BailOut's Interview: Conservation in 2009 and Beyond

[drummerboy2004]

Originally Posted by GeneW

I worked with a girl who looked like Keri Wuhrer, she was that pretty. Her husband runs the family business. The two of them spend money like water, cannot deny themselves the smallest indulgences and will not entertain guests at home.

They recently poured almost a million dollars into a home in a small town. The original house was handsome and functional, now it's gauche and needlessly overblown, with marble floors, sculptures and other trappings.

She used to complain that her husband's friends looked like "bums" even though they were "millionaires". She could not understand why these people would not "spend some of that money". Later she demanded that her husband buy her an Audi, "since he's so rich".

I cautioned her that her refusal to entertain at home is an impediment to her husband's long term happiness. "You need to make a good impression on customers and friends", I said. "It's not the money, it's the small gestures that cement an impression of generosity and ability".

She looked at me like I said it in Mandarin.

I don't understand someone who thinks that money is to be spent for frivolous reasons. You spend money and time on things that will better your life, not things that impress other people.

Gene

That is the problem with many, and more as time progresses. Money is supposed to be one portion of life, not all that it is made out of. Some will spend every day of their life in pursuit of money or wealth, only to ignore things that matter more. The end result is a pointless, labored, life with nothing to show but a figure in some bank. The way I see it, money does not leave the earth with you when you die, so I try to live comfortably and within reason, and don't worry about having more than or something better than everyone else. To me, impressing others at the cost of one's time and effort is just a complete waste. The same reason I bought a Yaris, and not some car I could barely afford to be more impressive.

Matt

[SilverGlow]

Originally Posted by drummerboy2004

That is the problem with many, and more as time progresses. Money is supposed to be one portion of life, not all that it is made out of. Some will spend every day of their life in pursuit of money or wealth, only to ignore things that matter more. The end result is a pointless, labored, life with nothing to show but a figure in some bank. The way I see it, money does not leave the earth with you when you die, so I try to live comfortably and within reason, and don't worry about having more than or something better than everyone else. To me, impressing others at the cost of one's time and effort is just a complete waste. The same reason I bought a Yaris, and not some car I could barely afford to be more impressive.

Matt

Amen brotha. At the time I bought my $11,000 2007 Yaris HB, I could have bought any other car cash, and up to $100,000. But why would I do something stupid like that? To impress my neighbors? Work mates? Be the big dog at Thanksgiving Dinner? F-no! Only shallow idiots would do that.

Nah, for me, I am happy with my Yaris...I put my $ in real investments, like condo rentals and such. I know of no less then 20 people personally that lease or are making payments on $50,000+ cars, and nearly all of these lemmings live paycheck to paycheck and have expressed worry about their jobs. Idiots! Just more examples of shallow, materialistic Americans, trying to keep up with the Jones at any cost. Style over Substances. Sad state, our country is in.

[KCALB SIRAY]

Originally Posted by drummerboy2004

That is the problem with many, and more as time progresses. Money is supposed to be one portion of life, not all that it is made out of. Some will spend every day of their life in pursuit of money or wealth, only to ignore things that matter more. The end result is a pointless, labored, life with nothing to show but a figure in some bank. The way I see it, money does not leave the earth with you when you die, so I try to live comfortably and within reason, and don't worry about having more than or something better than everyone else. To me, impressing others at the cost of one's time and effort is just a complete waste. The same reason I bought a Yaris, and not some car I could barely afford to be more impressive.

Matt

Originally Posted by SilverGlow

Amen brotha. At the time I bought my $11,000 2007 Yaris HB, I could have bought any other car cash, and up to $100,000. But why would I do something stupid like that? To impress my neighbors? Work mates? Be the big dog at Thanksgiving Dinner? F-no! Only shallow idiots would do that.

Nah, for me, I am happy with my Yaris...I put my $ in real investments, like condo rentals and such. I know of no less then 20 people personally that lease or are making payments on $50,000+ cars, and nearly all of these lemmings live paycheck to paycheck and have expressed worry about their jobs. Idiots! Just more examples of shallow, materialistic Americans, trying to keep up with the Jones at any cost. Style over Substances. Sad state, our country is in.

