Why do YOU need money?

Money means everything in New York City.

Originally Posted by más_cerveza

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Money means everything in New York City.

Yet another reason why that city sucks and no one is truly happy there.

This isn't directed at anyone in particular, but I often wonder if the people who use the excuse "so I don't have to live poor and experience the stresses that come with it" have ever lived poor. The poor are not always the unhappiest or most stress filled you will ever meet.

I once was out on a walk, in the middle of the day, during my college years. I got to wondering, what do all of these people who are out during the day seemingly not working, do? I asked around, and heard the typical "day off" or "self employed" or "long lunch break" reasons, among others. There was one woman though, who said she chose to work around 20 hours a week, making reasonable money in those 20 hours. Her husband was the same way. She appeared to be in her 50's. She said, I may not have a great income for the limited time that I do work, I have to live modestly, I may not have a great 401k, and may have to work well past the typical retirement age, who knows if I'll even make it to retirement, but here I am, enjoying a nice day outside while almost everyone else is working. I thought this was pretty interesting. Some people work to secure their financial future. Some people do whatever they can to secure their sanity in the present, it seems.

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

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Let's talk money.

All of us work because of money. Some of us enjoy our jobs more than others, but in the end, we get up in the morning for the money. In other words, if your job stopped paying you completely, I'm confident in asserting that there is a high probability you would stop going to work or take issue in another way.

For some people, the quest for more money is an all-consuming one. In instances, it is purely borne of greed. In other instances, it is an addiction. But in most cases, it is because they are regular, reasonable people who understand they need a certain amount of money to have the things they want.

I admit I post this out of selfishness. I am trying to come up with a list of reasons people really work for their money, or more accurately, the reasons people use to rationalize their unending pursuit of green. I want to see how my reasons stack up, and if I've foolishly overlooked something important.

Try and split up your answers into two categories:

1) Tangible (Nice house, Private school education for kids, nice clothes, ability to own multiple properties, etc.)
2) Intangible (respect that a high salary commands from my fellow man, keeping up with the Joneses and being able to maintain the lifestyle my friends have, so that my wife doesn't leave me, etc.)

Thanks.
Good thread. Most people are greedy for more money, but no one has a solid answer on why they need money!

Maybe life really has no meaning, and the only purpose is to do what you want.

Originally Posted by TyCooN

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Good thread. Most people are greedy for more money, but no one has a solid answer on why they need money!

Maybe life really has no meaning, and the only purpose is to do what you want.

You can drop the "maybe."

Originally Posted by epb

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You can drop the "maybe."
true

Tangible - keep a roof over my head

Intangible - freedom from worries. I been broke before. It's not a good feeling to be cocnerned if you have enough to pay for basic things like car insurance and gas.

I wouldn't wish it on anyone to be broke.

I've said before that if I got a Communist-style apartment/food stipend/transport pass... I'd teach for free.

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

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Let's talk money.

Try and split up your answers into two categories:

1) Tangible (Nice house, Private school education for kids, nice clothes, ability to own multiple properties, etc.)
2) Intangible (respect that a high salary commands from my fellow man, keeping up with the Joneses and being able to maintain the lifestyle my friends have, so that my wife doesn't leave me, etc.)

Thanks.

1. Tangible:

Good reasons - money gives you options, it can offer freedom. It allows you to travel and see far off places, it allows you more choice of things in your leisure time.

It allows you to indulge your senses - great Audio-visual (AV) kit is expensive, but is amazing to me - I love film and sound tracks.

Owning assets - a house, a portfolio that will give you a secure present and future, give you freedom of worry of financial hardship. In my experience, few things are as stressful as having very little money, as I have had in my 20s. It feels like being trapped, suffocated, and is awful.


2. Intangible:

Owning 'real value' assets - by this I mean practical, grown up assets like a house & portfolio, give you a great sense of achievement - you're an adult, building and creating your own castle, however humble it may be.

There is a great sense of calm that comes from knowing you behave in an adult way towards money, and a great deal of confidence.

I derive a great deal of confidence from knowing that while my car is humble and quite old, every month I put away enough money to know my present and future are taken care of.

I know from my experience as a financial adviser, that many people who appear to be well off with flash cars etc, are in debt and have very little net worth. I like my (best as I can be - I'm still far too impulsive), logical approach to money.

As I get older I find I'm feeling much calmer and more settled in my own skin, and I now feel like this when next to people who have very expensive cars etc.

I also think as men, we are the providers and we should feel like patriarchs in our own home - you need to achieve a career, build money, build knowledge to be like that.

As people we are not meant to have an easy ride and have everything on a plate, we are made and defined by the struggle and the shaping of achieving knowledge, career and money as we get older.


