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.
I used to work 40 hrs a week and drive a boring mid-sized car that no car thief would even consider but it was new because I leased them every 2 years. I like to drive. I like my car to be dependable and comfortable to sit in for long drives. Bells and whistles do not matter and fuel efficiency just needs to be average.
Now I'm retired. I still like to drive. I still like boring and comfortable mid-sized sedans and don't care about bells and whistles but now I own the boring car. I just moved to a place where everything I do regularly is within a three mile radius and I still make a long road trip every once or twice a year.
Depends on what I do with those 5 hours of free time (1 extra hour a day of couch potato time?), how long my commute is to work, how much I like my job and how long (just a year at a job I liked doesn't sound bad) I'd be working the extra 5 hours, and what cars we are actually comparing. Maybe I am just that much into some material pleasures that I'd have to weigh a few factors. I drive a 2008 model car with all the bells & whistles (nav, premium sound, push button everything) that I just love -- of course I paid cash for it and keep it well maintained. Plan to drive it for another 5 years at least. But would take it any day over a new econobox. I like luxuries!
Depends on what I do with those 5 hours of free time (1 extra hour a day of couch potato time?), how long my commute is to work, how much I like my job and how long (just a year at a job I liked doesn't sound bad) I'd be working the extra 5 hours, and what cars we are actually comparing. Maybe I am just that much into some material pleasures that I'd have to weigh a few factors. I drive a 2008 model car with all the bells & whistles (nav, premium sound, push button everything) that I just love -- of course I paid cash for it and keep it well maintained. Plan to drive it for another 5 years at least. But would take it any day over a new econobox. I like luxuries!
and you my friend is the first person that has a different answer.. this is a frugal forum
I'm the OP, and my problem right now is close to this, but i just made up this question. I work 40 hours a week, but i drive a 800 dollar car. I want a bigger, more comfortable car, but i'm too cheap to do so. I do want at least 1 luxury in my life, as right now i dont have any, i dont even know why i am living just to be cheap sometimes.
and yes, i am very cautious with my money so i wont get into a nasty situation, my hours fluctuate every 2 months, some months i only average 33 hours a week. and of course, if i lost my job I wont be screwed, i can still survive without worrying for at least a year. if i did have a car payment, those couple of months where i worked 33 hours a week, I'm not saving any money at all while being frugal..
and to me, couch potato time is still better than working, I just feel that working is "suffering to make money". I am physically at a place where i have to be there to earn a living, while i can be somewhere else and enjoy my time/life, before it ends, since there is X amount of time i will be on this earth.
and you my friend is the first person that has a different answer.. this is a frugal forum
I'm the OP, and my problem right now is close to this, but i just made up this question. I work 40 hours a week, but i drive a 800 dollar car. I want a bigger, more comfortable car, but i'm too cheap to do so. I do want a luxury in life, as right now i dont have any.
and yes, i am very cautious with my money so i wont get into a nasty situation, my hours fluctuate every 2 months, some months i only average 33 hours a week. and of course, if i lost my job I wont be screwed, i can still survive without worrying for at least a year. if i did have a car payment, those couple of months where i worked 33 hours a week, I'm not saving any money at all while being frugal.
Frugal means getting the things you want out of life for the least amount of money. Being honest with oneself is always most important to understand what makes life a quality experience for you....even the honest statement that "couch potato time is better than working" is a great inner reflection! For me, I certainly spend time as a couch potato but feel better when I do very little of that so working at a job I love is better.
Self-denial at the price of a feeling of deprivation is a low quality life experience. I have an 89 year old mother who won't buy new clothing because she has closets full of clothes that are 40 years old. Last time I visited, to her incredible delight, I bought her several sweatpants and sweatshirts at Walmart. I also now buy her groceries online (Safeway house brands whenever possible) and have them delivered because she was surviving on bad, cheap food like store brand 50-cent macaroni & cheese box meals..... Mom is very proud that she spends next to nothing to live, but I can't have a quality life with a mother who survives at a level one-step above a street person so I (frugally) respond to my own need to address this. Same for you. If you hate and resent the vehicle situation, work thru it to a place you ARE pleased and find the best economy for the right situation. I usually buy my cars "certified used" at age 1-3 years old. But, sometimes brand new is even a better deal -- have to just weigh everything.
