Comments on: For Richer Or For Poorer?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:36:52 +0000

I am alot like you. I LOVE to travel but all my friends were buying houses and nice cars. I decided to buy a condo, which I love but now I can’t travel and it’s KILLING ME! I would much rather travel then sitting in my condo because I can’t afford to do anything. I don’t know if what I gave up was worth it. Hopefully it will be one day, till then I will just hang the “wish you were here’ postcards that all my friends send on my fridge.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:46:44 +0000

Well now that I am back from my Eastern Europe Adventure I am even MORE in debt, but lesson learned: Travel is worth every penny!! I’d take adventure over material things ANYDAY! Whose with me?!

By: Molly Hoyne

Molly Hoyne — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:56:10 +0000

Sage– Yes. Yes. Yes.

And FYI Ladies- Andrea is traveling in Eastern Europe right now & online, but I’m sure when she gets back- she’ll have lots to say!

By: Lizzie

Lizzie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:36:09 +0000

Its coming up to pay day and I’ve been thinking exactly this. I get paid and I cant even afford to buy a new pair of jeans. If I spend £10 I’m worrying about it. You just have to think of it as a happy sacrifice. You cant afford the material things but your spending money on the things you love – like travelling. Who wants to buy a house anyway! just another thing to tie you down – I’d much rather be able to pick up and go whenever I want! We might not have alot of money but at least we’re free!

By: Sage

Sage — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:36:50 +0000

Andrea,

I bet if you talked to your friends who bought houses or new cars…you would find out that they are jealous of you.

Traveling is priceless and money is relative. Cut out some unnecessary expenses (NOT travel) and suddenly…YOUR’E RICH!

I am usually pretty good with budgeting but I have never had to really sit down and make a conscience effort at it. I just buy the things I need and every once in a while the things I want. I never feel deprived and if I just HAVE to have something…I get it. Do I want a brand new BMW…let’s see. I would have to add an extra $300 at least to my monthly income. Well I could do that working every chance I got checking out groceries at Jewel. I wouldn’t be going out on the weekends and I wouldn’t have a lot of time to sit around and watch TV..but I would have an amazing car. For me, that kind of thing isn’t really worth it, but could I do it? Yes. You can always get money but is it worth sacrificing TV time, my afternoon naps, my late nights and alone time to read a book…for me it will never be worth it. I would rather be “poor”. At least I get to sleep in and answer to myself. Both of which are just as priceless to me as traveling!

That being said… It’s the most natural thing to go through a period of time where you are depressed about money. Even at times when I am sick or am having a fight with someone or any other everyday matter… sometimes I do find myself thinking “wow…I really don’t think I would care so much about this if I were rich.” Even in situations where it really doesn’t make any sense. Like I said… I will have a terrible cold and be laying on the couch, head aching with a stuffy nose and I randomly think that if I had those exact same symptoms but with $100,000 in the bank… I just wouldn’t care.

Money is a powerful thing but it’s not the only way to be rich in life

By: Ardith

Ardith — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:41:57 +0000

Andrea,

Oh my goodness. I was just thinking about this same thing at lunch today. Kudos for putting those thoughts into such well-put words!

You just made my day so much better. I know that doesn’t solve any budget woes, but I thought I’d let you know. (:

By: Molly Hoyne

Molly Hoyne — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:06:34 +0000

Ladies- I’m right there with all of you, as much as I’d like to pretend I’m rolling in the dough… I think if you looked at my 3 year old payless moccasins, you realize I’m a babe on a budget too.. But you know what? I made this decision to go out on my own & I accept that money is one of the risks. And I firmly believe it will come!

I think Kaela is right though- a lot of our jealousy about what others “have” may be misplaced. Living over your means is not cool and seriously doesn’t help anything. So as much as I lust after an iphone, I understand that it won’t really make me happy.

p.s. I just now discovered this comment box is freakishly small… Time to figure out how to make it bigger!

p.p.s. I still want to iPhone so if any of you big rollers out there are reading this comment- feel free to donate one to the Stratejoy Cause!

By: nicole antoinette

nicole antoinette — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:46:52 +0000

I’m so going through this right now. I’m like, “Can I afford dinner?” and my friends are all “Wedding!”

By: Kaela

Kaela — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:38:39 +0000

Andrea, I go through this every time I get a paycheck and can’t seem to get it to stretch any more than I can get my skinny jeans to stretch over my ass. Ignore all those people who are lucky enough to be buying all those things right now. They are either very lucky or they are living beyond their means, tying themselves to restrictive or impossible budgets because they feel the pressure to have nice things. Either way, you’re just not there yet and that’s okay! It’s also okay to stress about it, just know that thousands of people are in the exact same boat – like me!

By: Lacey Lybecker

Lacey Lybecker — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:06:58 +0000

They are worth so much more than a house! Everything happens at the right time for the right reason. If a house is in your future, then you’ll get the best one for you at the time when that time is right. For now, just enjoy the adventurous part of life!