Maybe you’ve always enjoyed generational wealth. Or perhaps you’ve been working on your wealth building lately with passive investing and other investment opportunities.
Either way, you’ll need to consider a personal question: Should you flaunt your money? And, if so, what’s the best way to do it?
At one time, it was fashionable to show off money with the flashiest cars, the biggest mansions, the most prized real estate, and the highest-priced pieces of jewelry. Yes, ostentatiousness was in.
Today, however, social mores have changed somewhat. For filthy rich folks everywhere, inconspicuousness has become trendy. Many upper-income individuals are finding understated ways to display their financial prowess. After all, there’s dignity in being discreet.
With that in mind, here are some subtle ways to display your good fortune. Better yet, many of the lifestyle choices described below will lead to extra happiness and personal fulfillment as well.
Investing in your own well-being should make you feel more energetic every day. Not to mention, it could help you live longer. And, these days, when a person looks healthy and glows from head to toe, it’s a real sign of prosperity.
Therefore, you might want to spend more on haircare and skincare. For instance, going for a monthly facial at an exclusive salon or spa could provide you with numerous benefits. Your skin should be softer, smoother, cleaner, stronger, and more radiant. Your social circle is sure to be amazed.
In addition, you might set up a home gym with state-of-the-art equipment. And, of course, sessions with an expert personal trainer can work wonders.
On the other hand, you could join a pricey and exclusive gym. Such an establishment will offer plenty of space and privacy along with many benefits. Those perks could include celebrity fitness instructors, babysitting services, and opulent spas for post-workout relaxing.
Thus, going to the gym will be a pleasure, and you’ll look forward to your exercise routines. As a result, you’ll probably get fitter faster, and the results should last longer.
In all of this, don’t forget about nutrition. Avoid fatty and sugary foods. Consume a balanced diet with lots of lean, nutritious foods. Among many other benefits, it’ll contribute to your radiant appearance.
In fact, why not hire a personal chef and a nutritionist? They can design meals for you that are packed with healthy, organic ingredients. Believe it or not, with the right preparation, those dishes will be tasty and irresistible.
Moreover, whenever you’re hosting guests for dinner, wow them with foods like pasture-raised eggs and rare, incredibly expensive vegetables. Indeed, hop shoots and Le Bonnotte potatoes subtle signs of wealth can be more impressive than the finest wines.
In the past several years, education has become a major expenditure for so many wealthy families. Americans in the top 1 percent of net worth now spend more than three times as much on education as they did during the mid-1990s. By contrast, middle-class families spend about the same amount on education as they did circa 1996.
It all starts with preschool. The priciest of preschools cost tens of thousands of dollars to attend. And they may offer such bonuses as climbing walls, drama programs, ballet lessons, introductions to robotics, gardens for exploring, swimming pools, yoga classes, libraries, and even artists-in-residence.
The educational advantages continue all the way through college. Some rich people hire live-in tutors, people who are experts in their academic fields. They may move to a new town or purchase a second home to be within walking distance of an elite elementary, middle, or high school. And they might fly around the country in a private jet to tour the nation’s most prestigious colleges.
Of course, education isn’t just for children and young adults. Instead, it’s a lifelong pursuit. And many wealthy individuals now work hard to show how self-educated they are. They discuss the articles they read in distinguished publications like “The New Yorker” and “The Economist.” They frequently refer to museum exhibitions and great artists. They read nonfiction and biographies, and they sprinkle tidbits from those books into their conversations. You get the idea.
With that in mind, whenever you get the time, try to do a little sophisticated reading — or have someone else do the reading and give you a summary. That way, you can share what you’ve learned with friends, relatives, colleagues, and others. Having the leisure time to do plenty of reading and the discernment to choose erudite subjects will surely impress everyone you encounter.
If you’re flush with funds, you can really customize your lifestyle. Are you tired of fighting traffic on the freeway? Hire a driver. Do you have trouble finding things, but you don’t have the time or the inclination to clean your home top to bottom? Look for a professional house cleaner. Are you sick of getting dressed up for business meetings? Hold those meetings on Zoom, and dress casually for them.
With today’s gig economy and a website for just about any service, you can hire people to do just about everything. Obviously, doing so will give you more freedom to pursue your hobbies and interests. Or you could just increase the amount of time you spend with your friends and family.
Additionally, you might customize your life by making it more private, especially if your career requires you to be in the public eye. To that end, you might hire someone who could use a jamming signal to block your real estate from GPS systems. Consequently, anyone who tries to use GPS to find your home will be unsuccessful.
In a similar vein, some wealthy homeowners are moving into neighborhoods that won’t let Google take pictures. Therefore, Google Street View isn’t able to show photos of their homes, and residents receive an extra layer of privacy.
There are even homeowners who are boosting their privacy by going underground — literally. Building beautiful mansions with one or more subterranean floors has become something of a minitrend. That way, if war broke out or a natural disaster struck, you could still live in luxury under the ground. And you could go a long time without seeing your neighbors.
When you customize your lifestyle, you may find that your stress melts away. Your days may be more joyful and more productive. You might even look and feel better than ever before.
For sure, jet-setting has always been associated with generational wealth as well as recently-attained subtle signs of wealth. And this kind of travel has always been full of perks: private planes, first-class hotels, private beaches, and so forth.
However, many people with mountains of disposable income now seek a special type of travel. It’s loaded with special amenities and personalized — there’s that word again — touches. In essence, you can make up your own perks as you soar from gorgeous destination to gorgeous destination.
How about a personal bartender, someone who could mix and serve you drinks right in your hotel room? Or, if you love art, perhaps you could tour a top museum after-hours. And your guide might be a local art historian or maybe even one of the artists featured in the museum.
As a high-net-worth traveler, you may even have access to exceptionally luxurious hotel rooms that aren’t advertised to the general public. Instead, they’re only available by request, and you can only find out about them through word of mouth.
On top of that, some wealthy folks are taking extended vacations nowadays — really extended vacations. Those trips can last for weeks or even months at a time.
With a top travel specialist making arrangements, you might be able to procure any experience you can imagine. Whether it’s racing a Lamborghini through Italian streets or hang gliding over architectural wonders in China, the world is yours for the taking. And the social media photos you’ll share afterwards will really show off your wealth building skills.
Finally, a great way to flex your bank account is through charitable giving. That way, everybody wins.
Giving generously to charities and causes that are important to you will surely warm your heart. Plus, it’ll make a real difference in the lives of people who need it.
Likewise, when a friend or loved one has a truly special occasion — a graduation, a wedding, a retirement party, or a similar event — you might spring for an expensive gift to express your admiration. It’s sure to be long remembered and appreciated, and it should come as a happy surprise.
As you can see, the above measures for displaying wealth are tasteful, cultured, and socially acceptable. They revolve around experiences instead of hard assets. They’ll let you create invaluable memories rather than collect invaluable items. And they’re all available to you if you rely on the right investing strategies, including passive investing.
In short, though none of these lifestyle choices are conspicuous, they all send a powerful message. They’re status symbols, but they’re classy and meaningful status symbols.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or course of action.