The real 'Millionaire lifestyle'
Discussion
People we see on TV and in the press 'flashing the cash' are in many cases just rich kids squandering their parents' earnings or doing it all on credit.
On the basis that 'you don't get rich by spending it', real millionaires, particularly in the UK, are often pretty frugal, in some cases to the extreme. They are more likely to see them at a boot sale than in a jewellers, and will spend time fixing stuff that 20% taxpayers would dump without hesitation.
There must be PHers with some good anecdotes about the well to do, if not well-heeled, so fire away!
On the basis that 'you don't get rich by spending it', real millionaires, particularly in the UK, are often pretty frugal, in some cases to the extreme. They are more likely to see them at a boot sale than in a jewellers, and will spend time fixing stuff that 20% taxpayers would dump without hesitation.
There must be PHers with some good anecdotes about the well to do, if not well-heeled, so fire away!
My in-laws, who are weapons grade w
kers to whom we no longer speak, are sitting on a lot of money but you would never know. They have 3 properties (including 2 bed flat in London) with no mortgage, which must be worth well over £2M. Father in law was paid £250K a year for a long time, full final salary pension, 2 properties bring in £1.6K a month rental on top. Yet they buy clothes in primark, holiday in their 2nd hand camper van, drive dull little cars like Kias, and are always hunting bargains on Fleabay.
kers to whom we no longer speak, are sitting on a lot of money but you would never know. They have 3 properties (including 2 bed flat in London) with no mortgage, which must be worth well over £2M. Father in law was paid £250K a year for a long time, full final salary pension, 2 properties bring in £1.6K a month rental on top. Yet they buy clothes in primark, holiday in their 2nd hand camper van, drive dull little cars like Kias, and are always hunting bargains on Fleabay.
GliderRider said:
People we see on TV and in the press 'flashing the cash' are in many cases just rich kids squandering their parents' earnings or doing it all on credit.
On the basis that 'you don't get rich by spending it', real millionaires, particularly in the UK, are often pretty frugal, in some cases to the extreme. They are more likely to see them at a boot sale than in a jewellers, and will spend time fixing stuff that 20% taxpayers would dump without hesitation.
There must be PHers with some good anecdotes about the well to do, if not well-heeled, so fire away!
Many years ago I worked with a very rich and terribly posh chap whose family owned a fairly well known private bank that bore the family name. There was a story that he was once in a shop paying for whatever he'd just bought with a cheque issued by the same bank. The shop assistant asked him as per the custom in those days to write his name and address on the back, to which he replied "it's on the fOn the basis that 'you don't get rich by spending it', real millionaires, particularly in the UK, are often pretty frugal, in some cases to the extreme. They are more likely to see them at a boot sale than in a jewellers, and will spend time fixing stuff that 20% taxpayers would dump without hesitation.
There must be PHers with some good anecdotes about the well to do, if not well-heeled, so fire away!
king front old boy".easytiger123 said:
Many years ago I worked with a very rich and terribly posh chap whose family owned a fairly well known private bank that bore the family name. There was a story that he was once in a shop paying for whatever he'd just bought with a cheque issued by the same bank. The shop assistant asked him as per the custom in those days to write his name and address on the back, to which he replied "it's on the fking front old boy".
You know Bob Natwest as well?king front old boy".
Shakermaker said:
easytiger123 said:
Many years ago I worked with a very rich and terribly posh chap whose family owned a fairly well known private bank that bore the family name. There was a story that he was once in a shop paying for whatever he'd just bought with a cheque issued by the same bank. The shop assistant asked him as per the custom in those days to write his name and address on the back, to which he replied "it's on the fking front old boy".
You know Bob Natwest as well?king front old boy".designforlife said:
I live in the 8th most expensive town in the UK apparently...most of the 2+ million pound houses around here have 15 year old volvos parked in front of them, so wherever that money goes, it isn't on fancy cars.
Were the houses worth £2m when they were bought by the owners of 15 year old Volvos though? My parents house is probably worth £1.5m but they've lived there since 1988 and bought when it was cheap cheap cheap and sold their place in London just as prices were going up. Dad drives a 12 year old Golf and mum has a 4 year old Up! - flash cars just aren't their thing at all. When I was a kid I worked for a guy who'd made his first million in his early twenties, back in the 60s so a lot harder than it is today. He was tighter than a duck's arse, wouldn't buy his wife a Mercedes that she wanted and instead made her get a job and save up for a second hand one. When he retired and sold off his business he did pay out multiples of what he needed to in statutory redundancy payments to everybody who worked for him.
Shakermaker said:
designforlife said:
I live in the 8th most expensive town in the UK apparently...most of the 2+ million pound houses around here have 15 year old volvos parked in front of them, so wherever that money goes, it isn't on fancy cars.
Were the houses worth £2m when they were bought by the owners of 15 year old Volvos though? My parents house is probably worth £1.5m but they've lived there since 1988 and bought when it was cheap cheap cheap and sold their place in London just as prices were going up. Dad drives a 12 year old Golf and mum has a 4 year old Up! - flash cars just aren't their thing at all. The most expensive property was something like £13 million, and it is a gaudy nightmare inside!
There is no doubt a lot of wealth in the area, but I think like has been said, a lot of it isn't actually being spent.
Shakermaker said:
designforlife said:
I live in the 8th most expensive town in the UK apparently...most of the 2+ million pound houses around here have 15 year old volvos parked in front of them, so wherever that money goes, it isn't on fancy cars.
Were the houses worth £2m when they were bought by the owners of 15 year old Volvos though? My parents house is probably worth £1.5m but they've lived there since 1988 and bought when it was cheap cheap cheap and sold their place in London just as prices were going up. Dad drives a 12 year old Golf and mum has a 4 year old Up! - flash cars just aren't their thing at all. 
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff