What is "rich"?

[avgas]

When you see a $100,000+ car parked in the driveway of a $1,000,000 house in one of the best hoods in town, then you know they're a rich cunt.

What makes you think they are rich?
Bank could own the lot.

One of the richest people I have met drove a Isuzu Piazza with no bonnet. Live in a normalish house, drank the cheapest bourbon mixes.... but would put 10 x 20K bets on the horses every day.
He has a Mercedes in the garage. But didn't like driving "flash" cars.

But I also have a friend in Sydney, 2009 BMW 335i, $900,000 house.........he owes the bank over $1.5M

[avgas]

Welfare is a good life choice for some, can't see what's unfortunate about that.

The choice part.

[jonbuoy]

Scary thing is a million is not enough for a lot of people to retire at a very young and not have to worry about money.

[jonbuoy]

only for those with little imagination

Rich is having enough money to live with the minimal of effort.

Whatever makes you happy, but can't help but think its a bit of a sad attitude, exactly why the old first world countries are going to fall back.

[nudemetalz]

I have a friend who reminded myself and another mate of mine that he was richer than both of us and could go around the world tomorrow if he wanted to.
However, he's a lonely widower who keeps buying toys and then selling them shortly after when they don't fill the void.
Money doesn't buy you happiness...

[MSTRS:Me]

Money doesn't buy you happiness...

But it does buy you a more comfortable class of unhappiness...

[oneofsix]

Don't care about the slightly better off most of you are talking about. This is the 'rich' the bitching is about ;

The richest 1 per cent of the population owns three times more than the combined cash and assets of the poorest 50 per cent.

and the sadness of have the egalitarian society stolen by the greedy

Though it is often lauded overseas as an egalitarian society, New Zealand's income inequality statistics are much worse than those of most other developed nations

[shrub]

I define rich as having everything one wants and more than one needs.

I live in a warm, dry house that is plenty big enough for us all to live in, and it even has a second lounge where I have an HD TV and an excellent hi fi system. I eat well including fresh vegetables from my garden, it's a rare day that there isn't enough beer in the fridge to quench my thirst and offer a visitor one to share and I always have good bourbon and Laphroiag in my cupboard, a couple of decent cigars tucked away and a bit of the good herb in my tin. While I whinge at my daughter for wasting power with long showers, I pay my mortgage and the bills on time and even have a bit left over for savings. In my shed i have a bloody good bike with rego on hold, good tyres, oil that is never older than 5000 kms and a full tank of gas sitting beside a project bike, and if I need a tool or part I go and buy it.

If I want to have a holiday, i do. It may only be a long weekend in a beachfront motel in Kaikoura, but I'm not sure i would enjoy a week in Huka Lodge much more - if any more at all. If I want to buy a new pair of jeans or shoes, I do. They may be from Hallensteins, but they aren't any more comfortable than if I had bought them from a designer shop and nothing makes me look good these days. I drive a 1992 Nissan Bluebird that cost me $500.00 4 years ago, and I doubt the trip to the supermarket would be any more enjoyable in a $200,000 Mercedes and if someone bumps it with a trolley I doubt I'd even notice let alone care. But none of these things make me rich.

I have had a hell of a lot more money and 15 years ago I was earning nearly 4 times what I earn now, but I wasn't as rich then as I am now. What makes me rich is the fact that I have good friends I can meet for a beer or a ride whenever I want. What makes me rich is a son who is a good man doing well that I ride with, and a daughter who listens to me, respects me and (mostly) does what I tell her. I am rich because i have a bloody good partner who supports me, lets me do my own thing and is my best friend. And I am rich because I can get up in the morning and choose what I do today. As for money, I actually don't have all that much so I'm thinking being rich and having money are not the same thing.

[HenryDorsetCase]

this has come up in a few thread's here, in the election result, and the Occupy ones as well,

at the moment their is a ground swell of people wanting to burn these rich pricks that own everything at the stake,

but what do you consider rich? is it an income level, is it a level of assets,

When i was a kid everyone talked about wanting to be a Millionaire, but is that really considered rich anymore, i mean having a million $$'s in assets,

just interested in peoples opinion's,

its all relative, which is why the 1% 99% thing is actually a useful comparison. Particularly when the top 1% of incomes have increased in real terms by Y% over the last ten, twenty, thirty years, and the 99% of incomes have decreased in real terms.

I put Y% because I saw a sign or some statisticoid or something that I dont remember. also the term.

Basically it was to demonstrate that it is in fact true that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And the middle class (which most of us i suspect are or aspire to be) get squeezed.

Meh whatever.

I am much poorer than I was two years ago.

[Headbanger]

I live like a king.

expect I can't order beheadings.

And the wife just rolls her eyes when I order her to her knees.

[lakedaemonian]

For me, I start measuring "wealth" as assets FAR exceeding liabilities......or preferably no potentially dangerous liabilities at all.

As some posters have already mentioned having a flash house, a flash car, and a heap of liabilities covertly living paycheck to paycheck is not wealth.....it's just a flasher form of debt slavery.

And that's where I think a lot of folks get stuck....often in voluntary...and sometimes in involuntary...debt slavery.

They HP themselves to death.

I also measure wealth in time......even the uber wealthy can't live forever(although their access to the highest quality of health care and lifespan/lifestyle enhancement choices can add a couple years for some).

And I think a lot of successful Kiwi small business owners have it more "right" compared to their US and Australian peers.....it's a balance of ambition to financially succeed but with a bit of caution and common sense to realise that working an extra 20 hours a week for 20 years to make another million or two isn't necessarily going to buy you what matters.....things like more time with their family and friends...or enjoying their hobbies....or most of all.....going for a week long ride because you can....it's hard to buy time once it's gone.

WAY back in the day during the dot com boom, people strived for what was referred to as "fcuk you money". The number in their head where they could say "fcuk you" to their boss and walk out the door.

I reckon wealth = time = real freedom to do what you want when you want(within reason).

[HenryDorsetCase]

But it does buy you a more comfortable class of unhappiness...

better quality blow and more attractive hookers too

[Paul in NZ]

I live like a king.

expect I can't order beheadings.

And the wife just rolls her eyes when I order her to her knees.

You know I'd be REALLY careful about that. Ordering a woman to her knees and then talking about beheadings is just ASKing for it. Heads COULD roll

[Paul in NZ]

The problem is not rich people - its rich pricks.... There is a difference. Fortunately I'm just a prick....

[merv]

If you don't like being at the bottom then start climbing.

If you think everyone else should come down to your level, then fuck off to Russia.

Lol where all the new billionaires are from

No matter how rich anyone is money-wise, remember unless they actually are a country that can print its own money, then the money they have, came from someone else - paying for either a service or a product or whatever. John Key was lauded as a money trader that did good - who were the money traders that did bad and lost the money he gained? If the true rich pricks, the 1%, didn't have greed making them so rich, the 99% could be better off paying less to make the 1% richer. Its all a money go round, so you can see why Robin Hood became popular. I think we do need to rediscover our socialist roots a bit if we want the planet to survive in harmony. I call myself a socialist capitalist of course.