Some wealthy people like to flaunt their status by wearing upscale clothing and accessories or driving fancy cars.
Others like to be incognito, reflecting their preference for a non-extravagant lifestyle despite being affluent.
And then some just like to play the part but can't fool everyone.
Curious to hear from those who couldn't pull off the ruse, Redditor JollySimple188ple188 asked:
"What screams 'I’m just pretending to be rich?' "
Nothing gets past these keen-eyed observers.
Wise Cashier
"Overhead the Walmart cashiers talking about a coworker who wears $10,000 designer sneakers. One co-worker said, 'he must be rich!' The other said, 'Then why does he work at Walmart with us?' ”
– atomiccheesegod
Forced Perspective
"Trying too hard. Most wealthy people are careful with their money. Most wealthy people don’t need others to know how wealthy they are."
"The wealthiest folks I know all shop at Costco. No joke, it’s a surprising trend. Granted, they’re surely able to store all their costco stuff in a massive walk-in pantry, but still."
– N238
Money Talks
"Bragging about how much something costs."
"Every wealthy person I’ve ever met only 'brags' about how much they saved. Never about how much they spent."
– Ok_Middle_7283
Cockiness
"I went to school with a guy, who at 16, got a professional football( soccer) contract. To be fair, he was majestic in his talent. I seen him in a nightclub 2 years later (we were both 18) and I congratulated him on his success. He then proceeded to mock the fact that I was wearing a mid-range watch and showed me his Rolex."
"But the success went to his head before he could play for the big leagues. He ended up partying too hard and fighting with everyone. He went to prison for five years for punching someone and causing severe damage. Lost everything."
"I seen him a few years back. In our 30's now. He still has an aura of 'I am better than everyone'. But he biffed it due to his hubris. I'm far from being a rich man, but he's still acting like he has something over me, but in reality, he's just an embarrassing failure."
"A waste of talent and a waste of breath."
– MustardKingCustard
All For Show
"Carrying a large wad of cash around so when they pay for something they have to pull it out and flip through it."
"There will be a few large bills on the outside followed by mostly small bills. Like yeah you got $500 in your hands. I have it on my debit card like a normal adult."
"It's not impressive, it's corny."
"Also a good way to make yourself a target."
– HurricaneAlpha
Influencing
"Instagram influencers. If you’re not an actual celebrity, I have a hard time believing you’re living the lavish life you portray."
– Fluid-Carpet-2824
"They go on one vacation, take 300 photos, release a photo every two days so it looks like they're perpetually on vacation."
– YamahaRyoko
"THIS. I knew a guy who's a scam artist (I'll DM you his name if you want) who rented a McLaren one day, and took 500+ photos with different outfits and posted them over the course of 2 years to pretend he owned a McLaren."
"He then sells classes to idiots to teach them how to be rich like him."
"Shelby Sapp is the same thing; she is a girl in Miami who lives off her parents."
– mrkrabz1991
Some are financially irresponsible to keep up with the ruse.
Keeping Up With Appearances
"I used to be friends with a guy who was always so obsessed with how he looked and how he was portrayed in public. He always said he wanted to look good."
"I have nothing against wanting to 'look good' but he went into debt buying the most ridiculous items. $800 shoes he bought specifically for a job he quit months later, a luxury ring that was $4k, then a luxury bracelet that was $11k."
"He worried about stuff like that; meanwhile, he lived rent-free in a really run-down apartment with rotting floors, constant ceiling leaks, etc."
– ehPurpleCod
"I absolutely don't understand people like that. I hated buying a £400 laptop on credit that I've been making consistent payments on when my old one crapped out, and I'd consider that a necessary purchase."
– MoonChaser22
The Spendthrifts
"When I first moved to LA, my neighbors were four Persian guys in their early 20s living in a two bedroom place. They each had new flashy cars, designer clothes, gold chains, and hit the clubs."
"They used to come to my place to drink and watch some football because they had very little furniture in their place and no TV. They couldn’t afford cable."
