Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Economics > Personal Finance
 [Register]
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.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 07-23-2012, 04:10 PM
 
Location: Warwick, RI
5,481 posts, read 6,312,397 times
Reputation: 9549

Advertisements

No, I've never asked a rich person what it's like to be rich. I'm too busy trying to join them in the 1%. I'll let you know what it's like when I get there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 07-23-2012, 05:11 PM
 
3,398 posts, read 5,107,736 times
Reputation: 2422
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallysmom View Post
GenPatton -- just this week our water heater went kaput and we had to get a new one. I called my plumber, who couldn't do it but recommended another guy, so I called him and he came out and put in a new water heater.

The worst part about this? I didn't feel I could sew while they were traipsing in and out of the house.

The cost was 900 bucks.

It did not phase me at all -- stuck it on the credit card and next month I will pay it off -- in full. Like I pay it off every month.

I don't have to "take it from my emergency fund" and then worry about my emergency fund, as I don't have an emergency fund.

I'm going to say something that flies in the face of all the conventional wisdom and will surely upset people, because it has in the past when I've argued about it -- but I've never quite put it this way ... Emergency funds are for poor people and people that lack the discipline to save money by living below their means, putting it away and learning a small amount about investing.

I will never have to worry about money again. I can sleep easy.

Am I rich? I have enough.
I can do the same and I'm not rich. In those circumstances I may have the same sewing issue so I understand your problem. I don't think that is rich. Being able to pay your bills and upkeep on your house should be expected of everyone. Too many people think that is rich and that may be part of the problem.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-23-2012, 08:37 PM
 
6,353 posts, read 11,598,384 times
Reputation: 6314
Quote:
I would say you're rich if the passive income from your investments (real estate, stocks, business, etc.) allows you to live the life you want to live.
By this definition I guess I am rich! But I have to replace water heaters myself so it's not exactly passive income. But I feel rich because I don't worry about money.

It helps that the life I want doesn't require much income.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-23-2012, 09:30 PM
 
4,338 posts, read 7,509,999 times
Reputation: 1656
There are rich folks who are unhappy because money does not buy all hapiness like family, kids, spouse, health in a lot of cases, etc.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-24-2012, 08:27 AM
 
Location: Keosauqua, Iowa
9,614 posts, read 21,278,236 times
Reputation: 13670
Quote:
Originally Posted by GenPatton View Post
Have you ever asked rich people what it's like to be rich?
Yes.

Our scheduling guy is Rich. The other day I asked him what it was like to be Rich; he said it was alright for the most part but being a 60ish Yankee fan he sometimes wishes he had been named Michael so people would call him Mickey.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-24-2012, 08:45 AM
 
5,265 posts, read 6,410,278 times
Reputation: 6239
Quote:
Our scheduling guy is Rich.
Did he also say if being a "Rich" was better than being a "Dick"?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-24-2012, 08:57 AM
 
Location: Keosauqua, Iowa
9,614 posts, read 21,278,236 times
Reputation: 13670
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOverdog View Post
Did he also say if being a "Rich" was better than being a "Dick"?
Let's just say that "Dick" might be more fitting.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-24-2012, 10:59 AM
 
Location: Colorado Plateau
1,201 posts, read 4,047,109 times
Reputation: 1264
I'm in my early 40s and for years and years I was in low pay dead end jobs, then put myself through college in my 30s. Worked p/t for living expenses (very frugal) and grants and scholarships payed tuition (no loans). So I've been debt free all along, getting by ok on a razor slim budget.

Now I have a decent job making 30k. Feels like a fortune!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-24-2012, 11:01 AM
 
917 posts, read 2,005,790 times
Reputation: 723
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallysmom View Post

This is how both my husband and I were raised. Our parents did it this way. They saved x amount of dollars each check, and if a vacation was coming up they put away y dollars on top of that. You keep a check on things and know when you need new tires and put away a little each check...

Until Suze Orman, I had never heard the term emergency fund. None of the books I read used the term emergency fund. To me, it's a symbol of everything negative in financial planning. It sets you up to go from putting out fire after fire, and then saving for the next fire, and you never get to the business of setting up a financial life.
This is how I was raised too. I always saved a little from every check since HS. I didn't know it was an emergency fund at the time but that's what I was doing.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. It's good to have cash for emergencies.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Info Guy View Post
There are rich folks who are unhappy because money does not buy all hapiness like family, kids, spouse, health in a lot of cases, etc.
This is true. Look at steve job's. His money couldn't save him from pancreatic cancer.

I don't know any rich people. Maybe I do and I just don't know they're rich lol. I would love to have enough to live a decent lifestyle. I don't have be to a multi-millionaire. Just enough to be able to take care of myself and not worry about bills.

I'm surprised posters here are open about being well off. I'm used to people being hush hush about that sort of thing.

Rich is relative. There are some that might love to make 100K and I've heard other people say that's pennies.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-24-2012, 11:14 AM
 
Location: Colorado Plateau
1,201 posts, read 4,047,109 times
Reputation: 1264
Quote:
Originally Posted by hershey48 View Post
I don't know any rich people. Maybe I do and I just don't know they're rich lol. I would love to have enough to live a decent lifestyle. I don't have be to a multi-millionaire. Just enough to be able to take care of myself and not worry about bills.

I'm surprised posters here are open about being well off. I'm used to people being hush hush about that sort of thing.
We have some friends that probably have a bunch of money. He's a retired doctor. They have a nice house/property that they work on a lot. They go to Europe and NZ every year. They seem kind of frugal on their own level, but I know they like to buy the Best. I think they must have at least a few mil on hand to support their lifestyle. It's a little strange that they befriended my SO & I, we are much less well off (poor!).

We met them just before I graduated college. They wanted to give me a graduation party at their place. They provided food for all the guests (20). Very generous of them.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
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.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Economics > Personal Finance
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:07 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top