The problem with being budget minded is other people.

[The Budget Man]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I really wish I had friends who were on the same page as I am, when it comes to spending and saving money. It is so good to have you "guys" to talk to.

One of the most important discoveries my wife and I made was that we didn't see money in the same way. She is far better when it comes to stretching the cash. Me I'm better planning and putting the big picture stuff in place. Together we've got on for many years now.

Unfortunately meny people don't know how differently their partner sees money. Ther are at least 256 flavours of how an individual can see money. Thet means that we only have one chance in 65536 of having a partner who has an identical financial personality mix. Take this to the level of our friendship circle and we quickly understand why there are so few people who think and see money in the same way we do.

Enjoy your money
The Budget Man
Visit

http://www.personalitybudgeting.com/quiz

For the quiz that shows your financial personality

[Ima saver]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I have the "money for tomorrow" personality. However they do require an e mail address and now will send me an e mail once a week.

[Kirbycruiser]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

Good point Budget Man!

[debtdude]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

Here's the way I budget my "just for me" money. I have a checking account for my small business. If I want to buy something for myself, I write a check. Every day, I walk right by a huge Borders book/music store. Most days, my checkbook stays at home. This way, I can control my spending a very EASY manner...and it works great.

[The Budget Man]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

Here's the way I budget my "just for me" money. I have a checking account for my small business. If I want to buy something for myself, I write a check. Every day, I walk right by a huge Borders book/music store. Most days, my checkbook stays at home. This way, I can control my spending a very EASY manner...and it works great.

Each of us has to find a way of looking after our money that suits us. I like your idea "debtdude".

My brother keeps minimal cash in his wallet. He keeps most of the cash he has allowed himself at home and then he doesn't spend the moneyas quickly as he did when all his cash was on him all the time.

Enjoy Your Money
The Budget Man

https://www.PersonalityBudgeting.com

When you need a budget that works for you

[Ima saver]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I never carry a checkbook, I have the big ones, 3 checks to a page. I have started leaving my credit cards home too. That helps!

[FrugalBachelor]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

Only 5% of the people in the world are willing to do what it takes to succeed. .......Dennis Kimbro

Tightwads are a small elite group.......Amy Dacyczyn

My new motto for complainers in debt and potential borrowers, etc.,

"If you manage your money you will always have money to manage, if you spend your money you won't always have money to spend."

that was a great post. The elitist tightwad society. LOL

[annscash]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I am very fortunate. I live in an over 55 community and the people here all seem to be doing fine financially. So my day to day interactions with people rarely involve money discussions.

In my family my mother is terrible with money but doesn't ask for help. We send checks for holidays and if things ever get bad, we will deal with it then. She does have a house with substantial equity.

Our grown children have money management deficiencies and we have helped all of them financially. However we never help to the point where it puts us in financial stress. When they make decisions that we do not feel are the best, we do not nag at them. If they ask, we give advice but we do not get offended if they do not listen. None of them is in any serious financial trouble. However since we do not have input into their decisions, we do not feel obligated to "bail them out." Fortunately they do not ask often--most of the time they work things out themselves.

My sisters and nephews are all doing well. My husband's nephews are doing well. My best friend occasionally annoys me by crying "poor" when she is extremely well off--she just cannot ever think she will have enough. It is sad.

I am involves in some message boards such as this because I have learned some things and am in a good place financially. If I can write even one thing that helps someone, it is good.

[BCHGRL]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

When you are trying to talk to spendthrift friends or family, God forbid if you were ever like them. I was trying to talk to my 14-yr-old cousin about saving and my mom brought up things from when I was a teenager (I am 27 now.) Never mind that my husband and I have more saved than my parents do, it only matters what I did 10 years ago.

So after my spendthrift years were thrown in my face, my discussion with my cousin about saving and investing was totally moot.

Then, of course, my mom has to add what a wonderful credit rating her and my father have. Great, but what does that mean when they are 80 years old and have no means or savings to pay back loan(s) obtained on great credit?

Sorry, just a little pent up frustration.

[Bookie]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I think most of us would like to have someone who shared an interest in saving. Be grateful for the forum, or we'd really be on our own.

[TinyFish]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I have a story on this topic. It was more amusing than otherwise, though.

I remember once, my husband and I were sitting in the lunchroom at work, eating our bag lunches (we work for the same company). We were telling a friend about our kitchen remodel that was about to start. A coworker broke in, scoffing and all amazement, 'You guys are having this big kitchen remodel...and you BRING your lunches?!!'. I pointed out, 'These two facts are NOT unrelated!'.

This guy seemed to not understand at all the idea of economizing in one area so you could afford a big, even lavish, purchase in another! The really funny thing was that we usually ate leftovers from dinner for lunch, so it wasn't really very much work at all (just make a little extra and plop into containers) and it was at least as good a hot lunch as you could buy in the area, so it wasn't like we were suffering any to do it!

It isn't necessarily about being 'stingy' in all areas of your life, but spending your money where you want to spend it the most. Sure, hubby and I make a great income, we could afford lunch out every day, but it goes so much further if you aren't spending $10 each at work every day!

To add to the irony, shortly after this, the company started providing a free lunch (who says there is no such thing?). I swear it saved our lives as our kitchen was torn up and we had very little food preparation/storage capacity for six months. We had our fridge, micro, rice cooker, and an electric fry pan out on the back porch. If it couldn't be made on those three things, we didn't eat it. So bringing home the leftovers from the HUGE lunches kept us in food for the evenings, and usually most of the weekend too, with a little rice!

-TinyFish

[PrincessPerky]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I wasd recently asked to help with a friends phone that was shut off, she couldn't go the wait to pay it by mail, so I let her use my internet to pay....I really wanted to tell her to suffer..she is the one who was late..and she started to bitch that there was no special 'turn off notice'

you didn't pay! for at least two months! what kind of notice do you need! It is a phone, not a neccessity, a luxury!
grrr...I am going to vent about that for a loooong time...

[Ima saver]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

Tinyfish, I can relate. We bought a piece of property and when we sold it, we held the mortgage. after a few years of payments, we got paid off, over $30,000. When I told the girls I worked with at the restaurant I got that check, they all wanted to know what we were going to buy. They were amazed when I told them I was putting most of it into savings. We only used about $4000 to put in central heat and air. Until then, we had no air and used wood for heat. (20 years ago)

[lrjohnson]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

I pointed out, 'These two facts are NOT unrelated!'.

So many people don't get that! But it so absolutely true. "You can afford to go to Europe every year, but you wash zip loc bags and hang laundry?!?"

[kealina]

Re: The problem with being budget minded is other people.

So many people don't get that! But it so absolutely true. "You can afford to go to Europe every year, but you wash zip loc bags and hang laundry?!?"

lol... i just posted about my grandma and her frugalness on the frugal americans thread... she inherited money, has several streams of income, and lots of money... she goes to vegas at least once a year, went to europe for two weeks a couple years ago... has been to the virgin islands, disneyworld, etc...
but she still washes those baggies, those aluminum pans (like ima), cuts up old clothes for rags, uses coupons and does all her own cleaning and gardening...