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RobbieB · 07-27-2016, 12:23 PM

Not me, I like to people watch. People with perforated faces, people with way too many bags. People with coffee and pastries, sandwiches and water bottles.

Pilot2013 · 07-27-2016, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound

I like to use Buffett as an example because he's the most well-known billionaire, and his simple life is also well publicized.

With his networth at $63+B, I do not have even 1/10,000-th of his stash (that would be $6.3M). If you have 1/10th of his, you are in the rarefied list published by Forbes each year, and I doubt anyone such would bother be here debating the meaning of "rich".

Yes. And while other posters feel "rich", I am trying to say I don't. How much would I need to feel rich? I don't know. I am not there yet.

There's nothing bad about having fun, or spending some money on what you like. Don't get me wrong. But it has little to do with "being rich". OK, "feeling rich" maybe.

Yesterday, after making a post about craving a Whopper, I felt asleep and woke up 1/2 hour later. And I mused that I was happy being able to take a midday nap while workers are fighting to commute home in the middle of the heat. That happiness feeling is not the same as feeling rich.

Agree with everything you said here. Money is a part of it, and living the other part. One just helps with the other.

kcowan · 07-27-2016, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danmar

Good one, and often true. My DW is a real looker but when we got together, I had a negative net worth. Must have been something else......

Smart women are great at recognizing potential...

kcowan · 07-27-2016, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taxman59

I "budgeted*" $400 for the meal (Flemmings Steakhouse, not cheap). Total price BEFORE tip was $425! That is an indicator of wealth!!

Actually that is a good forecaster, plus an indicator of inflation...

kcowan · 07-27-2016, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound

Don't know about servants. Nowadays, it's frowned upon.

OK no servants! But we have a housekeeper and a gardener (part time) and we use valet service at downtown restaurants.

And we hire a lot of stuff that I used to do myself. Not because we have to but because we can.

(Valet service can often be break-even but mostly not.)

kcowan · 07-27-2016, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB

Yeah, that's it. When I'm sitting in first class sipping a cocktail on the runway during boarding I feel "rich"

How about sitting in the lounge sipping wine and cheese when the attendant tells you it is time. Oh yes we must go and mingle with the riff-raff until we get on board.

RobbieB · 07-27-2016, 01:52 PM

I love valet parking, just drop it off at the door!

aja8888 · 07-27-2016, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB

I love valet parking, just drop it off at the door!

Do you really want those young valet drivers parking your new Corvette or other $100+ K sports car?

RobbieB · 07-27-2016, 02:06 PM

I drive ordinary cars, not into cars, they are just transportation.

Motorcycles are what get me excited. And no, not gonna valet my bike -

audreyh1 · 07-27-2016, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB

Yeah, that's it. When I'm sitting in first class sipping a cocktail on the runway during boarding I feel "rich"

Yeah - even though I'm usually sipping sparkling water.

Just having real glass, china and metal flatware is so nice!

audreyh1 · 07-27-2016, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan

How about sitting in the lounge sipping wine and cheese when the attendant tells you it is time. Oh yes we must go and mingle with the riff-raff until we get on board.

Yeah - I like the lounge part and group 1 boarding.

RunningBum · 07-27-2016, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888

Do you really want those young valet drivers parking your new Corvette or other $100+ K sports car?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ5jchmvkFQ

JDARNELL · 07-27-2016, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB

Motorcycles are what get me excited. And no, not gonna valet my bike -

Yep I don't want anyone touching my bike!

kcowan · 07-27-2016, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB

I'll add;

Caviar and seafood shipped overnight

Maybe you should move?

How about fresh dungeness crab just caught in your own traps? Steamed on the crab cooker and eaten right on the dock. Sweet Jesus!

(OK it is my friends place. But we go there every summer.)

DW will not go to Europe unless upgraded. So far it has not been costly. We do it every year so are getting good at it. 14 years now.

