The Idea of Money

[Wade]

Money controls people...people do not control money.

At an early age we learnt about money, we're told "If you behave at the store I will buy you a treat"......control of emotion. Most people have a conflicting emotional state with money, they love it when they have it and they hate it when the don't. It's not their fault, as stated earlier its embeded into their beliefs. Why is it that when you NEED money you get it, and at the last second? Maybe its the LOA, "I have enough to get by". Or when you really WANT something you will do what ever it takes to get it, and you will...a new x-box a new shirt, or even a new car. You know dam well you can't afford it, but it does'nt matter because you also know that you ALWAYS get by. Even if you buy that item with your credit card because you have no MONEY. Sorry, got off the topic.

We are born to indulge. Its our primal brain taking over. We need to learn to control money (I'm trying). Not just budget our money, this really just gives us a better picture on how the money flows to us and away from us. Hey, if there is a little left over lets go buy Y.

There is a direct connection between when we have money and when we don't. When we don't have money we say "I would love to get that", "Man I would look cool in that car", "My treat next time". So waht happens when we do get a little extra cash....POOF.

I have a long way to go befor I start to use and consider money as a tool.

Just my 2c

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Wade

Money controls people...people do not control money.
At an early age we learnt about money, we're told "If you behave at the store I will buy you a treat"......control of emotion.

This is a clear example of PEOPLE controlling other people through the use of money...not money controlling people.

People ALLOW themselves to be controlled by money...money has no inherent power other than that which WE give it! It's neutral. If we weren't so attached to the notion that money buys us happiness, security etc. we probably wouldn't spend so excessively or end up in debt. Redefining what security IS to us could help here, the same goes with happiness in this case.

It's not easy though.

[curiouslyrandom]

As a little kid, my mom pointed out a guy at the grocery store who looked pretty scruffy and told me "see that man? He's one of the richest men in town. He's so well off that he doesn't feel the need to impress anyone with fancy clothes or a fancy car. Remember that. You can't always tell how wealthy a person is by what you see on the outside."

When you put that in perspective of the fact I grew up in a very wealthy part of California, it has even more of an impact.

Over time I learned to trust people who don't go for ostentatious displays of wealth and not to trust the ones who feel the need to display all their bling so everyone can see it.

[Wade]

Originally Posted by elucidate

This is a clear example of PEOPLE controlling other people through the use of money...not money controlling people.

People ALLOW themselves to be controlled by money...money has no inherent power other than that which WE give it! It's neutral. If we weren't so attached to the notion that money buys us happiness, security etc. we probably wouldn't spend so excessively or end up in debt. Redefining what security IS to us could help here, the same goes with happiness in this case.

It's not easy though.

You are correct....I should have said people let money control them

[ellie]

My beliefs on money is that I probably don't know if I would be able to handle it properly in a literal sense. My father is poor with handling finances and I worry I will do the same thing. Mind you I just payed off all my credit cards and have savings - woo hoo!

I also fear money will change me. I have seen what money did to me early on, when I did have money and the easy life. I became shallow and materialistic.

I've also seen what money has done to my close friends. They become self absorbed, trend setting hoars - he he! They also have become really selfish. All they do is talk about themselves and how hard their life is. See money and designer clothes doesn't even help them.

But the truth is I am not that organised to be good around money. I don't plan things well, and think ahead, so worry that even if I had money I wouldn't keep it.

[elucidate]

This is true. I've known a few really rich people and they also dressed like bums. They are smart enough to know that if they go around flashing their wealth in public, eventually someone will target them and try and rob them. It's pretty logical really. Usually the ones who look like they are rich aren't. I've known people like that too.

Originally Posted by curiouslyrandom

As a little kid, my mom pointed out a guy at the grocery store who looked pretty scruffy and told me "see that man? He's one of the richest men in town. He's so well off that he doesn't feel the need to impress anyone with fancy clothes or a fancy car. Remember that. You can't always tell how wealthy a person is by what you see on the outside."

When you put that in perspective of the fact I grew up in a very wealthy part of California, it has even more of an impact.

Over time I learned to trust people who don't go for ostentatious displays of wealth and not to trust the ones who feel the need to display all their bling so everyone can see it.

[Bizarre Jester]

Originally Posted by James81

Anyway....I think it's a given that the money itself (paper currency) is only really worth the paper it's printed on. Even when we attached it to the gold standard, the actual money only had the value that we assigned to it. As did gold, actually.

It kind of funny how we can want colorful pieces of paper so badly. It is only worth anything because a very large group of people believe that it is worth something. I don't agree with the gold standard, because the same goes with gold. It is only worth something because we consider it valuable.

