Do you all ever get jealous of non-savers?

[mrskay9]

I mean, my dh and I live a debt free life and while this makes for less stress (There's no "how are we going to pay the electric bill?") I also have a bit of jealousy towards non-savers.

I guess dh is more the debt free person and he "forces" me to be a better saver, I'd throw some things on the cc if I could.

but lately, maybe its summertime, I see our friends buying new cars, new furniture etc and I get jealous. Not a lot, just a little.

It does make me feel a bit better to know that they probably can't afford all this new stuff and are putting it on credit, and of course, NOT going to Disney!! (HA-Ha) (oh, sorry was that childish?)

Meanwhile, every penny goes in the jar, every extra dollar, every ebay sale.....

Anyone else?

(maybe you all get more disney satisfaction than I do. I haven't been in 5 years and won't go til next Sept!) Is that the key?

Thanks for letting me whine

 

[lovemygoofy]

I do hate saving all the time but it's worth it to me. My Dh and I worked ourselves out of debt that wasn't our but was "gave" to us. We worked and saved every dollar for anything. Now being debt free, we still work and save for anything that we want. This includes our wedding, a new car, and a vacation. We are finally getting to the point that we don't have to save as hard but it's just something we do. Maybe we our different because we are in the military and look at some point of getting out (whether retiring or not) and want to be able to live for a while comfy should something happen with a job. I don't know your age or if you have children but we are 26 & 27 with no kids yet (can't stay on the same continent for that... LOL). Some people look at us as the couple that doesn't save for anything because we do get to go to disney and have a new car and other things. We tend to live a smaller lifestyle. Maybe someday you won't have to worry as much about saving as you do now but by then maybe it'll be such a habit that when you go on vacation you can go first class all the way!!!

Good Luck,
Tina

 

[karemore]

I hear you!!

Dh is the one who converted me.

I lived paycheck to paycheck my entire life and used my credit card for things I wanted. But he is the opposite and it's his careful management of money that allows us the security of knowing we can both retire early AND that we are able to take moderate vacations a couple time a year.

We have older model cars, older furniture, OLD rugs....lol sore spot, and wear clothes that we bought on sale or clearance.....and we carry lunch to the office every day and only eat out on special occassions.

Sometimes I get resentful when I'm cooking dinner and I know "everyone" else is eating out on a friday night.

But we'll be eating in Munich at Oktoberfest this year, and "everyone" else will be home. We'll be eating at Chef Mickey's and Boma next April when we visit WDW, and most importantly.....we'll still be travelling and enjoying our current standard of living when we retire unlike those people who are living on credit and not saving for the future.

So yes, I have my moments. But I understand that the time and energy I spend saving money now, is going to pay off both in the short term (vacations) and the long term (retirement).

Karen

 

[PattiPB]

I wonder how people can sleep nights not saving for retirement, no college funds for the kids, no savings at all, and spending constantly!

We are cc debt-free, one car payment (for 1 more year!!!), low mortage on a high value home, and LIVE on DH's teacher's salary! My paycheck takes us from "surviving" to "enjoying".

I look at friends who make TRIPLE what we make, and are paycheck-to-paycheck. Even though I know I couldn't live like that, I sometimes wish I could be more spontaneous with spending money. Then I wake up!!!!! LOL!

DH reminds me we have a good, working plan and we will achieve our goals. Those people just have different, or no, goals!

BTW---few of our friends have ever been to WDW!!

 

[PatriciaH]

No debt here either-and it feels good. We paid off credit card debt years ago and never ran them up again. Now we pay cc's off every month or use 0% for a while and then pay it off. No car debt either. Next year we will probably have a mortgage but it will be less than rent because of a hefty downpayment.

We make ok money- not tons for the Boston area but we would never live paycheck to paycheck-I would be so stressed. I NEED a lot of money in savings and our retirement funds-I am a Cancer I enjoy saving for retirement. We plan on retiring early. DH and I have no children though so we are able to save a lot. We also go out to eat whenever we want, go to the movies, plays, Cirque, etc.. I love being able to do this. We do not buy anything we want but we do not deny ourselver either. As long as savings has been taken care of for the month we are good

 

[sln88]

I don't get jealous!

In fact, I feel sorry for people who feel the need to spend all the time!

