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How much do some mega-expensive things cost? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by comfy@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Most people reading this are probably very familiar with buying things between $0-1000 USD (such as everyday food and everyday clothing, perhaps weekly rent). Some of us will have experience buying more expensive items, like a car ($10,000s), or maybe even a house ($100,000s or even $1,000,000s). Some of you might want to object to those numbers I listed, they obviously will vary wildly in different markets, but I want to now ask about much more expensive things.

What is the cost of some items that few-if-any Lemmy users can afford? What can the absurdly rich buy that we can't? How much does it cost them?

You must give a money value with some evidence, no just knee-jerking and saying something vague like "elections" - instead find articles disclosing how much manipulation campaigns cost a political party.

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[–] bstix 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Rich people don't buy those things, like jets and infrastructure. They own companies that buy those things.

I think that for an individual rich person, their personal purchases are still within the million dollar range. Luxury doesn't come from a single purchase. It's the cost of upkeep that really separates rich from poor.

One thing that shocked me is the price of getting an elevator in a house. It easily costs as much as a small house, but it's the maintenance that is gross. It can cost about the same as a full time employee just to own one. It makes sense in a tall apartment building where the elevator is in constant use by many people, but for rich people who are never home and only use it maybe once a day, it's ridiculously expensive to pay that much just to not walk a stair.

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

My parents had a dumbwaiter in their house. I have physical limitations and so wish for one in mine. I wonder how much that would cost in maintenance ... I don't remember my parents ever maintaining theirs.

edit: A few quick searches (not at all exhaustive) suggest that dumbwaiter installation can cost from $4k-$20k, with most being $8k-$12k. After installation maintenance plans mostly involve inspection and lubrication with costs usually being $200-$500 annually. Not as bad as I expected.

(Though my parents' one was used at least weekly for at least twenty years and I'm pretty sure that not once was it inspected. I think the current owner of the house might not even be aware it's there.)