5 ms·
> Unless they are dirt poor, they can probably pay for themselves for most things. Are you saying $20 for a burger and drink is trivial unless one is "dirt poo
by xapata 3y ago
> Unless they are dirt poor, they can probably pay for themselves for most things.
Are you saying $20 for a burger and drink is trivial unless one is "dirt poor"? That doesn't match my estimates of the distribution of wealth in the US, and certainly not the world.
- ThunderSizzle 3y agoIt is, but a $20 lunch should be considered an occasion or treat and not a daily driver. Just because it's not a daily driver doesn't make it trivial. If most people eat lunch out once a week for $20 - that's about $1000/yr. That's trivial for most people if it's part of their social/entertainment expenses (eg even making $30-40k), but it's okay that it might not be trivial for all people.
- xapata 3y agoI don't think spending an extra $1k per year is trivial for someone making $40k per year.
- ThunderSizzle 3y agoNon-trivial spending includes expensive mandatory expenses, like rent/mortage, insurance, maintenance, etc.) Spending $20 on a lunch once a week (if that's what I wanted to do) is trivial, both in cost and importance. Obviously trivial expenses are the first to be optimized away when a budget crunch occurs, because they are also trivial to remove/stop. It's hard to delay rent or a car payment withour real consequences, but there's no real consequence to not eating out lunch anymore.
- xapata 3y agoI interpreted "trivial" as negligible, too small to cut from the budget, even in a crunch. I see you're using a different definition. However, I also think that $40k per year is a perpetual budget crunch, so not really a crunch at all.
- decafninja 3y agoTypical lunch in NYC can pretty easily hit $15-20.
- khazhoux 3y agoNo, it wasn’t about the price of a burger. My point was that just because you made a million dollars and your buddy didn’t, don’t start treating him like every simple, common social expense must be a financial burden for him.
- xapata 3y ago> every simple, common social expense I don't think a $20 burger and drink is a simple, common social expense for everyone. Certainly not on a frequent basis.
- pc86 3y agoOK, forget the price of the burger and look at the actual point they're making.
- xapata 3y agoIsn't the price the point? The question is whether the poorer of the two is comfortable with the expense. At many times in my life, I was the one "not hungry" when invited to a restaurant.
- khazhoux 3y agoFine, xapata! Yes, if you suddenly find yourself with a shitload of money, and you have friends who can't pay their bills every month, they have $0.00 in the bank, literally can't afford to ever eat out, and a $20 meal would be a grand expense and a momentous occasion for them... yes, go ahead and offer to pay for those friends every time.
- xapata 3y agoThanks, I'm glad to have your approval. If you're curious how I handle those friendships: I invite them to dinner at my place. Much as discussed in the article. And our friend group periodically chips in a bit so that they can make important purchases, especially health-related ones.