brip blap - Latest Comments in i saw what you spent last summer

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Laura G — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:43:01 -0000

Thanks!

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Steve — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:02:51 -0000

Laura, I got the quote about ideas and things from "Top Ten Distinctions Between Millionaires and The Middle Class" (here's the amazon info: http://is.gd/1dcyI), but I couldn't tell you if it's original to that book. I've always assumed it is - it's a great quote, I wish it WAS mine! :)

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Laura G — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:01:26 -0000

This is kinda driving me nuts, but where did the quote, "Rich people talk about ideas. Poor people talk about other people," come from? I want to cite and attribute it, and I thought it might have come from you but I googled it and got no clear answer. Thanks!

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

tom — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:37:49 -0000

You are right,this crisis shows the true nature of peoples finances, if its either real or just fake. It goes the same with businesses, why are they failing? Because they cut corners and never planned for the worst.

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

fathersez — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:12:48 -0000

This is a powerful post, lah, Steve. I suppose my curtains are also going to be lifted soon. I just hope nothing shameful is revealed.

Regards

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Kristy @ Master Your Card — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:57:55 -0000

I'm in the financial industry, but was never in the six-figure bracket. I have been fortunate to keep my job and received a merit increase this year. I am thankful for these things and keep firmly in mind that I have the things I need...everything else is a want and I can do without. I tell myself that, yet I don't always comply. I just bought a blu-ray DVD player that I didn't need and I didn't save up for. But, it's a good quality piece of equipment so it will last me a while, and it streams Netflix so it will help me get the most of my membership there. It may not be a need, but it didn't hurt me to get it, either.

That said, I've been in the position of spending to look better than I am. I had to take a long, hard look at myself and my situation and it took my three years of struggling and sacrificing to get out of debt. I keep myself in check enough so that I never have to go back to this place again.

It's a great mark of your character that despite living among those who wanted to flash their wealth, you chose to live within your means. Good for you!

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Craig — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:17:53 -0000

Everyone has different lifestyles and how they want to live and show off. I would rather live below my means and be more comfortable if something happened like yourself, but everybody is different.

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Curmudgeon — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:10:31 -0000

I have never based my own satisfaction on what my neighbors had. If you live your life that way, you will never be happy, because someone will always have more. Instead, you have to decide what makes you happy, irrespective of any comparison, and work to achieve that. And no, it's not that hard to do.

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

plonkee — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:56:42 -0000

Although I'm not really a frugal person either, I have made life choices that save money (live in a cheap area, no car, don't spend on clothes / gadgets). However, I'm just not at the stage where I can afford not to panic if I start losing income.

Perhaps it's mostly my personality, but whilst I've already figured that I could probably stretch to several months without any income at all, there will still come a point where I'll be unstuck. That's a fairly unlikely scenario, but when money equates to security, it's a big problem in my own mind. I feel that I haven't yet had the time to get to be rich (or close), and I'm worried that it's all going to collapse about me anyway.

Generalised Anxiety. We do not love it.

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

asithi — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:01:00 -0000

I am starting to see that myself with my peers. People that I thought were going much better than me and husband are actually in a worst financial situation. Here we were pitying ourselves that we could not afford a house during the peak when everyone brought their first homes, and just three years later we brought our first home at a huge discount. The boats, the jetskis, and iphones are starting disappear among my peers. Since we never have those toys to begin with, our lifestyle have not change. Sure, we are nervous, but not worry. We are so lucky. But then again, we did not upgraded our lifestyle the first 8 years after college graduation like our friends did. Often we wondered why were not doing as well as our friends, but I guess I can see that they are doing that much better than they appear. I feel for them and do not talk about my home purchase and plans with them, but I cannot help but feel surviver guilt that this economy is not effecting us.

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:06:18 -0000

I think being able to live at a lower level, without credit and the like, is a valuable life skill. It doesn't make up for not having a job, but it makes things a lot easier especially if you have one.

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

@torbjornrive — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:19:35 -0000

i vote "no", The Crisis is not ready to be capitalized yet.

good post, though!

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

nehal — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:14:12 -0000

How timely. I just finished reading "The Millionaire Next Door" ( review at http://www.nehalpatel.net/b... ). What you bring up is something the authors referred to as "Big hat, no cattle" -- the truly wealthy don't necessarily look it, while those who do, are more likely just putting on a show.

Re: i saw what you spent last summer

Chad @ Sentient Money — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:42:45 -0000

The amazing thing is that those executives who destroyed Wall Street jobs and their share of the economy are still in charge. It just shows how corrupt we have become as a nation, as the boards refuse to do their jobs.