Signs you are doing well financially.

[Accy cyclist]

I like nice things and don't begrudge others having even nicer things, you see a lot of sniping comments about people having cars, or, perish the though a 4x4 on PCP, but there is nothing wrong with that if it's within their budget and that's how they want to spend their money. Driving a nice car is great, so is having a really nice bike, great shoes or going to a great hotel. It is not something to be frowned upon. But it comes down to living within or to your means.

The flip side to some of this is that you get plenty of older people that are scared to spend money and have more than they'll ever use. That sounds miserable to me.

They might've spent most of their adult life scrimping and saving, so even when they might now be the wealthiest they've ever been, they find it hard to break from scrimping and saving. I now have the highest rate of more money coming in than going out, probably in my whole life. It's a fine line between saving (or not spending what you have in savings) for a rainy day and not saving too much, as when I pop off I don't think I want to leave a penny to anyone I know. I'll never forget the old bloke who lived in the old folks home I worked in 30 odd years ago, who was a right old miser. His family had to coax him into buying underwear to replace the ones in holes he'd be wearing. This while he had around £300,000 in the bank he'd skillfully made and saved from financial investments. The reason for his refusal to spend unless he really had to was because his ambition, according to his family was for his name next to his will, would be the local newspaper's highest 'Today's Wills' ever.

 

[Gunk]

You never used to see this, but nowadays it's a common site, I don't know what it says about the owners, if anything.

They like cars

 

[Slick]

My other half would have something to say about that, Prof in Cardiology, awared multiple 6 figure grants for clinical research, can poke wires in your heart without killing you, and if she really wanted to could easily earn ££££££ in private practice, all before 40.

I've just finished a week as the most senior clinican in one of the largest acute care NHS organisation around, when things were hitting the fan earlier this week, it wasn't other men that I turned to for advice and guidance.

The saying our 7 year old daughter has learnt from me this week 'Do what others don't want to today, so tomorrow you can do things others cannot'.

Gender has nothing to with attainment, ambition, or ability. None at all. Men are more risk averse, and depending how lucky you are. Speculative risk some times gets you the moon shot, but often lands you failure if you don't have mitigations in place.

I don't disagree with any of that and congratulate your other half on her success.

 

[Gwylan]

Live simply, do generously.
Accept but don't try to understand others lifestyle decisions.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Which is fine when they are spending their money. The trouble is that far too many people spend other peoples money on somethings......

Fair point .

 

[MrGrumpy]

We all die, its just a matter of when. Having money let's you do things that you simply cannot do without money, that's the reality of how the world work.

I've lived and experienced what it's like not to have the freedom/luxury money can/does buy you, and I have no nostalgia about living without as much disposable income as I have now.

I think the majority of us on here have been there ! My wife stayed at home look after our three boys . I worked every hour a could , to have nice things not necessarily nice holidays !
Fast forward a good few years my wife goes back to college uni , runs her own Podiatry business. We sacrificed a lot for that !

 

[Venod]

I think the majority of us on here have been there ! My wife stayed at home look after our three boys

So did my wife, was off work all through our son and daughters childhoods, she went back to work eventually only to do it all again with our grandchildren ) the son and daughter and partners could not (or would not sacrifice anything) afford to be off work.

 

[fossyant]

It simply means you can get. a lot of car for £300/month on PCP.

If I go for an early morning cycle ride, before people have set off for work, I often cycle through streets with 100s of thousands of cars parked on the drives, and, that is is in a very "ordinary" section of one of the most deprived areas in the UK. It doesn't mean that all of those cars are actually paid for, or, that the "owners" could realise the capital in them, if they so wished.

But, it is their choice, and, long may it be so.

About £500 to £700 per month now to willy wave with your Tesla. I'd rather spend that on my bikes.

 

[gzoom]

I worked every hour a could , to have nice things not necessarily nice holidays !

That's the hardest balance, my parents worked 24/7 to put food on the table, but as a result I never saw them. They never even made it one time for assembly when I got a prize award at school because they were at work, every other parent was there.

I'm now lucky enough to be a position of being able to work felixbly (Work day starts at 6am and ends midnight), but for the school hours/activities it's something I treasure as the most valuable time.

If I had to choose between working for money and giving up my parenting duties, it's the work that will go. I count my self as very very lucky to be able to do what I do now, get finically compensated very well, but retain my time to be a dad first and foremost.

For me that's the 'dream' of doing well financially, balancing a career and family time without sacrificing either.

 

[BoldonLad]

About £500 to £700 per month now to willy wave with your Tesla. I'd rather spend that on my bikes.

Yes, me too, well, perhaps, not bikes, but, each to their own. I am a great believer in personal choice.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Re 'willy waving' or the less prosaic 'penis extension' cliches (as an aside; what are the feminine equivalents?) it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

Of course, "each to their own applies" but why should it bother anybody? It certainly doesn't bother me.

So what if someone has a car on a PCP that costs £x pm? If it suits their needs and wants then so be it. Ultimately, money spent keeps the economy fueled and circulating via wages etc. In effect the payments do not represent a loss of money, merely a movement, it is not a 'waste'.

Sometimes it is necessary to stand back and adopt a different perspective when looking at another person's chosen expenditure. We tend to instinctively use our own don't we? I don't think £500 pm, or similar figure, is a big deal to spend on a car. To some people it will be a huge amount, to others it is neither here nor there and to some it is a mere trifle, I don't see that in itself is a problem either.

One interesting thought spinning off from the OP video is "are you content with your own life?"

For the pair of us it is a resounding yes. We are older, have worked hard and have had some luck along the way - we look at the latter as a sort of Universal compensation for two difficult starts in life.

We have gotten to the point when we have all our needs met and, indeed, our wants (at least those within our control) - we are long off of the status treadmill (we have been there - admittedly mainly me and very little Mrs SD) and have zero interest in what other people spend or have.

Interestingly (or maybe not!) our expenditure and material assets are way below our 'full throttle' capabilty and at a guess we would feel the same if we were 'just below'. And maybe that is the secret of happiness in this facet of life. Other facets exist obviously.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

So what if someone has a car on a PCP that costs £x pm?

The problem comes when, like my mate, the imperative of keeping up appearances creates financial instability. In his case it cost the jobs of 20 or so staff each time his business failed.

 

[Gunk]

The problem comes when, like my mate, the imperative of keeping up appearances creates financial instability. In his case it cost the jobs of 20 or so staff each time his business failed.

I blame social media, compare and despair

 

[Slick]

The problem comes when, like my mate, the imperative of keeping up appearances creates financial instability. In his case it cost the jobs of 20 or so staff each time his business failed.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and suggest that PCP on a car was not the reason a 20 plus staff business failed.

 

[Gunk]

I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and suggest that PCP on a car was not the reason a 20 plus staff business failed.

No but his expenditure was probably more that his turnover, that’s why most tend to fail.