5 weekend activities that upper-class families consider routine but working-class families only dream of being able to afford – VegOut

For some families, Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to catch up on rest, maybe do some chores, and squeeze in a little leisure that doesn’t break the bank.

For others, weekends are an extension of the curated lifestyle they live all week—packed with experiences that quietly reinforce their place in the world.

I’ve spent time around both groups. Back when I worked in the music industry, I had the odd privilege of tagging along with people whose bank accounts were several lifetimes away from mine.

What struck me most wasn’t luxury cars or designer kitchens—it was the weekend routines that felt almost casual to them, yet nearly unreachable to working-class families.

Let’s dig into five of those activities.

1. Private lessons and skill development

Upper-class parents rarely leave their kids’ growth to chance.

Sociologist Annette Lareau calls this “concerted cultivation.” It’s the idea that wealthy families actively structure their children’s time with lessons—piano, tennis, coding, fencing, even public speaking. They see it as a duty to nurture not just skills, but confidence, discipline, and connections.

Meanwhile, working-class families lean toward what Lareau terms “natural growth.” Kids have more free play, more autonomy, and fewer scheduled activities. It isn’t worse—it often creates resilience and creativity—but it’s undeniably different.

I remember being invited to a weekend barbecue at the home of a producer in L.A. His 9-year-old casually switched from showing off soccer drills to practicing a violin piece, then sat down with a chess coach for an hour. For that family, this was a normal Saturday.

For most working-class households, those kinds of lessons aren’t just logistically tough—they’re financially impossible. One violin lesson a week might equal a grocery bill. A private chess coach could be rent money.

2. Weekend getaways

There’s something surreal about how wealthy families view travel.

For them, hopping on a plane Friday evening to spend the weekend in Aspen or Cabo isn’t considered a vacation. It’s just “the weekend.” It’s routine, almost blasé.

Contrast that with working-class families, where travel requires months of saving, planning, and sacrifice. A “vacation” might mean driving somewhere within a two-hour radius and booking the cheapest motel. And even that can feel like a stretch when gas and groceries eat away at the budget.

When I lived in New York, I knew a family who owned a small pied-à-terre in Paris. They would casually say, “We’ll be in France this weekend.” Not “on vacation,” not “taking a trip”—just the weekend. Imagine the dissonance if you’re used to budgeting every move.

Travel is more than geography; it’s a marker of freedom. For the upper class, weekends can expand to the whole globe. For others, weekends shrink to what’s affordable within their own neighborhood.

3. Fine dining as a family norm

Think about your last meal out. Maybe it was a pizza place, a diner, or a chain restaurant(it was for me). For many families, dining out is a treat reserved for birthdays or special occasions.

Now imagine that the default weekend plan is a three-course dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant. For the upper class, fine dining isn’t just food—it’s a cultural education. Kids grow up knowing how to pronounce “coq au vin” and which fork to use.

For working-class families, these restaurants exist more as fantasies glimpsed through Instagram or Netflix food shows. 

4. Exclusive club activities

Country clubs, yacht clubs, golf clubs—the word “club” might as well mean “gate.”

Memberships cost thousands per year, sometimes tens of thousands, and they function as much as social filters as they do recreational outlets. To upper-class families, it’s a place to spend weekends swimming, playing tennis, networking, and reinforcing social circles.

I’ve mentioned before how certain habits compound over time, and this is one of them. Access leads to connections, which leads to opportunities. Children raised in these environments inherit networks that working-class kids can’t access.

For working-class families, even the idea of joining a club can feel laughable. The “weekend swim” happens at a crowded public pool, if at all. Golf is something you see on TV, not something you play with your dad on Sunday mornings.

It isn’t just about leisure. It’s about the subtle but powerful reinforcement of belonging.

5. Wellness retreats

Another routine for upper-class families? Spending weekends at wellness retreats, spa resorts, or boutique fitness studios. Yoga with a private instructor, meditation weekends in the mountains, spa days that cost more than a car payment.

Health isn’t just survival—it’s optimized, curated, elevated.

I once spent a weekend covering an artist’s stay at a wellness resort in Big Sur. While I was there to write, his family was there to “reset.” That reset involved sound baths, organic meals prepared by a chef, and a personal trainer leading “family movement workshops.”

The bigger picture

I don’t share this list to glorify the lifestyles of the wealthy. In fact, spending time around them often left me uneasy. What seemed routine for them highlighted just how uneven the playing field really is.

But here’s the other side: while working-class families may not afford these luxuries, they often have something just as valuable—community, creativity, and grit. Kids who grow up without a private chess coach still learn problem-solving. Families who don’t jet off to Paris for the weekend often know how to find joy close to home.

The lesson isn’t to envy what others have. It’s to recognize how money quietly shapes what feels “normal.” And once you see it, you can start asking different questions about the kind of normal you want to create for yourself.