How important is money to you?

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[Post New]01/01/2012 20:53
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Anonymous
I don't care about gadgets but I would like a nicely decorated house, the ability to travel, send my kids to Ivey league schools, some household help,leisure time activities for me and my kids like golf, maybe horseback riding,going out to eat etc. Frankly I can't imagine ever having quite enough.
[Post New]01/01/2012 21:20
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:

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 understand. I'm a lawyer and took a 40% pay cut to work part-time. I shop at Value Village, we almost never eat out, we got rid of the cleaning lady. My kids have homemade cookies in their lunches; I bake and freeze muffins for breakfasts; I knit and sew and walk the dog several times a day.

I love having the time to spend on taking care of my family and myself.

I may never go back to full-time work again.
[Post New]01/01/2012 22:05
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twentysomethingmom
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I've reflected on this a lot. I'm not a greedy person, nor am I super-ambitious. I will never make 500K or even 250K like so many people on this board. However, I also don't want to make 30K and live paycheck to paycheck like my friends and family members back home.

I was laid-off earlier in 2011 and it was HORRIBLE. I was a miserable, unhappy person. Then I got a job, and even though it's not like I'm rich these days (nor did we upgrade our lifestyle -- in fact, we downgraded to pay off debt), I'm so much happier.

I guess I need to have a "real" career (i.e. full-time with benefits, over 40K, etc.), but I don't need much more than that.



[Post New]01/01/2012 22:07
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twentysomethingmom
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[Post New]01/01/2012 22:18
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Anonymous
I want enough to make ends meet with a little extra so we're not scraping by and sacrificing too much. Of course, scraping by is exactly what I've been doing for a while now.

Other then that it's not that important to me. I don't care about living an extravagant lifestyle. I don't care about a huge home. I don't care about having a housekeeping service and a lawn service and a wipe-my-butt-for-me-service. I'd rather have less money and less stress/more time then more money and more stress/less time.
[Post New]01/01/2012 22:40
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I want enough to make ends meet with a little extra so we're not scraping by and sacrificing too much. Of course, scraping by is exactly what I've been doing for a while now.

Other then that it's not that important to me. I don't care about living an extravagant lifestyle. I don't care about a huge home. I don't care about having a housekeeping service and a lawn service and a wipe-my-butt-for-me-service. I'd rather have less money and less stress/more time then more money and more stress/less time.


THIS! even if I had a lot of money, I would still live in my modest apartment and drive my beat up car. The only thing I will spend it on is travel.
[Post New]01/01/2012 22:46
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twentysomethingmom
Member Offline
+ 1. I am totally like that, too. I adore my slightly run-down apartment. I don't wear fancy clothes, and I don't have a shoe addiction. I am deliberately keeping my family small so that we don't ever have to do the whole suburban house kind of lifestyle.



Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I want enough to make ends meet with a little extra so we're not scraping by and sacrificing too much. Of course, scraping by is exactly what I've been doing for a while now.

Other then that it's not that important to me. I don't care about living an extravagant lifestyle. I don't care about a huge home. I don't care about having a housekeeping service and a lawn service and a wipe-my-butt-for-me-service. I'd rather have less money and less stress/more time then more money and more stress/less time.


THIS! even if I had a lot of money, I would still live in my modest apartment and drive my beat up car. The only thing I will spend it on is travel.
[Post New]01/02/2012 17:51
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I don't care about gadgets but I would like a nicely decorated house, the ability to travel, send my kids to Ivey league schools, some household help,leisure time activities for me and my kids like golf, maybe horseback riding,going out to eat etc. Frankly I can't imagine ever having quite enough.


How much do you contribute to charity?
[Post New]01/03/2012 00:23
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't care about gadgets but I would like a nicely decorated house, the ability to travel, send my kids to Ivey league schools, some household help,leisure time activities for me and my kids like golf, maybe horseback riding,going out to eat etc. Frankly I can't imagine ever having quite enough.


How much do you contribute to charity?


I didn't say I have this lifestyle, I said I would like it. I give a good amount to charity, considering my financial situation. if ihad more, I'd give more.
[Post New]01/03/2012 01:57
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Anonymous
A wise man once said mo' money mo' problems
[Post New]01/03/2012 20:31
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Anonymous
How about, not enough money, more problems.
[Post New]01/04/2012 09:21
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:A wise man once said mo' money mo' problems


But it's simply not true. I have way fewer problems now than I did 20 years ago, when I was living on a borrowed $10,000 a year while in grad school.
[Post New]01/04/2012 20:04
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Anonymous
Amen, sister!
[Post New]01/04/2012 20:13
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Anonymous
All I need is a cool buzz and some tasty waves and I'm fine ...
[Post New]01/05/2012 17:08
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Anonymous
It kind of surprises me that more people don't want nicely decorated, attractive homes, nice cars, fun vacations, beautiful clothes, household help, money for good haircuts, athletic endeavors, hobbies, college, private school, retirement...... Isn't that the American dream? Who wants to live in a tiny house and have a crappy car? Many of my friends are rich so maybe that tilts my views.
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