Money

[N_N_R]

Now I'm curious where this thread will go

The simple question is .... do you enjoy money? Or what's your attitude to it?

- I've been in love with money since my childhood. I'd always ask whoever went abroad to bring me foreign currency /mostly coins/; I collected it, I cherished it

- I used to read lots of fairy tales and my favourite parts were those where they talked about gold coins, lol

- I would often cut out pictures of money in magazines or newspapers. I'd often cut out pictures of coins, then stick them to real small coins, thus making my own, imaginary currency

- I've always been a saver and enjoyed the possibilities that money gives and just liked having it

- When I grew up and started making own money, I've been taking real pleasure in creating my budget, saving, buying and all the stuff that people do with money basically.

I don't even enjoy spending money so much. What I enjoy is saving up for something I want. It's like a ... trip, step by step you reach the goal. Or it's like you're building something big - cent by cent until you reach the money goal. And then even buying the desired thing isn't so much of fun anymore, because I know that I've saved enough to be able to afford it.

Money is the best tool for me, it's like a substance you can mould and transform into whatever you like. It gives you possibilities, options. And sometimes, keeping the money in their money form i.e. keeping the possibilities and options is still a better idea / feeling for me than actually buying something and giving up the freedom, independence, opportunities for that very material thing. (Now, money is material too, but still).

And don't get me wrong, I'm far from rich Maybe exactly because my mother and I were far below the poverty level when I was a teen and not working I think in this way now.

So what do you guys think of money? 

[Smashie]

A very interesting topic.

Until last year I never thought much about money at all, going though a divorce has changed that, simply because I had to lay my finances bare for the world to see and then in one area specifically fight for one thing.

This time last year I lived in a nice house, now I live in a small but nice flat, it doesn't bother me at all. I suppose 10 years ago it would have done.

One non obvious plus to downsizing was that it forced me to focus on what is important and remove anything that isn't. Which I have done all my working life but never really addressed outside of work.

I had a somewhat privelliged upbringing but that was due to circumstance not affluence, I was bloody lucky and I realised that relatively early.

With the exception of a car, I still haven't replaced my Audi that got broken last year, I don't need more 'stuff' at the moment.

[N_N_R]

Thanks

focus on what is important and remove anything that isn't.

That's part of my "strategy", too. On very rare occasions have I bought unnecessary stuff that I want, not that I need. That's mostly EDC stuff, which I've actually tried to fund by selling old, unnecessary stuff.

I must say, in most areas of my life I live rather frugally, but then I love, like, once in a year or so, splurging and enjoying the hard effort of saving & .. frugality. For example, going abroad or buying a piece of technology or something more expensive (lots of stuff that doesn't sound expensive to you guys is on the high end here, where I live).

I don't need more 'stuff' at the moment

I hate accumulating lots of "stuff". When I buy something, it's mostly to replace something that's already unusable

[rishardh]

Money, money, money....
Don't think much about it
I know I need lots
Don't have enough
Hate spending it on grocery
Love spending it on my toys
Don't like carrying it around
Enjoy stealing it from my wife
Have an emergency stash at home
Collected them as a kid
Enjoy checking out currency used by others when I travel
Admire fakes
Would like to someday make my own fakes
Get excited when I get Canadian Tire money
Gloat when I get rich with Monopoly money
Proud that I do work for the US Mint
Never inherited any
Strong believer in making your own
Don't believe in saving for my kids
Got all my payslips saved until they stopped printing them
Saved all my bank statements until they went paperless
Hmm... I might qualify for our OCD badge

A very interesting topic btw, cannot wait to see what others have to say 

[rishardh]

- I would often cut out pictures of money in magazines or newspapers. I'd often cut out pictures of coins, then stick them to real small coins, thus making my own, imaginary currency

  You must have been a unique and special kid

[SAK Guy]

[Tomcat_81]

Love the presence, hate the absence, don't wish to have have more than sufficiently (which we have, thankfully), hate to overestimate its "value" and despise those who earn 'theirs' by betraying and profiteering .
Tomcat

