To all those who have lived a humble life and worked to earn every penny, saving a modest nest egg… how do you feel now that our economy is in the toilet, and most of us have been wiped out before we could turn around? Is life ALL about money, money, money to survive? I mean, is there anything noble about being the pawn and doormat in a dog-eat-dog society?
I barely survived this under Reagan. Thanks to all who made it possible to take away what little I had humbly rebuilt for myself until now. So, is the lesson we learn by the examples set before us by our leaders is to take all one can grab, and keep steam rolling ahead? Kill or be killed, right?
Sounds like you made some bad economic decisions. I’m truly sorry. Perhaps you can learn from the bad decisions and make some better ones in the future? There is no country on earth where you have a better chance to make your life what you want it to be. Reagan did not screw you over, nor did Bush, Clinton, or Bush II.
But if all else fails, the best advise I’ve ever heard anyone give is: do what you love, and the money will take care of itself.
$600,000,000?!? He told me it was only $55,000,000! That lying bastard!
Seriously though, no, money isn’t the point. You only get one go-around in life, and personally, I don’t waste 90% of my time at work making just enough money so I can enjoy the other 10% of my time.
It ain’t worth it. I make just enough to enjoy myself- no, I can’t just jet off to Prague whenever I feel like it, but hey- and do things I find fun and creative.
If I had more money, I’d be doing the exact same thing, just more of it (and I already do it for upwards of twelve hours a day.)
Do what you want to do, what you enjoy. if you enjoy making money, that’s fine. If you enjoy being a lawyer, that’s fine too. If you enjoy being an artist who scrapes for materials and sells two works a year, that’s great, if it’s what you like to do.
I’ve been very poor a couple of times. Once here in Australia and once while living in London. Both times I was not working. I made a few little discoveries.
If you aren’t working you don’t need a car. If public transport is too expensive, you’re in no hurry - walk or ride a bike.
If you aren’t working you have plenty of time to learn something - anything. There are plenty of people so badly off that they would appreciate something as simple as some of your time - volunteer your help.
You can have more free entertainment than most people in the world by owning a TV, a radio and a library card and you can go years without the TV if need be.
Eating cheaply and well is more satisfying and stimulating than eating like there are no restrictions. Here in Australia (NSW at least) you can eat out for next to nothing at a registered club. I pay $5.50 a year to be a member of my local sports club - last night I had Thai Fishcakes and vegetables for $6.50.
Try to arrange your activities to meet as many people as possible. Keep the upbeat ones as friends and lose the others.
I made enough to retire early. I traveled all around, went to all the shows, and all the sporting events. It’s all a bit boring after while, if that’s ALL you do. I’m going back to work.
You are the most incredible thing in an incredible universe. You are a pattern of ever-changing atoms which somehow has the ability to think. Nothing like you existed for 12 billion years. You are borne of supernovae, you are Made of Stars. Every piece of sensory input you receive has an inexplicable quantum effect on the universe - you are the universe’s way of observing itself.
You are vastly more wealthy than almost any human who has ever lived or lives now elsewhere in the world. The number of diseases or conditions you need fear is a tiny fraction of those which exist. You have at your disposal a means to access the sum total of knowledge of the greatest minds in the history of the beautiful planet you live on.
Your prerogative is, of course, to disregard all of this, work long hours until you are almost dead, and speed this up by worrying about how you compare to others financially.
Your stark, staring, certifiable madness, as they say, may vary.
If you want to live within the modern system, you have to play the game. This involves money. If you want to live without money, you have to find a way to live outside the system. Money is the only ticket to the dance.
I dunno, those guys made good responses, but all other things equal, if I had to gather some empirical evidence, I think I’d prefer Neurotik’s approach.
I will join the experiment, and see if two really can live as cheaply as one. Neurotik will love alone on his pile of cash, while Uncle Beer and I double up with an equal pile of cash. I don’t know uncle beer, but in the name of science, we must spend the money!
Jinx I think you’ve been watching too much TV, perhaps reading too many Money magazine articles. Your assumptions are FUBAR. “What you’ve created for yourself” - you measure that in money? No wonder you feel like a pawn & doormat! You’ve let someone else decide what you’re worth based on the open market. Why would you give them that control?
Go out to the woods & remind yourself that we’re all temporary, we’re all scared critters, and we all have many gifts. Nobody’s completely safe and money is only a measure of commerce, not personal value.
Remember that people who are good at making money love to talk about how important it is to make money because - no surprise - it makes them seem important. They’re just good at playing a game, and in 100 years what difference will that have made? Who on earth is going to care?
