Apparently, There Are Subtle Differences Between 'Rich' People And 'Wealthy' People

Kasia Mikolajczak
woman in a white button down shirt with sunglasses holding a stack of money against a pink background
Pexels | Pexels

Have you ever heard the expression, "money talks but wealth whispers?" I have to admit I have not. But I do know what they mean by that.

And so when a person on Reddit asked others what are the differences between rich people (or those who want to appear that way) and wealthy ones, the answers were pretty interesting. Let's see what the subtle signs of wealth really are. Are you curious to find out?

This Frugal Living Idea

old yellow sedan parked on a street
Pexels | Pexels

"I’m on a forum with a bunch of successful investors. Almost everyone over there is worth $5-million or more, yet drives a 12-year-old used car because they know that frugality and avoiding debt and living beneath one’s means while always investing in index funds is the way to wealth."

Aha! That's how the wealthy keep their wealth.

This True Fact

man in a blue t-shirt holding a finger in front of his mouth
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"True wealthy people don't talk about their net worth, how much they make, etc. as much as someone trying to convince you they're 'rich.'"

Ha, ha, I talked about this with my fiancé the other day and yes, we agree with that.

This Unassuming Reality

Dan Levy from Schitt's Creek saying "Oooh that's true."
Giphy | Schitt's Creek

"I live in an area in the U.K. where everyone is wealthy. Landowners, financiers, etc. Let me tell you, the richer they are the more busted their car is, they get it fixed but won’t buy a new one. Usually, hoarders of some capacity, clothes are just kinda shabby and they have all the time in the world to pursue what actually interests them and that’s normally something niche that costs a bit to maintain the hobby. The more busted they look the richer they are usually."

Ha, ha!

This Church Practice

the inside of a nice cathedral church
Pexels | Pexels

"In a church setting, the person will use an envelope and discreetly place it in the dish. Other people will make a show of opening their wallets."

Good point here. I have seen people do both, so now I get it.

This Simple Answer

woman in a white button down shirt and black pants sitting comfortably on the couch
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"When you ask them if they’re wealthy or not they always just say 'I’m comfortable.'"

Truth be told, I would love to be able to say that one day and know exactly what I mean by it. Do you get what I'm saying?

This Subtle Sign

attractive woman with long brown hair wearing white top and necklace touching her face
Pexels | Pexels

"Their skin. If you see someone with amazing skin and teeth chances are they can afford to take care of it. At least that's one subtle sign in the Philippines."

That is a very good point. All that can easily add up.

This Tell-Tale Sign

Patek Philippe watch on a wooden surface
Pexels | Pexels

"An expensive watch that isn’t a Rolex. Rolexes are how rich people, or not even rich but 'had-a-good-year' show off wealth to poor people. A truly wealthy person will have a Patek or AP Royal Oak or a Mueller, and not necessarily even a flashy one."

Oh, good to know, huh?

This Time Saver

Steve Carrell from The Office laughing saying "I don't have time for that."
Giphy | The Office

"They spend money if it saves them time. Time is more valuable than money."

Honestly, that's one thing I envy about wealthy people. I wish I could just quit the rat race and be able to enjoy my free time more.

This Complaint

hands holding a snakeskin wallet against a nature backdrop
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"They will never complain about the cost of something, but will nitpick the quality of work to death."

Well, I don't know about you, but I think that makes sense. Wealthy people will pay the top price for good quality.

This Health Fact

variety of food on wooden coaster
Pexels | Pexels

"They have good, healthy food — always. Healthy, quality food costs a LOT of money."

Here's another thing I envy about those with wealth especially now that food prices have skyrocketed. I want to eat healthily but it's so expensive.

This Easy To Spot Sign

pair of black shiny men's dress shoes
Pexels | Pexels

"Their shoes. Rich people may have designer shoes, but true wealthy people have shined clean shoes."

They singlehandedly keep the shoeshine businesses going. Am I right? I always wonder why they still have them everywhere, hee-hee.

This Subtle Way Of Living

old house near trees under blue sky
Pexels | Pexels

"The wealthiest man in my home state (until his death in 2011) was well known for driving a 15-year-old Ford F-150, and living in a modest 1500 square foot ranch house in an older part of town."

Oh, yeah. I can see that.

This Fashion Sense

fashionable woman wearing sunglasses and carrying shopping bags
Pexels | Pexels

"The clothes they wear. It doesn't matter if it's a designer or thrift shop, everything fits them well and is clean. They can afford tailors, dry-cleaners, and stylists, and always look put-together."

That's a good perk, huh? I could get used to that.

This Non-Flashy Lifestyle

woman with long blond hair and sunglasses wearing gray tshirt and jeans
Pexels | Pexels

"Rich people (and wannabe rich) buy T-shirts with big bold letters of designer brands to broadcast they spent $500 for their shirt. Wealthy people might buy the same brand shirt as the rich guy, but it has no logos."

True dat!

This Comfortable Life

living room with fancy furniture
Pexels | Pexels

"Never buying furniture. Wealthy people either inherit old and expensive pieces, or you hire a decorator to do it all for you."

Yeah, you'll never see them shopping at IKEA, ha, ha. Am I right? But there's something to be said about buying that furniture and putting it together yourself, no?

This Simple Fact

"They have a Steinway concert grand piano in their spacious living room that is perfectly maintained and tuned, even though no one in the house plays it. It sits discreetly and subtly in a corner of the room, like just another piece of furniture to fill the vast space."

I get the idea, but I still would prefer if somebody actually played that piano, otherwise I feel like it's just wasting away there in the corner, huh?

This Question

person skiing on a beautiful mountain range
Pexels | Pexels

"If you find yourself constantly asking 'Where's [name]?' and the answer is always something like: 'In Barbados.' Or, 'They went to Key West for the weekend.' 'I think they went to see the Grand Canyon.' 'Probably skiing in Colorado again.' Yeah — they didn't say a word but you know they got money."

Wow, must be nice.

This Life Lesson

woman in a white shirt holding up another white shirt
Pexels | Pexels

"I live in a city full of wealthy landowners, and let me tell you, you'll never see the rich folks flaunt their wealth, they always wear the simplest clothes, and wear only a watch ( a simple necklace if they're women), but the moment you meet them, you know they're rich without them having to show it to you."

And that's how to stay rich, people, or should I say wealthy? Ha, ha!

Oh my goodness, huh?

Characters on The Mick talking about old money, new money and no money.
Giphy | The Mick

Was that an interesting insight into the wealthy people's lives? There really is a difference between those who want everybody to know they're rich and those who came from old money, no? If you keep flaunting and spending, you won't stay rich for long. So, don't say I didn't warn you, ha, ha.