[Smashie]

- I would often cut out pictures of money in magazines or newspapers. I'd often cut out pictures of coins, then stick them to real small coins, thus making my own, imaginary currency

  You must have been a unique and special kid

All kids are unique and special, if you let them be 

[N_N_R]

Money, money, money....
Don't think much about it
I know I need lots
Don't have enough
Hate spending it on grocery
Love spending it on my toys
Don't like carrying it around
Enjoy stealing it from my wife
Have an emergency stash at home
Collected them as a kid
Enjoy checking out currency used by others when I travel
Admire fakes
Would like to someday make my own fakes
Get excited when I get Canadian Tire money
Gloat when I get rich with Monopoly money
Proud that I do work for the US Mint
Never inherited any
Strong believer in making your own
Don't believe in saving for my kids
Got all my payslips saved until they stopped printing them
Saved all my bank statements until they went paperless
Hmm... I might qualify for our OCD badge

A very interesting topic btw, cannot wait to see what others have to say 

Oh, another "money addict"?  You do qualify for an OCD badge Me too. Why? Coz I order the spending bills in my wallets acc. to... how new they are i.e. the oldest & ugliest looking ones get spent first, the brand new & crispy ones earn a longer stay in my wallet ... 

I hope your wife isn't reading this forum, though

You really work for the US Mint?? That's totally awesome

I'm curious, though, why don't you believe in saving for your kids?

[captain spaulding]

It's a love hate relationship. I have always collected money. Much like you when I was young I collected foreign money. My father travelled a lot for work so I have a foreign paper and coin collection from my childhood. After that I always loved the idea of collecting USA currency, but never did until I was about 16 or so. From 16 until present day I slowly collected coins. Maybe 5-6 years ago it's about all I collected and buying silver was a main interest. I do not trust people when it comes to buying silver so I would mainly buy "scrap" silver so I know it's legit. Scrap silver in my neck of the woods mean pre-1964 USA coins (most coins). I know it's legit that way and 75% of the coins are from the early 1900's to the 1950's so it's like doubling the fun. I get to stack my silver collection as well as my coin collection. I just love the history behind coins. I can hold a coin from the 1820's and just imagine it's travels throughout time and who could of possibly owned it. It just love the history of our money and how it has changed over the years. I have a real fascination with the cent for some reason. It's my favorite coin to collect and I love to see how it has changed over the last couple hundred years.

Edit: I forgot to mention the hate part. Money makes the world go around, but it also destroys lives, families, starts wars, and people will kill and die for it. Makes me sad.

[captain spaulding]

Money, money, money....
Don't think much about it
I know I need lots
Don't have enough
Hate spending it on grocery
Love spending it on my toys
Don't like carrying it around
Enjoy stealing it from my wife
Have an emergency stash at home
Collected them as a kid
Enjoy checking out currency used by others when I travel
Admire fakes
Would like to someday make my own fakes
Get excited when I get Canadian Tire money
Gloat when I get rich with Monopoly money
Proud that I do work for the US Mint
Never inherited any
Strong believer in making your own
Don't believe in saving for my kids
Got all my payslips saved until they stopped printing them
Saved all my bank statements until they went paperless
Hmm... I might qualify for our OCD badge

A very interesting topic btw, cannot wait to see what others have to say 

I'm interested in what you do for the mint? We might need to talk. 

[tosh]

Fantastic topic.
My view of money is that of a sad life, allow me to explain.

For years I collected various things, money allowed my collections to grow, eventually the collections become so big that they begin a negative spiral.

Take MTs/SAKs, the past 4yrs has without doubt been the most expensive hobby I've ever participated in. It's got to the stage where I really have to justify any new purchases, sometimes I'm sick of the sight of them all.

Optics, again collecting got out of hand and today I never use any except for my go-to pair of binoculars.