Bad Reasons:

There is a lot to be said for a simple life - as Prof F has said - having security of what you NEED, removes all the worry of thinking about all the things you want. How much time and negative anxiety can be spent worrying over what clothes look right, what colour interior your house should be?

However if you have enough money, you can always choose not to buy these options, and that is a very valuable freedom.

I am very competitive though this is getting better, and I do find myself sometimes surging with a lust to "better the joneses".

Money and the things it can buy are obviously a clear way of doing this, but I also recognise it is very unhealthy.

I am much more chilled when I'm in a relationship, and I'm also much more chilled about this when I live away from awful material cultures - like a greedy city.

I reconcile the two feelings of 1) wanting to have an adult approach to money and real, purposeful assets with 2) sometimes lusting too much over materialism.... by viewing nice things like suits and tailoring as a "costume" - it's something to change into as a mask, as a charicature of who I am.

Underneath I'm a scruffy bum and a geek.

I try to keep the much more permanent sense of calm that comes from being sensible with money at the forefront, and everything else tongue in cheek.

I also remove myself from being around negatively materialistic people (no ir0ny with SF guys - for the most part I don't think you fit this description), and aim to live in a humble village, scruffy dog walking by the river kind of lifestyle, interjected with moments of costume splendour for nice restaurants, nights out, board meetings etc

bicycles, mp3's and more bicycles

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

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I've said before that if I got a Communist-style apartment/food stipend/transport pass... I'd teach for free.

There's always Cuba...

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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Average wages have remained flat for most Americans over the last 30 years. And what costs you $1 today cost you .34 cents in 1980. You do the math. Purchasing power has not kept up with long-term inflation, regardless of bubbles and busts, and irrespective of the declining prices of nonessential goods like flatscreen TVs.

Come on, dude.

Originally Posted by Hartmann

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There's always Cuba...

I'm not saying I advocate/WANT that, only that I would, or that money is not particularly high on my list, tangibly or intangibly.

i need $ 4 rick owens

Originally Posted by TheDarkKnight

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1. Tangible:

Good reasons - money gives you options, it can offer freedom. It allows you to travel and see far off places, it allows you more choice of things in your leisure time.

It allows you to indulge your senses - great Audio-visual (AV) kit is expensive, but is amazing to me - I love film and sound tracks.

Owning assets - a house, a portfolio that will give you a secure present and future, give you freedom of worry of financial hardship. In my experience, few things are as stressful as having very little money, as I have had in my 20s. It feels like being trapped, suffocated, and is awful.


2. Intangible:

Owning 'real value' assets - by this I mean practical, grown up assets like a house & portfolio, give you a great sense of achievement - you're an adult, building and creating your own castle, however humble it may be.

There is a great sense of calm that comes from knowing you behave in an adult way towards money, and a great deal of confidence.

I derive a great deal of confidence from knowing that while my car is humble and quite old, every month I put away enough money to know my present and future are taken care of.

I know from my experience as a financial adviser, that many people who appear to be well off with flash cars etc, are in debt and have very little net worth. I like my (best as I can be - I'm still far too impulsive), logical approach to money.

As I get older I find I'm feeling much calmer and more settled in my own skin, and I now feel like this when next to people who have very expensive cars etc.

I also think as men, we are the providers and we should feel like patriarchs in our own home - you need to achieve a career, build money, build knowledge to be like that.

As people we are not meant to have an easy ride and have everything on a plate, we are made and defined by the struggle and the shaping of achieving knowledge, career and money as we get older.


Bad Reasons:

There is a lot to be said for a simple life - as Prof F has said - having security of what you NEED, removes all the worry of thinking about all the things you want. How much time and negative anxiety can be spent worrying over what clothes look right, what colour interior your house should be?

However if you have enough money, you can always choose not to buy these options, and that is a very valuable freedom.

I am very competitive though this is getting better, and I do find myself sometimes surging with a lust to "better the joneses".

Money and the things it can buy are obviously a clear way of doing this, but I also recognise it is very unhealthy.

I am much more chilled when I'm in a relationship, and I'm also much more chilled about this when I live away from awful material cultures - like a greedy city.

I reconcile the two feelings of 1) wanting to have an adult approach to money and real, purposeful assets with 2) sometimes lusting too much over materialism.... by viewing nice things like suits and tailoring as a "costume" - it's something to change into as a mask, as a charicature of who I am.

Underneath I'm a scruffy bum and a geek.

I try to keep the much more permanent sense of calm that comes from being sensible with money at the forefront, and everything else tongue in cheek.

I also remove myself from being around negatively materialistic people (no ir0ny with SF guys - for the most part I don't think you fit this description), and aim to live in a humble village, scruffy dog walking by the river kind of lifestyle, interjected with moments of costume splendour

for nice restaurants, nights out, board meetings etc

Good post.