Off Topic: I'm confused by your "Amen". You have cash up to $100,000, choice to invest in rentals (investment properties) and call people who spend money "shallow idiots". My view of these statements tell me you are agreeing to exactly what he is saying he does not care for in the commitments you are in

On Topic: Anyone want to interview me, be my guest

[ChinoCharles]

On Topic: Anyone want to interview me, be my guest

LOL. If this whole thing came off as toolish, I apologize. I just really do find it interesting, mostly because my ideals are so polar opposite of his, seemingly.

[Shroomster]

Originally Posted by Shroomster

until you anger the spelling gods.....


anyways where is Brian anyways? out saving rainforests?


I swear to god if he is on that damned 'Steve Irwin' ship with the ex-PETA guy....

come on brian......where are youuuuuuu?

[SilverGlow]

Originally Posted by KCALB SIRAY

Off Topic: I'm confused by your "Amen". You have cash up to $100,000, choice to invest in rentals (investment properties) and call people who spend money "shallow idiots". My view of these statements tell me you are agreeing to exactly what he is saying he does not care for in the commitments you are in

On Topic: Anyone want to interview me, be my guest

To clarify, I call people that choose to spend money idiots, IF they spend money on stupid things that will DEPRECIATE, and will sabotage their financial futures. Like pimping a Yaris, for example, or buying a huge big screen TV that they can't really justify financially. The best way to spend is to spend on things that will appreciate, will add value to one's portfolio, tangible items. Being mindful of a possible loss of a job, income, the state of the economy, that sort of thing. Forget about stocks and bonds...pure gambling, to be sure.

And if the country needs people to go out and spend money on stuff, than I agree, just so long as it is not me, personally that does that kind of wreckless spending. Let the lemmings do it, and I appreciate that they do.

Brian wants to save the planet and that motiviates him. That's fine, and good. I too want to save gas, and auto costs in general, but my compulsion comes from wanting to save $$ and not the planet, per se.

For those of us that care about saving $ or the planet, I strongly suspect our next cars will be hybrids. I plan on keeping the Yaris until it hits 300,000 miles, or falls apart, which ever happens first. Then by then, hybrids will be more reasonably priced, so yea, the Yaris is the last gas-only vehicle I will own, and I suspect the same for most of us, especially Brian.

[daf62757]

Originally Posted by SilverGlow

To clarify, I call people that choose to spend money idiots, IF they spend money on stupid things that will DEPRECIATE, and will sabotage their financial futures. Like pimping a Yaris, for example, or buying a huge big screen TV that they can't really justify financially. The best way to spend is to spend on things that will appreciate, will add value to one's portfolio, tangible items. Being mindful of a possible loss of a job, income, the state of the economy, that sort of thing. Forget about stocks and bonds...pure gambling, to be sure.

And if the country needs people to go out and spend money on stuff, than I agree, just so long as it is not me, personally that does that kind of wreckless spending. Let the lemmings do it, and I appreciate that they do.

Brian wants to save the planet and that motiviates him. That's fine, and good. I too want to save gas, and auto costs in general, but my compulsion comes from wanting to save $$ and not the planet, per se.

For those of us that care about saving $ or the planet, I strongly suspect our next cars will be hybrids. I plan on keeping the Yaris until it hits 300,000 miles, or falls apart, which ever happens first. Then by then, hybrids will be more reasonably priced, so yea, the Yaris is the last gas-only vehicle I will own, and I suspect the same for most of us, especially Brian.

Come on now. You were never young and did things like pimp your ride out? Never spent money on a young lady or bought a zoot suit to impress some young sweet thing?

When you are young you have the advantage of time. You can recover form mistakes...or choices that, upon reflection, seem less than wise years later.

If this government fails, and all your investments become worthless....the guy with the pimped out Yaris will have made a great investment!

[ChinoCharles]

^ Agreed. Too much high-and-mighty, not enough realism.