– Granadafan
The Cost Of Boasting
"You HAVE to own fancy things like a Mercedes and name brand clothes but can't afford to do anything else because your status symbols take every penny you earn."
"Also, people who are constantly taking out loans and credit cards then boasting about their fantastic travels across the globe."
– Disastrous_Ad626
Staying On Trend
"My.MIL is not rich, but she likes to pretend that she is by buying whatever trendy nonsense object du jour 'everybody is talking about,' and only shopping in what she considers 'high-end" stores.'"
"In the last two years, she has bought three $5k+ sofas from Pottery Barn. She replaced the first two because they were uncomfortable and ridiculously deep."
"When she bought the third, and it was also so deep that I, a grown man, can't put my feet on the ground if my back is against the back cushion, I asked her why she bought another deep sofa. 'Deep sofas are really in!' she said."
"She recently spent $19,000 on custom drapery for the modest senior living apartment where she lives."
"When we moved her there, the basement of her old house was full of sh*t like unused Yeti coolers, a Vitamix blender that had never been removed from the box, high-end pots and pans (she doesn't cook), and a bunch of electronic gadgets that she could never figure out, but undoubtedly saw on TV."
"If you ask her about any of that sh*t, she'll enthusiastically tell you how great and expensive it all is, even though she's never used it."
– EarhornJones
Polishing T*rd
"I watched a video the other day of a woman who was at a salon getting a pedi, and her legs were covered in goldleaf which they then washed away with a bottle of Hennessy. So whatever the f'k that was is my answer."
– Rugged_Turtle
These are dead giveaways.
Priority Spending
"Me, at the grocery store, the day I get paid."
– bobofiddlesticks
"Just thinking thousands of dollars of sneakers makes you rich would do it for me, let alone no bed frame. lol"
– IDoSANDance
"Actually caring if someone thinks you’re rich or not."
– Lovely_Dollies
All For Show
"Flaunting generic 'rich people' things that literally anyone with an extra few hundred dollars can buy at any time, like higher-end cigars or cognac or luxury fashion brands."
– Clintman
Going Nowhere Fast
"As a former car salesperson, 100% vehicles. I used to see so many people (daily) with zero financial sense, and I mean that literally. They’d come in looking at $40k-$60k SUVs and sit down after an hour of looking and test driving and freak out over a $900 payment, and flat out refuse the $25k suv that would do the exact same thing, just not as fancy. I had tons of customers that would come in on these 8 year old luxury brands making $15/hr and trying to get approved on a $30k loan."
"There is one that really sticks out to me, a guy brought his son in to look at a 5-8 year old bmw sedan. Nothing fancy, the thing was like $20k but clearly wasn’t in great shape. We weren’t a BMW dealership, so it had seen the bare minimum of work, and was being sold as is."
"The guy explained that he’d just been promoted to manager of the local Golden Corral and wanted to be taken seriously by the employees, so he needed a ‘boss’ car. I really wanted to tell him that he flat out couldn’t afford this car, but I couldn’t. After hours of trying, we couldn’t get him approved because his credit was too low, and his salary was ONLY $35k annually to be a restaurant manager."
"I’m not saying people can’t have nice cars, but I’d bet 90% or more of the US is living well beyond their means when it comes to vehicles."
– Lootthatbody
Blah Blah Blah
"Open displays of ostentatiousness, bragging about who they’ve 'apparently' met, had dealings with and the circles they 'apparently' move within and openly mocking those they perceive as not in the same 'world' as them."
– SpookyMorden
Unfortunately, maintaining a false image has become a social malaise in today's society, exacerbated by social media, where the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred.
Being perceived as regular has become a weird stigma, and those unhappy with their current life status are to push a narrative or perception they wish they were a part of.
And we easily play into that.
Is it possible to reverse course as a society, where being humble can be perceived as something positive, relatable, or perhaps inspiring?
Or has that train already left the station for a one-way ticket to nowhere?
@coyleray/Instagram