They look successful. They talk the talk. But behind the scenes? Something doesn’t quite add up.

Let’s be real for a second: there’s a difference between being broke and being poor.

Being broke is often temporary. It happens. We’ve all had moments when the card gets declined and you have to fake a “that’s weird” face while secretly wondering if you have enough change in the car for parking.

But there’s a particular flavor of broke that’s harder to spot—because it’s disguised as success.

It’s curated. It’s filtered. And it often comes with the kind of habits that look like confidence, but are more about covering up insecurity.

Here are 7 of the most common ones I’ve noticed.

1. They spend more energy looking rich than getting rich

There’s this quote from Dave Ramsey that I can’t unhear: “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”

That’s the core behavior here.

People who are broke but want to look successful tend to direct their focus toward surface-level status symbols.

Designer sneakers on credit cards. $18 cocktails at rooftop bars. The latest phone, even if the one they have works just fine.

It’s not about enjoying the thing—it’s about being seen with the thing.

The energy that could go toward learning a new skill, building a side hustle, or improving their financial literacy gets swallowed up by the performance of having “made it.”

2. They treat social media like a resume

You ever meet someone in real life after following them on Instagram and think… oh.

The digital version of them is living their best life—flights, selfies, new “collabs.” But offline? The vibes are different.

One of the biggest giveaways is when someone’s feed is overly curated to show constant wins: press mentions, airport lounges, motivational captions that read like LinkedIn essays.

And yet behind the scenes, they’re dodging rent, juggling overdue invoices, or borrowing money just to keep up appearances.

This isn’t to shame anyone for being ambitious or using social media for their work. I do that too. But there’s a difference between documenting your journey and building a façade to hide what’s not working.

3. They avoid honest conversations about money

Here’s a wild stat: According to a study from the Journal of Consumer Research, people with financial instability are more likely to avoid conversations about money—not just with others, but with themselves.

I’ve seen this in action. When someone’s broke but pretending they’re not, they dodge financial questions like they’re allergic.

They’ll say things like:

“Oh, I’m just figuring things out right now.”

“I don’t really think in terms of budgets.”

“Money isn’t everything, you know.”

Which, sure. But when you consistently avoid checking your bank account or having transparent conversations about debt, spending, or income, you’re not just hiding from other people—you’re hiding from your own reality.

4. They chase every flashy opportunity

This one hits a little close to home for me.

In my mid-twenties, I said yes to every “business opportunity” that sounded remotely exciting. Affiliate programs. Crypto drops. Dropshipping. Coaching packages from people I’d never heard of.

Why? Because I was desperate for a quick win.

People who are broke but trying to seem successful often latch onto anything that promises fast money or status.

They rebrand themselves every three months. They’ve always “just launched” something. They’re always “in talks” about a new project.

But nothing really sticks. Because the hustle is less about building something solid—and more about staying in motion so no one notices they’re standing still.

5. They use big words to cover small progress

Watch how someone talks about their work.

If every sentence is full of vague, inflated language—“scaling verticals,” “leveraging strategic alignment,” “positioning personal brand equity”—but they can’t tell you clearly what they actually do or earn from it, that’s usually a clue.

I once met a guy who described himself as a “serial entrepreneur in the lifestyle innovation space.”

Translation: he was unemployed and selling knockoff sunglasses on Etsy.

As noted by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer, “When people feel uncertain, they tend to use more complicated language to seem competent.”

This doesn’t mean everyone using industry terms is faking it. But if someone’s constantly talking in pitch-deck lingo with no tangible results to show, it’s worth paying attention.

6. They surround themselves with people who don’t ask questions

One thing I’ve noticed? The more someone tries to appear successful without actually doing the work, the more they isolate themselves from people who might call them out.

They’ll gravitate toward social groups that thrive on hype, not honesty.

Nobody’s asking:

“Wait, how are you funding that trip?”

“Did that launch actually make money?”

“Are you okay financially?”

Instead, it’s just praise, likes, and surface-level affirmations.

And that works for a while. But eventually, the gap between the image and the reality gets too wide to ignore.

As noted by Dr. Brené Brown, “When we pretend, we lose the ability to connect.” Pretending to be successful doesn’t just cost money—it costs connection.

7. They reject anything that sounds “basic”

This one always makes me laugh.

You suggest a savings plan or mention budgeting, and they look at you like you’ve just insulted their entire lineage.

“Budgeting is for people who think small.”

“I’m not about the 9–5 grind.”

“I’m focused on abundance mindset, not scarcity.”

Okay—but abundance isn’t about pretending you’re rich while your credit score nosedives.

People who are broke but pretending to be successful often treat practical financial advice like it’s beneath them.

They want to manifest wealth, but not track spending. They’ll splurge on expensive mentorship programs, but never download a free budgeting app.

Real success often starts with boring habits: cooking at home, checking your bank balance, saying no to stuff you can’t afford.

But for someone stuck in the image of success, those habits don’t look glamorous enough to take seriously.

The bottom line

Pretending to be successful is exhausting—and expensive.

I get the temptation. Especially when you’re surrounded by highlight reels, viral glow-ups, and TikToks promising you can be a millionaire in three months if you just think the right thoughts.

But long-term success starts with honesty.

Honesty about where you are, what’s working, and what needs to change.

And if that means being broke while you build something real? So be it. That’s a thousand times more powerful than faking it for likes.