Tools, a ridiculous amount of gear sits in my garage, virtually everything is triplicated, i.e cordless, 240v & 110v plus mountains of back up gear....I'm now sick of the sight of tools!!

Yet money or rather the love of money seems to have the complete opposite effect. It seems those who wish to amass ever more, never become bored by it. Once you saved £100k.... Let's make it £110k...£120k and so on....and so on. The greed that follows has to be seen to be believed.
I now longer speak to any of my family and the reason is solely down to money and greed.
This year I intend to report my own family for serious tax evasion, benefit fraud, illegal property built without any planning consent etc etc etc.
I've no doubt they will lose everything and possibly go to prison. But their obsession with money has completely destroyed my relationship with all my siblings. My parents have used the 'divide and rule' approach with devastating consequences.
I despise money and the corruption, greed that seems to always follow.
Simple things cost nothing, yet I have witnessed the grotesque need for materialistic wealth that has made me realise how tragic the obsession for money can quickly become.

[N_N_R]

It's a love hate relationship. I have always collected money. Much like you when I was young I collected foreign money. My father travelled a lot for work so I have a foreign paper and coin collection from my childhood. After that I always loved the idea of collecting USA currency, but never did until I was about 16 or so. From 16 until present day I slowly collected coins. Maybe 5-6 years ago it's about all I collected and buying silver was a main interest. I do not trust people when it comes to buying silver so I would mainly buy "scrap" silver so I know it's legit. Scrap silver in my neck of the woods mean pre-1964 USA coins (most coins). I know it's legit that way and 75% of the coins are from the early 1900's to the 1950's so it's like doubling the fun. I get to stack my silver collection as well as my coin collection. I just love the history behind coins. I can hold a coin from the 1820's and just imagine it's travels throughout time and who could of possibly owned it. It just love the history of our money and how it has changed over the years. I have a real fascination with the cent for some reason. It's my favorite coin to collect and I love to see how it has changed over the last couple hundred years.

What you're saying includes some of my own fascination with money! I've done and thought of the same, holding and old coin, thinking where it's been, whose it's been and so on.
I wish I'd kept some of our old currency, though. In just my life time the BGN has changed 4 times and I have ........ nothing from the old money, lol. I guess my family must've just tried to get rid of the older, useless currency asap.

I've also been into gold & silver for some time now, but now I'm actually trying to sell back some of my silver coins. It's not really liquid here, at least a lot less than gold and if I were to sell it quickly, I'd again have to travel an hour to the store that sells it and an hour back and they'd buy it back at only 50% of the price I bought it for.  It seems silver is a lot better investments in the US (that's what I see in YT vids, too). I think I'll just keep buying and collecting each year's Kookaburras and Chinese Pandas 

[N_N_R]

@tosh,

I'm sorry to hear that, a sad story, indeed. Sadly, money does affect some people this way for weird reasons 


For me money has always been just something ... empowering. Most (young and not so) people around me even think that saving money is stupid and weird and boring. While for me it's kinda exciting even, lol. I'd rather view myself as a ... money collector, lol. And I enjoy seeing my collection grow bigger. I also can't deny it gives me immense sense of security. I can't stand the sight of a middle-aged person who comes by and starts complaining about how unfair life has been to them and in the same time they don't work, don't live within their limits, go drink or gamble away every single paycheck (or wherever they find money) and then blame the world for their terrible misfortunes.

[tosh]

@tosh,

I'm sorry to hear that, a sad story, indeed. Sadly, money does affect some people this way for weird reasons 


For me money has always been just something ... empowering. Most (young and not so) people around me even think that saving money is stupid and weird and boring. While for me it's kinda exciting even, lol. I'd rather view myself as a ... money collector, lol. And I enjoy seeing my collection grow bigger. I also can't deny it gives me immense sense of security. I can't stand the sight of a middle-aged person who comes by and starts complaining about how unfair life has been to them and in the same time they don't work, don't live within their limits, go drink or gamble away every single paycheck (or wherever they find money) and then blame the world for their terrible misfortunes.

