4 ms·

I totally agree, and while a good % of HN readers probably are making a lot, the vast majority of people (at least in the US) are living month to month.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
I went mattress shopping yesterday. The fact that there's options for financing a $2000 purchase is indicative that "just enough" is, in fact, not.
- badpun 8y ago
  This is one of those crazy cases where parts of American population were seemingly hypnotised by advertising and are spending insane amounts of money on a commodity item. Here in Poland, the most I've paid for a mattress was an equivalent of $130. I've never had problems with them.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    We ended up buy a model that was about $2000 just because we could tell the difference between the $700 model. But yeah, why is it $2000? What value is there actually in the mattress that justifies it? And if a cheaper option exists that would allow one to exist within one's needs, why not get that instead?
    - ericd 8y ago
      There are some very good mattresses online for much less than 2k. We recently got some all-latex (normally very expensive) twins for $600.
bluGill 8y ago
I live month to month, as should everybody. Financially secure people just have their savings plans in order, so what is left over after all their savings is what they live on. Financially insecure people don't keep money going into savings. You can't take it with you, and you don't know how long you have to live. So there is no point in saving money for the sake of saving money. There are few religions that disagree, if you belong to such a religion I guess saving for the next life makes sense.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
newsgremlin 8y ago
There's some comfort to that which people don't realise, living month to month means you are more in the moment, while you can always dream and strive for a more easy life, that toil gives you purpose, and you can clearly see the happy times when they come. Not to say I would want that or encourage it, but ignoring that side to it denies the happiness that could be found. It sounds like such a middle class problem, and it is. Though suffering exists no matter your income.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

I went mattress shopping yesterday. The fact that there's options for financing a $2000 purchase is indicative that "just enough" is, in fact, not.

badpun 8y ago
This is one of those crazy cases where parts of American population were seemingly hypnotised by advertising and are spending insane amounts of money on a commodity item. Here in Poland, the most I've paid for a mattress was an equivalent of $130. I've never had problems with them.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  We ended up buy a model that was about $2000 just because we could tell the difference between the $700 model. But yeah, why is it $2000? What value is there actually in the mattress that justifies it? And if a cheaper option exists that would allow one to exist within one's needs, why not get that instead?
  - ericd 8y ago
    There are some very good mattresses online for much less than 2k. We recently got some all-latex (normally very expensive) twins for $600.

bluGill 8y ago

I live month to month, as should everybody. Financially secure people just have their savings plans in order, so what is left over after all their savings is what they live on. Financially insecure people don't keep money going into savings. You can't take it with you, and you don't know how long you have to live. So there is no point in saving money for the sake of saving money. There are few religions that disagree, if you belong to such a religion I guess saving for the next life makes sense.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

newsgremlin 8y ago

There's some comfort to that which people don't realise, living month to month means you are more in the moment, while you can always dream and strive for a more easy life, that toil gives you purpose, and you can clearly see the happy times when they come. Not to say I would want that or encourage it, but ignoring that side to it denies the happiness that could be found. It sounds like such a middle class problem, and it is. Though suffering exists no matter your income.