You Can Tell Someone Grew Up With Money If They Say These 11 Phrases Casually
LightField Studios | Shutterstock Kids start to develop attitudes and emotional experiences around money as young as five years old, according to a study from the University of Michigan. Whether their childhood was formed around financial strain or freedom, the mentality they carry around money as adults is largely influenced by their parents' conversations, lessons, and personal financial habits. Even in subtle conversations, you can tell someone grew up with money if they say certain phrases casually.
According to psychotherapist Joyce Marter, people who regularly talk about money, both in private and casual social conversations, often experience less financial worry. However, this habit is also intrinsically linked to wealth and financial comfort — people who have an ease about money that lacks deep-rooted shame, trauma, or taboo thoughts. That's why you often hear people speaking about money passively when they're comfortable — it's a natural, easy behavior.
You can tell someone grew up with money if they say these 11 phrases casually
1. 'Just go to the doctor'
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock
Of course, health and income are linked, and not just because rich people have more time to exercise and more money to buy healthy foods. They also have the money to invest in healthcare. They can pay the deductible or opt for the best healthcare plan, making preventive medicine, such as regular vaccinations and early scans, more accessible.
"Just go to the doctor" is a clear indicator that someone grew up in a privileged position. They went to the doctor for everything, just in case, because they didn't have to worry about paying the bill. However, for low-income people, it's almost always an impossible-to-ignore emergency that urges them to seek out medical help.
2. 'Why don't you hire someone to do it?'
Many wealthy people buy time — they view it as a commodity that they can protect by outsourcing labor and hiring help. Low-income people waste time seeking out the cheapest expenses and spending more time on inconvenience to save money.
That's why you can tell someone grew up with money if they say things like "Why don't you just hire someone to do it?" They're used to putting their convenience above everything else, even expenses. They don't know what it's like to feel pressured to sacrifice their time to ensure they can pay their rent at the end of the month.
3. 'I woke up late, so I took an Uber'
Many low-income households are spending more than 35% of their income on transportation alone. From commuting to work to bringing their kids to school, whether it's owning a car or trying to navigate public transportation, it's an expense that takes careful budgeting and planning to manage, especially for people already struggling to get by.
However, for wealthy people who don't have to worry about money at every turn, making small decisions like taking a $100 Uber to work in a big city when they sleep in is natural. They grew up with money that taught them to appreciate ease and convenience, even if the same decision in a low-income household would sabotage their entire month's plans.
4. 'Money comes back'
As a way to pressure their friends who are saving or struggling with money, you can tell a person grew up with money if they say phrases like "money comes back" or "YOLO" casually. They peer pressure other people to spend money, not realizing that it sets them up for a lot of long-term struggle and unease, even if it's completely natural and normal for them to overspend without worry.
They don't understand the delicate nature of budgeting to pay bills at the end of the month, because having money for those necessities is consistently not a worry.
5. 'You make everything about money'
BongkarnGraphic | Shutterstock
According to a Princeton study, money actually can be the key to happiness, despite what society tells us through shame and guilt. If you have the comfort to live your life however you want and the freedom to spend time and make choices however you desire, you don't have to fall into the trap of worrying and stressing about money all the time.
So, while a person who grew up with money may use a phrase like "you make everything about money" with a friend who's constantly saving, making compromises, and canceling because of finances, the truth is, they don't know the struggle. They think these low-income people are making a choice — because, why wouldn't they be? — instead of suffering with the reality of a relatively unchangeable situation.
6. 'Just ask your parents'
You can tell someone grew up with money if they say phrases like "just ask your parents" when someone says "no" because of money. They can't fathom that not everyone has a security blanket or a "Plan B," because they've spent their whole lives utilizing them.
According to an Empower survey, more than 30% of Americans don't even have money in their savings account. So, it's not about being stingy, it's about survival.
7. 'I don't eat that kind of food'
As a study from the Journal of Food Science and Technology explains, socioeconomic status is inherently linked to a willingness to buy and eat organic foods. Not only do they have the disposable income to invest in these higher-priced healthy foods and fresh items at the store, but they also have the leisure time to invest in cooking and crafting meals.
That's why you can always tell someone grew up with money if they say things like "I don't eat that kind of food." They have the power of choice in every aspect of life, including food. If they want to order a convenient meal for double the price, they do it to protect their time. If they want to spend $500 on a random Tuesday at Whole Foods, their bills at the end of the month aren't at risk if they do.
8. 'You've really never been out of the country?'
If someone is genuinely shocked by your travel history and uses phrases like "You've really never been out of the country?" when talking about vacations, you can usually tell they grew up with money. Of course, at least one annual vacation was inevitable growing up, but they also had access to so many more travel experiences as they grew up and out of the house.
Even in the most expensive times of the year, like around the holiday season, affluent families make up the biggest share of international travelers. They can choose to travel last-minute, pay big ticket prices for transportation, and travel around with ease without worrying about pinching pennies or taking on debt for a vacation.
9. 'I didn't realize people worried about that'
GaudiLab | Shutterstock
Many people cling to a sense of security in their lives by latching onto perceived "deservingness." As psychology professor Paul Piff explains, affluent people may focus more on their own work ethic, merit, and deservingness when conceptualizing the wealth that pushes them toward an out-of-touch lifestyle.
They don't consider "luck" or societal advantages to protect their own self-worth, even if that means they subsequently block out any recognition of disproportionate struggle around them. That's why "I didn't realize people worried about that" is a clear indication that someone grew up with money — they're living in an out-of-touch bubble, whether they realize it or not.
10. 'My parents wanted me to focus on work'
If someone's clear about how college was a "nonnegotiable" for them growing up or that they didn't have a job until they were an adult because their parents wanted them to "focus on school," that's a giveaway that they grew up with money. They didn't have to worry about how they were going to afford tuition or consider alternative careers — they didn't even need extra income from their kids to provide them with basic necessities.
Ironically, if they did have jobs, it was always during the summer. It's not surprising either, compared to low-income families, because they didn't have to worry about watching their younger siblings. They could travel to a summer camp to be a counselor or volunteer without guilt, all because of their wealth.
11. 'We've had that forever'
If you share your excitement with someone about a new kitchen gadget or a piece of furniture you've been saving up for forever, and they respond with "we've had that forever," they're not only clearly from wealth, they're also rude. Someone who dismisses your excitement, just because it's not new or exciting for them, is out of touch and innately rude.
It's not necessarily entirely surprising, either, considering that most wealthy people aren't as happy as they could be. They're always looking for new, exciting things, without much time to appreciate the art of waiting or saving.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
