Living like rich people?

determined_new_ms

I want to read this whole thread but don't have time right now!

I have over the years become very interested in minimalism and anti consumerist. But I have struggled to put it into practice always. Recently I became aware that every time I went out I came back with bags of stuff and it was a little disconcerting.

At the same time I read a few articles on families who went a year without buying anything new at all and I was very inspired by what they did. So I decided to take the plunge and have not bought anything new since 18th June - early days I know!

The first week was the hardest. But after that my days have been filled with gardening, my allotment, spending time with my lo going to the park, library and generally free things and my partner (evenings!) This has very quickly morphed into trying to live more sustainably, not taking more than we need in any respect. A positive side effect has been when I put out our fortnightly wheelie bins there are only 2 bin bags in there. My clothes are adequate, I don't need more for any event (even though through being minimalist I really don't have loads). It has been very liberating!

It has also shown me that I don't *need* as much money as I thought I did. After having a year off of work (I lost my job last year which was devastating and then as I was driving home I received a call to say my mother had died and having a dd with mh problems for a number of years I needed some time off to recuperate) I am about to return to work part time. Due to the stresses in my life I decided to take a step down in responsibility. I will be on 1/4 of what I was earning 2 years ago but it doesn't seem like it will effect my standard of life very much. I fact I will still be able to pay all my outgoings, have spending money and save about £250 each month.

I guess it's how you view your time and what is of value to you. I have discovered time to relax, spend with friends and family, enjoying hobbies is of much more value to me than buying stuff

lessonlearned

Good luck determined new money saver. I think if you can stick with it you will find your moratorium on spending will be a game changer.

I have been doing something similar, ie no unnecessary spending and I have found it liberating. I had gradually been moving to a more minimalist lifestyle anyway and I have to say I love it. I now live simply but very well and manage to save around 50 per cent of my net income. I shall use some of this to fund travelling and adventures and some to help increase further income generation for the future.

I was born poor and have mixed with all sorts of people, from millionaires to people who lived from one pay day to another. I have known people who were born even poorer than myself who are now seriously rich and I have known people who were born into wealth who have blown the lot. I know one aristo who now lives in a council house having squandered every advantage given to him.

What strikes me is the difference in attitudes. I have known people who appear rich because they have comfortable lifestyles (like Teacher) and yet they actually have very modest incomes. I probably fall into this category. People just assume I'm wealthy. If only they knew. :rotfl:

I have known people who have very good incomes who have nothing to fall back in. As we say around here "all fur coat and no knickers" :rotfl: Like Teacher says when difficulties arise they just "disappear".

I think it's not about how much money you have it's what you do with it. Often "the poor" have a spending mentality which means they blow the lot as soon as they get paid, and they often go into debt to buy "stuff" - cars, holidays, clothes, gadgets and gizmos.

Nowhere is this more noticeable than how we spend on our children. A lot of people insist on giving children too much of everything, toys, presents, clothes, lavish parties.

My children's grandparents were a classic example of this. My parents insisted on buying my children far too much. My husband's parents took a different approach, just a couple of small gifts for Christmas and birthdays and then a savings bond as the main present. Needless to say the savings bond was far more valuable over time.

A friend of mine had a grandfather who never bought him a present. He did however buy his grandson shares every Christmas and birthday. When my friend was 25 he had enough in shares for a deposit for a house. The grandfather also spent a lot of quality time with his grandson too, again far more valuable than "stuff".

It's fascinating really.

I think that excessive spending is often down to boredom or lack of imagination. I think if you are creative in your thinking you can find ways of having your cake and eating it too.

With a bit of careful planning and thinking before you reach for your purse or wallet you can enjoy a great lifestyle and still have money to save for that rainy day.

poppasmurf_bewdley

lush_walrus wrote: »

That's true also of some, my friends parents have a large 5 storey house in Chelsea I imagine it's worth 5 or 6 million maybe more. But The wealth is all in the house, outside of that they are quite normal people earning probably 100 or a little more between them.

