The Almighty Dollar

I guess I am in another curious mode today-
I have another poll for us.

Last night I wrote out checks for
all my bills and as much as I hate seeing
my money fly out of my bank account,
I always have a good feeling after
getting the bills paid.

It wasn't always that way for me-
I was terrible with money in the past,
but I made a BIG effort to change that and
I am reaping the rewards now
of following a sound and reliable budget.
I even have some money left over!
Yee-Haw!

It got me to thinking about money
and the importance of it.
Some people are motivated only by money,
while others could care less about it.

I was raised in a family that didn't want for much-
money was plentiful, but it was never
thrown around in lavish fashion.
(Both my parents worked and earned good money),
I never needed for anything,
yet I wasn't spoiled with lots of material things either.

It wasn't until I was an adult on own
that I experienced poverty.
As a single parent-
I was very poor.
Eventhough I worked-
there was barely enough left after
paying the bills to buy new shoes for
the kids when they needed it.
It's a hard feeling to put in so many hours
working and yet not have enough
money to cover everything.
I think this is where my financial blunders
were born from.
When I did find myself with more money-
I didn't handle it well and ended up in the
"Poor House", so to speak.
I was able to get myself out of there-
but it wasn't easy.

I have a poll here to see how important money
is to all of us.
Hopefully you will find it interesting.

Please feel free to commnet on the
issues of money if you like in this thread.

Do issues of money get you down?
Are you content with your financial standing?
Inquiring minds wanna know!
:p

Originally posted by Sage
I guess I am in another curious mode today-
I have another poll for us.:p

I get in that exact same mode at times, Sage.
Unfortunately, when I post it on the OM/YM side, the thread often goes no where and I only end up deleting it a week or two later. However, I wish this one sucess.

On that note, I'm more of the type of person who lives paycheck to paycheck. Like Marvin Gaye said, "Money? We make it. Before we see it, you take it." It makes me want to holla, for sure.:confused:

Hey Sage, you left out one - I grew up with money, have had money, now I have zilch!!!


:D

I was raised in a moderately poor family. My father was a teacher my mother didn't work. But I never knew I didn't have everything in the world til I met rich people.

Money has never been a driving force in my life. I married an auto mechanic and I stayed home with the kids.

When we divorced I was earning $7.00 per hour but I supported myself without child support. I always took jobs that allowed me to be close to home and with hours that fit my kids schedules.

I lived on my own for 10 years and even adopted a child. Now I am penniless due to my recent exes spending style. But that really doesn't bother me as long as I can keep my head above the water. I am earning my Master's degree so I can get a second job and my son willl start working this summer.

I just don't know what is going to happen to me when I can't work anymore since I have no retirement to speak of. (I'm 52 so that isn't THAT far away) I joke about it but I'm half serious, when I can no longer take care of myself I will drive my camper van over a cliff.

I grew up in the kinda poverty that one only expects to find in third world countries ....... No inside sanitation in one house ..... long periods with out Electricity, clothes were always 'donated' by welfare services an never clean, no hot water, meals only on none school days, that kind thing ............

I have had periods of being reasonably well off an tough times too ........ I finally left a well off husband (my 3rd) to live in dire poverty as a single parent with 2, just, teenagers to raise, it was the best move I ever made an my kids both agree with me on that :D:D

I still live just on the breadline, but I have to say I have been a darn sight happier poor then I ever was when I lived a normal life ..... For me money is a necessary evil, an nothing more

Hm, can't say I grew up poor, but not particularly rich, either - middle-classish background with not much basics amiss, but not really affluent either. So, in that sense I am not overly bothered by money - I mean I know you have to have enought to survive, but I am not into material things anyway, even though I am earning pretty good money ;)

I guess I can say I am financially independent and comfortable - but not to a degree that I could retire in the nearer future, so I got to rely on working to keep my standard of living, which is "casual" but not overly wasteful (ok, I am lying here - I got the habit of just buying for convenience, even if there ARE cheaper alternatives, so I guess you could call this wasteful .... ).

As I never had this mindset of "finding a man to take care of me", I have always been pretty self-reliant and would maintain that as long as I could - so joined accounts and loss of financial independence is a "no no" to me :p - but other than being able to live comfortably, being able to do what I like, mostly, suits me just fine ;) don't really need more than that ;)

Originally posted by Swan

I joke about it but I'm half serious, when I can no longer take care of myself I will drive my camper van over a cliff.

Swan would u consider a passenger?? I will never be able to drive so can't take that option?

Originally posted by Shewolf
Swan would u consider a passenger?? I will never be able to drive so can't take that option?

Thelma and Louise? LOL, I would LOVE a passenger.

this is so sad.

Originally posted by Swan
Thelma and Louise? LOL, I would LOVE a passenger.

this is so sad.

No it is NOT sad we r still able to laugh at ourselves even when it is looking more than a tad black .....This is a GOOD thing ..........

U got urself a passenger :D

Sage,

Although I did not vote on the poll, I pretty much know what to do with my finances. I worked for 9yrs and got screwed alot by office politics and the system. I am now changing my perceptions of making money and how I can empower myself to be a better person. I am on the road to making my dream a reality.

Originally posted by Shewolf
No it is NOT sad we r still able to laugh at ourselves even when it is looking more than a tad black .....This is a GOOD thing ..........

U got urself a passenger :D

Maybe you should drive. We'd go over that cliff a lot sooner LOL

Love ya Shewolf

Originally posted by Carazy
As I never had this mindset of "finding a man to take care of me", I have always been pretty self-reliant and would maintain that as long as I could - so joined accounts and loss of financial independence is a "no no" to me :p - but other than being able to live comfortably, being able to do what I like, mostly, suits me just fine ;) don't really need more than that ;)

OMG!! You're me! :eek: :D

just make all checks payable to Paul Grant.:D ;)

Originally posted by molly
Hey Sage, you left out one - I grew up with money, have had money, now I have zilch!!!


:D Oh Im so glad Im not the only one. LOL

Sorry for the limitations on choices in the Poll!!
I realized that after posting the Poll-
but didn't see a way to revise it.

Thanks to all for taking part!!
Now I just want to know who these
Ageless members are that have so much
money they don't know what to do with it!!
LOL
(Must be nice!!)

When I grew up my Father had a very good salary, however when I left home no one had taught me about money, and I'm still learning. While I worked I did go from one pay cheque to the next, leaving work and going to University was very difficult at first, but now I am a little wiser, and have more free cash then I did when I worked....I don't graduate for 2 years, but already I am looking into the kind of job that I will be aiming for, that will have a comfortable salary.

I grow up in a modest "middle class family" that had to watch closely how the money flowed. I also had grandparents thatgrow up poor during the depression. I ask one on my grandmothers what it was like, her response "we were so poor we did not even know the depression was on." End of discussion. So I was recieved a sound education in frugality. It has lasted into adulthood. At times I have had little money (college) and other times i can spend to my hearts content. Now, I do ok.

Hmmmm...I grew up in a home that had "enough". My mother worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance, and my father was an over-the-road trucker.

In the past when my children were little I was desperately poor, trying to waitress or whatever to keep food on the table while going to school, and often my parents had to buy diapers or baby formula for my children.

Now I make fairly decent money, but chose to live in a house that costs a whole heckuva a lot to keep going. Therefore, I still live kind of paycheck to paycheck, but those paychecks are enough to keep everything paid.