LOL I know a lot of people like that. There was a guy I know who would open a tin of ghee (purified butter) to smell it, but wouldn't eat it. He would eat his chappattis butterless, in order to to save money, and his family had to do the same as long as he lived. When he died, his kids got to inherit enormous amount of wealth of his that they had no idea of. Some of them went opposite direction, and blew their share in no time, as their father so deprived them of a satisfied life since their childhood.

 

I'll probably agree with Pete here about cars. My money is too much effort to earn to spend on new and expensive cars. But then it isn't my cup of tea to be a complete miser though, you have to find a balance and be realistic. Certainly I can't see myself putting money in a modified car again. No way!

 

This. And I'm in work. Dying.

 

Sorry.

Keep at it as long as you have to, but get out of there as soon as you find another opportunity, James. You have my best wishes.

 

This one won't put the heating on, doesn't like people flushing the loo, leaves the curtains open so he can see by the light of the street lamps, makes a flask of tea in the morning so he doesn't have to keep boiling a kettle (and re-uses the tea bags of course). I could go on and on about all the little tricks, sadly he's not the only one I know who has the Miser title, they think people admire them for being thrifty but it's beyond that, it's just meanness. When they die, the richest people in the cemetery, you can guarantee their kids are going to go through the money like a dose of salts.

 

I know an ancient geeza who lives in an inherited magnificent mansion with acres of land, and eats way out-of-date food. He's a respected grandad-like friend of mine, but I won't have an egg butty in his old bone china plate, I tell you. He's influential in his local, so his local supermarkets give him their off food for his animals. He raids that pile before it gets to his animals. Another person was a lovely person but a tight-fisted one. When she died, she left an unbelievable sum behind in her account that his family fought over. She wouldn't put her heating on in cold, and suffered lung disease most of her life.

Many older people with the experiences of war time and post war shortages are like that. They display a banana and an orange in their fruit bowl for the sake of it until the banana gets all spotty and orange gets all fungal. Some of them say that the post WW2 memories are underlying in their minds, and it has become their second nature to be extremely tight.

Many younger people are also terribly tight. Not good to be stupidly liberal with your money, but I can't see the point of saving and saving and building wealth. Live well for today, leave reasonable material legacy for your children. That should suffice.

But what is reasonable??? We all have our own measures for our reasonability. Same as poverty. Some call themselves poor because they can't do Bahamas 3 times a year any more, whereas some are poor because they don't know who's going to pay for their funeral if they suddenly do one to heaven.

 

I guess it's a lot to do with how you were brought up?

I was brought up in a bedroom - and bed - with 3 other children ... head to toe.

When I left home at 20 I got into financial trouble, renting a bedsit, started at the bottom of the pile at work, couldn't afford coal for the fire, sat in a coat all night - went down the pub - bought half pint and sat by the fire - when I went to bed I had to put the hairdryer in the bed to thaw the ice on the sheets.

In the morning, the loo had ice in the pan - the taps had frozen .... then I went to work for a pittance.

Now, many years on, I can buy what I want .... but I don't. This morning I spent in a Community Furniture Outlet used by those on benefits .... looking at buying a welsh dresser. I cannot work out why, as I could buy the best of the best for £3,000 without noticing it - it's all about my past, I cannot allow myself expensive luxuries that have dubious worth.

Yes, I will die with many, many thousands in the Bank ..... but I cannot help myself from being careful with every pound. Again, considering that the bank balance increases hugely, every month, it's a bonkers way of thinking.

My post a few pages back holds true for me ...... and if I can do it, anyone can.

 

Correct. Past experiences certainly contribute towards the person one becomes. Recent experiences also come into context, but the engraining is mostly about childhood experiences e.g. how one was brought up.

 

EFA.

That's ^^^ surely worthy of anyone's haw haw or hur hur, wouldn't you say, Swati?

 

LOL but that's incorrect. That bloke only had one 500 gr. tin of ghee that whole family sniffed for as long as he lived i.e. 80 odd years. Ok, total sniffing would have consumed about 100 grams max (if it did), but all what was left was not more than what it was. So there wasn't any enormous amount of ghee to inherit. A 500 gr. tin is **** all.

 

Yes, certainly worth of some hur hur haw haw, as LOL is a normal thing for a laugh on internet, Joz. But for you, hur hur haw haw instead of laughing out loud is just fine.

 

I've saved a fair bit at 26. Enough to buy a reasonable house outright this year or next. Benifitted from getting into the stock market at the right time. Over the years since 09 I've been putting 100% of my savings into a rising market. Stopped that last year and have just been saving cash since then, so right now am about a third cash to 2 thirds stocks.

 

Nice one, Alan.

 

Hur hur.

That's totally mental! One of the nuttiest anecdotes I've ever heard.

 

My biggest single regret - that I simply hate going to work, and boy I have it pretty easy in many many respects

But I do envy people that really really enjoy their work

My (step) father in law (a pretty well known musician/pop star) just loves his job and has loved every day since he started in 1962 and still works in his late 60's and still loves it!!!!

