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Ever since I was a kid, I actually enjoyed saving and investing money much more than I did spending it. If I could live comfortably without ever having to worry about money, then that would be the ideal life for me.
I have a feeling that a lot of people can relate to what I'm saying.
Right there with ya! My parents definitely taught me the value of saving but not to the point of being stingy. One memory that still sticks with me to this day - and sums up my dad's teachings - is that I learned the word "prudent" in a toy store; I wanted to buy two stuffed animals instead of one.
Don't get me wrong - I will spend money when I know I will enjoy it - but you better believe I'm having one heck of a conversation in my head before I ever hand over those dollar bills. Most of the time, I leave things behind and never think twice.
I'm anti frugal. I spend to make my life convenient and comfortable. If I'm in the mood for a steak and lobster dinner I will go out and have one without worrying about if I will have enough money saved by the time I'm retired which will be in about 25yrs. I take trips 2-3 times a year and lease a brand new car every 36 months. I buy luxury items that I dont really need but enjoy having them. I know frugal friends that are so paranoid about the future that they are secretly miserable because they dont have the guts to pull the trigger and just enjoy life. To me this is not living and remember that tomorrow is never promised. I'm not saying you have to splurge in order to enjoy life but you shouldnt deny yourself certain experiences just to be able to save money. Not to mention I want to enjoy myself while still young and have the ability to be adventerous. Not wait till I retire and am too old to be able to do half the things I could have enjoyed when I was young.
May I add that I have no children nor do I plan on having any. My fiance and I prefer to focus on experiencing the world without having the responsibility of children to worry about. I contribute the max amount to my 401k and am vested in my company pension plan. From what I've calculated that should hold me down pretty comfortably when the times comes for me to retire. I keep a small emergency savings and spend the rest of my money at my leisure doing whatever makes me happy! When I die I will do so with no regrets on how I lived my life. I'll know that I lived and experienced everything the world had to offer rather than living like a hermit in paranoia. There's nothing cool about dying rich before you have even had the chance to live!
Last edited by louie0406; 06-26-2014 at 08:47 AM..
I regret not better optimizing my spending earlier in life to reap the most "happiness" from it. If you don't know what I mean, consider the following:
I'll throw some numbers out there.. a fancy sports car might cost $50,000.. a 2-week European vacation might cost $5000.
Financial considerations aside, I'd enjoy that European vacation a little more than owning the sports car. While $5000 on a vacation is not peanuts, it brings far more enjoyment than the sports car that costs 10x as much.
Similar to deevel79, I tend to buy whatever I want whenever I want (especially good food or occasional vacations.) Thing is, I don't really desire too much outside of those 2. To fund my wants, I cut my spending ruthlessly on the big ticket items that doesn't need to be too fancy to keep me happy (i.e. houses and cars.)
I regret not better optimizing my spending earlier in life to reap the most "happiness" from it. If you don't know what I mean, consider the following:
I'll throw some numbers out there.. a fancy sports car might cost $50,000.. a 2-week European vacation might cost $5000.
Financial considerations aside, I'd enjoy that European vacation a little more than owning the sports car. While $5000 on a vacation is not peanuts, it brings far more enjoyment than the sports car that costs 10x as much.
Similar to deevel79, I tend to buy whatever I want whenever I want (especially good food or occasional vacations.) Thing is, I don't really desire too much outside of those 2. To fund my wants, I cut my spending ruthlessly on the big ticket items that doesn't need to be too fancy to keep me happy (i.e. houses and cars.)
I agree. One thing I will never deny myself is vacations. We are half way thru the year and I have already taken 2 trips. One in Feb to Riviera Maya in Mexico and one just last month to Puerto Rico. I am now planning and saving for a trip to Croatia later this year. Just like you I cut down on other things so that I am able to afford to have and experience other luxuries that mean much more to me.
This stuff about not bathing for days at a time and doing thru dumpsters for expired food is something that will never even go thru my mind. I find that ridiculous to be honest! I can understand if a poor person did this but we're talking about people with the means to do so but are just too cheap/frugal. My idea of "frugal" (when I want to be) might be bringing lunch to work or fine dining only on special occasions, etc. Some of these posts I'm reading though are extreme and down right pathetic to be honest.
