The older you get and/or the more you travel around this planet, the more you realize you don’t need a fraction of the “stuff” you thought you needed, and thought you couldn’t live without!
The delicate balance between Wants and Needs is a constant struggle. A lot of folks fail to accept that you have to cover your Needs first as a matter of survival. Even those that do can let their Wants control our decisions on how to fill our Needs in extravagant ways. Especially in the areas of Shelter, Food, Clothing and Transportation. The real problem is that people are rarely satisfied with what they have.
In the last six months of his life, my father was suffering from Lou Gherig’s disease. He elected to pay for home care after being poorly served by a nursing home. When I brought up the extreme cost, he looked at me and replied “It’s only money”. Up until that moment, I had always thought of him as cheap.
We try not to spend money. We often wonder how husband and his sister came from the same household – she spends as if money was water even when her husband lost his business and she does not work. (She called one of my sisters who used to work for a headhunter company to have her find her husband a second job- my sister was shocked that she did not work and wanted husband to run his business and have a second job.) For her younger daughter’s first communion each of them (sister in law, 17 yo daughter and daughter making communion) had 3 dresses for the event. They were designed by SIL and made by a dressmaker – the dresses for church were crazy – niece making communion looked like one of the balls of tulle that one uses to wash dishes and her sister was in a full length, split up beyond the knee Chinese gown. They also paid for her to have a private first communion, not with the rest of her class. They did not anyone that was invited to the reception to the church other than us and BIL’s mom. For the reception – a wedding level one – there were evening dresses for all 3 of them. Then there were dresses for them to change into to wear home. We figure well over $10,000 for the dresses plus the 3 suits for BIL. There may have been more dresses as when older niece made her first communion she had a dress for church, one for photos, one for dinner and one to go home in.
Now on the other hand – we can get by on less than anyone can believe. Husband likes to eat out. We eat lunch out daily – $3.88 for the two of us at Wendys (and it was $3.38 until the price of the junior burger). Either Friday or Sunday night we go to an Asian buffet for our big dinner out at about $33 including tax /tip. Saturday night we go to Wendys for dinner (costs more as we have more to eat – so, maybe $9. Movie Saturday night is $14. The meal for the opposite Friday or Sunday night is either Chinese take in or Ikea cafeteria. The former runs us under $20, the latter about $15. So 3 dinners out plus a movie costs us around $71-76 for the entire weekend. SIL when they go out pay more than that for meal. Had to go to the dinner with them – we ordered burgers with nothing with them to save money (and felt ripped off by the price). They had 3 dinners for $25+ plus food for the younger daugher – yes, they are 4 people, but their dinner for the night was what we pay for the weekend for 3 lunches, 3 dinners, and movies.
Husband has a fancier cell phone than me – it is a moto bought at Costco – much less than Galaxy or Iphone. My phone was under $50 and I was upset to be getting it – only got because my old Blackberry died and would not make phone calls any longer (and I thought about making only Internet phone calls) about 4 or 5 years ago.
We try to pay as little as possible for everything we need and buy as close to what need only. We both have Win 7 computers. Did not want to change for Win 10 or pay for same. Solution as I need same as annual work software needs is we are building a small Win 10 and will share it and use our Win 7s otherwise.
Try to live nice – but cheap. Oh, our van is 31 years old.
Templo S.U.D. about 4 years ago
and we all have to deal with it
sergioandrade Premium Member about 4 years ago
He doesn’t believe everybody needs everything, how Un-American of him.
Grumpy Old Guy about 4 years ago
Everyone can’t have everything, because someone winds up with nothing…
ikini Premium Member about 4 years ago
“You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”
matthew about 4 years ago
Wise man, that Sergio.
Michael G. about 4 years ago
Perfectly programmed consumers.
Diat60 about 4 years ago
‘Tis a wise son that realizes his father’s wisdom.
Linguist about 4 years ago
The older you get and/or the more you travel around this planet, the more you realize you don’t need a fraction of the “stuff” you thought you needed, and thought you couldn’t live without!
WCraft Premium Member about 4 years ago
As Stephen Wright said: You can’t have everything – where would you put it?
COL Crash about 4 years ago
The delicate balance between Wants and Needs is a constant struggle. A lot of folks fail to accept that you have to cover your Needs first as a matter of survival. Even those that do can let their Wants control our decisions on how to fill our Needs in extravagant ways. Especially in the areas of Shelter, Food, Clothing and Transportation. The real problem is that people are rarely satisfied with what they have.
whenlifewassimpler about 4 years ago
Dad is right.
bakana about 4 years ago
Not to mention the Most Recent Release of Everything.
Charlie Fogwhistle about 4 years ago
In the last six months of his life, my father was suffering from Lou Gherig’s disease. He elected to pay for home care after being poorly served by a nursing home. When I brought up the extreme cost, he looked at me and replied “It’s only money”. Up until that moment, I had always thought of him as cheap.
mafastore about 4 years ago
We try not to spend money. We often wonder how husband and his sister came from the same household – she spends as if money was water even when her husband lost his business and she does not work. (She called one of my sisters who used to work for a headhunter company to have her find her husband a second job- my sister was shocked that she did not work and wanted husband to run his business and have a second job.) For her younger daughter’s first communion each of them (sister in law, 17 yo daughter and daughter making communion) had 3 dresses for the event. They were designed by SIL and made by a dressmaker – the dresses for church were crazy – niece making communion looked like one of the balls of tulle that one uses to wash dishes and her sister was in a full length, split up beyond the knee Chinese gown. They also paid for her to have a private first communion, not with the rest of her class. They did not anyone that was invited to the reception to the church other than us and BIL’s mom. For the reception – a wedding level one – there were evening dresses for all 3 of them. Then there were dresses for them to change into to wear home. We figure well over $10,000 for the dresses plus the 3 suits for BIL. There may have been more dresses as when older niece made her first communion she had a dress for church, one for photos, one for dinner and one to go home in.
mafastore about 4 years ago
Now on the other hand – we can get by on less than anyone can believe. Husband likes to eat out. We eat lunch out daily – $3.88 for the two of us at Wendys (and it was $3.38 until the price of the junior burger). Either Friday or Sunday night we go to an Asian buffet for our big dinner out at about $33 including tax /tip. Saturday night we go to Wendys for dinner (costs more as we have more to eat – so, maybe $9. Movie Saturday night is $14. The meal for the opposite Friday or Sunday night is either Chinese take in or Ikea cafeteria. The former runs us under $20, the latter about $15. So 3 dinners out plus a movie costs us around $71-76 for the entire weekend. SIL when they go out pay more than that for meal. Had to go to the dinner with them – we ordered burgers with nothing with them to save money (and felt ripped off by the price). They had 3 dinners for $25+ plus food for the younger daugher – yes, they are 4 people, but their dinner for the night was what we pay for the weekend for 3 lunches, 3 dinners, and movies.
Husband has a fancier cell phone than me – it is a moto bought at Costco – much less than Galaxy or Iphone. My phone was under $50 and I was upset to be getting it – only got because my old Blackberry died and would not make phone calls any longer (and I thought about making only Internet phone calls) about 4 or 5 years ago.
We try to pay as little as possible for everything we need and buy as close to what need only. We both have Win 7 computers. Did not want to change for Win 10 or pay for same. Solution as I need same as annual work software needs is we are building a small Win 10 and will share it and use our Win 7s otherwise.
Try to live nice – but cheap. Oh, our van is 31 years old.