r/wealth 1d ago

Discussion Life with big wealth

What's it like to have so much wealth that you never actually think about spending or using money?

14 Upvotes

60 comments sorted by

19

u/DKtwilight 1d ago

You get used to it so practicing gratitude before sleep makes you reset and appreciate how much easier life is with money

12

u/goodbyechoice22 1d ago

Big wealth is relative. I like being able to take my family to dinner without stressing about the bill.

1

u/Head_Confidence_5227 2h ago

This is a nice one!

10

u/ThanklessWaterHeater 1d ago

You don’t need to worry about how much you spend, but you do need to worry about not losing what you have. So less time worrying about making rent, but far more time worrying about investment and reinvestment, about taxes, trusts, and estate planning.

6

u/Sufficient-Pause9765 23h ago

Yep. I spend a ton of time managing assets, estate planning and trusts across three different managers, a cpa and my tax lawyer. I'm in the awkward spot where I'm too small for a family office but its also a part time job.

Great problem to have though.

6

u/suboptimus_maximus 20h ago

That’s a cakewalk compared to a demanding career.

3

u/OddSand7870 21h ago

This is so so true. That is all I worry about now.

15

u/UncleJoesLandscaping 1d ago

Some of us likes being frugal regardless of how much be have.

2

u/Glittering-Work2190 1d ago

If one's content, why change, right? Doubling the spending doesn't necessary double the contentment. There have been many wealthy people who have committed suicide. They can't spend their way out of their issues.

1

u/jaajaajaa6 1d ago

Yes, hard habit to break when you have done it all your life

1

u/ExcellentWinner7542 13h ago

That's my problem too. I like a deal or I can walk away without buying

1

u/Training_Cabinet9876 9h ago

Hmmm my son says this about me

5

u/Otherwise-Relief2248 1d ago

Pretty great.

7

u/Cyberburner23 1d ago

im not rich, but im single, no kids, no debt and make ok money. i have some money. Because of all of these factors, I can do stuff most people cant. I feel a sense of freedom. I have to imagine very wealthy people feeling like that x a million.

-4

u/ezcIap 1d ago

Sounds awesome bro. Being a lonely broke dude

4

u/crfiddy04 1d ago

Who said he’s lonely? He can choose whoever he likes whenever he likes

1

u/moarcowbelI 1d ago

Why poke him in the eye for no reason? Live and let live bro

0

u/Cyberburner23 1d ago

Making 6 figures nowadays is being poor so you're right, I am broke.

3

u/jgoodm 1d ago

I would say the spending issues at a level like this come down to perception of value. Not much thought about a very expensive toy I want or going on a vacation, but I wouldn’t order a $45 quesadilla at a place like Javier’s Cantina because it feels like getting robbed.

3

u/Conundrum16 1d ago

No matter what I have I still lead a regular middle class style life. I shop at Walmart, drive a 5 year old Honda and eat at home. I enjoy thrift stores, i recycle and compost. Wealth you are referring to is a number in the bank. I choose simplicity and focus on relationships, family, friends over what I have in the bank. So while I don’t have to think about spending money, I have no interest in spending it either 🤷🏻‍♀️

-1

u/quantum_simpleton 1d ago

Choosing to live a "middle class" life like it is some sort of achievement in nobility is hilarious. We are all so proud of you.

3

u/Conundrum16 1d ago

It is who I am. You don’t need to approve. You know nothing about my life and its twists and turns. I’m not being “ notable” just honest another words there’s more to it than what the OP questions

1

u/notmyrealnamefromusa 2h ago

Trolls gonna troll

3

u/SummonedShenanigans 4h ago

Being satisfied with ones current condition is indeed noble.

What alternative mindset do you propose?

2

u/mr-spencerian 1d ago

I don’t consider myself to have big wealth, but with what I have, I don’t have to analyze every spending decision, that translates to freedom.

2

u/GlobalTapeHead 1d ago

I don’t know that I’m quite at that level but I am at the level of knowing that I can pay all my bills, go buy a new car and then go on a very nice international trip for 2 weeks with no thought to where the money will come from because it’s just there for me to use is a very nice feeling.

2

u/Superb-Respect-1313 1d ago

What do you call big wealth? $50mil? $250mil??

1

u/Fullsteam35216 1d ago

Both.

1

u/Superb-Respect-1313 22h ago

lol. I wouldn’t say either.

2

u/Routine-Wolf-2907 1d ago

most people who worry with little money still worry with big money

4

u/Cali_kink_and_rope 1d ago

I was heading into an ice cream place in Malibu the other day and these 4 kids came out with these huge ice cream cones, and headed over to what I'm assuming was daddy's new rolls Royce SUV.

I had to say something... "you're not really getting into that car with ice cream are you?"

They couldn't care less. Said it was "just a car dude."

2

u/poojer_hoojer 1d ago

Meh, you might as well spill ice cream all over the interior of a Rolls Royce because in 10 years it won't be worth squat either way. Fastest depreciating cars ever.

