@ccprofandmomof2 FIRE movement - no, haven’t heard of it and don’t have time to google at the moment, but perhaps later… I know plenty of youngsters are heading minimalist and for the most part, I applaud them for it. Those I know are doing it to more or less protect the planet after being appalled at how much is being destroyed by earlier recent generations. Is that connected?
In my extended family, everyone is above middle class in income. There are different spending priorities— some buy new, high status cars every few years while some of us keep old cars and maintain them for decades. Some have larger homes in nicer neighborhoods than others. Everyone seems fairly comfortable that they can pay their bills, though those facing sending kids through college moan loudly about the costs (those of us who have paid for our kids to go they college are quieter and relieved to be done).
I haven’t noticed much open friction.
FIRE = Financial Independence and Retiring Early
@Happytimes2001 I feel some resentment from siblings and disbelief from parents. Nothing terrible, but it can be a little uncomfortable especially since we occasionally get approached for “help” aka money.
I did drift away from some old friends who seemed really put out that H and I were successful. I actually heard them talking behind my back about how much we spend on our cars (we have nice vehicles, but not Ferrari’s or anything worth special notice). Kinda funny story - I lost contact with one friend who clearly did not think I deserved my lifestyle … years later, she contacted me to make sure I knew her kid got into a super prestigious college, then I never heard from her again! I guess we are even 
I’m in the 1% so I’m sure those in the 99% would classify me as rich.
However, here is why I don’t consider myself rich. Rich are people with more than one home. I only have one. The Rich are people who go on expensive vacations, and we do not. Rich people don’t shop at Wal-Mart. I do shop at Wal-Mart. Rich people don’t worry about providing for their family. I do worry about that. Rich people don’t worry about paying for their kids college. I do worry about that.
I’m blessed to be in a situation where I don’t have to chose between food or heat, a coat or medicine, making a house payment or car payment. But I really don’t believe that makes me rich. I do have to worry about making a wrong decision in my job and have that decision cause thousands of others to lose their job. I do have to worry about doing something that will perhaps seriously injure, or worse, a customer. I do have to worry about going to jail as part of my job. So perhaps that added burden is why I don’t feel rich?
I’m also the first generation to attend college. I remember eating “Government Cheese” and getting one very small Christmas gift when I was a kid. I remember not heating the upstairs of my house growing up because the electric heat was too expensive. I remember my mother getting hand-me-down clothes for me and my brothers from my cousins. So maybe that is why I don’t consider myself rich.
You are rich. You just come from poverty and at afraid of going back there. Enjoy being rich. Being worried/anxious about not being rich doesn’t make you not rich! Even if you don’t feel you are rich enough, you are rich!
To some extent, “green saves greenbacks”. For example, wasting energy = wasting money. So there is a large overlap between frugalism and environmentalism, and it is often not necessary to choose between them.
Seems like you are The Millionaire Next Door, not the status symbol displayer who may or may not actually be rich (versus buying the status symbols with debt).
@ucbalumnus I was wondering if it was connected to FIRE. Absolutely most I know who are concerned about the environment (including us) tend to be frugal, esp minimalists. The minimalists I know aren’t those who are looking for free money from the gov’t or other organizations by choosing not to work though. I’m not sure if that’s just my area or across the board.
They most certainly do shop at Wal-Mart. And Costco and Target and Sam’s. They probably don’t purchase their wardrobe there, but they are there nevertheless.
From what I can tell, there are frugalists / minimalists who are not motivated by environmentalism (though being “green” can be a by-product of frugalism / minimalism). For example, The Millionaire Next Door does not mention environmental motivations or reasons.
Frugalism / minimalism does not necessarily mean choosing not to work, especially if it results in being dependent on someone else like the government, charity, or family. Indeed, the acronym FIRE in this context suggests a goal of reaching financial independence from others, presumably by conserving the money one earns from work, allowing one to retire early on one’s savings.
“Rich” doesn’t have to mean rockstar or Khardashian rich. Plenty of the rich shop at Target etc. I purchase most of my clothes at Eddie Bauer on sale. We purchase furniture on sales, etc. Nothing is custom at our house. We eat at diners mostly.
In terms of family, they think we are doing well but no one knows the true net worth. To most of them anything above truck driver pay is “rich”.
We go on vacations but we never pay full price. We are taking siblings on a European trip soon but they all are aware I got a great deal on the cruise and flights. Off season is the way to go!
We have paid for the funerals for various aunties and uncles. No one ran up the bill. They have always been appreciative and we have appreciated all the love and support my husband had as he got is education. We have been fortunate that to our knowledge there is no resentment.
Slight digression about The Millionaire Next Door (Tom Stanley). He treated himself to the car he always loved since he worked summers in a Chevy dealership in HS, a corvette, and sadly, was killed in it when hit by a drunk driver as he was turning into his subdivision.
“Rich people don’t shop at Wal-Mart.”
.”
This is what people who aren’t rich might think but it’s not true. I live in a very wealthy area. Most people go to Wall mart because it’s convenient. Like another poster said the rich don’t buy their clothes there but their paper goods and things like that? Of course they do.
Re: Walmart and rich people
Sam Walton himself drove his 1979 pickup until he died in 1992, even though he was wealthy enough to buy whatever vehicle he wanted.
https://social.ford.com/en_US/story/vehicle-type/truck/sam-waltons-iconic-1979-ford-f-150-custom.html
https://www.walmartmuseum.com/timeline/decades/1970/artifact/2580
As for relatives. Everyone in my immediate family is in the top percent of income though some just skim the bottom and others are close to one percenters.
My sister who is a “ close to one percenter” ( in assets…as are we) has a relative on her husbands side that is in the bottom quarter. They had no idea of my sister and her husbands circumstances until they almost lost their home. Then my sister and her husband paid off their mortgage. For them it was a drop in the bucket. They were happy to do it.
@ucbalumnus -Think Howard Hughes.
We have been lucky as a family both sides. Almost all of us have far more in assets and income then we grew up with. On my spouses side, there is a little resentment. When we were in our 30s and making crazy money one SIL asked us to buy her kids computers for Xmas. This was when they cost a lot more and were not very common. We’ve also been asked for other things. When my spouse sold the company we got asked lots of nosey questions. Of course, many could find the real data online. We heard comments when we sent the kids to private schools ( esp from the richest relative who choose to send her kids to local great public school). A couple of nephews had already gone to Boarding school so it was accepted more on that side. We’ve definitely have people ask us how much we make, pay in taxes, etc. I know people have looked up our house on websites because they make specific comments. I resent how we live in a time of glass houses with everything available online.
I think sometimes people just want to keep score. It makes sense with siblings. Sibling rivalry might never end. Money is easier to measure than whose kid is the nicest. 
Definitely the bubble.
The town where I live has many 1%'s. We joke that our town is filled with the “Haves” and “Have Mores”. And the “Haves” definitely feel as if they’re struggling comparatively, yet they’re living in $800k houses and earning low- mid-6 figures.
Except it’s not, because the US is wealthier than are those countries. It just “chooses” to spend its money on warmaking and subsidizing corporations and the ultra-rich instead of the general population’s basic needs.