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Coming from very humble beginnings, I default to living frugally and below my means. No credit card debt, no car loan, and a low principal, low rate mortgage on
by unboxingelf 4y ago
Coming from very humble beginnings, I default to living frugally and below my means. No credit card debt, no car loan, and a low principal, low rate mortgage on a fixer upper home. Each month I pay the mortgage and credit card in full, max out ESPP, and make sure I hit the 401k max annually. I still come out ahead and typically use that cash to fund home improvements. Last month I paid for a new fridge in cash.
It can be quite frustrating to watch folks who bring home much less live so much larger. I think it comes down to feeling that they’re being irresponsible. Perhaps growing up poor teaches you a thing or two.
- tnel77 4y agoI remember watching my mom ration her insulin as a kid. As an adult making solid money, I still try to be generally frugal and it’s frustrating to see people that (statistically) make far less than me driving much nicer cars and wearing nicer clothes. Possessions won’t make you happy, but it would be kind of cool to drive a nicer car. I just can’t swallow the payments for a fully loaded Jeep or truck. I guess I’ll stick to playing with the “build your model” tools on the various car company’s websites haha.
- throwaway5959 4y agoHere’s a thought, stop focusing on what other people do and mind your own financial business.
- unboxingelf 4y agoOn the contrary, observing what other people do is a primary way to learn. Considering the utter lack of financial education many receive from school or parents, it’s a quite an important signal. But something tells me you’re not interested in constructive dialogue.