extent as a domestic dog or cat, so keeping and controlling them feels like a self-affirmation — a means for wealthy people to flaunt their wealth and exert control by making an artificial "animal kingdom" where they're always at the top.
3. Acquiring ultra-expensive artwork
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According to a Bank of America survey, more than 80% of wealthy people, specifically in younger generations, want to collect and purchase luxury art. In fact, many already own art collections, sometimes totaling more than $100K, that they care for, admire, and cultivate right from their own homes.
Despite the economic downturn and struggle that the majority of people are experiencing in our society today, these wealthy demographics are interested in making big purchases to acquire artwork for their homes and collections.
Of course, like the survey suggests, it's not just about buying art and flaunting artwork to people in their homes, it's about the experience of purchasing it. From traveling to events like Art Basel to meeting prestigious collectors, the simple act of acquiring art can be a status symbol and cultivate a sense of belonging in itself.
4. Using an in-home elevator
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While the majority of lower-income households and individuals are renting, they're also spending a higher percentage of their income on living expenses than any other demographic. So, no — it's not surprising that having an elevator at home is one of the things rich people do that normal people find extremely weird, especially when they're struggling to afford a simple one-bedroom apartment and their monthly groceries.
It's these seemingly absurd avenues of luxury and clear embodiments of financial freedom that are often envied in some cases, but mostly disturbing to the average person. They can barely afford to eat and struggle with overwhelming anxiety and worry about their financial state, like a study from the Journal of Family and Economic Issues suggests, while others use an elevator in their paid-off home with pet tigers outside.
5. Using wellness tools and services
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Whether it's a personal gym, a sauna, or some kind of skin treatment, many rich people have the money and time to bring these cosmetic and wellness services to their homes. Whether it's the pursuit of privacy, usually for the ultra-wealthy, or simply a matter of convenience, it's one of the things rich people do at home that normal people find extremely weird.
However, this access to services, treatment, and support from professionals in the health and wellness space is part of the reason why health is tied to wealth, like a study from Urban Institute and Virginia Commonwealth University suggests. They have the money for preventative healthcare, healthier diets, workout routines, and other wellness activities that fill their free time — compared to the chores and financial worry of their average counterparts.
6. Watching movies in their home theaters
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While in-home movie theaters have become a status symbol for the wealthy in the last decade, the services, programs, and events they have within them are truly the most absurd parts of their presence in rich people's living spaces.
For example, the program that allows Hollywood celebrities and other ultra-wealthy people the opportunity to watch films first in their theaters at home is one example of how having money provides access. They don't have to leave their homes, wait for the release date the average person follows, or even leave the comfort of their home — they have everything they could possibly need at the touch of a button.
7. Using private security systems
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Whether it's a person monitoring their gate all night, a video surveillance system costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, or personal security, oftentimes rich people invest more money in safety than the average person would be worried about losing in their own homes.
That's why this is one of the things rich people do at home that normal people find extremely weird. Of course, safety and security is a concern for everyone, but for people renting in apartment buildings or living in suburbia, it's often less of an issue — or, at least, not as much of an issue to spend millions on.
8. Having more than one kitchen
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Convenience, comfort, and aesthetics: those are the things that generally drive wealthy people's spending behaviors. Despite hardly ever cooking for themselves — at least for the ultra-rich — many people want more than one kitchen in their homes if they have the money to afford it.
Whether it's a matter of aesthetics — putting an oven or other less attractive appliances in the kitchen that's tucked away — or simply one of space and energy, like having one kitchen be for social gatherings and another for service people working, there are a number of reasons why rich people may have more than one in their space.
9. Growing tons of food
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Despite racking up huge organic grocery bills from luxury grocery stores, many rich people still grow tons of food at home. So, for the average person, who may start an herb garden or grow food in their backyards for frugal reasons, it's not surprising that this habit is one of the things rich people do at home that normal people find extremely weird.
While this habit typically breeds better mental health, financial habits, and happiness, for wealthy people who are enabled by their wealth to be "bigger, better, and bolder" with gardening, it can bring diminished life satisfaction and responsibility.
10. Making rooms for their pets
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Considering wealthy people are more likely to adopt, live with, and care for multiple pets in their homes compared to their average counterparts, it's not surprising that they go all out. Whether it's investing in outfits for them, giving them their own bedrooms, or traveling alongside them in specialized airplanes or other transportation, it's one of the things rich people do at home that normal people find extremely weird.
Especially as they struggle to put food on the table for their own family, simply affording cat or dog food can feel like a stretch month-to-month in our current economy, which is why wealthy people's absurd habits with their furry friends feels like a personal attack.
11. Avoiding decorative rooms
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Whether it's a personal shrine, a showcase for designer items, or a decorative living room with expensive furnishings, many rich people have and actively avoid using rooms entirely for decoration. In many cases, they're a status symbol — a vehicle to flaunt their wealth — despite hardly being seen, used, or appreciated.
While most people who own a home are nearly 50 times more wealthy than their renting counterparts, it's not surprising that some of these indulgences are some of the things that normal people find extremely weird in rich people's living spaces.
They don't have the money, time, or access to indulge these habits or behaviors at home, but simply seeing other people spending that degree of money — when they can't even afford a home — can be disillusioning and weird in itself.
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.
