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  3. What's a good or service that both the upper class and lower class buy, but the middle class doesn't?

What's a good or service that both the upper class and lower class buy, but the middle class doesn't?

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  • squorlple@lemmy.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
    squorlple@lemmy.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.

    My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.

    The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).

    Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?

    T F G S R 12 Replies Last reply
    30
    • squorlple@lemmy.worldS [email protected]

      This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.

      My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.

      The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).

      Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?

      T This user is from outside of this forum
      T This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      Old cars.

      P 1 Reply Last reply
      6
      • squorlple@lemmy.worldS [email protected]

        This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.

        My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.

        The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).

        Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?

        F This user is from outside of this forum
        F This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Bicycles! Lower class uses them as transportation, upper class uses them for recreation.

        antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.comA R appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA ironkrill@lemmy.caI 4 Replies Last reply
        8
        • squorlple@lemmy.worldS [email protected]

          This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.

          My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.

          The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).

          Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?

          G This user is from outside of this forum
          G This user is from outside of this forum
          [email protected]
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Rental properties.

          L 1 Reply Last reply
          1
          • G [email protected]

            Rental properties.

            L This user is from outside of this forum
            L This user is from outside of this forum
            [email protected]
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            The lower class tends not to own much property, especially not extra houses they can rent out or whatever.

            R 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • squorlple@lemmy.worldS [email protected]

              This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.

              My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.

              The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).

              Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?

              S This user is from outside of this forum
              S This user is from outside of this forum
              [email protected]
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              Cocaine

              Eh, that's really for everyone.

              N 1 Reply Last reply
              2
              • squorlple@lemmy.worldS [email protected]

                This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.

                My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.

                The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).

                Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?

                R This user is from outside of this forum
                R This user is from outside of this forum
                [email protected]
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Gambling

                Transportation services

                RVs

                Recreational drugs

                Horses and related services

                This is fun, but I'll end this with the obligatory: There are two main classes, the ownership class and the working class. The lower and middle classes are subsets of the working class.

                T L T 3 Replies Last reply
                37
                • S [email protected]

                  Cocaine

                  Eh, that's really for everyone.

                  N This user is from outside of this forum
                  N This user is from outside of this forum
                  [email protected]
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  I'd change that to "illegal drugs" as lower class can't usually afford cocaine that's not cut with fentanyl, but instead buy weed, shrooms, acid, meth, and other cheap drugs. Rich people, in addition to cocaine also have access to more of the designer drugs like MDMA, not to mention prescription drugs with a high street value that poor folks can't afford unless they're addicted to something like painkillers, but then they'll usually have to go the cheaper route of fentanyl

                  P 1 Reply Last reply
                  1
                  • L [email protected]

                    The lower class tends not to own much property, especially not extra houses they can rent out or whatever.

                    R This user is from outside of this forum
                    R This user is from outside of this forum
                    [email protected]
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Could we reframe it as rental services? The wealthy pay them to manage the property they own, and the poor poor pay them for the right to live there.

                    L 1 Reply Last reply
                    1
                    • R [email protected]

                      Gambling

                      Transportation services

                      RVs

                      Recreational drugs

                      Horses and related services

                      This is fun, but I'll end this with the obligatory: There are two main classes, the ownership class and the working class. The lower and middle classes are subsets of the working class.

                      T This user is from outside of this forum
                      T This user is from outside of this forum
                      [email protected]
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      Lmfao

                      Gambling

                      [Poor People] Delusion of winning big VS [Rich People] Just enjoying spending their time throwing money away because they have endless supply of money

                      Transportation services

                      [Poor People] Having to ride a Bus because you can't afford a car VS [Rich People] Personal Driver driving you everywhete

                      F 1 Reply Last reply
                      12
                      • F [email protected]

                        Bicycles! Lower class uses them as transportation, upper class uses them for recreation.

                        antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
                        antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
                        [email protected]
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        You and I have different definitions of upper class.

                        F 1 Reply Last reply
                        12
                        • T [email protected]

                          Lmfao

                          Gambling

                          [Poor People] Delusion of winning big VS [Rich People] Just enjoying spending their time throwing money away because they have endless supply of money

                          Transportation services

                          [Poor People] Having to ride a Bus because you can't afford a car VS [Rich People] Personal Driver driving you everywhete

                          F This user is from outside of this forum
                          F This user is from outside of this forum
                          [email protected]
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Why does this come off as insufferable? Is it a tone over text thing? Is it me?

