Rich or not?

[Sawdust]

A range of responses then! We came to the conclusion that being rich was effectively what we have now minus mortgage payments - ie if we didn't have to pay the mortgage but took home the same pay packet that would make us feel 'rich'. Looks like my poll was a little low, with most people wanting an income over 150k.

Personally I would define 'well off' as not needing to look at the bank balance before making a purchase - be it a book or a holiday, knowing there was enough for anything you wanted. Rich would be defined as having the luxury version of everything AND not having to look at the bank balance ie driving the 45k Merc to work from the 4 bed house in an acre of its own land (no mortgage) and sending the kids to private school without worrying about the cost. Skiing trip in February, foreign hols to somewhere hot and exclusive etc. Knowing a few medics (I work in a hospital) and gauging their lifestyles, that equates to an annual household income of between 100k - 150k per year for a number of years to reach that level.

Thanks for the link bugbear, made interesting reading! Its nice to dream, but I guess there is always a rung further up the ladder we aspire too, often without looking down below to see how many rungs we have climbed.

Steve.

I agree with your definition of well off but rich is another league altogether.

Learjets and yachts without thinking about the cost spring to mind.

Rock stars are rich, below there is just different levels of 'well off'

Mike

 

[RogerS]

Mmmmm...came across this thread just after hearing that the wife of one of my oldest friends has cancer of the optic nerve. One eye gone and a high likelihood that the other one will be affected as well.

Guess there's 'rich' and 'rich'.

 

[StevieB]

The lear jet brigade of multi-million pound wealth I would define as super-rich. I would never makle that category no matter what I did. Rich is something I might conceivably become if I work hard or took a different career path. Semantics maybe, and its not impossible to become super rich through hard work - for example Richard Branson - good luck to him, he started with little and worked hard for what he has achieved (from what I know of him, which is media reported). Being born into the super-rich, or getting rich through 'celebrity' status however is something different. I might like to be Richard Branson, I certainly do not aspire to be Paris Hilton whatever she has in the way of fiscal wealth.

Steve.

 

[woodbloke]

A daft poll IMHO...define rich.
I have enough money to do want I want... almost.
I've been happily married for nearly 30 years.
I have two great children, both now grown up.
I get enough 'shop time in the week to keep me happy.
I've got some great friends through this forum.
I've got a decent stress free job.
I have a cracking holiday once or twice a year.
I'm as fit as a fiddle and have no health issues what-so-ever.

so by reckoning I'm wealthier than Bill Gates - rob

 

[virtu]

One definition of wealth; how many days you could manage after your regular source of cash dries up. I would be broke within one month, not wealthy :?

It´s typical that many mega rich become donators at their old age, could it be that gathering mega bucks requires certain immorality which start to surface as guilt when truly important aspects in life become evident, priorities change?

health
family
friends
nature
meaning
...