How important is money to you?

[Anonymous]

Lawyer, $500K. DH makes slightly less. I would love to have more time. Yard people are not as much fun as going to the nursery yourself and planting yourself. Cleaning, laundry, cutting grass - meh. But caring for your home, having time to think, having time to improve your home, picking your own flowers, organizing your children's rooms yourself, and having time to relax - priceless. Not to mention time to finish a board game with DCs. I'm always saying things like, "Mommy MUST get on a call at 3:00! We have to end now." Think very carefully about this and what you want your balance to look like. I'm not sure I am a model to follow.

It's kind of sad. I think about retirement (20+ years off) all the time. But then I realize I may come down with some stress-related disease and never make it. Or make it and realize that I don't have nearly enough money to enjoy it because I spent it all just trying to survive this life. Again, think carefully.

I aspire to be someone who changes her linens and throw pillows seasonally. We'll see if I ever get there...


I undrstand that it's hard to never have time to relax or think but I feel like not having enough money inhibits me from doing all the things you mentioned. I can't really afford to buy plants or flowers (I don't like gardening anyway). I also am too busy doing laundry and cleaning the house to have time or energy for yard work, so our yard looks like crap and is embarrassing. No money to improve our home and organizing our kids rooms is kind of depressing because there are things I want to get that we can't afford. Our house needs lots of repairs that we have been putting off. I do have more time with DC and that is a blessing.

I aspire to be someone who can afford to have seasonal linens and throw pillows.

[Anonymous]

PP, I feel for you. I made $250K last year and was home for dinner uninterrupted with my kids every night. That to me is better than an extra $250K, gross.

[Anonymous]

Money can't buy you happiness but it can prevent the unhappiness of debt and poverty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, I feel for you. I made $250K last year and was home for dinner uninterrupted with my kids every night. That to me is better than an extra $250K, gross.

Sounds like a great job- a good salary and good hours. May I ask what you do?

[Anonymous]

To the 500k lawyer. If you could do it again would you change anything?

[Anonymous]

Financial security is very important to me. Money to spend on material things, not as much. I have cheap tastes and I'm not a shopper which helps. I like being able to get a Starbucks if I want, and buy organic food, but otherwise it's not like we take nice vacations, live in a big house, or have a lot of extras, etc.

[Anonymous]

Ewww, "fillet Mignon" sounds disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ewww, "fillet Mignon" sounds disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ewww, "fillet Mignon" sounds disgusting.

Spoke the voice of experience....

[Anonymous]

It's FILET.

[Anonymous]

My DH was just laid off and I am on the verge of being laid off. So right now, money is pretty important to me. Yes, we have savings and investments, but it is still a scary thought that we are facing right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's FILET.

Spoke the voice of knowledge....

[Anonymous]

Money isn't that important until suddenly you don't have any - like me, thanks to a lousy divorce.

[Anonymous]

money is not that important. I work for a TTT firm but it is easy and no stress. Much rather be where I am than be killing myself at some huge law firm again. I never would have made equity partner where I was, and I was friggin miserable. Here I can make about $170K doing jack shit, and I can likely be an equity partner and make $250K - $300K and not do much more. Good for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Financial security is extremely important to me. Being rich-not so much.

My thoughts exactly. When you have a child with special needs you spend a lot of money on interventions. I would hate to not be able to do this. I cannot stand debt other than a mortgage. I've gotten very into providing healthy and organic foods for my family and there is a reason people call Whole Foods Whole Paycheck. I like knowing we can afford to go to the doctor and we can afford to deal with emergencies. A safety net is very important to me.

Do I care about doodads and fancy toys and gadgets? NO, not at all. We are so far behind the proverbial Jones' and I could care less. Even if we could afford to, I would not live in a masion-doesn't interest me. I am not into fancy cars-just safe cars.