People Are Sharing Tiny “Luxuries” That Make Them Feel Rich, And Here Are 30 Honest Answers

Spending and purchasing habits can also serve as a good reflection of what a person's financial situation used to be like. Even after acquiring a stable income and savings, some people will continue to spend like it’s their last dollar. Old habits die hard, and some might feel an overwhelming urge to take advantage of a sale they find and are immediately mesmerized by offers of “buy one, get one free.”

On the other end of the spectrum, a person that grew up with money might feel quite comfortable overspending, even if their personal income doesn’t quite match the costs. It’s just expected that friends and family might be able to lend some in a bad situation and there are always some assets that can be liquidated, a word that itself is a good litmus test for financial experience. 

Financial literacy is more than just knowledge of the sort of terminology reserved for films like “The Big Short” and “The Wolf of Wall Street,” it also depicts a person's ability to think of money as a more flexible resource. When you are poor or have grown up poor, it’s hard to think about uses of cash that don’t satisfy immediate needs and expenses. 

But one does not need to manage multiple income streams and funds to appreciate subtle or not-so-subtle shifts in economic welfare. Often, spending habits are delayed, as the person still buys the same products and services, at the same cost for a little while, until, bit by bit, they can see that more and more money accumulates in their pockets by the end of the month. 

This is not what makes someone rich, but it does feel very, very good. Then, slowly, the person starts to notice all those other goods and services that they stubbornly ignored throughout the year. Many of the answers here focus not on large, financial decisions like buying property, but on little treats one can finally afford for themselves. Unfortunately, being poor often comes with a degree of guilt about spending on “unnecessary” things even when one can afford them. 

Of course, there are also the people who go a little overboard when they finally get some pocket change. At best, they get some flashy items and pay off interest for a few months, which is hopefully a good financial lesson for the next few months. At worst, and a lack of financial literacy plays a part here, they end up taking loans without understanding compound interest and overpay to such a degree that an “actually rich” person might cringe.