Frugal means getting the things you want out of life for the least amount of money. Being honest with oneself is always most important to understand what makes life a quality experience for you. Self-denial at the price of a feeling of deprivation is a low quality life experience. I have an 89 year old mother who won't buy new clothing because she has closets full of clothes that are 40 years old. Last time I visited, to her incredible delight, I bought her several sweatpants and sweatshirts at Walmart. I also now buy her groceries online (Safeway house brands whenever possible) and have them delivered because she was surviving on bad, cheap food like store brand 50-cent macaroni & cheese box meals..... Mom is very proud that she spends next to nothing to live, but I can't have a quality life with a mother who survives at a level one-step above a street person so I (frugally) respond to my own need to address this. Same for you. If you hate and resent the vehicle situation, work thru it to a place you ARE pleased and find the best economy for the right situation. I usually buy my cars "certified used" at age 1-3 years old. But, sometimes brand new is even a better deal -- have to just weigh everything.
thanks for the advice. I just started a new post about being frugal/life. well I dont feel deprived, since im so used to it, my whole life i have been broke, i grew up poor. but it just crosses my mind sometimes when i think about myself. a car is better than taking the bus, but still.
I do know what you mean when you described about your mom, I used to think i was so smart when i saved money, but looking back, I was just being stupid and depriving myself. I was so cheap to a point where i didnt have internet for 2 years, and i was bored out of my mind. all it took was 30 bucks per month, but my head was wired that "hey, i can save 360 a year".
5 hours a week dont sound like much, but that is still 260 hours a year (X52 weeks) and if you divide 260 hours by 16 hours (24 hours a day, people need 8 hours of sleep, so 16 hours of "awake" time) you pretty much saved 16 days per year of working... pretty much a vacation
But you can't really look at it that way because you're only getting an hour at a time. In fact, you actually make a pretty good argument for working 40 hours instead of 35.
Assuming the pay from working 35 hours a week covered all of your living expenses including the less expensive car, you could sock the income from the extra five hours away someplace where you wouldn't spend it. After 7 weeks you would have a week's pay saved up so you could take a week off without pay and live off of that money. That works out to about 6 extra weeks off over the course of a year. I'd get much more out of the extra six weeks off than I would having and extra hour every day.
But you can't really look at it that way because you're only getting an hour at a time. In fact, you actually make a pretty good argument for working 40 hours instead of 35.
Assuming the pay from working 35 hours a week covered all of your living expenses including the less expensive car, you could sock the income from the extra five hours away someplace where you wouldn't spend it. After 7 weeks you would have a week's pay saved up so you could take a week off without pay and live off of that money. That works out to about 6 extra weeks off over the course of a year. I'd get much more out of the extra six weeks off than I would having and extra hour every day.
well lol.. math is math.. an hour is an hour. i mean, maybe that 1 day saved per hour, a person can work out to get healthier, or that 1 extra hour per day of free time, on top of a person's commute, family, BS, that 1 hour might keep them from going crazy. when i did 33-35 hours a week, i either worked 1 half day or worked 4 days a week, and it did relieved lots of stress for me, as i dont have to take orders from anyone, 7 less hours per week.
well lol.. math is math.. an hour is an hour. i mean, maybe that 1 day saved per hour, a person can work out to get healthier, or that 1 extra hour per day of free time, on top of a person's commute, family, BS, that 1 hour might keep them from going crazy. when i did 33-35 hours a week, i either worked 1 half day or worked 4 days a week, and it did relieved lots of stress for me, as i dont have to take orders from anyone, 7 less hours per week.
I realize that for some people an extra hour a day might be the difference between eating a healthy meal and heating up a frozen pizza for supper every night; whether or not they get any exercise; getting the household chores done before the rest of the family gets home so they can spend more quality time together; or just a little peace and quiet.
But for most it's more likely to mean an extra hour at the bar after work, sitting on the couch watching TV, or playing Farmville on Facebook.
But you can't really look at it that way because you're only getting an hour at a time. In fact, you actually make a pretty good argument for working 40 hours instead of 35.
Assuming the pay from working 35 hours a week covered all of your living expenses including the less expensive car, you could sock the income from the extra five hours away someplace where you wouldn't spend it. After 7 weeks you would have a week's pay saved up so you could take a week off without pay and live off of that money. That works out to about 6 extra weeks off over the course of a year. I'd get much more out of the extra six weeks off than I would having and extra hour every day.
You're assuming that someone can get a week off of work.
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.
