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?
This is less of a specific good and more of a trend, but middle class people are more likely to buy bulk goods. Lower classes often don’t have the means to do so (space to store it and money to buy it, or access to places that sell in bulk) and higher classes simply don’t need to, or they buy luxury items that wouldn’t be sold in bulk.
Similarly, middle class people are less likely to shop at places with high markups, such as convenience stores.
The times when people shop would also see trends, with lower and higher classes doing more shopping midday on a Tuesday and middle class working people with average 9-5 office jobs being unable to do so.
Any farm animal
This made me laugh, it’s so true! Apart from chickens though - I know a few middle class people with chickens.
Maybe car leases?
- lower income can’t afford to purchase and a lease is a lower payment
- wealthy either want to replace cars more often or use a car leases by a business
If middle income fall into that trap, it’s probably on the way to lower income?
Horse. You well off, Dad’s got a bit of land? Then you can have a horse. Nine of yous, living in a caravan with your Mum? Then you can have a horse. Grow up in a semi-detached? No horse for you!
It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods
I thought this was regional. I’ve seen it in Florida but not where I live, not that I’ve ever been to a trailer park
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.
I think golf carts are more a regional thing where the weather is good enough most the year and there are destinations in reasonable range. Driving 5 miles to Costco in freezing weather isn’t really a golf cart activity.
Old cars.
Good one!
I routinely use terms like “classic” to describe my cars. It amuses me, and is mostly harmless.
But, on occasion, this has disappointed a friend who I gave a ride to, who did not realize the term was meant as humor.
(Though technically correct, I guess? My car is old, if not nice.)
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
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.
We finally got a family car when i was 16 - a 1978 corolla station wagon.
In the 90’s.
Here I am wondering how old i can get away with and still be safe and reliable for my teens to drive
Recreational drugs are purchased by pretty much everything
Good point. I should have said, “illicit drugs.”
Those too.
I don’t have any data to support it, but I’d speculate that the middle class uses a lot less illicit drugs, lacking the desperation of the poor or the protections of the wealthy.
I also speculate that your idea of illicit drugs is not correct.
Maybe but I wonder that too. Now that Marijuana is legit most places, that’s a vice for the middle class. They can’t risk illegal when there’s a legal option and can’t afford some of the workarounds that wealthy can
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?
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?
Large amounts of debt.
Financial services as a percent of income, yes. That’s a good one. Being poor is relatively expensive.
Bicycles! Lower class uses them as transportation, upper class uses them for recreation.
I feel like recreational biking or mountain biking is a very middle class thing to do tbh.
Man…I must really be upper class then.
When will my salary catch up to that?You and I have different definitions of upper class.
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.
Upper class have pelatons
College. The middle class is too rich for aid but too poor to pay
Rental properties.
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.
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.
Lawyers
There are lots of middle class divorce lawyers
Legal services, fines, etc. I wish I had thought of that.
Chlorine for water treatment. Cheap and useful where clean water is difficult to come by and where water is stored for long term use. Also very common to buy if you have a pool. But maybe for middle class households it is not as common of an item - except perhaps in areas were pools are common enough in middle-class homes.
Just a guess!
also interesting: what are the differences in the kinds of goods throughout the world?
That’s an intriguing take. Blackberries are expensive in some places. In others, you can just grab and eat them as you walk through the park.
