Ever notice how people from different walks of life seem to have different tastes in clothes, cars, even breakfast cereal? A person who grew up in a wealthy suburb and a person who grew up in a working-class neighborhood often make very different buying decisions—even when they have the same amount of money in their pocket. This chapter unpacks why that happens. We’ll explore how the invisible ladder of social class shapes what we want, what we buy, and how we see ourselves as consumers.