What Do You Consider Wealthy?

[Naam]

money alone doesn't make happy...

...you also need

-a loving partner

-pets to play with

-real estate

-blue chip stocks

-AAA rated bonds

-gold

-precious stones

-works of art

-cattle herds

-a coal mine

-a crude oil well

-a power plant

-waterworks

but above all something that can't be bought, namely health.

You are only missing 1 thing in that list .....

a brewery

dàmn! i knew there was something else. bloody Alzheimer

[transam]

i believe michael caine once said;

they say money doesn't make you happy, i've been rich and poor and i know which i prefer

says it all really

If MC was laying in a bed dying of something, what would he have said ? Something completely different l am sure.

[geriatrickid]

Interesting statement; -nobody in his right mind is sitting in a vault counting his/her money,

One of my work colleagues stuck this on my office door after I refused to contribute to another collection for someone's baby. (I saw no reason why I had to contribute to someone I didn't know having another baby.).

[geriatrickid]

i believe michael caine once said;

they say money doesn't make you happy, i've been rich and poor and i know which i prefer

says it all really

If MC was laying in a bed dying of something, what would he have said ? Something completely different l am sure.

Usually, people waiting for their date with the grim reaper aren't lamenting that they didn't spend more time at the office or the big deal that got away.

[transam]

Interesting statement; -nobody in his right mind is sitting in a vault counting his/her money,

One of my work colleagues stuck this on my office door after I refused to contribute to another collection for someone's baby. (I saw no reason why I had to contribute to someone I didn't know having another baby.).

Tight sod.. Oooooop's, can l say that.

Your colleague was right, your 20bht would not break your bank, or would it .

What religion are you ?

[Naam]

i believe michael caine once said;

they say money doesn't make you happy, i've been rich and poor and i know which i prefer

says it all really

If MC was laying in a bed dying of something, what would he have said ? Something completely different l am sure.

he would have said "i wish i was young, healthy and rich."

[rene123]

i believe michael caine once said;

they say money doesn't make you happy, i've been rich and poor and i know which i prefer

says it all really

If MC was laying in a bed dying of something, what would he have said ? Something completely different l am sure.

he would have said "i wish i was young, healthy and rich."

Don't we all wish for the same thing?

[transam]

i believe michael caine once said;

they say money doesn't make you happy, i've been rich and poor and i know which i prefer

says it all really

If MC was laying in a bed dying of something, what would he have said ? Something completely different l am sure.

he would have said "i wish i was young, healthy and rich."

Thats three wishes ,

One would not care about being young and dying, or rich and dying, but healthy whether young or old is the one wish eh. ....................

[payak]

i have always had medium paying work, the most i ever had in my bank as i recall was about 8 thousand.

if something does not apply to your general way of thinking, if you cannot see yourself thinking it, does not mean others dont.

I only care to pay my bills, my rent,and set up my children, so get a whiff of that load of crap.

So....you've never been poor.

Spout your sound-bite at a poor person and listen to their answer.

i was raised in a poor place until i was old enough to go my own way, nothing worse then a person thinking they know you because they read a post, then claim to know your whole past as well.

you sir must be a genius, if you dont like my views on life and it fires you up so much you can buy a box of tissues and dry your eyes, also search for a forum that is called the i agree with everything you say and believe forum.

Why do you attack me, the poster instead of defending your original post?

It is quite obviously nonsensical to a poor person. Can't you see that?

cant you see the whole point of it is exactly that money does not make you happy, rich or poor its not the money that will decide your level of happinesss.

[payak]

^^^^^ and i did not attack you, go back to your first reply to my post, read it, tell me who was talking it up first.

[MJCM]

<snip>

cant you see the whole point of it is exactly that money does not make you happy, rich or poor its not the money that will decide your level of happinesss.

But money sure does help

[payak]

<snip>

cant you see the whole point of it is exactly that money does not make you happy, rich or poor its not the money that will decide your level of happinesss.

But money sure does help

its a short term fix

[KarenBravo]

cant you see the whole point of it is exactly that money does not make you happy, rich or poor its not the money that will decide your level of happinesss.

That's not what your sound-bite said. Go back and read it.

[onthemoon]

I've been rich and I've been poor. Being rich wasn't what it is cracked up to be if you're trying to get even richer. Too much stress involved. Being poor isn't any good either because that causes stress in itself. At this point in my life, I am neither rich nor poor but I am comfortable. The ideal amount of money to have allows you to live comfortably wherever you want and not have to scrimp by on a budget. Best of all I no longer have to work. I've paid my dues and am entitled to live out my remaining time left as I see fit.

That makes you wealthy in my book. I still have to work and hope to get where you are now. I'm neither rich nor poor and lead a comfortable life, but one of these days I want to retire and not have to work any more.

[onthemoon]

money's not everything but it's up there... with oxygen.

and really if you get to choose between doing it tough... pay check to pay check or financially secure... choose financially secure.