Last edited by louie0406; 06-26-2014 at 09:52 AM..
I think a balance is best. However, saving and planning early on is best.
I wouldn't say go all out frugal if it makes you miserable... different people respond differently to different lifestyles.
For me, I would be a little bit middle-of-the-road.
I was not frugal in my early 20s which made me more frugal in my late 20s... now that I'm 32, I find that I'm decently frugal, but not overly so as I was in my late 20s. HOwever, I'm not as care-free as I was in my early 20s.
Ultimately, I think the whole discussion centers on whether you don't mind being dependent on paid employment or not. Although I like my job I would rather be free of the constraints of the world of paid employment, which effectively dictates where you live, what you'll be paid, and most importantly, what you get to do with your time.
Ultimately, I think the whole discussion centers on whether you don't mind being dependent on paid employment or not. Although I like my job I would rather be free of the constraints of the world of paid employment, which effectively dictates where you live, what you'll be paid, and most importantly, what you get to do with your time.
I was dependent on paid employment and made tons of money back in the 80"s- 90's and have traveled all over the world and I'm pretty much done with travel It's become such a hassle and the bad guys have rocket propelled missiles that fire from their shoulder now,yes thanks to us.
I wish I had saved more of the money I made back then. Sure I have great memories but I'd rather have more cash and watch the travel channel! I have no desire to go back to Europe as it's changed so much and not for the better..so in retrospect I guess I'm glad I saw it when I did.
in my 20s, i had free porn (still do of course), and a fast metabolism which meant i could live off junk food. i had VERY little expenses as a kid in his 20s. my life was awesome. today it's a bit better to be 20s because you have even more free entertainment online, and easier ways to solve problems (finding a room mate). i hated looking at newspaper ads for options. now it's all online. i even had free internet back then (i had juno.com which gave me 3 days free and i would format my machine every 3 days to use it for free over and over).
so i did live frugally and i do not regret it because everything worked in my favor. i was a very happy camper. today my expenses are a tad higher as i do like using air conditioning once in a while and eating healthier (fresh fruits and veggies are ALWAYS a must at every meal and those are VERY $$). outside of that though, i am still frugal, not cheap, but frugal. i get my money's worth when and where i can.
the only problem i have today is not money but the breakdown of the body. i will be 38 shortly and i certainly am not 20. i miss having high testosterone, all body parts 100% awesome, both in looks and function, and i just looked better (younger). i just hate being old(er). i don't even want to think how terrible age 50 will be, popping viagra pills among statin drugs, moving slowly, arthritis, smelling like old people (begins in the 40s), etc. and that usually costs money to treat which means bills will ultimatley rise. that's the hardest part. the money part can be managed but a dying rose costs $$ to maintain after your 20s.
Yes, now that we are retired and have money to spend on whatever we want, without worrying ... I do wish that I had been a little less frugal ('tight') when the kids were young. We lived a good life and didn't do without anything, but, we could have taken a few more vacations and splurged on a few more big purchases for them. In some ways, I think that my attitudes towards money then, had an effect on my grown children now.
My attitudes came from growing-up in a situation where we rarely had enough to even meet our basic needs, much less anything left-over for 'extras.' From an early age (11-12), I always worked 1-2 part-time jobs just to help make ends meet. I had no frame-of-reference for spending money for 'enjoyment!' Thus, when I grew-up and started my own family (very early 20's), I carried an irrational inner fear that something might happen and we could lose everything and be utterly broke! Even though we always made a good living and had sufficient resources to 'spend more and save less,' I invariably opted for 'spending less and saving more.' it took a long time to learn how to let loose of the buck and, by that time, the kids were almost raised.
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When I die I will do so with no regrets on how I lived my life. I'll know that I lived and experienced everything the world had to offer rather than living like a hermit in paranoia. There's nothing cool about dying rich before you have even had the chance to live!
