Business

40 Signs That Reveal Someone Is Middle Class

CR Staff - July 12, 2023

18. Name Dropping

People in the middle and lower class wish they could meet a celebrity. That is why many of them pay a lot of money to stand in line at fan conventions like ComicCon. As soon as they meet this person, the photo immediately goes to Instagram or Facebook even though it was a shallow interaction. If they visit a place full of celebrities, such as New York City or Los Angeles, they may keep their cameras ready to snap a picture of a celebrity they may see. For years to come, they decide to name-drop the fact that they “met” this famous person. But if you ask the celebrity, he or she will not even remember that person.

Upper-middle-class to upper-class people tend to name drop far less often for many reasons. They may work with someone who is a public figure and realize that celebrities are human too. So they don’t see it as being a big deal that they know someone famous. The more comfortable they become with knowing public figures. They understand that these people value their privacy, so they may not even mention that they met someone famous. At the same time, they don’t want people to be name-dropping them because they have their own lives and want their privacy to be respected.

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17. They Could Save – If They Tried

We have already mentioned that most people in the middle class do not have enough money saved for an emergency. However, they should be making enough money to save for a rainy day if they cut back on their spending. That is where all of those “money-saving tips” you read online comes in. They could choose to cut back on their spending, starting with those pricey cups of coffee at Starbucks and by choosing not to trade in their perfectly well-running two-year-old car for a brand-new model. Other things that could easily go are eating out multiple times a week and constantly buying new clothes that they don’t need and cannot afford.

There are many reasons people struggle with saving. They might be procrastinators, or they might have way too much student loan debt for them to handle. They may also be hung up on needing to impress other people that they cannot entertain the idea of spending less to prepare for the future. And for some people, the thought of the future itself is so overwhelming that they cannot even consider planning for it. Even though it would be challenging, anyone above the poverty line can make lifestyle changes to set money aside for emergencies.

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16. They Seek Validation On Social Media

Middle-class people use social media every single day. They are the ones frequently updating their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. It’s a way to interact with their friends, but it’s also a way for them to measure their own value. Between followers and likes, it’s hard not to compare those numbers to your friends and family. But those comparisons that people make on social media, comparing their “likes” to those of other people and trying to get the greatest picture on Instagram, is no way to create real happiness and have been proven to be the thief of real and lasting joy. True joy comes from relationships, and people need to look to healthy relationships for validation rather than social media.

Rich people do not need social media to feel validated. They realize that the number of “likes” you have doesn’t matter at the end of the day unless you’re using those accounts for marketing purposes. The upper class has worked on their own lives so much that they have confidence from within. However, they do leverage social media to further their brand because they realize how much marketing today depends on networking with people through platforms like Facebook. Often they hire somebody to do this for them, and their lives are not consumed at all by social media.

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15. They Take Vacations

Unlike our European counterparts, Americans get very little vacation time. The longer someone works for a company, the more time they get to enjoy. Some full-time employees are lucky to get ten days off per year. If you get two weeks, that’s considered fantastic. Compared to the UK’s law that people need at least five weeks off of paid vacation, ten days is nothing. But anyone who has this privilege in the US is considered to be lucky. They often take that time to travel to different places and have new and interesting experiences so that they can come back to work refreshed and ready to show more creativity and ingenuity.

People in the lower class may not be able to find full-time employment. Even if they do, lower-paying jobs like retail are awful for vacation time. Instead of getting paid time off, many of these companies will allow you to call out, but they will not pay you. So by taking a day off, people are losing money. And some simply cannot afford to do that. These lower-income families usually opt to take short road trips on the weekend, and many have never left the country. Being able to take a vacation truly is a luxury that is reserved for the middle class. If you have that luxury, make sure you don’t blow an entire year’s salary on it.

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14. Their Parents Encouraged A Traditional Path

Most people living in the middle class have a traditional 9-5 job. They have a good salary, vacation time, a health insurance plan, and a little money set aside for retirement. And in this generation, most of these people went to college to get at least a bachelor’s degree. All of this is because their parents probably encouraged them to go down a traditional path to “success.” There is minimal risk involved and a high level of security. After all, who doesn’t want to make sure that their children have a comfortable, secure lifestyle that will keep them from experiencing the difficulties of poverty?