Originally Posted by st33med

I discovered recently that I attached with *making* money as evil. It's a ridiculous thought because I thought if I made money, I would be evil.

I don't believe that anymore.

Originally Posted by James81

I used to (and still kinda) have that money = evil association. I was raised under notions that money changes people, that when people win the lottery, for instance, that it ruins their life because they always wind up in the news getting in trouble after they won.

It's kind of funny, actually, because the negative emotions come when I make a big purchase, not when I RECEIVE a big sum of money. For example, for the past few years I've gotten 3000 dollars back in income taxes. Receiving that money felt good. Spending it made me feel guilty. I *had* to spend it on things that i felt were really smart purchases. One year I got LASIK with it. This past year I took 3 different vacations with it, bought an iPod and an X-box 360. I notice that when I feel like I'm getting the most value for my money, that it feels good. When I'm a little wary about what I'm spending money on, it doesn't.

For example, any time I take out a loan, I get that shackled feeling.

Does anybody else relate to these emotional responses to money?

I got over the whole money=evil thought patterns myself. This has definitely helped me attract more of it. I found also that by spending money on things that can make me happy or help me out in some way the guilt and negative emotions are lessened.

[Bizarre Jester]

Originally Posted by curiouslyrandom

As a little kid, my mom pointed out a guy at the grocery store who looked pretty scruffy and told me "see that man? He's one of the richest men in town. He's so well off that he doesn't feel the need to impress anyone with fancy clothes or a fancy car. Remember that. You can't always tell how wealthy a person is by what you see on the outside."

Originally Posted by elucidate

This is true. I've known a few really rich people and they also dressed like bums. They are smart enough to know that if they go around flashing their wealth in public, eventually someone will target them and try and rob them. It's pretty logical really. Usually the ones who look like they are rich aren't. I've known people like that too.

That could also be why they are well off and richer then they appear, since they are not wasting it all on cool clothes and cars. I know someone who wears an old hoodie and jeans every day but carries around $1,000+ in cash.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Bizarre Jester

That could also be why they are well off and richer then they appear, since they are not wasting it all on cool clothes and cars. I know someone who wears an old hoodie and jeans every day but carries around $1,000+ in cash.

Well, this one person hardly ever spends his money. If you take him to a restaurant, he will order the cheapest thing on the menu. He can be quite miserly, but when it comes to his family...he spent a few million on his daughters wedding, so he spares no expense when it comes to important things, but regular stuff he doesn't waste money on. He won't even pay for a gardener and his house looks like a jungle out the front. I guess he likes the privacy of a house covered in brambles and bushes and long grass It looks like a bum lives there...except for the 4 or 5 antique cars he keeps out the back that are worth a fortune. He walks around wearing grubby overalls like a painter or a plumber would.

[scotthegeek]

In our society you usually need money to survive but if your out in the middle of nowhere than the only use money would have is to help start a fire.

[ellie]

Originally Posted by elucidate

he spent a few million on his daughters wedding, so he spares no expense when it comes to important things

That's insane! A few million on a wedding, what a waste of money!

[SatvikBeri]

Originally Posted by ellie

That's insane! A few million on a wedding, what a waste of money!

Why?

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by ellie

That's insane! A few million on a wedding, what a waste of money!

To him it's not the same as it is to us. To him it's like loose change...and for his family, he doesn't mind going all the way. I find it more funny that the rest of the time he scrimps

Seriously though, if you have that sort of money, the best thing to do is enjoy it, otherwise there isn't much point in having that much. I'm all for it...and they didn't find it a waste at all.

[ellie]

Originally Posted by SatvikBeri

Why?

Because I don't hold much value on weddings, that's why

[ellie]

Originally Posted by elucidate

To him it's not the same as it is to us. To him it's like loose change...and for his family, he doesn't mind going all the way. I find it more funny that the rest of the time he scrimps

Seriously though, if you have that sort of money, the best thing to do is enjoy it, otherwise there isn't much point in having that much. I'm all for it...and they didn't find it a waste at all.

It's not about the loose change, it's about wasting money on day of froo froo

I never understand girls going crazy over weddings. One of my family friends are very wealthy and they spent a hell of a lot on their daughters wedding, including all guest staying in the hotel. It was a nice hotel though, so I shouldn't complain

I have to say, weddings are painful for me. I really just don't like the whole concept.