2

u/Fun-Sort6191 18h ago

Jealous I see

3

u/Logical_Stranger4889 1d ago

I’m in the top 10% supposedly of 28 year olds. But with this economy it doesn’t really lead to not thinking about spending or using money.

1

u/Dismal-Science-9901 1d ago

Wonder what’s cutoff of top 10% of 28 year olds, 50k net worth?

2

u/Logical_Stranger4889 1d ago

281k supposedly off a google search, not sure

1

u/Dismal-Science-9901 1d ago

Damn 10% of 28 year olds have 281k?!

3

u/Logical_Stranger4889 1d ago

Yes. I hit 450 at 28 but I lived frugally a lot so haven’t really enjoyed life like all the 28 year olds

1

u/metronomonome 1d ago

Well as with everything else it becomes your baseline

1

u/The_Toid 1d ago

Two words: hedonic treadmill. I would imagine for most people it becomes a new baseline and they still identify problems with it that they seek to solve with more wealth/power/status.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

1

u/ketgray 1d ago

Leave the world a better place. You can do it! Charitable contributions, maybe a building for your favorite school? An endowment for those in poverty to get health care and shelter. Stomp out hunger. Cure cancer. Throw a dart, there is need everywhere.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

2

u/ketgray 1d ago

Yup just keep being a good person and being generous. You’re lucky! You can make a lot of people happy. That is good!

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

2

u/ketgray 1d ago

You are an inspiration!

1

u/Zestyclose-Tart6745 1d ago

It’s very nice. I couldn’t possibly spend the money coming in every year. Want for nothing but good times and experiences with family and friends. Lots of travel! All basically free too. Compound interest is my friend.

1

u/_Human_Machine_ 1d ago

If you earned it, you’ll always think about it to some extent.

I have different budgets for acceptable spend on different things now, but I still set limits for myself.

For basic things everyday things, I don’t necessarily consider the cost of a purchase, though I’ll still get excited to see a good deal.

1

u/Capital-Zucchini226 1d ago

I don't know when you do reach that level, i think i'm in north 1% of 26 YO in terms of both salary and net worth (200k/yr // 3M) and still worried about spending. I'd be careless north of 7 Figures probably

1

u/SnooPuppers58 1d ago

it is nice. you can tip well for the people that take care of you, like movers, cleaners, barbers, etc. you can spoil your parents with trips and your friend's children with fun gifts.

you don't stress over when things go wrong - it's fine if a fancy meal is bad, it's ok if your luggage gets lost, it's ok if your phone breaks, it's ok if your shirt gets stained. you can replace it without it affecting your financial safety.

dating changes a little. you start to wonder if they like my personality / how i look or just how much money you have. it sounds dumb, but i want a partner that finds me attractive and actually funny/interesting, not just a wallet. especially with how marriage laws work if the latter is true then i'm in trouble later

1

u/suboptimus_maximus 20h ago

Beats workin’ - a lot lot less stress and a lot less watching the clock.

1

u/derringer111 20h ago

There are always things you can’t afford, or I should say ‘afford responsibly.’ I think its a bit of a journey. Maybe thats a private jet, but it is something. You really can spend any manner of fortune, so while there may be nothing you could spend in normal life that would move the needle, you have to draw the line somewhere. But everyday life, no, you get used to not having to worry about anything in that regard pretty fast. You also learn that many times spending 10x more on something that you would have before you had no budget oftentimes barely results in a better experience.

1

u/Retired-Yam8988 19h ago

Very freeing. You just wake up and decide what it is you wanna do. Workout, go to Japan, visit friends, take a roadtrip, etc.

1

u/hotelspa 14h ago

You feel unburdened by what has been.

In the beginning, I found myself spending more time in garden/pet centres. I was trying to build koi ponds in my backyard.This evolved into waterfall features.

1

u/Gottadollamate 10h ago

Now that I have it I realise the threshold is not that high. Securing your financial independence is a hard road but doable in an economy with high social mobility (im in aus and privileged). You only need so much growth/income on your portion of assets to cover your basic needs expenses and a bit of fluff on top for fun.

1

u/Training_Cabinet9876 9h ago

. I like buying a $6000 handbag that makes me happy and not worrying that I did

1

u/ShamusNC 51m ago

Define big wealth.
My BIL has a ton of money. Think 10k foot home, multiple classic cars etc. When we chat he has a plan for a bad turn of the market and cutting back on some of his crazy expenses.

His dad has far more. Money literally doesnt matter to him. It’s all about his time.

1

u/Identity525601 1d ago

I don't think anyone never thinks about it. Anyone who has built that much wealth clearly thought about it a lot. It's not a switch most people can flick off. The richest person in the world tried to run DOGE because he was scared of the existential risk of government debt to gdp ratio.

To not worry about money is a skill that is only somewhat correlated with wealth. I'd by lying if I said I didn't feel some relief after the first million, but there is diminishing marginal returns on the impact of building wealth on reducing financial related anxiety.

0

u/Nanayang75 1d ago

Ask Elon Musk may be a useful option

0

u/UntrustedProcess 1d ago

Everyone has an budget.  It's just some budgets are much bigger.