What's a good or service that both the upper class and lower class buy, but the middle class doesn't?
-
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?
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.
-
Cocaine
Eh, that's really for everyone.
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
-
The lower class tends not to own much property, especially not extra houses they can rent out or whatever.
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.
-
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.
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
-
Bicycles! Lower class uses them as transportation, upper class uses them for recreation.
You and I have different definitions of upper class.
-
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
Why does this come off as insufferable? Is it a tone over text thing? Is it me?
-
Why does this come off as insufferable? Is it a tone over text thing? Is it me?
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? -
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
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
-
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.
But renting is not buying, and OP was talking about buying.
-
Bicycles! Lower class uses them as transportation, upper class uses them for recreation.
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.
-
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
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.
-
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.
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.
-
But renting is not buying, and OP was talking about buying.
That's a good point. I'd still argue that renting is buying a service, but I agree there may be some ambiguity here.
-
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.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Recreational drugs are purchased by pretty much everyone
-
Bicycles! Lower class uses them as transportation, upper class uses them for recreation.
Man...I must really be upper class then.
When will my salary catch up to that? -
Recreational drugs are purchased by pretty much everyone
Good point. I should have said, "illicit drugs."
-
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.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Crack cocaine has always been a poor man's drug. It's highly adulterated and thus much cheaper
-
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?
I live in a decidedly middle class area and people driving golf carts around is super common. Some communities even have their own golf cart paths to the local grocery stores, and those stores have dedicated gold cart parking.
It's very common at least in the US south east.
-
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.
Old cars
-
Old cars
I like that one. I used to jokingly tell people I drove a classic car. It was technically correct, but no one was impressed by my rusted out, 1980s, economy sedan or its 115 horses.
