Money

Money is something that we all have to use, whether it's our parents handing us money to spend or us saving as much money as we can during college.

How do treat and spend your money? How have you treated your money in the past, like when you were still a kid/teenager? How has your relationship been with money throughout your life and with your family? Do you like to save your money, or splurge a bit?

Personally, I think I've yet to seriously feel the impact that money can have on me, since I've lived under the roof of my father, and even though he's gone through shaky times, he knows how to obtain and save money, so he does better financially for himself and I than other single parents would with themselves and their children. When he had a sparse amount of money, my dad would tell me and I would understand that splurging was a bad idea. So, while I was kind of spoiled both when my parents were together and apart, I think I had a good concept of the importance of money and to not use it poorly.

But I'm leaving to college soon, so my relationship with money is changing drastically. I feel like I must spend every penny wisely and I should think more than I did before I buy anything because I'll have classes and housing to pay for. Not saying I'd rather be under my dad's wing... God, no. D: I'm glad that I'm going out there and experiencing the responsibilities of the average adult.

Money is a blight on mankind and the sooner we get rid of it and look to different ways of structuring our economy, the sooner we can progress as a species, with real freedom and real justice for all.



I donate monthly to UNICEF and Amnesty International, then spend money on car fuel, and the rest of it goes to saving money/having fun. I save money, only so that I buy the things I want, so that I can have more fun. That's all it is to me, a means to have more fun.

As a kid, I was irresponsible, of course. Money served no other purpose to me than buying what I desired. Now, at the threshold of adulthood, I treat money with much care and accuracy. I'm getting my own credit card soon, and so it's quite an eye-opener that money is hard to get and even more difficult to keep.

I'm saving up money to travel. Travelling is one of the most expensive things out there, so I guess it's going to keep me occupied for a long time. I still falter sometimes and end up buying something that is not worth the money, but I reckon it happens with people every now and then. :'>

I've never really had money problems because I pay very little rent. Even though I haven't worked in 6 months I have enough to reasonably subsist for another 5 years or so, as a result I'm definitely not working again until I graduate.

But yeah, I agree with Saul's post completely. We'd be better off without it.

Nevertheless, I use money to pay for my necessities, for recreation and to donate to the needy. I've never had financial problems because I've never bought anything on credit and never will (this will include stuff like when I buy a car and/or house) nothing but straight up cash because I find the idea of paying double for something just to get it now and prop up credit companies stupid.

I hardly ever spend money. I love seeing it pile up in my bank account (or seeing the big numbers when I check my balance), but cos I hardly buy anything except games. I did this... survey thing once, and being straightedge meant I spent half the amount people of my age spend on average.


I have a sizeable amount sitting on my desk (converted from the unspent euros I took to spain), and I love looking at it, picking it up, etc.


I love money


I once held £5,000 in my hands. In cash. Was nice.

When I got my first job, I understood the importance of saving my money. I was able to save up enough to afford books for school and any other necessities for the year.
Now at my current job, I'm making a lot more money, so I'm really serious about saving it.
My family never had insane problems with money, but I was aware we never had a lot, so I've learned to be practical with what I spend money on.

I deeply regret not thinking more about money when I was in high school or even younger.

Acquiring huge sums of money was never a personal ambition of mine. In fact, it was boring and stressful to think about.

Now it is beginning to dawn on me how naive and foolish I was to not "care" about money. Money may not buy happiness, but it can facilitate it.

Ex: I've always been very frugal with how I spend money. But I've experimented a bit lately, and you know what I've noticed? When I spend money on myself--such as buying a massage, good food, or nice clothing, it actually has a direct effect on my self-esteem. Not only is there the pleasure producing dopamine surge at the moment of purchase, but I think an indirect effect of a cognitive dissonance: if I buy nice things, I must be a person of value. Morally, such a doctrine is clearly bankrupt, but I have noticed that it can actually influence behavior. I feel more proactive, energetic, ambitious, and generative when I invest in myself.

I do partially agree that money is a blight on humanity. The level of inequality in this country is reaching disgusting levels. It makes me so mad that the people who do the necessary work for society to function receive so little compensation and such little respect, while those who know how to game the system and exploit the labor of others walk away with huge swaths of money.

However, this sad state of affairs is reality and it's not going to change. Considering our current political climate, it can only get worse. Ironically, I was just about to start my own thread on "financial literacy" when I saw this. Despite how boring I find the topic, I've become convinced that learning how to invest money is an investment of time and effort that it pays to make.

no offense, i mean this respectfully, but i don't see the point in saying "we would be better off without the plague that is money" and then go "but it does help me so i'll just use it and wait for us to eventually get rid of it as a society"

edit: but whatever, this be me.

i usually don't have it. i've had money issues my whole life. it sucks. i am a blower, though. oh, you're giving me money? what can i spend this on? i want things. that's how i do it anyway, and it isn't smart. but it nets me a lot of stuff.

but it is dumb, i've known what it's like to not have money since i was a young child and it isn't good times. i'm trying to be smarter these days, but it's just kind of how i am. i impulsively blow my money when i get it

Originally Posted by forte

no offense, i mean this respectfully, but i don't see the point in saying "we would be better off without the plague that is money" and then go "but it does help me so i'll just use it and wait for us to eventually get rid of it as a society"

Well whether I agree with the idea of money or not, at the end of the day if I don't pay my rent my ass is on the street, if I don't pay my tuition I don't go to school.

The choice that is before me is tolerate the idea of money as it currently exists in my society and get an education/ have a roof over my head vs. not accept the idea of money and live on the street/ don't get educated.

