What you can afford?

[Robson Valley]

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]

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.

 

[MrEd]

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]

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.

 

[sunndog]

That's got to be one of the saddest post I've read.

Exactly what I was thinking

 

[santaman2000]

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]

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]

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."

 

[Billy-o]

I'll take a motel room, thanks. No more going out for a pee in +5C rain.

See, this is where self-catheterization can be a real money saver.

 

[Stew]

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.....

 

[GuestD]

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.

 

[Janne]

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.....

Did his team lose?
Because that would suck.....

 

[Billy-o]

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

 

[Janne]

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!

 

[Robson Valley]

Rude buggers. Good to see that part owner banned for 12 months and fined $500,000.
Basketball is a Canadian game, anyway.

 

[snappingturtle]

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!

 

[Janne]

You do not any natural teeth. I can make you a such well fitting and beautiful denture you can not imagine.
I use a dental laboratory in Sweden.

 

[Broch]

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

 

[snappingturtle]

You do not any natural teeth. I can make you a such well fitting and beautiful denture you can not imagine.
I use a dental laboratory in Sweden.

I would not want to be a gummy old crinkly! implants for me Janne, high grade ceramic for me thank you!

 

[Tengu]

Now that is a good way to do things.

(£2K would be a very posh car for me).