I should clarify that my rant was aimed squarely at those who fully intend to get through this life whilst freeloading off others. I agree, working and earning and watching your savings grow is satisfying. But my post above was based on the parasitic nature I have observed with my own eyes within my own family and worse is the brother-in-law, sister-in-law who also see the family breaking down but are reluctant to show any morals or backbone simply because they're onto a good thing.

Utter utter scum! My family all stand in judgment of others but will not stand on their own two feet. It's that kind of greed and selfishness that makes me see the repulsive side as to what money....or the lure of money brings.

[N_N_R]

I get it

I guess I just inspired to write some more later

[sawman]

An easy topic for those of you who have smurfing jobs!!! 
 

[N_N_R]

An easy topic for those of you who have smurfing jobs!!! 
 

One of the jobs I do I do completely online. And given the time you spend on MTO, I think you could think of something to do online that pays, too

[sawman]

An easy topic for those of you who have smurfing jobs!!! 
 

One of the jobs I do I do completely online. And given the time you spend on MTO, I think you could think of something to do online that pays, too

Sign me up boss, tell me when to start

[twiliter]

@tosh,

I'm sorry to hear that, a sad story, indeed. Sadly, money does affect some people this way for weird reasons 


For me money has always been just something ... empowering. Most (young and not so) people around me even think that saving money is stupid and weird and boring. While for me it's kinda exciting even, lol. I'd rather view myself as a ... money collector, lol. And I enjoy seeing my collection grow bigger. I also can't deny it gives me immense sense of security. I can't stand the sight of a middle-aged person who comes by and starts complaining about how unfair life has been to them and in the same time they don't work, don't live within their limits, go drink or gamble away every single paycheck (or wherever they find money) and then blame the world for their terrible misfortunes.

I should clarify that my rant was aimed squarely at those who fully intend to get through this life whilst freeloading off others. I agree, working and earning and watching your savings grow is satisfying. But my post above was based on the parasitic nature I have observed with my own eyes within my own family and worse is the brother-in-law, sister-in-law who also see the family breaking down but are reluctant to show any morals or backbone simply because they're onto a good thing.

Utter utter scum! My family all stand in judgment of others but will not stand on their own two feet. It's that kind of greed and selfishness that makes me see the repulsive side as to what money....or the lure of money brings.

Sorry Tosh, money has been called the root of all evil. I have dealt with similar things with family and whom I thought were like family. Having my generous nature taken advantage of has become disappointing more than a few times. I don't like to keep score, but it seems like some folks make a career out of it. I try to distance myself from that as much as possible. Some are beyond help unfortunately. 

[Smashie]

An easy topic for those of you who have smurfing jobs!!! 
 

That is also something I am very familiar with, my original career ended, not my choice and it left me in a postiton where I was in and out of hospital for nearly 2 years. I was in no way making light of anyone who cannot find a job or work for good reasons. 

[eamo]

Yeah I would say there's a lot of us here going or gone through rough times - hindsight is brilliant and I've pissed away my share of cash, part of the joys of youth.

As i've grown older my take on things is that my kids, their mother and I all enjoy pretty good health and while I feel i'm pretty poor relatively my kids don't lack anything they need. Nor do their parents for that matter.

I think I'll take health over money if it had to be a choice.

[Smashie]

I think I'll take health over money if it had to be a choice.

This

[N_N_R]

I think I'll take health over money if it had to be a choice.

This

Of course.

Unfortunately, nowadays you often need money to ... afford health. I shudder at the sight of all social campaigns for raising huge amounts of money for sick people who can't afford life-saving surgeries

Actually, one of the reasons for me to start saving as much as I can has always been this. Money gives me some comfort that if I or someone from my family, God forbid, ever gets into serious health trouble, will be at leeeeaast a tiny bit covered.

[eamo]

I think I'll take health over money if it had to be a choice.

This

Of course.