The choices are less than agreeable, but I choose the former.

Originally Posted by Pietro

Well whether I agree with the idea of money or not, at the end of the day if I don't pay my rent my ass is on the street, if I don't pay my tuition I don't go to school.

The choice that is before me is tolerate the idea of money as it currently exists in my society and get an education/ have a roof over my head vs. not accept the idea of money and live on the street/ don't get educated.

The choices are less than agreeable, but I choose the former.

i suppose we look at things differently then.

what about the other stuff you spend money on? things for recreation.

Originally Posted by forte

i suppose we look at things differently then.

what about the other stuff you spend money on? things for recreation.

Its really the same idea, voting with your dollar doesn't work. If I don't spend money on things nothing will change. The only difference will be a lack of entertainment for me. Changes only happen through protest and political action, not the actions of individuals. Which is why I took part in various protests such as Occupy Victoria Square and the daily protests on the Quebec tuition hike and will be going into politics in the future.

Fact is, whether I buy a video game or not won't change the financial structure and philosophy of Canada. Refusing to buy entertainment on that basis is nothing but empty symbolism rather than proactive action.

Originally Posted by forte

no offense, i mean this respectfully, but i don't see the point in saying "we would be better off without the plague that is money" and then go "but it does help me so i'll just use it and wait for us to eventually get rid of it as a society"

It's not like we have any semblance of a choice of whether or not we participate in the market based economy. We have to or we simple lack the resources to live and thus die.

So yeah, ♥♥♥♥ money.

As with most kids, when I was little and I recieved money, I spent it on whatever. I thought $100 was a LOT of money back then.

During high school, I became a little more careful with it. Intead of spending it all on one item, I'd try to stretch it as far as I could.

Now, since I'm in college, I get student loans. About $3,000 a semester. I live with my parents, so I only have to worry about getting things like food and toiletries. I can usually make that $3,000 last through a semester, counting school supplies and such. However, it's much harder to do so during the summer. As I speak, I have $50 in the bank, and another month to go before classes start.

I've tried setting up a monthly budget of $300: $200 for food and the other $100 for whatever. It doesn't work so well. I feel confined. I like spending money. I like getting things for myself. Hell, I even like grocery shopping. As Bill said, buying things for myself makes me feel better.

I'm not a huge spender, though. I'll think and re-think about everything I buy. I hesitate to spend over $100 on a single item. Even $100 sometimes seems like too much. I consider myself more careful with my money than most people my age, but I do spend it quite often, when I have it.

A money thread and 2 songs have been posted, but neither were the following?


I spend way too much money lately. I've got to learn how to chill a little more.

Originally Posted by Ty

A money thread and 2 songs have been posted, but neither were the following?


I spend way too much money lately. I've got to learn how to chill a little more.

As far as money songs go, this is on top in my mind.

Even though I may not have much money, I am not a spender. I never have been. Even at times when I was just sitting there with $1,000 notes in my hand, I just put it all away under my bed and didn't think twice about it. This was three years ago and the money is still there now, untouched.

I never see money as real importance in my life, even though it does make the world go round in this day and age.



If I won $50 million dollars from a lottery ticket tomorrow, I don't think I'd feel any different than I do now. Sure I feel like I would have more of an advantage in life, but nothing else will change, and I am certainly not the type to "spend" huge amounts on pointless stuff like mansions and ferraris etc.

Originally Posted by Eternal Legend

If I won $50 million dollars from a lottery ticket tomorrow, I don't think I'd feel any different than I do now. Sure I feel like I would have more of an advantage in life, but nothing else will change, and I am certainly not the type to "spend" huge amounts on pointless stuff like mansions and ferraris etc.

If I ever won that much, I'd be sure to get myself all kinds of attorneys, lawyers, and financial advisers to make that money last. I've heard too many stories of lottery winners spending all their money within a year, and either committing suicide or becoming homeless.

I think my attitude toward money has been greatly shaped by my dad. My dad grew up poor, and spent most of his life poor, so he thinks that if, suddenly, he won millions of dollars his life would suddenly be all sunshine and rainbows. It doesn't matter how many times I tell him that isn't true. Having more money only means you have more to worry about. You may have the financial means to do something, but money isn't infinite, and runs out someday. If won the lottery and went out to buy 50 cars, what's he going to do with those 50 cars once the money runs out? But still, he thinks that being rich would automatically give him a better, happier life, but I say this isn't true. He assumes that ever rich person on this planet is happy as can be, simply for the fact that they're rich.

He's also a big gambler. Between himself and my mom, they spend over $400 a month gambling, and don't even win HALF of what they ever spend. They KNOW they're never going to win huge sums of money, but they do it anyway. This is the reason I don't understand their mentality. I never saw the use behind gambling - I've done it, twice - and I just don't see its appeal, shoving your money into a rigged machine and hoping you get something out of it.

My dad hopes that someday, someone will just give him a million dollars and he can die happy. Sigh.

This thread depresses me because I haven't been the most careful with mine in recent years.

I used to save all my money I made a couple years ago. Then I fell into a bad place and spent almost all of it (thousands) on weed and weed accessories over the course of 7 months.

I finally quit and began saving again, but seeing as I quit my job a few months later and moved for college I've been pretty much broke everyday since all my money I do have goes to rent, pg&e, my isp, food, etc..

I'm planning on getting a part-time job next semester so I can actually have some kind of fun on the weekends... Blast my immaturity two years ago.

So learn from me and my mistakes.

I'm pretty responsible with my money. I always know how much I have and how much I can spend to meet my savings goal. I'm hoping to save 30k by 2014, which shouldn't be too hard.