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Photos: You know you're wealthy when...

People out and about in Southern California finish the sentence: "You know you're wealthy when..." All photos by Jolie Puidokas/Marketplace

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"You know you're wealthy when you're happy," a teenager from Australia says. A retiree from Los Angeles says you know you're wealthy when you aren't worrying about what's in your checking account. For a musician and DJ living in Southern California, being wealthy means moving out of an old neighborhood and into a better place.

The Venice Beach boardwalk attracts all sorts, and we got all sorts of answers when we asked people to finish the sentence: You know you're wealthy when...

You know you're wealthy when...

“You know you’re wealthy when you change zip codes,” says Jerome Dyson, a DJ and musician who lives in Los Angeles. Dyson says that when you achieve wealth, you can move up – which means moving out of your old neighborhood. His current zip code is 90929, “but I moved from 90291. So I guess I made it.”

The simple life

“You know you’re wealthy when everything in life brings you joy,” says Vanessa Donatucci, a regional sales manager for a construction company in Pennsylvania. “To be wealthy isn’t necessarily about money. It’s more about living simply and taking pleasure in the small things you do daily.”

You've got it covered

“You know you’re wealthy when you don’t have to worry about your check bouncing,” says Melrose Sprague, a retired textbook coordinator for a public school district in Southern California. Sprague says she’s not worried about bouncing checks at this point in her life. “I do have a six-figure checking account, but it hasn’t changed me. I’m still the same Melrose.”

Doing what you want

Ronald Lentz, a Long Beach retiree, says that wealth is being able to do what you want to do. For Lentz, that means literally searching for wealth with a metal detector at various beaches in Southern California. “I go do what I want to do when I get up in the morning. So yeah, I’m wealthy.”

Safe and secure

Musician Robert “Robot” Knott says you know you’re wealthy when you feel secure. And that goes for money as well as one’s sense of self: “You could be insecure with yourself and I would say that’s not a wealthy person.”

Living happy

“You know you’re wealthy when you’re happy,” says Benjamin Boutros, a student from Sydney, Australia. “If you could choose between having nice things and not having nice things, I would choose to have nice things. But if I’ve got what I need and I’m happy, I’m happy with that.” Pictured: Mariano Meza, left, Boutros, center, and Taylor Maxfield, right.


What about you? Here are some responses we've gotten on Twitter and Facebook. Take to the comments below to finish this sentence: You know you're wealthy when...

And see more from our series to find out what Washingtonians had to say about wealth in the nation's capital and to hear from New Olreans residents about life in the Big Easy.

About the author

John Ketchum is an assistant producer for Marketplace’s wealth & poverty desk.

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missingthemiddle's picture
missingthemiddle - Jan 25, 2013

You know you're wealthy when you can make all of your monthly payments without fear, buy groceries, AND put some money into savings.

garytheplumber's picture
garytheplumber - Jan 25, 2013

You know you are wealthy ... when you wake up in the morning looking forward to the day.

MarkTheContrarian's picture
MarkTheContrarian - Jan 21, 2013

You know you're wealthy when just THINKING about the estate tax makes you crazy!

Wane123's picture
Wane123 - Jan 14, 2013

You wealty?
Let see…
Your time, free?
Your money, lots?
Your travel, most?
No think, the cost?
Reality be,
You wealthy when fate
Find anyone who live
This United State.

AmoebaTeether's picture
AmoebaTeether - Jan 10, 2013

when you wake and say "what do i want to do today." as opposed to "what do i have to do today."

wingdom's picture
wingdom - Jan 6, 2013

You know you are wealthy when you are healthy and have a high value talent that is in demand for your entire life.

m.vitullo88's picture
m.vitullo88 - Jan 6, 2013

You know you're wealthy when your grandchildren are born into debt free lives.

kmclouse's picture
kmclouse - Jan 5, 2013

You know you're wealthy when you don't want for anything, even though you don't have everything you may want. I am single and make $48,000 per year. I keep a budget, watch my spending and save assiduously, yet I consider myself very wealthy and blessed. I also give away about 12% of my monthly income to individuals and charities I value, because I know my money isn't really my own to keep, but a gift to share. Money is important, of course, but only one small piece of what it means to be wealthy.

evaporation's picture
evaporation - Jan 5, 2013

You know you're wealthy when...Your name changes to "paw-paw".

brettfangi's picture
brettfangi - Jan 4, 2013

You know you're wealthy when you have the luxury to take that awesome lower paying job you wanted, the one that doesn't come with healthcare because affordable healthcare options are available to everyone. And also, you're wealthy when you can go back to get that Masters Degree or PhD in some humanities related subject and still afford to take that lower paying humanities related-job that you want afterwards without an insurmountable debt to repay. I long for the day when healthcare and studying humanities and art are not pure luxuries. Our society becomes more wealthy when this happens! Thx wealth and poverty desk for the posing the question.

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