Deep Dive
Why do people perceive the same habits and behaviors differently based on someone's wealth?
People often judge behaviors differently depending on the social status of the individual, creating a double standard where the same actions are seen as classy for the rich and trashy for the poor.
What is the significance of multiple cars in front of a house in terms of social perception?
Multiple luxury cars are seen as a sign of wealth and class, while multiple old, non-functional cars are perceived as a sign of poverty and disarray.
How does the perception of having a job differ between the rich and the poor?
For the rich, not having a job is often seen as a choice due to inherited wealth, whereas for the poor, it can be viewed as a sign of laziness or inability to find work.
What is the difference in perception between rich and poor when it comes to gambling?
Gambling at high-end venues like horse racing is seen as a classy activity for the wealthy, while buying scratch-off tickets is considered trashy for the poor, despite both being forms of gambling.
Why is cheese consumption perceived differently based on wealth?
A charcuterie board is considered classy, while processed cheese like Craft Singles is seen as trashy, highlighting the perception of food quality and presentation based on socioeconomic status.
What steps can someone take to improve their financial situation and break the cycle of poverty?
Start by creating a budget, building an emergency fund, paying off debt using the debt snowball method, and increasing income through side hustles or better-paying jobs.
How does the perception of outdoor furniture vary between the rich and the poor?
Outdoor furniture designed for the purpose is seen as classy, while using indoor furniture outside is considered trashy, emphasizing the importance of appropriateness and maintenance.
Why is Florida often associated with both classy and trashy lifestyles?
Florida is seen as a place with both high-end living and eccentric, often humorous, low-income behaviors, making it a symbol of the social spectrum.
What is the perception of not paying taxes based on wealth?
Rich individuals are often seen as savvy for minimizing tax liabilities through legal means, while poor individuals are stigmatized for not paying taxes, even if they legally don't owe federal income tax.
How does the perception of police escorts differ between the rich and the poor?
Police escorts for security and convenience are seen as a sign of power and class for the wealthy, while other reasons for police involvement are often viewed negatively.
- Multiple cars: Classy for the rich (luxury cars), trashy for the poor (junky cars).
- Unemployment: Socially acceptable for the rich, considered laziness for the poor.
- Wine consumption: Expensive wine is classy for the rich, cheap wine is trashy for the poor.
- Exotic pets: Acceptable for the rich, seen as irresponsible for the poor.
- Tax avoidance: Wealthy individuals use legal means to minimize taxes, while the poor face tax burdens despite low income.
- Gambling: High-stakes gambling is acceptable for the rich, while low-stakes gambling is seen negatively for the poor.
- Government assistance: Subsidies for the rich, handouts for the poor.
- Police escorts: Security and convenience for the rich, negative connotations for the poor.
Shownotes Transcript
- What's up guys, Cyber Monday is here and my book, "Breaking Free From Broke" is on sale now for just 12 bucks. So go to ramseysolutions.com/store to get it today. Remember 2016, a lot happened that year. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series after 108 years of not winning it. We all heard the term Brexit way too much and Twitter user Anna Samway stirred up some comedy gold on the internet. She posed the question, what's considered trashy if you're poor,
but classy if you're rich. And the responses were frankly hilarious. Recently, this question resurfaced on Reddit. And once again, people's answers did not disappoint, possibly because there's a little bit of truth to some of these. So in today's video, we're gonna take a look at some of the best responses to the question, what's trashy if you're poor and classy if you're rich. And we're gonna see, we're just gonna try and see if there's anything we can learn from these observations, other than the fact that people on Reddit are,
They need help. They need friendship, they need community, and they need to get off Reddit. No, I don't think I will.
But first, you know what's classy whether you're rich or poor? Smashing those like and subscribe buttons. Yeah. And while you're at it, go ahead and share this with all your classy friends who are on a first name basis with a judge and your trashy friends who are also on a first name basis with a judge. I remember you. Okay, things that are considered trashy if you're broke but classy if you're rich, multiple cars in front of your house. I think the condition of the cars matters here. You got multiple old junky cars that don't run?
That could be a broke person's house. You got multiple luxury cars that are running just fine? That's a rich person with too much money on their hands. But hey, no shame as long as you paid cash. You got payments on any of those cars, they got problems, all right? But that one is true. If I see a lot of cars in front of someone's house, I got questions. Are they throwing a party? And why am I not invited to the party? I don't know.
