18 Signs You Grew Up With Privilege And Probably Didn’t Know It

Growing up, many of us had our financial experiences shaped by how we compared ourselves to others. We’ll often look back and tell stories about who had the biggest house, the newest gadgets, or the flashiest vacations, using these as markers of wealth. But what about those who saw the world differently, those who identified as poor?

What did they see as indicators of luxury and privilege? Here’s to flipping the script and examining the often-overlooked signs of wealth through the lens of those who felt the pinch of poverty.

1. Material Possessions Beyond Necessities

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Remember the thrill of a new toy? That excitement compares to the dismay at discovering your plaything was a hand-me-down, never truly your own.

And oh, don’t get us started on what it was like to step into a store and leave with your first brand-spanking-new bike compared to second-hand store treasures.

2. Private Schooling or Tutors

There’s a grim sort of wonder looking back at the kids who never set foot in a public school, with their customized education plans and personal tutors. Meanwhile, many were left to wonder what private education felt like.

3. Exotic Vacations and Travel Experiences

 Kids with stamps from various lands pepper their passports like it’s a sport, but for others, vacation means camping at a local site or the rare treat of a day trip.

There’s an allure to uncovering what those different stamps represented that many couldn’t imagine.

4. Access to Exclusive Clubs or Memberships

The stuff of legends, the “word-of-mouth” occasions of unreachable clubs and societies, only seen in movies or whispers in not-so-hushed tones by parents. Guilds and Lodges of knowledge and connection that others could only dream of being a part of.

5. Designer Clothing and Accessories

A specific power comes with wearing a brand no one in your family has heard of, and much less could afford. The almost magic power given to the wearer, as if the designer threads carried whispers of the lifestyle they embodied.

6. Multiple Homes or Properties

Tales of ‘summer homes’ and ‘winter chalets’ peppered conversation, as ordinary as discussing downpayments on first houses within the close-knit suburb clans. It was as if homes were an annual pass purchase, but one received at birth.

7. Expensive Hobbies or Extracurricular Activities

Beyond Saturday cartoons and bicycle stunts, these kids lived in a world of costly sports, exclusive art classes, and horseback riding lessons. Their skills were polished with the care our families reserved for future-proofing furniture.

8. Domestic Staff or Services

Okay, maybe your family had a dishwasher—a significant upgrade from the alternative—but the whispers of personal chefs and live-in nannies were the stuff of family lore. Dishes, after all, didn’t teach kids responsibility as a muscle byproduct of daily chores.

9. Attending Prestigious Events or Galas

The impact of growing up having to Google ‘what is black tie’ before your first university party is a stark contrast to the seasoned pros who always had a reason to dress to the nine. To shuffle along, unsure, in attire picked up on discounted sale racks was a very different dance.

10. Inherited Wealth or Trust Funds

The perception of young adults receiving bulging manila envelopes at given ages versus the winning-the-lottery feeling of every coin from your piggy bank counting the days until the next, vaguely insufficient allowance payment.

11. Lack of Financial Constraints or Worries

For the wealthy, the concern of financial collapse looked as alien as paying for groceries with cash currently looks to many, a quirk of decades gone by. To not ask questions about charging family meals on credit was a dream scenario.

12. Connections to Influential Individuals or Families

Those aware of the connections and privileges baked into those handshakes preserved the launchpad-like boost this provided. Meanwhile, the rest pieced together the patterns of who-you-know and wondered if an uncle’s uncle might hold the key to their potential.

13. Frequent Dining at Upscale Restaurants

From the hollow clinks of forks to the whispered friends-less-servings game, every meal became a symphony of subtle figures compared to typical dining experiences. The hushed tones and valiant attempts at proper dining etiquette were an art form.

14. Expensive Healthcare and Wellness Treatments

The societal dichotomy between those who could afford the crème-de-la-crème of healthcare and those whose family budget could rival their healthcare costs strikes close to home for many who’ve had to forgo care in favor of not bankrupting their families.

15. Customized or Luxury Vehicles

The rarest of birthdays, the arrival of a brand-new car with a bow on top, was the stuff of dreams. Tales of cars as personalized mobility statements contrasted with the communal wine-and-cheese ceremonies on the hood of a used family car bought for reliability first and foremost.

16. Unrestricted Spending Habits

The cultural affinity towards ‘treating yourself’ was either imbued at an early age or a chasm of division. One side could identify a self-gifted latte as ‘treating oneself,’ while the other daydreamed of the self-gifted trampoline.

17. Minimal Exposure to Financial Hardships

The concept of ‘not speaking about money’ was foreign for some. It was a silent reinforcement to the idea that financial security was cradled by the generations preceding them, an unspoken inheritance.

18. Generational Wealth and Privileges

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The family’s business succession was often seen as a fairy tale, a baton handed down for others to emulate. Meanwhile, the rest contemplated the delicate dance of progress on the towering golden rungs, with a gaze fixed on their institutional beacons.