Unfortunately, nowadays you often need money to ... afford health. I shudder at the sight of all social campaigns for raising huge amounts of money for sick people who can't afford life-saving surgeries

Actually, one of the reasons for me to start saving as much as I can has always been this. Money gives me some comfort that if I or someone from my family, God forbid, ever gets into serious health trouble, will be at leeeeaast a tiny bit covered.

Yes, I hear you on this

[SAK Guy]

I think I'll take health over money if it had to be a choice.

This

Yeah...... 

[rishardh]

I think I'll take health over money if it had to be a choice.

This

Yeah...... 

+1 In total agreement. That's why I try and stay in some sort of shape. Even if it means spending money for my fitness activities.

[rishardh]

Money, money, money....
Don't think much about it
I know I need lots
Don't have enough
Hate spending it on grocery
Love spending it on my toys
Don't like carrying it around
Enjoy stealing it from my wife
Have an emergency stash at home
Collected them as a kid
Enjoy checking out currency used by others when I travel
Admire fakes
Would like to someday make my own fakes
Get excited when I get Canadian Tire money
Gloat when I get rich with Monopoly money
Proud that I do work for the US Mint
Never inherited any
Strong believer in making your own
Don't believe in saving for my kids
Got all my payslips saved until they stopped printing them
Saved all my bank statements until they went paperless
Hmm... I might qualify for our OCD badge

A very interesting topic btw, cannot wait to see what others have to say 

Oh, another "money addict"?  You do qualify for an OCD badge Me too. Why? Coz I order the spending bills in my wallets acc. to... how new they are i.e. the oldest & ugliest looking ones get spent first, the brand new & crispy ones earn a longer stay in my wallet ... 

I hope your wife isn't reading this forum, though

You really work for the US Mint?? That's totally awesome

I'm curious, though, why don't you believe in saving for your kids?

It sounds harsh when I put it like that, right? Well, growing up I knew I was not inheriting any so I worked hard both at school and at work and then I have seen kids knowing they will inherit some and took things for granted. I want my kids to learn the value of money and have good work ethics too. If they knew they were inheriting my fortune they might take the easy way. I plan to give them a good education and all the tools to succeed and then they are on their own. I will try and make them understand this and hopefully they will get it. That said I might change my stance as I get older and wiser and my wife will influence me too but this is how I feel now.

Wife knows that I steal from her just don't know how much 

[rishardh]

Money, money, money....
Don't think much about it
I know I need lots
Don't have enough
Hate spending it on grocery
Love spending it on my toys
Don't like carrying it around
Enjoy stealing it from my wife
Have an emergency stash at home
Collected them as a kid
Enjoy checking out currency used by others when I travel
Admire fakes
Would like to someday make my own fakes
Get excited when I get Canadian Tire money
Gloat when I get rich with Monopoly money
Proud that I do work for the US Mint
Never inherited any
Strong believer in making your own
Don't believe in saving for my kids
Got all my payslips saved until they stopped printing them
Saved all my bank statements until they went paperless
Hmm... I might qualify for our OCD badge

A very interesting topic btw, cannot wait to see what others have to say 

I'm interested in what you do for the mint? We might need to talk. 

A serious coin collector... wonderful. I gave up my collection when I moved to the US. I do not work for the Mint directly, our company does their web site, manage orders, customer service and fulfillment. You might be interested to know that their last platinum coin drop sold out in 2 minutes. And they were $1200 a piece 

[eamo]

I think I'll take health over money if it had to be a choice.

This

Yeah...... 

+1 In total agreement. That's why I try and stay in some sort of shape. Even if it means spending money for my fitness activities.

keeping in shape costs little - having said that, I spend a decent percentage of my families income on fitness related stuff - races entries encourage the kids (and me) to keep running, knowing we have a race in a few weeks/months. not just running, my kids row and lifejackets / servicing is expensive, etc etc but it is money well spent and probably a lot less then I spent on alcohol when I was younger.
Plus I am teaching my children the value of health/fitness.