tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post6272767056093792782..comments2024-03-27T09:17:51.095-07:00Comments on Done by Forty: Why Aren't We Getting Better With Money?Done By Fortyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-1672358136448838342014-08-15T14:38:02.435-07:002014-08-15T14:38:02.435-07:00Do you have any idea what made them think you were...Do you have any idea what made them think you were a spammer?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10353578585892614213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-89288622449430737172014-08-08T05:50:59.702-07:002014-08-08T05:50:59.702-07:00It seems gettting a hold on finances is harder tha...It seems gettting a hold on finances is harder than many media outlets claim. I understand the premise of the article as much as emotions play into finances, If you can't afford a lifestyle you can't afford it. If a new graduate is under tons of debt, and buys the Audi you mention, as much respect as you can get, it still is not financially smart. The ultimate goal is to stay in line with what your goals are, and find ways to get respect in other ways. If your goal is to always be under debt, no amount of income or respect will help you with the financially wrong mindset. ELhttp://www.moneywatch101.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-40671577532090715292014-08-04T11:52:41.500-07:002014-08-04T11:52:41.500-07:00My motto on personal finance, paying off debt, bec...My motto on personal finance, paying off debt, becoming financially independent, retiring early is "If it were easy, everyone would do it." I really liked the article, first read back from vacation so thank you.Even Stevenhttp://evenstevenmoney.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-46911455713077843062014-08-03T15:00:52.767-07:002014-08-03T15:00:52.767-07:00I've been learning a lot lately about myself a...I've been learning a lot lately about myself and about my finances, including the tough lesson that so much of personal finance is tied to our emotions. Just knowing this is a huge step in the right direction, but now I have to figure out how to combat emotional spending.Kayla @ Red Debted Stepchildhttp://reddebtedstepchild.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-38373340767250475902014-08-02T07:04:26.766-07:002014-08-02T07:04:26.766-07:00Anyone making more than $50K would be considered r...Anyone making more than $50K would be considered rich by many.No Nonsense Landlordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01765461019959574461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-62775362320877340542014-08-01T20:51:38.461-07:002014-08-01T20:51:38.461-07:00I started saving about 15% at 25 and about 30%-40%...I started saving about 15% at 25 and about 30%-40% at 35 and what really motivated me was financial security thru the ups and downs of our economy and the possibility of early retirement/financial freedom. If living below my means was just for a pot of gold when I'm 65 then I would have had a hard time being motivated as well but sleeping well at night when economy goes south and financial freedom at 50 was very motivating.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-22827947575425337642014-08-01T07:51:09.346-07:002014-08-01T07:51:09.346-07:00Thanks Bmore Bungalow -- love the shot of that hou...Thanks Bmore Bungalow -- love the shot of that house, too.<br /><br />I can't really take credit for the assertion that people need to feel status. That was Maslow's idea (and I really should have called that out rather than just linking to it), hence the use of the word "need" rather than a want. Maybe it's a bit of semantics.<br /><br />This is an honest question, and not meant to be insulting at all: have you been able to defeat your ego?Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-9145077730480035112014-08-01T07:48:52.753-07:002014-08-01T07:48:52.753-07:00Thanks, No Nonsense Landlord! I was able to contac...Thanks, No Nonsense Landlord! I was able to contact Akismet and I think it's all fixed now. Thank you for the offer!Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-42771785527377908782014-08-01T00:11:46.542-07:002014-08-01T00:11:46.542-07:00Very interesting post. I agree with a lot of what ...Very interesting post. I agree with a lot of what you said, especially about bloggers needing to do a better job of marketing frugality. I disagree with your assertion that people need to feel status. I think want more is a more appropriate word in this context. It all boils does to ego. But luckily ego can be defeated when we recognize it and have a desire to change.Bmore Bungalowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06809187061540149960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-54751059637418407132014-07-31T15:56:30.274-07:002014-07-31T15:56:30.274-07:00I just got my spam thing fixed too. All my commen...I just got my spam thing fixed too. All my comments went to Spam. I contacted Askismet and got it fixed. They have a contact form to fill out. It was less than a day.<br /><br />Contact me on my site/email if you want the email of the person.No Nonsense Landlordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01765461019959574461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-43866080908034026882014-07-31T12:27:48.458-07:002014-07-31T12:27:48.458-07:00But the benefits of that financial education are p...But the benefits of that financial education are paltry. The data show that financial literacy education does not work.