[SatvikBeri]

Originally Posted by ellie

Because I don't hold much value on weddings, that's why

Good answer

That said, millions of dollars on weddings is chump change compared to this: What Recession? World’s Most Expensive House Built - TIME NewsFeed

[DominicJackson]

money is energy, you put energy into something then you get it back which means you can buy food and have a place to live. Kinda like karma.
Money is not evil its the people that have unhealthy obsession with money...

[elucidate]

Well I'm not that crazy about them either, but I can understand someone else wanting to lavish their daughter if they had the means.

I've never actually been to a wedding before, so I wouldn't know.

Originally Posted by ellie

It's not about the loose change, it's about wasting money on day of froo froo

I never understand girls going crazy over weddings. One of my family friends are very wealthy and they spent a hell of a lot on their daughters wedding, including all guest staying in the hotel. It was a nice hotel though, so I shouldn't complain

I have to say, weddings are painful for me. I really just don't like the whole concept.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by SatvikBeri

Good answer

That said, millions of dollars on weddings is chump change compared to this: What Recession? World’s Most Expensive House Built - TIME NewsFeed

There's definately such a thing as going overboard.

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Well I'm not that crazy about them either, but I can understand someone else wanting to lavish their daughter if they had the means.

I've never actually been to a wedding before, so I wouldn't know.

Never been to a wedding???

I'll invite you to mine, in a few years!

(I absolutely love and adore weddings. They are fun!)

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by ssandra

Never been to a wedding???

I'll invite you to mine, in a few years!

(I absolutely love and adore weddings. They are fun!)

I thought you were already married Ssandra

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by SatvikBeri

Good answer

That said, millions of dollars on weddings is chump change compared to this: What Recession? World’s Most Expensive House Built - TIME NewsFeed

Originally Posted by elucidate

There's definately such a thing as going overboard.

He's injecting capital in the industry by building this from scratch and he is personally employing 600 people! I think that is a great thing to do if you have millions and billions!

[Angela]

I love weddings, too! There such great, deep metaphors. I don't see anything wrong with spending a bundle on a terrific party. I wouldn't advocate going into debt for one, though.

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by Angela

I love weddings, too! There such great, deep metaphors. I don't see anything wrong with spending a bundle on a terrific party. I wouldn't advocate going into debt for one, though.

Ok, you are invited to mine as well!! Clear your schedule in 5 years or so...

[Angela]

Originally Posted by ssandra

Ok, you are invited to mine as well!! Clear your schedule in 5 years or so...

Likewise, I'm sure!

[LostMyMap]

I agree, millions for a wedding is millions going into the economy. Let 'em spend.

Ssandra, wedding? We thought you were already hitched?

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by LostMyMap

I agree, millions for a wedding is millions going into the economy. Let 'em spend.

Ssandra, wedding? We thought you were already hitched?

I'm married but we never had a real wedding

So, first we got married, then the proposal will come out some day (and engagement ring ) and then the wedding!

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by ssandra

He's injecting capital in the industry by building this from scratch and he is personally employing 600 people! I think that is a great thing to do if you have millions and billions!

Oh yeah

I was a bit out of it last night, so probably didn't read it properly.

[Chameleon]

To me, money means freedom.

If I have plenty of money, I am free to do whatever I want to do no matter where on the planet it is, or what is required to do it. I don't have to be tied down to any certain place or a job I dislike just to keep a roof over my head and food on the table. I don't have to worry about getting medical attention if my body needs it, etc.

Do I have all that? Heck no. I'm just like most everyone else, struggling with a job I don' t really like just to survive. I have never figured out what I would do if I could do "anything" I liked to make money. I haven't ever discovered what I would willing do all the time that would "make money" and not feel like work.

And because of that, I kind of hate money. Well, I hate the way this world is in that money is a necessary thing in order to live comfortably.

And I totally don't know what to do about the whole "retirement issue"....It makes little sense to put money away into some account that by the time I go to take it back out, will probably be worth less that it was when I put it there.

[Bizarre Jester]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Well, this one person hardly ever spends his money. If you take him to a restaurant, he will order the cheapest thing on the menu. He can be quite miserly, but when it comes to his family...he spent a few million on his daughters wedding, so he spares no expense when it comes to important things, but regular stuff he doesn't waste money on. He won't even pay for a gardener and his house looks like a jungle out the front. I guess he likes the privacy of a house covered in brambles and bushes and long grass It looks like a bum lives there...except for the 4 or 5 antique cars he keeps out the back that are worth a fortune. He walks around wearing grubby overalls like a painter or a plumber would.

That sounds like a very depressing life style. It's one thing if he's rich and decides to hoard it all without using any of it. But the guy spent a few million on a wedding? How is that even possible?