Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The ability to hop on a plane, fly first class, to wherever I wanted and stay however long I wanted; without worrying about vacation time and, more importantly, do I have the money or should I save it?
The ability to dine on the best foods, drive the nicest cars, live in the safest neighborhoods, et al. Why wouldn't you want too be rich?
What reasons would cause you to want to be "rich"?
NOTE: Don't put down that you just want more stuff or more money to buy more stuff. Those are not valid reasons to want to be "rich".
That said what would motivate you to desire to be "rich"??
I don't want to be rich. Big Money brings far more trouble than it's worth. The more I have, the more I worry about losing what I have, and I don't care to worry that much. Those who want to be rich and do become rich seem to get trapped into two lifestyles; the spendthrift who has an opulent lifestyle and is always running from the pain of losing the money and going back to being poor, or the miser who defends their hoarded fortune until their unhappy demise.
If I were to become rich, I would want to follow in the footsteps of people like Benjamin Franklin, and dedicate my life and fortune to public service. If I no longer needed to worry about my own finances and had more money than I needed, I'd start a foundation or something similar so that my good fortune could be shared and go to work for the people less blessed.
I don't think I'd want to waste money on a big house, fancy car, or to stop working. I like my job and I like my lifestyle. Why would I want money to change my situation when I am already content?
It's a life experience kind of thing. I've been poor, moderately OK, and sort of well off. I'd like to give rich a try too. Who wouldn't?
What it would buy for me is freedom. Freedom to know I could do anything I wanted within reason and not have to worry about money. I'd love to have a shot at doing quite a few things that don't necessarily generate cash flow. Like writing, volunteering, and teaching. I'd also like to do some traveling. I'd like to have a nice cushion in the bank/invested 'just in case'.
Money can buy time, the time you lose doing things you'd rather not be doing but have to because of fiscal responsibilities. Make me rich and I'll be volunteering at the dog shelter a few days a week instead of working elsewhere for five, I'd be better at chess, I'd finally learn French by spending three months in an immersion school in France, I'd eat lobster for breakfast if I want, etc.
Maybe the greatest reward to having a frugal mindset, is that it doesn't take very much money to be rich. And that means you don't need to sell as much of your soul, in order to fulfill your needs and desires.
Quote:
Originally Posted by debtmonger
To be able to really make a difference in someone's life. Bad things happen to good people. Being able to easily pay for someone's education, medical expenses, or to replace a uninsured home that was destroyed would really be fun to do. Being filthy rich and living in a McMansion and not caring about how others who are less fortunate live their lives, would not interest me at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmadison2
To be free from the dictates of others.
To live my life, my way, without limits.
In a word: Freedom.
all of the above begin to describe it for me......
i have been in the perirphery of the real estate industry for the last 20 years or so..... i can remember going into these GIANT houses.... and wannabe giant houses and thinking.... why?? for what?? to whom are they trying to prove themselves??
have never wanted a big elaborate house or a fancy expensive car or lots of clothes.....
i just want to live in my modest house, pay my bills without wondering HOW every month, take care of my pets and have a little left over for personal travel and for volunteer opportunities.... i don't donate money .... i donate my time and resources..... when i can......
They say "time is money". Well, it's even more true that "money is time". Money can be used to buy back future days of your life, that you would otherwise need to trade off in order to live from day to day.
If you are truly rich, you have enough money to never again need to give up a day of your life in exchange for simple survival.
How much money that is, depends on your maintenance costs. There are places in the world where I can live, with security and dignity, on $10 a day, and I've been there and I've done it and I can do it again if I need to. Given inflation, call it $15, just to make sure. I'm rich enough that I feel like I've got that covered, without selling myself out for a single day of what remains of my life.
But my true wealth is not a tangible. It is the fact that I am of European ancestry and I'm fluent in English, and there are lots of us all around the world, and I can always find someone to give me money or take me in or employ me to perform some simple tasks. My ancestry is riches that exceed what many people around the world could never hope to achieve with a lifetime of toil.
They say "time is money". Well, it's even more true that "money is time". Money can be used to buy back future days of your life, that you would otherwise need to trade off in order to live from day to day.
If you are truly rich, you have enough money to never again need to give up a day of your life in exchange for simple survival.
How much money that is, depends on your maintenance costs. There are places in the world where I can live, with security and dignity, on $10 a day, and I've been there and I've done it and I can do it again if I need to. Given inflation, call it $15, just to make sure. I'm rich enough that I feel like I've got that covered, without selling myself out for a single day of what remains of my life.
But my true wealth is not a tangible. It is the fact that I am of European ancestry and I'm fluent in English, and there are lots of us all around the world, and I can always find someone to give me money or take me in or employ me to perform some simple tasks. My ancestry is riches that exceed what many people around the world could never hope to achieve with a lifetime of toil.
Where are these cheap places to live? Inquiring minds want to know.
Making money is a game that I enjoy playing. I love investing and business for the challenge of it. Becoming rich should be a bi-product, not the ultimate goal.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