<br /><br />We want education to be the answer; but it's not a lack of knowledge that drives poor financial behavior.Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-23164887252098137902014-07-31T11:47:30.983-07:002014-07-31T11:47:30.983-07:00I agree. I think a large part of those emotional d...I agree. I think a large part of those emotional decisions are based on what we collectively as a culture perceive to bring us happiness. Consume more, earn more, we're always an elusive step away from being satisfied. Learning to be appreciative and happy with what we have, in conjunction with focusing more on community relationships rather than material goods, is key IMHO.Femme Frugalityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07258982361804942329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-23886078514311133722014-07-31T09:34:37.566-07:002014-07-31T09:34:37.566-07:00Financial education is almost non-existant here in...Financial education is almost non-existant here in the UK. It's no wonder that young people get stuck in debt circles with compounding interest. I think more needs to be done during the highschool years to properly explain compound interest, APR, Pensions, Taxes etc. EarlyRetirementGuyhttp://www.earlyretirementguy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-63032625448912306602014-07-30T17:49:21.074-07:002014-07-30T17:49:21.074-07:00That's way too kind of a comparison, Lisa, but...That's way too kind of a comparison, Lisa, but thank you! I linked to Ramit in this post, and he, as always, says it better than I can.<br /><br />I like how you put it, too. We need to really focus on our psychological barriers if we're ever going to make progress.Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-77736857322033782542014-07-30T17:48:16.629-07:002014-07-30T17:48:16.629-07:00Right! I am actually much happier now than I was b...Right! I am actually much happier now than I was before I started paying attention with money. But it's hard to explain.<br /><br />I think you're kind of the exception in that you've never really fallen prey to the consumer mentality. That's incredible, of course. But, for most people, having a balanced approach to spending and saving requires some serious changes in thinking and behavior.Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-41491565409999345012014-07-30T17:45:28.469-07:002014-07-30T17:45:28.469-07:00Thank you for the kind words, Holly!
There are w...Thank you for the kind words, Holly! <br /><br />There are worse things in the world to splurge a little on, than a home. It's a real asset that you use for most of your waking hours.Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-14330817339484376602014-07-30T14:27:28.096-07:002014-07-30T14:27:28.096-07:00Great post! Reminds me of Ramit Sethi and his focu...Great post! Reminds me of Ramit Sethi and his focus on the psychological side of finance, not the intellectual. We need to break through our own psychological barriers if we want to make any progress with our goals - financial or otherwise.Lisa E. @ Lisa vs. the Loanshttp://www.lisavstheloans.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-84308659574800869042014-07-30T13:15:16.731-07:002014-07-30T13:15:16.731-07:00Lots of great discussion here as usual. (Before I ...Lots of great discussion here as usual. (Before I forget, I don't think you've ever been caught in my spam filter before!)<br /><br />I had a post on this recently about how I've become much happier with less. It was a progression, but I do think it's a lot more freeing than buying new toys left and right. It's true that marketing efforts have us believe that we'll be happy with more, but that happiness tends to be temporary. Thus, people go off on spending sprees for temporary highs.<br /><br />I've never been one to do that, mostly because I grew up fearing debt and not having enough money. I've saved and saved, and through many bloggers, realized that having less stuff will make savings go further in the end. Not needing much in retirement means needing less saved up. So it's my hope we'll continue living frugally for a long time.<br /><br />I think it comes down to what really makes us happy? And for some people, they genuinely believe they'll be happier with that Audi. And maybe they are. Or maybe we should all go away on a retreat, unplug, and re-discover our values and beliefs (highly unlikely to happen). I am definitely trying to show, through my blog, that a life with less isn't necessarily a life of deprivation or a boring one. It's just about finding joy in the simple things. E.M.http://www.journeytosaving.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-60241315766374969462014-07-30T05:12:19.290-07:002014-07-30T05:12:19.290-07:00Great post! I certainly have psychological needs ...Great post! I certainly have psychological needs and spend more than I need to in some cases. My house is a good example. I grew up in tight quarters and always wanted a relatively nice house I could be proud of. I have that now and it's worth it to me. Holly@ClubThriftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16943656467827987350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-12757612652954630772014-07-29T21:19:20.861-07:002014-07-29T21:19:20.861-07:00Thanks! It looks like it's fairly random. Mayb...Thanks! It looks like it's fairly random. Maybe Akismet is not the culprit, and Miley may be off the hook...Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-62047312412510410732014-07-29T19:30:55.255-07:002014-07-29T19:30:55.255-07:00Just an FYI - you're not getting caught by Aki...Just an FYI - you're not getting caught by Akismet on my siteMom @ Three is Plentyhttp://3isplenty.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-67793623499509404172014-07-29T16:11:28.104-07:002014-07-29T16:11:28.104-07:00See, I believe frugality can be kind of cool or se...See, I believe frugality can be kind of cool or sexy. Mr. Money Mustache is doing a great job of re-packaging the lifestyle. But we frugality bloggers, as a whole, do a crummy job of marketing the approach. (And I include myself in that criticism -- I do a crap job of pitching the lifestyle.) Too many of our posts are about saving money by doing X -- too few are about the benefits of a life that's a little free-er from the constraints of consumerism.<br /><br />And I agree about there being a logic to the spending decisions, too. They're certainly valid, at least.Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-14726471118734133442014-07-29T15:03:39.041-07:002014-07-29T15:03:39.041-07:00I think we're in agreement on the problem: man...I think we're in agreement on the problem: many people aren't going to want to change their eating habits or spending habits, based on the fact that they want to keep the status quo.<br /><br />We just disagree on next steps. Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-18031512706187819322014-07-29T14:42:02.096-07:002014-07-29T14:42:02.096-07:00DB40,
Oh, I didn't mean to say you or anyone ...DB40,<br /><br />Oh, I didn't mean to say you or anyone else was judging. I think it's less about judging, and rather more about making generalizations as to how or why people live a certain way. <br /><br />I believe marketing and advertising is probably part of the problem. You could argue cheap credit that started a few decades ago didn't help either. <br /><br />But I think people are really the problem. You give most people the choice of a cheeseburger or tofu and 9 out of 10 are going to pick the cheeseburger. You can spend two hours telling them why that's a bad choice, and how the cheeseburger can lead to a heart attack, etc., and they're still going to pick that cheeseburger. Why? Because it tastes better. <br /><br />Same goes for finance. Someone earlier was comparing weight loss to saving money, and I wrote a post on that a while back. It works the same way. There's plenty of education out there for those interested, but the simple fact is that people just don't want the early retirement, delayed gratification, and saving money. They want what they want. <br /><br />I compare it to my own life. And the lives of many bloggers out there with friends and family. I can talk until I'm blue in the face about all of this stuff to my friends and family. And it does little good. I think that's a common experience across the spectrum. I was just as exposed to marketing as they were, but I'm different. <br /><br />Just my thoughts on it!<br /><br />Best wishes. Dividend Mantrahttp://www.dividendmantra.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980246226076317453.post-502948582376414112014-07-29T13:23:06.542-07:002014-07-29T13:23:06.542-07:00That's exactly it. Frugality isn't sexy. S...That's exactly it. Frugality isn't sexy. Saving in general isn't sexy. It all goes back to your recent post about trickle down consumption. It is pervasive in our culture to be the ones that have. The have-nots are fairly uniformly looked down upon. So, even if you have the means, when someone sees that you don't have certain status items (i.e. car, appliances, neighborhood, etc.) you're judged. That's not something to take lightly. All too often I want to say, "Psh! Pish posh! Who cares what others think? Do this, and you'll save the environment, and YEARS of your working life!" However, all too recently, I was there. I felt the pressure from my friends as they were buying homes, cars, golf clubs, furniture, etc. Not only did I want those things as well because I thought they were cool, but most importantly, I felt I needed those things so I could still fit into my social network. Our social relationships and social capitol is the MOST important thing any of us has in our lives when it comes right down to it. So, in order to protect those relationships, we make certain spending decisions. Lastly, along this line of thought, I'd like to counter what a few people have said about emotion trumping logic. I'd say, based on what I've just said, that those spending decisions are rational and logical. The equation is simple: I like these friends, to keep them I need to buy X, so I definitely buy X. Sure, from our perspective that's nonsense. However, we cannot discredit their perspective simply because we feel we're enlightened. My two cents. Thanks for yet another fantastic and thought-provoking post, DBF.MSquaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14997111425973874109noreply@blogger.com