Especially how tv characters who live in new york (HI SEX AND THE CITY) have gigantic apartments and take cabs everywhere, but they all work at magazines or some other low paying creative job.
There was an article posted here last year about a real person living this life. She worked some low paying creative job (in publishing, I think) in Manhattan but had a swanky apartment and fancy clothes. Her secret? Her dad had died in some kind of accident and the insurance payment set up a trust fund for her.
She talked at length about how her life was setting unrealistic expectations for her friends and colleagues, who did not know that her job was not really supporting her lifestyle, and how this arrangement probably resulted in a few of them overreaching financially and ending up in debt.
I just mention to it to highlight that we don't really know anything about anyone else's finances. That suburban family might be up to their eyeballs in debt, or that young Manhattan socialite might be living off her 2.5% SPY dividends.
I totally agree. I'd assume that most people on this forum would think "gee, I wonder how on Earth they're paying for that - credit card debt maybe?" if they saw a lifestyle far swankier than the person's job seemed able to generate. Likewise, I think Mustachians wouldn't assume you're poor if you happen to be wearing old, holey, paint stained clothes to the supermarket to pick up milk.
My concern is for the financially illiterate masses out there, who see it and think "gee, she has fancier clothes than me, I'd better buy more right now".
In fact, a friend recently found out how much I earn and said she didn't believe me because I don't spend money on designer watches, clothes, going out to eat every night of the week, etc which is
clearly what I would be doing if I really earnt that much. She actually asked why she owns nicer things than me if I earn that much money, and I had to explain that just because I earn it, doesn't mean I spend it. The average person sees nice possessions, higher incomes and 'wealth' as all one and the same, at least in my anecdotal experience. Look, that freelance writer has great shoes, I'm going to become a freelance writer and own lots of nice shoes too!
Wow, I've got pretty off-topic there :-)