Personally in that position I would sell and change to somewhere cheaper..

What the great Mike Harding used to refer to as 'fur coat and no knickers'. Nobody could express it better than that!

FBaby

It all comes down to whether you find happiness within yourself, or need material things to make you happy.

You have rich people who appreciate the simple things in life, the fact that they have security and that they can enjoy life without the stress of making sure their account balance at the end of the month. They are confident in who they are and don't need to impress the neighbours to feel good about themselves.

Then you have those who made huge sacrifices to be where they are and feel that they need to compensate by spending a lot and getting some self-worth in being envied by those who didn't make the same sacrifices.

Then you have those who spend beyond their mean because they feel that they have a right to enjoy the same luxuries as the above group, and again, get a sense of self-worth by accumulating material things.

stingey

Tim_Mullis wrote: »

Through my life I've known several people who are comfortably well off in Devon, some of them from families that have always been 'well to do". Now here's the odd thing, they don't spend much.

Firsty they live in houses that have flag stone or floor boards. Traditional wooden windows with thick curtains. Very little in terms of 'devices' preferring to potter in the garden or read in front of the fire. A large AGA (year's old) that burns readily available logs from the area. A Volvo or Landy for a car that is years old.

Every item that is bought is carefully chosen and well invested in. Furniture is solid wood or leather and lasts many decades.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!
[purplesignup][/purplesignup]

I would absolutely agree. I actually saw this is practice a few weeks ago. I was in Cathiness in the Highlands and visited the Castle of Mey which was owned by the Queen Mother. What suprised me most of all was the tour guide showing us the QM old mackintosh, welly boots and clothing on display. It was bought once and reused to the point cuffs became frayed and tattered and then repaired. In the kitchen, there was a food warmer and fridge that was purchased in the 1960s and is still used to this day! Prince Charles rents the castle 2 weeks of the year.

The QM spent most of her time outdoors when possible. Grew veg in the garden and produce was bought locally.

Eye opener. I'm not a fan of the royals, but I can probably say they're not the most consumer minded. Things were obviously bought to last and not upgraded or replaced on a whim or dislike of something. Only when something couldn't be repaired. Think we can all take something from this

Mojisola

stingey wrote: »

Eye opener. I'm not a fan of the royals, but I can probably say they're not the most consumer minded.

Things were obviously bought to last and not upgraded or replaced on a whim or dislike of something. Only when something couldn't be repaired.

On the other hand, the QM left over £7m of debt when she died so she managed to spend on some things.

stingey

Mojisola wrote: »

On the other hand, the QM left over £7m of debt when she died so she managed to spend on some things.

Ha so it's just not us 'peasants ' who can't handle our money!

lessonlearned

Mojisola wrote: »

On the other hand, the QM left over £7m of debt when she died so she managed to spend on some things.

Exactly .......Coutts Bank let her run up that overdraft....so maybe not so cost conscious as the tour guide would have you believe. :rotfl:

Maybe I should switch banks.......;)

poppasmurf_bewdley

Mojisola wrote: »

On the other hand, the QM left over £7m of debt when she died so she managed to spend on some things.

Apparently she used copious amounts of gin and tonic.

khris210

Way back on this thread, someone said about buying "cheap flashy clothes". I think that's a bit emotive. Cheap clothes don't have to be flashy. A well known cheap retailer (Pre-marche - think about it) sells cheap clothes which are not all by any means flashy. They may not last long (at 73 I should worry) but when I'm done with them they go to charity or recycling, and it gives work to the shop workers and the makers. I shop at charity shops and retailers; it all keeps money circulating and bits of it stick to everybodys fingers on its way round! Last night somebody observed that we didn't look like we were short of a bob or two. I was astonished and puzzled that we gave that impression, since we are on a basic state pension plus a bit of savings, so obviously our efforts to look rich by shopping at Pre-marche and charity shops have succeeded! (We also lease an Electric car, which while impressively new, is cheaper overall to own than the 3 year old equivalently sized petrol car we had before-figures available on request)