'I’m Rich, but I Understand the Frustrations People Have'
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
My definition is "If you can solve a problem by throwing money at it, then it isn't a problem"... that's when you are rich.
Think about the difference between poor and average and rich. Poor people try to skip things like car insurance and health insurance. Average people budget for car insurance and get health insurance through their job. Rich people put up a bond for insurance (thus paying no premiums) and have a health "concierge" who arranges visits to doctors who are "on call". Rich people can pay for these services because they don't pay house insurance (if the house burns down you buy another), car insurance (put up a bond), car expenses (company pays), travel costs (company pays), taxes (stock, investments, tax write-offs), etc. Rich people don't have bank accounts, they own the bank and makey money by lending money.
Problems in life treat us all the same. Your window breaks (poor: cardboard and duct tape, average: call a window repair place, rich: the housekeeper deals with it), your sink leaks (tape, plumber, housekeeper), car won't start (bum a ride, call AAA, your driver handles it), etc. Rich people just throw money at the problem by paying people to solve it.
The only problems rich people have are ones that money can't solve, such as demands on their time and persistent health issues. What poor and average people don't realize is how much demand there is for a rich person's time. Companies want you on their board (so they can get connections to your other board member companies). People want you to show up for charity events (so you can write a check). People want to give you perks (first class lounges so you buy first-class seats). Ultimately under each benefit is some attempt to get money.
Ultimately though, money can't solve certain problems such as health issues or the death of friends and relatives. Or time issues, such as being given an award (so you have to show up), or asked to give a keynote speech (so you have to show up), or being hounded by reporters who want to know how the rich and famous live.
So how do you know if you are rich? If you can solve the problem by throwing money at it and you do... then you are rich.
I'm 'average' in your classification, as are most people I see on any regular basis. What you've called 'poor' would describe the time I was unemployed or my college days but is now a fair ways away. What you've called 'rich' seems impossibly out of reach barring some unlikely windfall.
Within 'average' though, there are upward movements that would be nice. I've paid off all loans except my mortgage. It would feel pretty great to pay off the mortgage and not owe anybody any money.
I live in a moderately expensive city. It would be great to feel like I could just move somewhere more expensive like New York City or San Francisco if I wanted to, own a home, and take advantage of the opportunities there.
It would be interesting to see a description of many strata from someone who has researched this, and see what problems are solved and what people's main concerns are at each one.