There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, these parents have done a fantastic job making sure their kid doesn’t end up in poverty. However, most people who become rich are not going down the traditional path. They are taking risks and avoiding 9-5 jobs like the plague. Instead, they try to forge their own ways, sometimes through opening their own companies, writing books that end up selling well, or going into creative enterprises that are far less secure but far more rewarding and fulfilling. Anyone who grew up in a middle-class family might struggle to step off that path, especially if their friends and family disagree with the idea.

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13. They Own A House (Or Aspire To)

Most people who earn a middle-class income can buy a house with their household income, but it depends on where they live. For example, $75,000 per year would never be enough to buy real estate in a place like New York City. Other factors include monthly student loan payments, rent, and expenses so draining that they cannot afford a house for several years after graduating from college. Buying a house does take careful planning, because unlike a rental lease that will expire after one year, a mortgage can last for 30 years, sometimes even longer. The home to buy is one of the most important life decisions that a person will ever make.

Even if someone in the middle class doesn’t have a house yet, they will usually tell you that they want one. More often than not, they are not thinking of real estate as an investment, but rather a place where they want to raise their children. While the house’s value will likely increase with time, they are not thinking about selling it down the road so that they can buy something bigger and better. They will most likely only own this one house for the rest of their lives. In the past, people in the middle class could afford a second home on the beach or mountains.

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12. They Love True Crime

Whether it’s Podcasts, TV series, or documentaries, people in the middle class can’t get enough true crime. Like reality shows, series dealing with mystery and crime is also near the charts’ top. According to The Wrap, some of the most popular crime and police shows among the middle class are Elementary, Shades of Blue, and Quantico. These come on the heels of true-crime shows like Psych, Bones, NCIS, and the ultimate classic, Law, and Order. Then, of course, you need to think about Netflix. Some of the most popular original series, like You were seen by more than 40 million subscribers.

Another hugely popular thing among the middle class is listening to true crime podcasts. A few years ago, a podcast called Serial quickly rose to the top of the charts and inspired several other popular podcasts like My Favorite Murder and new up-and-coming series like Vintage Villains. That is a great way to hear stories about true crime without actually reading a book, and it can be played during your commute, which is easier than a TV series. Maybe hearing about true crime allows them to experience some of the thrill without the danger of being targeted by a criminal or having to chase one through a darkened alley before he commits another crime.

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11. They Sign Up On Streaming Subscriptions

You don’t have to pay for any kind of streaming subscription to see all of the newest shows in this day and age. However, people in the middle class are willing to pay for services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, especially if it eliminates a cable bill. These services can provide hours and hours on end of entertainment for very little; just the price of one month of Netflix is about the same as going to the movie theatre, and you don’t have to pay through the nose for the expensive theatre popcorn.

Sure, their family and friends might mooch from their account, but they would rather have the convenience of knowing that they can quickly and easily access their favorite shows. Without the real subscriptions, you cannot watch content on your Smart TV or iPhone. The middle class enjoys the sheer convenience of paying for services like this because their time is more valuable than fumbling with illegal downloads. But the downside is that binging on these streaming platforms keeps them away from more productive and creative activities, such as reading or spending quality time with people. Those who are wealthy spend much less time watching television.

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10. The Price Of Health Care Is A Huge Concern

People who live below the poverty line in their state often qualify for Medicaid, making their healthcare completely free. Some people can go their entire lives with free healthcare, as long as they remain poor. But as soon as you make enough to be in the middle class, you are going to be straddled with huge monthly premiums. Let’s not forget about co-pays, deductibles, and the cost of medication. Insurance alone can be several hundred dollars a month, especially for self-employed individuals and do not have an employer cover the costs. Some choose to go without insurance because they figure that paying their medical bills on their own is cheaper than the monthly premiums.

Middle-class people are very concerned with health care costs. You might hear stories about someone who has gone into massive debt with medical bills, or they had to pay huge costs out of pocket for their medications. According to statistics, the leading cause of bankruptcy in America is due to outstanding medical bills. It can very literally ruin your life if you don’t have insurance in America. The rich pay for their medical procedures or have an expensive insurance plan that covers their needs. However, many in the middle class cannot afford these monthly premiums, especially if they are also buying luxury goods that they do not need.