 

[lucy_love_]

hi

i dont get things on credit. i have a few friends who have maxed out credit cards and my brother and one of my friends are blacklisted cos they didnt pay thier depts. its not worth it. you end up paying more for the item you want. i also dont get jealous and feel sorry for people who get into debt. thats all it is debt

love

lucy

 

[lucy_love_]

hi

i dont get things on credit. i have a few friends who have maxed out credit cards and my brother and one of my friends are blacklisted cos they didnt pay thier depts. its not worth it. you end up paying more for the item you want. i also dont get jealous and feel sorry for people who get into debt. thats all it is debt

love

lucy

 

[lucy_love_]

hi

i dont get things on credit. i have a few friends who have maxed out credit cards and my brother and one of my friends are blacklisted cos they didnt pay thier depts. its not worth it. you end up paying more for the item you want. i also dont get jealous and feel sorry for people who get into debt. thats all it is debt

love

lucy

 

[lucy_love_]

ooooops sorry for the triple posts

 

[fanofmickey]

I think that this is an amusing subject. For instance, I say to DH, "Boy, I wish I would win the lottery so that I could spend money like that" (if I see someone spending money frivolously). And he will reply, "No, you wouldn't - you would still shop at Wal-Mart and Target". And then I realize that he is right - I would be frugal even if I had lots of money. Not that I wouldn't splurge on nicer rooms or longer vacations for the entire family, but in my day to day life I would still buy in bulk, check price tags, shop the clearance racks, and even visit my Wal-Mart and Target.

 

[lucy_love_]

yes im the same (bargain shopper) but i would still love to win the lottery cos then i could buy more bargins

lol

love

lucy

 

[Goobergal99]

Look my attitude is this, I had to take out loans to get through college, so as far as my lil princess getting a free ride through FORGET IT!! she can take out loans just the same as I did, I would rather give to her now while she is young enough to enjoy it then be constantly reminding her that we are saving for her college education (which she may not even want to pursue) So yes I live paycheck to paycheck with very minimum savings (and i mean like under 1,000) I would rather have nice things and enjoy life then pout whenever I wanted something. I do not have a new car, I drive a paid off car that I have limited insurance on. I have a tiny lil row house in the city (which I love.) SO my bills are limited leaving me with more money to spend. That is my 2 cents

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by sln88
I don't get jealous!

In fact, I feel sorry for people who feel the need to spend all the time!

I totally agree. I simply can't comprehend what goes through a person's head when they buy something that they know they can't afford. I learned long ago that you can't judge how well off someone is by looking at their car, their house or their clothing. Chances are the guy with the old car living in the smaller home and wearing clothes from Wal-Mart probably has a lot more money in the bank than the guy leasing the brand new car, living in a McMansion and buying designer clothes.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter how much you earn. It matters how much you keep.

DW and I have no credit card debt - never have, never will. We use our cards constantly but pay the balance in full every month. I'm just about done repaying student loans (about 12 years ahead of schedule). We have a mortgage and a small home equity loan. We save/invest 16-18% of my gross income. DW is a SAHM. Our DD goes to public school. Both our cars are paid for - mine is 7 years old, DW's is about 5.

When people ask how we can afford to do Disney every year, we just explain that we stay offsite for as little as $35-40/nite. We drive down. We eat inexpensively. We spend less for a week than some folks spend for a day or two.

I'm about to turn 40 (next Tuesday to be exact) and I have no desire to work another 25 years or more. I hope to join the ranks of the retired no later than 60, and sooner if we're able. I never regret saving money. I never regret not keeping up with the Joneses. I know that we are in far better shape than the Joneses.

 

[ForTheLoveofDisney]

Originally posted by disneysteve
I never regret not keeping up with the Joneses. I know that we are in far better shape than the Joneses.

That's because the Joneses are broke!!

I must admit that I do, in weak moments, get a little jealous of the non-savers but in the long run our sacrificial efforts will pay off.

I used to be one of those non-savers, live paycheck to paycheck, charge things including a trip to Disney in 2002 ~that we're still paying on!!!!!!!!!! That just makes me sick!!!

Anyway, DH took over the finances like a tidal wave and it was the best thing that could have happened in our marriage!! We now have $1,000 in savings for our emergency fund. You know as "Murphy's Law repellent" as we're paying off our credit card, car payment, debt and have vowed to never use credit again!! We now are on track to have ALL debt gone by September of next year. At which time we will take a long 10-12 day vacation entirely paid for of course! In 5 years we hope to have the mortgage gone!!

