What you can afford?

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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Living strictly on cash is a noble thought if/when you can bring it off. Takes powerful self discipline.
Getting out of all major debts was the key for me. Monthlies and that's it.

I mostly cook at home because I'm disappointed with what I can find in restaurants.
So I buy the best qualities and the best brands that can be found.
Some meds have severeley depressed my appetite so top foods and condiments are even more important.

Since I'm old, the top quality of all my outdoor kit has become quite obvious = it's all vintage stuff that works.
Except for the little Coleman 533 stove, all the rest of it has to be pushing 35+ yrs old.
It looks like a pile but it was 40 years in the making.
I'll take a motel room, thanks. No more going out for a pee in +5C rain.
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,519
3,458
65
Exmoor
I too use cash as much as possible. It means I know how much I have spent. If the purse is empty I know I have been reckless and I have to cut something else. I'm lucky I know how to forage and often had to put nettle soup on the table in the past while trying to feed the family as I had no money to buy anything. Growing my own veg started as a nessasary thing. Learning how to pickle make jam and bread also saved money. I'm stingy with cash in many ways still but it enables me to splash out when needed and occasionally when wanted.
 
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MrEd

Life Member
Feb 18, 2010
2,148
1,053
Surrey/Sussex
www.thetimechamber.co.uk
It's dangerous for those who can. I really don't like it. I carry a notebook and write in the amount when I spend "cashless" otherwise I forget. I mentioned before, a cafe I frequented when out and about, is cashless only, because the nearest bank is now around a 70 mile round trip to pay in their takings. Apparently cashless (and no high street banks) is what the customer wants, yet my email asking how many emails and letter's have been received asking the worst culprit, remains unanswered.

Also it’s socially acceptable to run up consumer debt and buy consumer goods on credit, with no though to saving - ‘need it NOW’ generation?

My only debt is mortgage and utility bills. The rest we save for, 50% of our wages goes into a joint account and that’s what we use to buy stuff.

I have a 10year old telly, works fine but people periodically ask why I don’t upgrade to a smart tv etc - because my old one works fine , and I don’t feel it important to spend unnecessarily to just meet ‘social expectations’
 

Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,366
268
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
Also it’s socially acceptable to run up consumer debt and buy consumer goods on credit, with no though to saving - ‘need it NOW’ generation?

My only debt is mortgage and utility bills. The rest we save for, 50% of our wages goes into a joint account and that’s what we use to buy stuff.

I have a 10year old telly, works fine but people periodically ask why I don’t upgrade to a smart tv etc - because my old one works fine , and I don’t feel it important to spend unnecessarily to just meet ‘social expectations’

I've bought one TV set in my entire ilfe: in 2010. It still works perfectly well.
 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I've bought one TV set in my entire ilfe: in 2010. It still works perfectly well.
I bought my first one in 1982. I sold it when I got orders to the UK because it wasn’t compatible with your system. That aside, had I kept it, it wouldn’t be compatible with today’s cable systems either. No antennas anymore.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
It’s all well and good to be thrifty and save for emergencies. But at the end of the day money is useless in and of itself. You can’t eat it, you can’t wear it, it won’t keep you warm, etc. It’s only value is what you can buy with it. Therefore if you never spend it, you just have a pile of useless paper.
 

GuestD

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 10, 2019
1,445
700
Here's a quote;

"When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realize that one cannot eat money."
 
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GuestD

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 10, 2019
1,445
700
I don't feel too bad. Chatting to someone earlier about the fact he had spent ~£1,400 for him and his son to watch a game of football last week.....

I know people who are paying in excess of that a month on finance repayments before they eat.
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
1,981
975
Canada
Lots of people paying lots of money to get from Canada to San Francisco to watch the Raptors at the moment. Same kinds of loony price stories. (Hah! Loony, canadian joke there)

Big chance of not winning tonight even though lots of Warriors players are watching from the touchline injured
 
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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
If you have money, it must be spent or invested.
No good saving it in the mattress.....

Money must be kept in circulation.

The game will be interesting, I will watch parts of it!
 
Jul 24, 2017
1,163
444
somerset
Tooth! health is every thing, you cant do or enjoy much if your not good, next car, they make money and easy life, then house always nice to have a good cave!
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,980
7,755
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
I'm afraid I take a slightly different view than most. I'm a (semi) retired self-employed businessman and I have always treated my personal finance the same as my business. If I can borrow at a lower rate than I can reap I borrow if not I will either use cash or not spend. So, if I want to buy a £2K car and can borrow at 3% but I have an opportunity to use the £2K to return 10% I'll borrow to buy the car (or to finance the investment, whichever way you want to look at it) - to get reward there usually has to be risk but the level of risk can be controlled. It's worked for me anyway :)
 

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