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9. They Have A Midlife Crisis

We have all heard of someone having a midlife crisis. Once a person reaches their 40’s or early 50’s, they begin to get upset about the fact that their life is halfway over, and they will never be young again. They might splurge on a sports car, get a divorce, or try to recapture their lost youth. Some realize that they have spent their lives doing things that others wanted them to do and never risked themselves. Believe it or not, the United States is pretty much the only place where people experience having a midlife crisis. Out of the people who experience this, most of them are in the middle class.

People going through a midlife crisis begin to regret some of the decisions they made in the past. Maybe they hate the fact that they forced themselves to work a job they hate. Or perhaps they wish they had more fun in their 20’s and traveled while still young. They know that they had options in life, but they just chose the wrong ones, maybe because they were pressured by society to choose a specific path. Very poor people do not experience a midlife crisis because they know that they did their best to survive.

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8. They Believe In The American Dream

The American Dream is the idea that every single person living in the United States is entitled to get married, have kids, buy a house, and have two cars in the driveway. Ever since the end of World War II, the media has been trying to sell us the idea of the “American Dream.” That pushed many people into getting married when they aren’t pleased and a house when they aren’t truly ready. That may be why 50% of marriages end in divorce. Even though the statistics are clear that the American Dream is no longer working, people in the middle class still yearn to have those things.

Sadly, not everyone gets to have that life. And this is probably why some of these people end up having a midlife crisis later on. Many rich people do not believe in the American Dream in the traditional sense, even if they have all of the things on the checklist that qualifies them to be “successful.” They understand that people worldwide have very different paths, and not everyone should be judged by these qualities. They also know that you have to work hard to have things like your own home, and part of that hard work includes being thrifty and saving money for a reasonable down payment. Not everyone can do those things.

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7. They’re Renters

In the middle class, there is a good mix of people who both rent and own property. However, if you hear that someone is renting an apartment, you automatically know that they must be in the middle or lower-middle class. The Pew Research Center published a document called “American Families Face a Growing Rent Burdon.” According to their research, the demand for rental space has grown significantly since the 2008 recession. As of 2016, 43 million Americans were renting an apartment or house. Unfortunately, rental prices seem to be going up, which means that rents are having an increasingly difficult time keeping up with the cost.

People who live below the poverty line may have to resort to living with multiple roommates. And many young people are forced to live at home with their parents far longer than they expected. Most people who are wealthy have the mindset that paying rent is like throwing money away. They would rather spend money on owning a property that could be sold later. While many middle-class people are aspiring to homeownership, they continue renting in the meantime. While renting can be suitable for a short period, especially while looking for a home to buy, over the long term, it prevents you from building equity.

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6. They Buy Into Fads

All of the products you see “As Seen on TV” are targeted at the middle class. Whether it’s toys, cleaning products, or gadgets, middle-class people have the expendable income to buy these items, even if they don’t need them. That is especially true if they have kids going to come from school, declaring that every other kid in their class has a certain toy. The problem is that while these little toys may seem cheap, the expenses build up until, ultimately, people have built a life of trends and have rooms full of junk that is no longer trendy.

People in the lower class usually cannot buy into these fads, and people in the upper class typically recognize that the vast majority of these things are a massive waste of money. Self-made millionaires know how to spend their money wisely. They look for items they want, rather than what everyone else is buying, and choose to invest and save rather than waste money on junk. More significantly, those who are careful enough with their money to get to the top often become the trendsetters that other people follow. Would you rather be someone who sets the trends or someone who merely follows them?

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5. They Get The Newest Apple Product

We’ve all heard of the Apple fans who stand in line the day a new product comes out. There are even tech YouTube channels that love to go over the stats of each new product. Obviously, people living in the lower class can’t afford to buy a new MacBook, and their iPhone is probably a few years old. So when you see someone constantly upgrading their tech, you know that they must be middle class. They don’t necessarily need the new tech, even though the latest product may have a couple of extra bells and whistles that their current product does not have. They are looking for the notoriety of being able to say that they have the latest Apple product.

