25 Items Rich People Refuse To Buy at Full Price
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Just because rich people have money doesn’t mean they like to spend it. In fact sometimes, the reason they have money is because they don’t spend it. Below are 25 items experts say rich people absolutely do not buy at full price.
Also here are three habits of a rich person you should pick up today.
Hermès Birkins
“Hermès Birkins (priced above $12,000 retail) often sell for less at private resale events hosted by family offices or stylists,” explained Chad D. Cummings, CEO of Cummings & Cummings Law. “Affluent clients avoid boutique purchases because they require bundling other goods to even be offered a bag.”
Rolex Submariners
“Rolex Submariners drop by approximately 22% in value the moment they leave the authorized dealer’s case, yet retain strong resale value on the secondary market,” Cummings said. “Wealthy buyers routinely acquire such watches through vetted gray market dealers who offer unworn models at a 15% to 20% discount without triggering retail tax exposure.”
Patek Philippe Watches
“They may be able to find what they want on a resale platform like Grailed or buy vintage that is just as valuable,” said Cal Singh, head of marketing and partnerships at Equipment Finance Canada.
Mercedes G63 AMGs
“Mercedes G63 AMGs depreciate by as much as $40,000 in the first year of ownership,” Cummings said. “High-net-worth individuals typically lease these vehicles through business entities to shift the burden of depreciation onto the lessor and preserve cash flow.”
First Class Flights
“First-class airfare is often booked using point arbitrage, corporate travel programs or discounted consolidator fares,” Cummings explained.
Country Club Initiation Fees
“Country club initiation fees are frequently waived or negotiated when prospective members purchase adjacent real estate or sponsor foundation events,” Cummings said.
Elite Fitness Services
“They spend a yearly initial fee to obtain 30-40% discounts in gyms with high-ends,” explained David Ghozland, OB/GYN.
Tax and Legal Services
“They do not charge hourly but negotiate flat annual rates,” Ghozland said. “By paying a fixed amount of $15,000 to his CPA rather than paying per hour of $300, one saves $8,000 annually.”
College Costs
“Wealthy people utilize 529 plans to save on taxes and know where to find scholarships for their kids,” said Andrew Matz, financial planner at Oak Road Wealth Management.
Private Jet Charter Programs
“Private jet charter programs offer tiered discounts and tax-efficient flight credits when structured through pooled family partnerships,” Cummings explained.
Vacations
“Wealthy individuals typically have a substantial amount of credit card points accumulated and can often use these points to cover their flights and other expenses,” explained Melanie Musson, insurance and finance expert at Clearsurance.com.
Homes
“Because they have the ability to pay cash, they’re a lower risk to sellers,” Musson said. “Many sellers will settle for a lower cash offer than a higher financed offer.”
Appliances and Furniture
“The savings of one client was $30,000 on home renovations by keeping the appliance purchases during the Memorial Day sales and the furniture purchases during the Black Friday sales,” said Chris Badja, managing partner at Groomsday.
Real Estate Commissions
“On multi-million-dollar transactions, rich people negotiate broker fees. This is often accepted by realtors due to the high value of their properties. Currently seeing 3% to 4% split commissions versus a more traditional 6%,” said James Hargrave, founder of Pillar Financial Planning.
Sports Tickets
“It’s not that they’re not willing to pay for tickets to sporting events, but most of the time, they know someone with season tickets or their company provides them with tickets, so they don’t have to buy their own,” Musson said.
Designer Clothes
“The majority of designer garments are conventionally linked to the idea of personal selling, retail outlet or to a stylist, who has a vague idea where to locate exclusivity at a reduced price,” said Olivier Wagner, founder of 1040 Abroad.
Hotel-Grade Linens
“They buy hotel liquidation sales when chains are being renovated,” Ghozland explained. “These linens are changed after every 18 months no matter the condition they are in and you receive almost new luxury bedding at 70% off.”
Jewelry
“Since wealthy people are often repeat customers at jewelry stores, they can haggle for discounts because if they feel like they’ve gotten a good deal, they’ll be back for more,” Musson said.
Antiques
“I’ve realized that the wealthiest individuals tend to pool money from somewhere to buy [antiques], a clear sign that they refuse to foot the total cost on their own,” Martin Gasparian, owner of Maison Law Modesto, said. “They want to spread the risk that comes with the investment to make sure they can realize profits within the targeted period.”
Art
“Something with a $500,000 price in a gallery can sell at auction and fetch about $350,000,” said J.R. Faris, president and CEO of Accountalent. “This is a discounted price offered by sellers who are in need of cash.”
Pet Insurance
“No wealthy pet owner that I’ve ever encountered has paid full price for their pet insurance,” Helle Brandrup, certified veterinarian and business expert at Neurogan Pets, said. “They all negotiate the price. It’s actually a good lesson for everyone.”
Server Rack Equipment for Gaming
“Enterprise equipment is purchased by individuals with money on liquidation in data centers,” explained Michael Pedrotti, co-founder of Ghostcap. “I purchased a dual-Xeon Dell R720 at $400 that would be priced at $3,000 new.”
Gaming Peripheral Bundles
“Gaming peripherals are never purchased in sets by serious gamers,” Pedrotti said. “They scavenge manufacturer refurb shops and Amazon Warehouse sales at 40% to 60% discount.”
Prescription Drugs
“They save 60% to 80% using manufacturer coupons and pharmacy applications,” Ghozland explained. “A single patient reduces her monthly birth control of $340 to $25 after a mere discount by the manufacturer.”
Medical Spa Treatments
“They reserve during resident training in teaching hospitals,” Ghozland said. “Identical laser treatments, identical outcomes and half the cost due to the supervised trainee conducting the procedure.”
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