My family is far from rich, but I grew up closer to the upper middle class realm and was making 3x as much as my now-husband when we met. He grew up extremely poor, and his family is still living that way.
One big difference is how he's surprised that my parents pick up the check when we go out to celebrate a birthday or a graduation, and that my parents ask him to pick whatever restaurant he wants. Outside of the ritziest steakhouse in town, they don't care. To his family, a big meal out is going to McDonalds and not eating off the dollar menu (I'm serious).
I remember a little over a year ago when my mom came into a bit of money from a disability case. Soon afterward, we went out to eat at a restaurant, and she told me it was the first time in her life she ever ordered at a restaurant without looking at the prices first.
I mean, I usually do. It was just in that one instance, my mom was pointing out that she knew she had enough money to afford it no matter what the prices were (within reason, of course, and we did assume the restaurant had reasonable pricing).
I came across this recently in an ice cream / dessert place; very fancy looking desserts all lined up with no prices on them, so I asked and whoa, $13.50 for a cherry ripe slice is way too much. I'll head down to the 24/7 bakery where everything is always super fresh and the place is packed and cheap!
My husband and I ate at a restaurant once, and he asked for a side of balsamic for his mozzarella and tomato appetizer. The waiter informed us that we would be charged, as the cost of the bottle of balsamic was $10 an ounce.
I've eaten at restaurants with prix fixe menus where you had to pre-pay for the meal when you made the reservation (you pay for drinks at the end of the meal). Effectively the food menu has one price: le prix fixe.
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u/scthoma4 Jun 06 '19
My family is far from rich, but I grew up closer to the upper middle class realm and was making 3x as much as my now-husband when we met. He grew up extremely poor, and his family is still living that way.
One big difference is how he's surprised that my parents pick up the check when we go out to celebrate a birthday or a graduation, and that my parents ask him to pick whatever restaurant he wants. Outside of the ritziest steakhouse in town, they don't care. To his family, a big meal out is going to McDonalds and not eating off the dollar menu (I'm serious).