Are you in loser denial or something? Next up, what's classy if you're rich and trashy if you're broke? Not having a job. All right, so here's the thinking behind this one. If you're rich and you don't have a job, it's socially acceptable. You know, you get daddy's trust fund. Why bother to work? You know, just sit around doing rich people stuff, making YouTube videos, crashing Lamborghinis or whatever you do.
Working on the skincare routine? Trying to get that regimen tight? Maybe just counting dollar bills? Swimming in a pool of gold coins? I don't know. But if you're poor and you don't have a job, people consider you a bum. And I feel like that's unfair. Because I'd rather hang with the broke people than some of these rich, hoity-toity entitled brats any day. One banana, Michael. What could it cost? Ten dollars? Next up, what's classy if you're rich and trashy if you're broke? Drinking a ton of wine. Now...
Hear me out, I'm not anti-drinking, I'm also not gonna sit here and condone it, but I don't think drinking a ton of wine is ever really classy. But I see what they're saying here, okay? Rich people do be loving a 2014 Chateau Cheval Blanc. But if you're broke and you're guzzling that Franzia Sunset Blush Pink boxed wine, not so classy. Boxed wine gets a bad rap, but it can be great, okay? And technically, it's not boxed, it's bagged. Next up, what's classy if you're rich and trashy if you're broke? Exotic pet ownership, okay.
Maybe this is classy, but I don't think it should be. I can't help but think about our friend Tiger King. There's not much classy about that guy or the world about exotic pet ownership based on that document. But then again, think about it this way. Jasmine in the movie Aladdin, she owned a tiger and she was rich. Different style there. Both tiger owners. They went very separate ways. Either way, pet ownership is expensive. OK, and I understand that we all love our pets, but exotic pets, I feel like we just stop. Stop it.
Get some help. We don't need to own reptiles and tigers and snakes. And I don't recommend it, especially if you don't have the bank account to stomach the cost of some of this stuff. And it is animal abuse if you can't take care of your pets. I don't care what you say. Are we clear? Next up, what is classy if you're rich but trashy if you're broke? Not paying taxes. Shots were fired on this one.
But this is a good one. Okay, the ultra wealthy usually have access to financial advisors and accountants who can help them minimize tax liabilities through things like tax deductions, credits, loopholes, and offshore tax havens. Now, on the other hand, low income individuals might not pay federal income taxes because of other things like tax credits, deductions, exemptions, or simply because their income falls below the taxable threshold. But
they're still going to have to pay some taxes like sales tax, property tax if they own a home, payroll taxes, and various state and local taxes. So this one's not totally accurate on either side, but I get the sentiment behind it. Next up, LazySoup2430 said this, What's classy if you're rich and trashy if you're poor? Gambling.
Okay, this one, this one I agree with. Wealthy people might be, you know, gambling on different things, like horses at Churchill Downs. That seems classier than buying the scratch off at the gas station. But it's all gambling at the end of the day, maybe at different scales. You know, buying a $5 scratch off every day versus betting 10 grand on the horse. Those are different scales, but they can both lead you to make poor financial decisions, get you a little starry-eyed at the money that could be made, and leave you broke.
And just because it's socially acceptable doesn't make it classier gambling. And I'm looking at you sports bettors with your free wagers and FanDuel and whatnot. None of it is fine with me. Now, if you want to go to Vegas with 100 bucks to spend from your envelope of cash and you budgeted for it, that's OK. But we see too many people getting addicted to gambling and even mobile apps now with gaming. It can be super easy to get addicted and spend money you don't have. And those are it's a terrible recipe.
You don't want that, so stay away. Next up, what is classy if you're rich and trashy if you're broke? Money from the government. When you're already wealthy, they call these subsidies and bailouts. But when you're broke, they call them handouts and then you're stigmatized as being lazy.
Again, it feels a little unfair. Unfair, unfair? Yeah, unfair, unfair. Next up, what is classy if you're rich and trashy if you're broke? Police escorts. It turns out it's all about why the police are escorting you. That makes all the difference. When the wealthy do it, it's for security and convenience and it makes them feel powerful. If you've got a police escort for any other reason, it's probably a more unpleasant situation. I'm just going to leave it there.
Moving on. All right, we got a good one coming up. You don't want to miss it. But first, let me give a shout out to today's sponsor. I want to give you the hookup with Delete.me, one of the sponsors of today's video. I love what these guys do. Delete.me will find and remove your personal info from these data broker websites out there to help keep your data away from online scammers, spammers, and data thieves, which is great because honestly, I don't want to spend hours filling out all the forms it takes to have my info removed. Trust me, I have tried, and that is precious time I'll never get back.