Very funny. I don't think many people will disagree with you. I do think many would like to know hoe to become financially secure - in reality, without the pyramid schemes and all.

[onthemoon]

<snip>

cant you see the whole point of it is exactly that money does not make you happy, rich or poor its not the money that will decide your level of happinesss.

But money sure does help

its a short term fix

If you really have money, it's a long-term (say: generations) fix.

[doontp]

They say money is the route of all evil! I must admit, I sometimes wish that I was an evil person!

One very rich guy once said: "It's better to cry in an Rolls Royce then in a VW Beetle"

I once saw a couple having sex in a VW Beetle at 11am in the morning in the parking lot of a gas station. They looked very happy.

[samran]

I spent 12 years of my life unable to climb two flights of stairs, coughing up blood every time I got a chest infection - essentially crippled.

This morning I cycled 88Kms in under 2hours 45 minutes over a circuit that includes two seriously hard climbs (one of which I went over twice).

I feel like the wealthiest man alive.

I have been there too, now lifting weights in my seventh decade. Don't know how but...............

i do heavy weight liftings and sports in the very early mornings. first i lift my eyelids to take a look at the clock. then i lift my weight out of the bed and minutes later i lift my coffee cup a number of times. but that's not all! after two cups of coffee made me fully awake i do some swimming. what kind of style i use depends on my prevailing physical capability which varies. normally i do 1½ lengths and when i'm in good shape and feel alright even 2.

quite often i feel like doing some breast clawing. but that early there's never a lady with me in the pool.

WoW, swimming with a cup of coffee balanced on your head takes some doing. .....

All the while moving the bond market. Impressive.

[NeverSure]

Very funny. I don't think many people will disagree with you. I do think many would like to know hoe to become financially secure - in reality, without the pyramid schemes and all.

How many think about retirement when they are young? I know people nearing and entering retirement who still owe money on a home, cars, and credit cards. I have no clue what they will do.

OTOH, do the math on saving just 10% of all income from age 25. Not all of it in the bank of course but diversified by buying some gold, some silver, some stocks, some cash...

In 1972 when I was about 24, gold was $35 US per ounce. I was making about $1k per month and could have bought 3 ounces of gold per month. Today it is more like $1,700 per ounce. That would be as if I had saved $5,000 per month in today's dollars, or $60k per year today. Check out the magic of compound interest, where each year you not only earn interest on what you deposited, but you earn interest on all interest earned in past years. In the end the interest you earn on your interest can be greater than the cash you deposit, depending on interest rates. If a 25 year old earning middle class money would save 10% of his income, conservatively but broadly invested, he couldn't help being a millionaire at age 65.

No one wants to sacrifice, and most want to keep up appearances. Nice home on credit, as much car as possible...

Outside the big cities you can buy a liveable home in the US for $100k US. Nothing fancy but small and liveable. Now, if a person refused debt, lived very frugally and saved $2k per month for just 4 years, he could pay cash for that home. But no, how much "better" to get a 30 year mortgage and pay 3 times the price of a home in interest over 30 years and have something to impress the friends and neighbors. What is really more impressive? A free and clear modest home and no debt, or living large with no money and lots of debt and all possible retirement money going to interest?

Recently a very old man in our town died. He was known around town because he rode a bicycle with a basket on it and picked up bottles and cans. He lived in an old home which had never been painted - unusual in the US. He literally used rope for suspenders. He was a loner and everyone knew who he was by his nickname, but no one really knew him. Upon his death it was found that he had $7 million dollars cash in the bank! He never married, never had kids, and all was willed to a charity. I don't recommend his extreme, but he worked in a sawmill until he retired but saved almost all he made. Compound interest, and a modest sized farm he had bought did the rest.

Edited November 26, 2012 by NeverSure

[Naam]

All the while moving the bond market. Impressive.

not really. i'm in the pool approximately half an hour after NY close.

[Naam]

No point in having a lot of money if it takes 84hrs a week, every week to make it.

To me wealth is having a good amount of money and time to enjoy it.

bingo!

but let's not forget that some people worked for years 84hrs a week to save a lot of money and enjoy the proceeds of this money for many more years.

Cool, but l know a few who dropped dead trying to do just that.

touché! since several years i dread the time between Christmas and New Year when i'm making phone calls to contact comrades who worked with me in the bush, the swamps, the deserts and wives, or whoever answers the phones are telling me "he's gone."

[gerry1011]

Money can buy everything except Real Love and long time happiness .

... But if you're still waiting to find Real Love and are unhappy, then it's better to be rich

Edited November 27, 2012 by gerry1011

[gerry1011]

Money can buy everything except Real Love and long time happiness .

... But if you're still waiting to find Real Love and are unhappy, then its better to be rich

[Gary A]

When I was a young man, I was a wheeler dealer and thought that making a lot of money was very important. I had many new cars, nice homes and all the latest toys.

