Accommodation v Disposable income dilemma

marksoton

Kim_kim wrote: »

They are still paying for it...

But they don't own the asset. A lot of people could probably afford a decent Audi on finance on an average wage.

That wouldn't "Impress" me.

boliston

PlanLife wrote: »

Would you be more impressed with someone with a big, detached, modern, 3 bedroom house with an average, normal car and not a lot of disposable income to do want they want with (under £50,000) or someone with a new build, 2 bedroom, very modern, slightly smallish apartment with a nice car and a lot of disposable income to do what they want with (£100,000/£200,000)?

Not sure why the car seems to be so important - to me a car is just a money drain and not something that I would be "impressed" by. Fortunately I have no need or desire for a car but others are no so fortunate.

As for property, I would say that location is far more important than size.

gingercordial

PlanLife wrote: »

If it was your partner or your colleague from work invited you to come round and maybe hit the town after what would you rather they had?

If we're hitting the town afterwards I'm going to assume we won't be drink-driving, so not the car. But then I don't particularly want to go to my colleague's house either. Can't we just go straight to the bar?

PlanLife

More impressed by average apartment and nice other things

rosyw wrote: »

No, it means that we are mature enough to see that it's not possessions that make someone "socially mobile" it's what they're like as people and how they behave. Just because someone has a bigger house/car than me doesn't mean they are higher up the social ladder, money doesn't come into the equation! Someone with attitudes such as yours would be ridiculed in the higher echelons of society, you can't buy class, you've either got it or you haven't, and in your case...........?

Is that so?

Well look up 'social mobility' on Wikipedia and you might change your mind.

No one said you can buy class in terms of etiquette, but certain prized possessions 'place' you in a social class in terms of lifestyle and give you the chance to climb higher in life. E.g. owning a multi-million pound superyacht in Monaco would place you in and allow you to rub shoulders with the upper class. Whereas for a person who started off underclass in fostercare and hostels - having a full time job, a well kept council house and an old car would be enough to mobilise them into the working class.

HiToAll

Hello and welcome to the 1950s

PasturesNew

I don't think you're native British ... if you were you'd already know that, quite frankly, nobody gives a t0ss what others have got... and the bigger/flashier house/things, the more people will think you're a t0sser.

boliston

PlanLife wrote: »

Is that so?

Well look up 'social mobility' on Wikipedia and you might change your mind.

No one said you can buy class in terms of etiquette, but certain prized possessions 'place' you in a social class in terms of lifestyle and give you the chance to climb higher in life. E.g. owning a multi-million pound superyacht in Monaco would place you in and allow you to rub shoulders with the upper class.........

You made no mention of super-yachts........you were asking if people would be impressed by a 3 bed detached house!

PlanLife

More impressed by average apartment and nice other things

boliston wrote: »

Not sure why the car seems to be so important - to me a car is just a money drain and not something that I would be "impressed" by. Fortunately I have no need or desire for a car but others are no so fortunate.

As for property, I would say that location is far more important than size.

I know you probably heard it already but I think 'Tracy Chapmam - Fast Car' sums up why people see cars as something which could 'impress'. It's just that feeling of someone being in control (it's kind of cheesy but magic carpet ride from Aladdin too), I think it's just for people who are more keen to impress with the moment and excitement and spontaneity than people who want to impress by being a good host and being able to bring a lot of their friends together in one room and socialising and having fun in the moment in that kind of way.

PlanLife

More impressed by average apartment and nice other things

gingercordial wrote: »

If we're hitting the town afterwards I'm going to assume we won't be drink-driving, so not the car. But then I don't particularly want to go to my colleague's house either. Can't we just go straight to the bar?

Well I wouldn't be drinking but you and my other mates would be so impressed by being able to get drunk and be passengers in my cool car that you wouldn't even notice how much of a sober bore I was being (anyway we could book a hotel and get brunch there the next day then drive home seeing I would have so much disposable income)

And okay you might want to just go to the bar the first time you hang out with your colleague but after you have got aquainted as friends then eventually you'd want to chill out at each others house now and then which comes back to the question in the OP

Lioness_Twinkletoes

PlanLife wrote: »

E.g. owning a multi-million pound superyacht in Monaco would place you in and allow you to rub shoulders with the upper class.

No it wouldn't, not in the way you'd apparently like.