I sometimes take them to Denny's because the smell of bacon is overwhelming yet I need a lumberman special as a hangover meal.

I think it was a Motel 6 that was closest to Mexico when we were moving our possessions in the back of the Explorer. We were up at 6 to be close with the trucks at the border at 6:30 in Nogales.

$100 at a whim? No way! Got to research the very best way to blow the bucks.

(What really surprises me is the obsession with spending here. Must be the pessimistic FIRECALC predictions? Remember that it assumes you will die broke. So if you have $1 mill w/o anything else like SS or pension or investment returns, you can live on $50k/year for 20 years. Add in all the other stuff and why worry? I think participants are uncomfortable finally spending on themselves!)

Sunset · 07-27-2016, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum

Very little to do with money, but I'm sure your times are off. The 6 hour drive is door-to-door, right? The one hour flight is terminal to terminal. Add 1-2 hours for arriving early enough to get through parking, possible shuttle, ticketing and security. Add your drive to the airport, with some buffer because if you're delayed the plane won't wait for you. Upon arrival, add time to shuffle off the plane, walk out of the airport, perhaps wait at baggage claim, the wait at the car rental counter, perhaps a shuttle to the cars, and your drive to your final destination.

You may be very close to your 6 hours by now. And in your own car you're on your own schedule, not the airlines, so you can probably be even more time efficient by arriving and leaving when you need/want to, not when the flight happens to be. Plus you add in the cost of a rental car and airport parking.

Driving virtually always wins for me in this length of trip, unless I'm going to a huge city where parking is an issue and public transportation is good and a car is a hassle. But I like driving, certainly over flying.

I've justified some pretty long drives especially compared to flights with long layovers.

++++

Additionally when you drive you can take 5 suitcases and anything else you want without worrying about rules limiting what you can travel with.

For me, I won't even consider flying for any distance under 500 miles.

Sunset · 07-27-2016, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB

Not me, I've got enough money. My problem is spending it faster. Right now I'm making it faster than I'm spending it.

Don't worry, the market will at some point go into a decline for a year or two.

Sunset · 07-27-2016, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound

Surely, many 1st class passengers feel the same, as they are already seated and sipping some drinks while the coach passengers file by to the back and fight for overhead compartment space.
...

First class used to be FIRST CLASS, but now, not so much.. it's more what I call FAT class , which is referencing the seat width not all the occupants.
I really enjoyed FIRST CLASS when you got real silverware forks and knives, china plates, and nice choice of meals. I don't know if it's gone back to being better, but 911 really changed it a lot, and shortly afterwards I stopped doing first class.

I really didn't like boarding first, then have all the commoner's bumping past you, staring, etc. It would have been better to go in afterwards.

RunningBum · 07-27-2016, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski

Yes, you are correct... the 6 hour drive is door-to-door. To fly door-to-door is a little over 4 hours but the drive (to Midtown Manhattan) is much more stressful than flying.... and yes, parking is an issue (and expensive), public transportation is good and a car is a hassle.

Yes, Manhattan and Boston would be my two most likely exceptions in the US. Boston happens to be the destination I booked a flight for this week.

daylatedollarshort · 07-27-2016, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan

(What really surprises me is the obsession with spending here. Must be the pessimistic FIRECALC predictions? Remember that it assumes you will die broke. So if you have $1 mill w/o anything else like SS or pension or investment returns, you can live on $50k/year for 20 years. Add in all the other stuff and why worry? I think participants are uncomfortable finally spending on themselves!)

I don't know about other frugalistas, but I enjoy bargain hunting. Members here have a lot of different hobbies - golf, travel, bridge, cooking, raising livestock, boating, etc. I like math and spreadsheets. I find it fun to try to live better but on less money than we used to spend. I play beat my own budget as a game but this month we gave a big chunk of my 2016 savings to date to family members who can use a little budget help right now. We get to help them out and we're still under budget for the year.