                          T 1 Reply Last reply
                          2
                          • F [email protected]

                            Why does this come off as insufferable? Is it a tone over text thing? Is it me?

                            T This user is from outside of this forum
                            T This user is from outside of this forum
                            [email protected]
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            Oh I guess because a text-only forum loses the real life expressions.

                            Its more like: "Bruh 💀" - Like it's funny, but in a fucked up dystopian context, ya know what I mean?

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            8
                            • N [email protected]

                              I'd change that to "illegal drugs" as lower class can't usually afford cocaine that's not cut with fentanyl, but instead buy weed, shrooms, acid, meth, and other cheap drugs. Rich people, in addition to cocaine also have access to more of the designer drugs like MDMA, not to mention prescription drugs with a high street value that poor folks can't afford unless they're addicted to something like painkillers, but then they'll usually have to go the cheaper route of fentanyl

                              P This user is from outside of this forum
                              P This user is from outside of this forum
                              [email protected]
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Crack cocaine use is pervasive among the lowest income folks in my area, as are meth and K2. And those people sure as hell aren't doing mushrooms or acid. My point is that cocaine use definitely has a bimodal distribution

                              R smokeydope@lemmy.worldS 2 Replies Last reply
                              1
                              • R [email protected]

                                Could we reframe it as rental services? The wealthy pay them to manage the property they own, and the poor poor pay them for the right to live there.

                                L This user is from outside of this forum
                                L This user is from outside of this forum
                                [email protected]
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                But renting is not buying, and OP was talking about buying.

                                R 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • F [email protected]

                                  Bicycles! Lower class uses them as transportation, upper class uses them for recreation.

                                  R This user is from outside of this forum
                                  R This user is from outside of this forum
                                  [email protected]
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  We are part of the dwindling middle class & I ride an electric bike to work. So much cheaper than a car but so expensive for a bike, it seems a middle class thing. Though maybe living close to work is in itself an upper class thing?

                                  Our city does a semiannual ebike voucher raffle thing with a large number of large vouchers (would cover the cost) for verified low income, plus a smaller number of smaller vouchers (still would be a big discount) for non income verified.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  2
                                  • P [email protected]

                                    Crack cocaine use is pervasive among the lowest income folks in my area, as are meth and K2. And those people sure as hell aren't doing mushrooms or acid. My point is that cocaine use definitely has a bimodal distribution

                                    R This user is from outside of this forum
                                    R This user is from outside of this forum
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                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Meth makes sense, it's cheap as fuck to produce. Cocaine? I thought that was so expensive nobody could support a habit unless you had essentially unlimited money.

                                    S P 2 Replies Last reply
                                    0
                                    • R [email protected]

                                      Meth makes sense, it's cheap as fuck to produce. Cocaine? I thought that was so expensive nobody could support a habit unless you had essentially unlimited money.

                                      S This user is from outside of this forum
                                      S This user is from outside of this forum
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                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      It's more that clean is hard to find / expensive, and that you can fairly safely build up a tolerance and then burn/snort through a fuckton.

                                      I'm pretty sure all you really need is a plant and some gasoline for distilling or whatever it's called.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • L [email protected]

                                        But renting is not buying, and OP was talking about buying.

                                        R This user is from outside of this forum
                                        R This user is from outside of this forum
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                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        That's a good point. I'd still argue that renting is buying a service, but I agree there may be some ambiguity here.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        1
                                        • R [email protected]

                                          Gambling

                                          Transportation services

                                          RVs

                                          Recreational drugs

                                          Horses and related services

                                          This is fun, but I'll end this with the obligatory: There are two main classes, the ownership class and the working class. The lower and middle classes are subsets of the working class.

                                          L This user is from outside of this forum
                                          L This user is from outside of this forum
                                          [email protected]
                                          wrote on last edited by [email protected]
                                          #20

                                          Recreational drugs are purchased by pretty much everyone

                                          R 1 Reply Last reply
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