The end of May.

[Marco]

its all very easy to theorise, but then life takes a hand, and you have to do what is needed even if you aint got it.

Sorry mate, I disagree. You should be disciplined enough always to live within your means, so in respect of the above, you never have to 'do what's needed', because it's already been done. If you ain't got it, then don't seek to have it!

Do without. Simples. We, as a society, seem to have lost the ability to do without things we can't afford, which is mainly why there's so much debt.

At one time, if you didn't have the money to buy something, you simply didn't have it. Now a dangerous and fundamentally-embedded culture exists of 'I WANT', at all costs, so no wonder some folks find themselves financially in the state that they're in.

What always amazes me too, as has already been mentioned, is not only the folks who overspend on takeaway food/drinks and ready meals, proving that they've *GOT IT* in the first place, but the ones who spend FORTUNES funding a drinking and/or smoking habit, then moan to everyone that they're always skint!

Clue: if you gave up your bad habits, you wouldn't bloody well be skint...!

Marco.

[willbewill]

+ 1

I currently work on the minimum wage & learned how to budget and save [so I occasionally get to buy a new magic box]. We now live under a mixed economy with huge and ever increasing state intervention - it certainly isn't a capitalist system in the classical sense. I've never wanted what many others around me seemed to want - to own their own house, to have a career, to gather material wealth, &c. That's not a criticism of those who do work long hours or take risks for those goals, only that for me meeting my economic obligations by working shortest number of hours a week possible was a more desirable goal. Forgoing pursuing a higher standard of material comfort in exchange for more time to devote to pursuing cultural wealth has seemed preferable to me.

Contentment...the best possible goal. Hat's off to you my friend.

[Marco]

Genuine contentment is worth more than ANY amount of money, which often patently fails to deliver contentment!

Also, in these 'rat race' times, where everyone is running around like headless chickens, working all the hours under the sun, to fund lifestyles they can ill afford, TIME is such a precious commodity...

Having TIME to enjoy life, with those you love, and do what YOU want to do (not what the company you work for or boss wants), is for me intrinsically linked with fulfilment and contentment, and so just as valuable. After all, what's the point in having pots of cash in the bank, if you've got no *time* to enjoy it...??

Marco.

[willbewill]

Spot on, John!

And me too, which is why I only ever saw my working life as a means to an end, not an end in itself... It's amazing to me (and also deeply sad) how for so many folks, their job is their LIFE, which usually tells me that's the case because they've really got nothing else.

Now, if you're *genuinely* happy with that state of affairs (rather than simply kidding yourself on), then cool.

However, so often it's the case that folk are 'married' to the jobs because there's nothing else in their lives that's worthwhile, so they keep themselves busy simply to blot out, deep down, their unhappiness and loneliness - and that can occur even within a marital relationship, when the love's long since gone out of it, if indeed it ever existed in the first place....

Marco.

I'd put a proviso in... there's can be a big difference between a job and a career.

Most of my working life was in building conservation, it was my career, I loved it, it wasn't like a job it was a pleasure, for which I got paid.

However the career eventually turned into a job when I ended up stuck in head office, I took a big hit on my pension and left...six years early.

[struth]

Sorry mate, I disagree. You should be disciplined enough always to live within your means, so in respect of the above, you never have to 'do what's needed', because it's already been done. If you ain't got it, then don't seek to have it!

Do without. Simples.

What always amazes me, as has already been mentioned, is not only the folks who overspend on takeaway food/drinks and ready meals, proving that they *HAVE IT* in the first place, but those who spend FORTUNES funding a drinking and/or smoking habit, then moan to everyone that they're poor!

Clue: if you gave up that unnecessary shite, you wouldn't be poor...

Marco.

well my neighbour had to get into debt due to a dying child for instance... but sure thats not a reason either eh? you see, life isnt just that simple alas....there can be lots of reasons where this can happen...

[willbewill]

well my neighbour had to get into debt due to a dying child for instance... but sure thats not a reason either eh? you see, life isnt just that simple alas....there can be lots of reasons where this can happen...

Yeah that's a hard call, I know how difficult it is for family and friends under the US system, my son in law had surgery recently and there were complications. He works for a large company with good health care etc, but will still end up with a large bill.

[Alex_UK]

+ 1

I currently work on the minimum wage & learned how to budget and save [so I occasionally get to buy a new magic box]. We now live under a mixed economy with huge and ever increasing state intervention - it certainly isn't a capitalist system in the classical sense. I've never wanted what many others around me seemed to want - to own their own house, to have a career, to gather material wealth, &c. That's not a criticism of those who do work long hours or take risks for those goals, only that for me meeting my economic obligations by working shortest number of hours a week possible was a more desirable goal. Forgoing pursuing a higher standard of material comfort in exchange for more time to devote to pursuing cultural wealth has seemed preferable to me.

Great post!

I've visited a lot of graveyards in my time, and never have I seen a tombstone saying "I wish I'd gone to work more."

I do have a good job and don't really want for anything, but I made a conscious decision when my kids were born that I wouldn't chase a career that would mean I never saw them growing up. If I'd taken a City job I would never have seen them in the week, and would have been too knackered at the weekends to have any fun with them! Some things are more precious than money in the bank, the latest car or shiny box. Most of my spare cash is spent creating memories.

[Marco]

well my neighbour had to get into debt due to a dying child for instance... but sure thats not a reason either eh? you see, life isnt just that simple alas....there can be lots of reasons where this can happen...

Ok, but that was exceptional circumstances, and hardly the norm. Also, I don't know the circumstances of course, but I'm almost certain that there could've been another way. Couldn't any friends or family have helped out and loaned them the cash they needed?

What was the illness in question, and was it not treatable on the NHS? Also, I presume that the illness wasn't terminal, and so the debt accrued, allowed the child the treatment it needed to save its life? Otherwise it would all be rather pointless.

Marco.

[Marco]

I've visited a lot of graveyards in my time, and never have I seen a tombstone saying "I wish I'd gone to work more."

I do have a good job and don't really want for anything, but I made a conscious decision when my kids were born that I wouldn't chase a career that would mean I never saw them growing up. If I'd taken a City job I would never have seen them in the week, and would have been too knackered at the weekends to have any fun with them! Some things are more precious than money in the bank, the latest car or shiny box. Most of my spare cash is spent creating memories.

*Spot on*, Alex! An admirable outlook, and no doubt it's also proved to be a rewarding one

THAT is the correct way to be a parent. Textbook stuff! Now, it's just a pity so many these days haven't followed your example!

As far as money goes, the only purpose it should serve is in providing you with a comfortable standard of living, giving you the FREEDOM to do the things YOU want to do, allowing you to pay all the bills, LIVE well [and that doesn't mean expensively], and still see plenty of your wife and/or kids.

The bottom line is that money should be a slave to YOU, and never *you* a slave to IT.................. It should always be treated responsibly. As long as you've got 'enough', what more do you need?

Marco.

[anthonyTD]

Excelent post John
A...

+ 1

I currently work on the minimum wage & learned how to budget and save [so I occasionally get to buy a new magic box]. We now live under a mixed economy with huge and ever increasing state intervention - it certainly isn't a capitalist system in the classical sense. I've never wanted what many others around me seemed to want - to own their own house, to have a career, to gather material wealth, &c. That's not a criticism of those who do work long hours or take risks for those goals, only that for me meeting my economic obligations by working shortest number of hours a week possible was a more desirable goal. Forgoing pursuing a higher standard of material comfort in exchange for more time to devote to pursuing cultural wealth has seemed preferable to me.