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This one got me. Look, everyone knows this is a thing. Okay, I don't know why. I like Florida. There's some classy things about it, and there's also some trashy things about it. And if you need proof, just search Florida man plus your birthday, and I guarantee you, you're going to have a good time with whatever article pops up. In fact, let's try it.
Florida man hits 180 miles an hour during historic police chase. You're number one, Florida, for at least that. World record. Congratulations, you played yourself. Next up, what is classy if you're rich and trashy if you're poor? Outdoor furniture. Now, big caveat here. I think the key question is, was the furniture made to be outdoor furniture? Or is that just a normal couch you have on the lawn?
That's distressing. Very different. What's classy for rich and trashy for broke? Dressing casual for a formal event. Yeah, this one is interesting. You know, a lot of judgment here. Unless you're super wealthy, then you're making a fashion statement. Looking at you, Bieber. As a side note, guys wearing t-shirts or blazers, I think we're done with that one too. Unless you're Ryan Gosling.
Keep scrolling past the t-shirt and blazer move, okay? You can't pull it off. You can't. Don't even try. Last but not least, what's classy if you're rich and trashy if you're broke? Cheese as a meal. This one hits. Charcuterie board? Classy. Craft singles? Not so much. Here's why. Here's a fun fact for you. Craft singles aren't even legally considered cheese. Look at that label, my friends. Pasteurized processed cheese food.
Now, Velveeta, on the other hand, is a Southern delicacy, and don't you say a bad word about it. Respect the cheese. Okay, those are pretty funny, and there's a lot of truth to them. But why does this question keep coming back up every few years? Why do people keep answering with comedy gold? Well, at the heart of it, I think some people see this as a fun opportunity to be clever, jump at the chance to make people laugh, maybe get some likes and views and get some engagement going. But I also think some people see it as an opportunity to call out the absurd behavior of the upper and or lower class. And because...
some of these are making fun of both, it feels socially acceptable and we like that we can have a good laugh about it without feeling too bad about ourselves. It's also an entertaining way for people to shine a light on what they perceive as a double standard. The fact that the same habits and behaviors are perceived differently based on how much money people have or their social status. So on one hand, the whole thing highlights the gap between the rich and the poor, yes. But on the other hand, it also shows that we're a lot more alike than you might think. We are the
Turns out wine and sweats are a great combo, no matter how much money you have. But listen, if you're seriously struggling to make ends meet, you might not find all these too funny. If you've got tons of debt, you've been living paycheck to paycheck, you know that the struggle is real. So how do you break this cycle? How do you go from people of Walmart to People Magazine? Well, it's less about your sweatpants and more about how you manage your money.
So the first thing you gotta do if you wanna break the cycle and join the wealthy crowd is you gotta get on a budget. Once you start paying attention to your money, you gotta get a starter emergency fund of 1,000 bucks really fast, then ditch all the consumer debt as fast as you can using the debt snowball method. Now, I've made in-depth videos on budgeting, how to get the emergency fund in place, and the debt snowball, and I'll link all of those below if you wanna check them out.
Now, sometimes you also need to increase your income. That's a huge part of this equation. We always say that your income is your greatest wealth building tool. Now, if you're working 40 hours a week and you can't just go jump ship tomorrow, maybe you can get a side hustle, work overtime, or do some freelance work in order to bring in some more income. There's so many side hustles out there today, like driving for Uber. You can take family portraits if you've got a camera.
tutor online, clean houses, sell baked goods, babysit, dog sit, you name it. There's all kinds of things you can do to bring in more income fast. And sometimes you do just need a better paying job, a better long-term career in order to build wealth and get out of these cycles. And I just want to call out, all of this is easier said than done. A lot of people feel stuck due to real systemic issues. There's generational cycles of poverty and debt that have been in the family. And if that's you, I want to encourage you. It could end with you.
You could be the first one in your family to break the chains of debt, to change your family tree and leave a legacy that you're proud of. And whatever you do, don't lose hope. I know it's hard. I know it might take longer than other people, but you can break the cycle. You can take control of your finances and you can have more money and more margin in your life.
Hope you guys enjoyed this video. If you'd like to be able to afford more wine or exotic pets for that matter, be sure to check out my new book, Breaking Free from Broke, The Ultimate Guide to More Money and Less Stress. You can get your copy with the link in the description below. As always, be sure to subscribe to the channel, like this video, and share it with all of your friends, especially the ones who are somehow both rich and trashy. You know who you are. Two words, leopard print. Thanks for watching. See you next time.