I can't work out how some of my family members are so flush. As I learn more about money, I wonder if they can really be earning that much, or have some credit arrangement magic I don't yet understand.

My immediate family fakes high class pretty well. Despite not having indoor plumbing as a kid, my dad was born to it, and rose to it.

. A liberal arts degree is "higher class" than an engineering degree, because it's so impractical.

It all depends on where you sit. My paternal grandfather was the first person in his family to go to college. All his life, his brothers and parents thought he was crazy, because they made a hell of a lot more money on the railroad than he ever made teaching high school.

Wait, I think I've got it -- I think I'm higher-class than my income would say. At least in NYC. For the country, my income is still pretty high.

It all depends on where you sit. My paternal grandfather was the first person in his family to go to college. All his life, his brothers and parents thought he was crazy, because they made a hell of a lot more money on the railroad than he ever made teaching high school.

I'm talking about why I don't think that income = class.

I think I've posted this before, but I'm surprised at how little class consciousness there was where I grew up. I knew there were a few kids whos parents were poor, as they got reduced prices for school hot lunches. And our doctor drove a Cadillac. Beyond that, everyone seemed the same (classwise) to me.

I can't work out how some of my family members are so flush.

There is one couple in my family that absolutely mystifies me. He is a youth pastor and she is a photography assistant for her mom's studio. They just built a house that's more than twice as expensive as our house and they show up to family events in a Lexus LX470 SUV. I don't mind them having more money (everyone in my family does), I just can't figure out where it comes from.

Edit: Also about 8 years ago they asked me for money so he could pursue his calling in the church.

I just can't figure out where it comes from.

Drugs.

There is one couple in my family that absolutely mystifies me. He is a youth pastor

He sells drugs? LSD in the communion wafers?

xpost....

Some of it's timing, too. My folks were both high school teachers between 1945 and 1990. They never got rich, but they always had a decent, 3 bedroom house and the cash to take their kids on vacations every summer instead of picking up a second summer job. They ended up fairly comfortably, with a nice house in a nice neighborhood, and enough discretionary money to go on a vacation to other countries every other year or so after they retired. They were able to send my sister and me through our undergrad degrees without going into debt. They have a rather nice car and, even though Mom's racked up and will continue to rack up significant medical bills for the foreseeable future, they say they have it covered.

I don't know if high school teacher salaries would buy that for folks starting now.

Gud - are they in debt up to their ears?