Your observational skills can easily determine personality types.
An individual's boisterous behavior in large groups may indicate they're outgoing but annoying. A wallflower at a house party could be a sign they're shy but insightful.
However, it gets tricky when it comes to presuming one's financial status in an ever-evolving social climate.
Curious to explore this, Redditor Ready2go555 asked:
"What are modern day signs of wealth that might be obsolete in the future?"
Some people think jewelry is a classic indicator of wealth, but it depends. Don't be fooled by what you see.
Such Gems
"Gem stones, man made gems are higher quality and carat count right now, in the future you'll be able to line your driveway with diamonds instead of gravel for the same cost."
– anon
It's A Steal
"I got my fiancee a lab diamond after doing extensive research (I also have a great jewler who pushed me to lab diamonds instead of natural) and wow the bang for your buck is absolutely incredible. Got her a massive 2.25 carat rock with a pretty insane colour, and clarity for less than $3000, before the setting. Natural diamonds of similar spec were going for well over $10000."
"Both test as 100% real, both are as hard as each other, both will pass any "test" to test if it's a real diamond because they both are real diamonds."'– Kropfi
Questioning Authenticity
"For some reason Reddit suggested r/engagementrings to me, and a ton of the people there say lab grown are 'fake.' It’s kind of crazy."
– pork_fried_christ
Spotting The Value
"A jeweler can tell the difference. The mined stone will have imperfections. The lab-grown one will be flawless."
"The new marketing stunt is that natural diamonds with flaws are magically better than flawless ones. Maybe it is the blood and tears of slaves that makes the mined stones more precious?"
– dew2459
Fancy cars and homes instantly indicate owners are well off.
Outdated Wiring
"More like looking into the past but I moved into an older home. I’ve been ripping out telephone, cable, and surround sound wires. Which would have all been a luxury at one point in time."
– Greenfieldfox
Having A Pied-à-terre
"Growing up in the 90s, I thought people were wealthy if the mom didn't work. In my area, it seemed about a 50/50 split. My mom worked and actually was the primary breadwinner. Today, I know one spouse doesn't work for a myriad of reasons."
"I'm a millennial born right in the middle of the millennial window."
"Today, an indicator of wealth to me is a second home. I think to me it's something that is just out of reach for me but is something people I know have. It could be attainable one day but today is not that day."
– Standard_Mud1464
Shell Of Its Former Self
"I'd go out on a limb here but perhaps houses? Not this or next generation but if populations keep shrinking, it's possible that older homes owned by family who's passed on (mostly ones not located near the large metro centers) will be treated like the current inherited huge oak china hutches - a large and bulky burden with little to no value. I believe rural properties in Japan have already been going through this in the current day."
– MisterJasonMan
Fancy Luxury
"Grew up in 80s/90s. I thought having leather interior in a car meant you were a millionaire."
– Musclecar123
"It was a basketball hoop with a glass backboard for me, thought that was the sign of a millionaire."
– dylanlovesdanger
"Beachfront property."
– drdoom52
Gambling was a frequent pastime for the wealthy, it seems.
Place Your Bets
"Flocks of people gambling their retirement away at the casino. We have one close to home and it's always jam packed. I tell my wife sure, there will always be rich people with money to burn, but once the baby boomer generation has passed and people no longer have good retirements, the casino crowd is going to shrink by a LOT."
– Squarebody7987
The New Casinos
"I feel like a lot of the younger generation get their gambling fill via the stock market/options. It’s just way more accessible."
"Casino gambling has zero appeal to me."
– weasler7
"Don’t forget sports betting. The advertising for it is pervasive!"
– afeagle1021
"That stuff is nuts to me. Sports gambling used to be something one does in a side business not even close to the sports arena, but now it's frickin center stage and they have special seating for it and everything."
– Catsh*t-Dogfart
But what about outward appearances?
Don't worry. These Redditors have got you covered.
High-Brow Fashion
"Do you think anyone is gonna give a sh*t about your $1,000 sweater in 20 years?"
– TheshizAlt
"If you are trully rich you'd have 21 $1000 sweaters 20 years from now though, and future people may care for the last one at least."
– Equistremo
Popular Drugs
"Being skinny thanks to Ozempic. Right now rich people can afford the $1k+/month out-of-pocket and have connections, but in just a few short years GLP-1 drugs will be pervasive and practically free."
– boner79
"And they’ll be available in pill form."
"Obesity will be reserved for either the very poor, the 'I don’t give a sh*t,' or the especially medicine-skeptical, and that will happen during our lifetimes. The obesity epidemic in America and parts of the developed world will be viewed in hindsight as curious and short chapter in human history."
– tawrex49
I remember going to my parents' friend's house who was uber-rich. She had a vast collection of expensive china and several ceramic Lladró figurines that were valued at thousands of dollars, serving no other purpose but to look pretty.
Nowadays, the rich collector seems to be a thing of the past. Millennials aren't buying tangible "things" to flaunt their status.
Exclusive experiences are what the affluent seem to be paying for, like renting out fancy establishments for Gatsby-esque parties or going on private deep-sea expeditions.
If you had money to burn, what extravagances would you be spending it on?
