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Time for another peek into the “Lifestyles of
the Rich and Cranky.”
Most Americans — those earning $50,000 a year
or less — are stretching to make ends meet, but I’ll bet they
never pause to think about how hard it is for the immensely rich. Luckily,
we have Forbes magazine’s
“Cost of Living Extremely Well Index.”
Yes, the über-rich are getting ever more über, but what you probably don’t know is that the cost
of their lavish lifestyles is increasing astronomically. Were you aware,
for example, that the price of a catered dinner for 40 of your closest
friends jumped 31 percent in the past year? You used to entertain them for
$7,500 — but now it’s nearly $10,000 for a catered dinner
party. It’s enough to drive you to McDonald’s! Also, although some families worry about the increase
in the price of home heating oil this winter, few of them ever think about
the fact that the price of a Russian sable coat is up 18 percent, now
topping $225,000. But to run with the big dogs, you really have no choice
but to pay the price; being superrich, after all, is about saving face with
your peers. Speaking of saving face, did you know that a facelift that cost
some $14,000 last year now will set you back $17,000? Sometimes you just want to get away from it all,
which is why so many of the swells are moving into doublewides. Not house
trailers, darling — doublewide private jets! They only cost $150
million each. The good news is, you can still get a 45-minute
session with a New York Upper East Side psychiatrist for $300. Now
that’s a bargain that every stressed-out rich person should jump at.
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator,
columnist, and author.
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