And I often meet people that do love what they do, but if you don't

It seems such a waste to hate what you do for 8 hours a day

Hate - is probably too strong a word btw

 

9 hours. I used to love (possibly too strong) my work; four promotions in three years, good financial rewards, variety, recognition, great incentives (including club class to South Africa and an E-Class company car) and I liked the owner of the business. Then I had what could be loosely described as an existential crisis, decided to step down and went and studied philosophy part-time at Cardiff Uni.

I feel a little lost to be honest.

 

The problem is club class and E class are so transient (like so much in life) in the grande scheme of things

 

A lot of people are not "car people", so its hard to use that as an indicator of wealth.

I am pretty sure Jay Leno is worth a few quid....

 

.[/QUOTE]

I did not judge your wealth on the car you drive. I don’t have the best car on here or do I make torque statements but mine is 350lbs if you are interested and no need for me to dream.

The above response from you who claims to be a petrol head with 32,000 posts on a car forum is that your figures of your wealth you thought to share with us on here were shallow.

So if you are lucky enough to survive your fortune good for you, but I have no debt everything bought and paid for, a pension for the last 33 years in a big multinational company. If I live to pick it up I will be a happy chap I will not be poor or rich.

I have roughly a year salary saved for emergency’s a couple of redundant endowments from old properties that mature in a few years but I hope to be retired before I am 60 (49 now) and be living in a warmer climate I have also saved the cost of my Subaru when it was new 7 years ago but I am undecided what to buy next.

I go at least three holidays a year my wife and we buy what we want when we want. We enjoy our life. I work a nine day fortnight 37 hours a week my wife four days 21 hours, remember no one lives for ever we have lost a few friends on here way too early. If I was you I would be retired now enjoying life to the full. You have to decide how much is enough, to retire on and if you are working on then more fool you.

I have 2 grandkids and if, god forbid needed an operation or anything I would sell the lot and work all the hours gods sends in a heartbeat to finance it. I have enjoyed my life and lived it within reason it’s a work life balance no right or wrong way but if I die with money in the bank that I could have used more wisely to fulfil my life more fool me. Anyone it knows me I am as honest as the day is long and shallow or twisted I am not!

 

What causes you to feel lost? Is it the lack of direction, the uncertainty about the future? The fact you're getting older but yet feel spiritually unfulfilled?
Sometimes a routine is the only thing that keeps our minds focused and stops mental turmoil. Often the thing we seek is right in front of us.

 

You don't have to justify your very existence to me ...........

Your next car should be a Honda Civic - 60 mpg and neck snapping torque you've yet to experience

 

Don't flatter your self I have a life not a existence. If I worried about MPG road tax or the cost of a plastic licence I would look into public transport. As for the 138bhp and 250lbs of torque the transit van I hired a few months ago had more. Might buy one of them

 

It happens to be the case that my spiritual life is fulfilling, it's my material life that's lacking. As Søren Kierkegaard put it "what am I to do, not what I must know". I have routine and I find it phenomenally tedious. It has to change. Matters aren't helped by my partner who brings my haplessness in to stark relief; she's über successful, knows exactly where she's going and how she's going to get there. Anyway, this is all a bit self indulgent, I feel like I'm on Oprah or something.

 

I think we need to have a discussion about bhp, torque and gears... ;-)

JTaylor; I had similar a while ago. Got sick of sales, did some engineering work, it bored me to death, did all sorts of very low level temp jobs like farm labouring (!), took a while to regain mojo and confidence. Just didn't know what I wanted to do.
It usually works out in the end and at least you have the luxury of being able to change to something totally different. Many are just trapped.

 

I've got a Bus Pass

And it's 340Nm of neck snapping torque ....... I would get the transit van if I were you as you clearly have no idea about cars.

 

1. How badly do you need those materials in your life? Can you breathe, eat and stay warm without them? If yes, stop worrying about them regardless.

2. Then change it. You have the courage, get in touch with it. Grab the bull by its horns, apply for new jobs, and change your current routine. You know in order to gain something you have to lose something. It doesn't matter if you have to take salary drop etc., just do it. You just have to take a leap sometimes. what have you got to lose by doing that? Nothing. Do it while you're still in your current job. Go on, apply.

Congrats on completing your Philosophy degree. Well done. No education is ever a waste.

 

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Jog on kitty when a standard van can out do my 7 year old car bhp and torque figures I will buy one,,,, PS feel free to post you previous car portfolio for us to giggle at,

 

My van has 180bhp and 400NM. Ner ner ;-)

 

My car been at 282 bhp and 475 nm for the last three and a half years it the chocolate piston model its about to turn 70,000 miles in the next few weeks its a daily driver and doesn't use any fluids. The 2.5 gets some bad press mine has never been over 5,750 rpm I use this as the red line and has stood me well as when you shift up at this you hit the slab of torque in the next gear, its no v-tec or jdm screamer, when I had some go faster pinto engine fords I always went for rally cams for torque as appose to race cams as the pinto was no screamer. I am glad it will be a few years before I buy a van

 

Have you ever heard of a whoosh parrot?