I had made plans with my younger brother to go somewhere, I don't remember where. I do remember what he said when I picked him up with my new Z-28 Chevy Camero. We were cruising along and he told me that he dreamed about having a car like this and that it didn't mean anything to me, that I didn't appreciate it at all. He was right, it was just another toy to me.

I never really considered retirement and what I would do for income until I was in my early forties. It finally dawned on me that I had better start making plans. At that point, I gave up my expensive party ways, boats, new cars and fancy homes. I was still earning quite a lot of money and began a serious retirement saving plan. I stuck to it and am now enjoying the results of that planning. I have a nest egg in the US that I have been fortunate to never have needed. It's not a huge amount of money but It is kind of a security blanket that gives me peace of mind. It's there if I ever need it. My best guess at this point is that my kids will inherit it.

Maybe the best part of my life is that no one ever gave me anything so no one could accuse or blame me for foolishly squandering a lot of money. I earned it and spent it as I wanted. Since my frugal saving years, I really have not changed my lifestyle. I actually dislike fancy hotels and restaurants. I refuse to dress up and no longer own a suit or tie. I swore to myself that after I retired, I would never again wear a suit and tie and I haven't. I hate my duty visits to the US to visit family and really dislike travelling.

[onthemoon]

Not sure what you want to tell us, Gary. When you had the money, you enjoyed it and spent it? I did the same, I figure I can enjoy it best as long as I'm young. At around age 40 I lost interest in discotheques and that whole lifestyle (didn't have fancy cars like you, but I did fully enjoy my life) and started thinking about a retirement plan. At retirement age which I guess should be around 60, I'll have enough monthly income for me needs, which are now already much cheaper than they used to be.

I recommend the same to young people I meet, rather than telling them to save money from an early age. When will they enjoy life if they think about saving money for retirement from the beginning? Anybody at age 20 or 25 already thinking about his retirement plan is weird IMHO.

[Gary A]

The point being is that if you want to enjoy your retirement years, you have to have a plan. Being retired in Thailand is great as long as you have money. This is no place to be poor.

[rene123]

When I was a young man, I was a wheeler dealer and thought that making a lot of money was very important. I had many new cars, nice homes and all the latest toys.

I had made plans with my younger brother to go somewhere, I don't remember where. I do remember what he said when I picked him up with my new Z-28 Chevy Camero. We were cruising along and he told me that he dreamed about having a car like this and that it didn't mean anything to me, that I didn't appreciate it at all. He was right, it was just another toy to me.

I never really considered retirement and what I would do for income until I was in my early forties. It finally dawned on me that I had better start making plans. At that point, I gave up my expensive party ways, boats, new cars and fancy homes. I was still earning quite a lot of money and began a serious retirement saving plan. I stuck to it and am now enjoying the results of that planning. I have a nest egg in the US that I have been fortunate to never have needed. It's not a huge amount of money but It is kind of a security blanket that gives me peace of mind. It's there if I ever need it. My best guess at this point is that my kids will inherit it.

Maybe the best part of my life is that no one ever gave me anything so no one could accuse or blame me for foolishly squandering a lot of money. I earned it and spent it as I wanted. Since my frugal saving years, I really have not changed my lifestyle. I actually dislike fancy hotels and restaurants. I refuse to dress up and no longer own a suit or tie. I swore to myself that after I retired, I would never again wear a suit and tie and I haven't. I hate my duty visits to the US to visit family and really dislike travelling.

You sound like my father, and he's still enjoying the "good life". More power to him. He said I was cut from the same mould. I've discovered that you don't need a lot of "things" to enjoy life.

[rene123]

The point being is that if you want to enjoy your retirement years, you have to have a plan. Being retired in Thailand is great as long as you have money. This is no place to be poor.

I think that is true anywhere, but certainly more so in countries with no welfare system. In Thailand, the "family" is the welfare system, and if they don't have anything then you are screwed.

[noob7]

The point being is that if you want to enjoy your retirement years, you have to have a plan. Being retired in Thailand is great as long as you have money. This is no place to be poor.

Isn't that the plan?

[onthemoon]

The point being is that if you want to enjoy your retirement years, you have to have a plan. Being retired in Thailand is great as long as you have money. This is no place to be poor.

If you have not too much money, it's better to be here than in Europe, for example.

If your pension is EUR 1,200/month in Germany, you'll be able to pay your rent and buy your food at the discount store. Maybe go to the cinema once a month or have a beer at the local pub on the weekend.

Over here, that's THB 48,000! You can live much nicer, and look into the mirror in the morning.

In fact, I know Europeans in Thailand who get EUR 700/month as a pension. That's not much money over here, but you won't starve. I don't know how they would even survive in Europe!

So yes, if you are "poor" (make that low-income pensioner), Thailand is the place to be.

On the other hand, I think there is no doubt that if you plan ahead for your retirement well in advance, you will have more money at your disposal. Which again will get you further in Thailand than in Europe.