So, what about the upper class? Some might assume that rich people would want the newest of everything. That’s not necessarily true. Self-made millionaires know when to make a good investment. They probably own an Apple product but keep it for a few years. The whole point was to invest in something high-quality that will last a long time. For example, the differences between an iPhone X and an iPhone XR or 11 are tiny and not worth the upgrade. A rich person probably wouldn’t bother to stand in line all night for the newest iPhone because their time is far too valuable.

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4. They Rarely Live Below Their Means

People in the middle class tend to live a lifestyle that they can just barely afford. Even if they get a raise and start making more money, they would rather upgrade their lifestyle to match their higher salary. If they had just continued to live below their means, they might have money for investments, savings, and so much more. However, the pull of flaunting the latest trends and fads by pretending that they have money to burn can be too much to resist. So they continue throwing away hundreds of dollars a month on gourmet coffee at Starbucks, even more money than that on designer clothes, and even more money than that on interest and fees for credit cards.

If many middle-class people did a budget, they would realize that they are over-spending. For example, they might want a Tesla Model 3, which would be around $600 a month. If they did a budget, they might realize that they can only afford $400 per month. But they will often still go for a more expensive option because it’s what they want. Often, middle-class people are over-spending on can be acquired for much cheaper if they buy them used. For example, a used version of the same Tesla Model 3 might come closer to $400 per month and be within their spending range.

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3. They Watch Hallmark Christmas Movies

If you live in a middle-class family, the odds that your mom, grandmother, or sister watch Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies is pretty high. In fact, in 2019, their viewership grew an additional 9%, totaling 85 million people. This year, they premiered a record-breaking 40 new movies, which is more than ever before. According to the Chicago Tribune, they believe that it’s an effect of the Trump Era. Most Americans are sick and tired of fighting one another over politics. Every time you turn on the news, there is more debate and vitriol. Watching Hallmark is a “safe” option where the stories do not have sex or violence.

The idea of escaping from reality has always been popular among the lower and middle classes. But in the upper class, most people have to “keep calm and carry on” with reality. They tend not to watch as much TV in general and would potentially grow bored to watch what is essentially the same plot repeatedly. Instead, they are busy investing in their own lives by spending their time with friends and family instead of on the sofa with Hallmark Christmas movies. Instead of vicariously living the perfect Christmas wishes of other people on television, they are creating memories that they can personally cherish forever.

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2. They Try To “Keep Up With The Joneses”

There is an insightful article in the Wall Street Journal called Families Go Deep in Debt to Stay in the Middle Class. It goes over how much people tend to get into debt so that they can keep up with the appearances of what it means to be “middle class.” Then, logic would tell you that people care far too much about what their neighbors think than about whether they are living meaningful and happy lives. This forces the question of whether middle class is a lifestyle or an income bracket. Can someone earn $80,000 a year, live frugally, save heartily, and still be considered middle class?

If you live in the middle class, you can see this happen in real-time. When one person gets solar panels on their roof, suddenly everyone else does, too. And if there is a nice sports car or pickup truck in the driveway, someone else wants to get one so that they can appear to be doing just as well. This kind of behavior is toxic, and it will ultimately lead to unnecessary consumer debt. Living within your means may mean that you have to avoid people who only care about appearances so that you are less tempted to spend money that you do not have for things you do not want to impress people that you do not even like.

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1. They Value Credentials Over Income

Last but not least, studies have shown that people in the middle and upper classes value someone’s credentials more than the amount of money they make. For example, if you had an HVAC repairman or a plumber making $70,000 per year, they are making enough to be considered “middle class.” However, most people would think of their occupation as “working class” or “blue-collar.” On the flip side, a professor with a Ph.D. might struggle to pay their bills, making just $30,000 per year. But they would still be considered “middle class” because they have a high-level degree and academic accomplishments.

People in the lower class tend to respect someone’s income more than their credentials, especially in this specific case. They would see the plumber or HVAC worker and see a hard-working man who makes great money. And they might think that the professor’s career is a bit frivolous. The poor would tend to focus on the fact that the professor has tons of student loan debt and isn’t making much more than other working-class jobs. Meanwhile, those who are wealthy care about whether or not the job gets done. If someone is a plumber and can fix the pipes so that the bathroom stops overflowing, who cares if they are middle class or lower class? And if a professor is a great teacher and has contributed to society through meaningful research, he or she is earning that $30,000 per year.

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