My DH, Steve, would agree with disneysteve that he is not going to work his whole life and would like to retire by 55 or 60.

Our adopted motto is "Live like no one else so one day we can truly live like no one else!!"

Thanks for letting me put in my .02.

April

P.S. Check out my timer

 

[marcyinPA]

Hmmm...I wonder what we are doing wrong?! We are NOT debt free, we ARE living paycheck to paycheck, we are NOT saving much for retirement and have very little for our kids educations.

We decided that when we had kids, I would stay home. I've been a SAHM for the last 9 years. My youngest starts kindergarten this fall. I also sell real estate part time, so what little I make in commissions goes into our savings (under $5K at this point).

We live a very meager lifestyle. We live in a twin home in the city, we drive older cars, both of which we are still paying on, we rarely go out to eat, I bargain shop and eBay (buy and sell) The problem is the job situation and the economy. My dh was laid off 3 years ago from a technology job. He has found another job in the same field and has been working for the last year and a half, but he is making about $30K less than he did 3 years ago. Plus, now he commutes 1.5 hours each way to Jersey...which adds up, especially with gas prices being what they are.

The good part is that we have food to eat, a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and a trip to Disney now and then.

Sometimes it's not spending beyond our means that causes major debt, but circumstances do dictate occassionally!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

No.

 

[KathiWithAnI]

Marcy, I am right there with you!!! DH was laid off in 2001 while he was out of work, our savings were drained and when he finally found another job it was for 35k less!
So our savings were gone, credit card debt was UP just trying to keep food on the table and the mortgage paid and then we are making way less than we used to......
My youngest also starts school this fall and I have now taken on a 2nd parttime job.

Ah well, it will be fixed one day, just not today.
Kathi

 

[DiznEeyore]

Originally posted by marcyinPA
Hmmm...I wonder what we are doing wrong?! We are NOT debt free, we ARE living paycheck to paycheck, we are NOT saving much for retirement and have very little for our kids educations.


We live a very meager lifestyle. We live in a twin home in the city, we drive older cars, both of which we are still paying on, we rarely go out to eat, I bargain shop and eBay (buy and sell) The problem is the job situation and the economy. My dh was laid off 3 years ago from a technology job. He has found another job in the same field and has been working for the last year and a half, but he is making about $30K less than he did 3 years ago. Plus, now he commutes 1.5 hours each way to Jersey...which adds up, especially with gas prices being what they are.

The good part is that we have food to eat, a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and a trip to Disney now and then.

Sometimes it's not spending beyond our means that causes major debt, but circumstances do dictate occassionally!

I know exactly what you mean!! My dh, also in the IT field, lost a good job to outsourcing. He was laid off for a looong time, but fortunately has had a job the last 3 years that pays $20K less than he was making previously. I am a SAHM, too -- I work only very part-time as a church secretary.

We feel very blessed to have a comfortable (though tiny!) home, two cars, food and nice clothing. Our Disney trips are our one family indulgence, and we save like crazy for them every year! We wouldn't give them up for anything.

And to finally answer the OP's question -- yes, sometimes I do feel jealous, but then I try to give myself a reality check and remember how blessed I really am to even *have* a Disney trip to save for!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by marcyinPA
Hmmm...I wonder what we are doing wrong?! We are NOT debt free, we ARE living paycheck to paycheck, we are NOT saving much for retirement and have very little for our kids educations.

Sometimes it's not spending beyond our means that causes major debt, but circumstances do dictate occassionally!

Marcy - It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong. Certainly, there are folks living paycheck-to-paycheck due to unavoidable circumstances - job loss, divorce, medical bills, etc.

My comments certainly weren't directed at people in those situations. I'm talking about folks earning a good living and blowing all their money on stuff - leasing cars, luxury vacations, home theaters, fine dining, etc. I personally know many people who earn upwards of $100,000/year and are still carrying major debt. IMO, that is purely by choice and is completely avoidable.

By the way, I think its commendable that you made the decision to be a SAHM despite the obvious financial sacrifice it involved. I'm a big SAHM fan. We made the same decision when DW got pregnant and have never regretted the loss of her income.