why do you want to be rich???
- Thread starter Enuff2Eat
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Don't like the question. Seems immature.
I will say that I once heard a lotto winner answer when asked what he was gonna do...
"I'm going to buy my life back."
That about says it. That's what we have done here. We who have retired early.
imho
boont
I will say that I once heard a lotto winner answer when asked what he was gonna do...
"I'm going to buy my life back."
That about says it. That's what we have done here. We who have retired early.
imho
boont
Money is nothing other than freedom.
The freedom to do what you want and when you want. You work to not gain money, you work to gain more freedoms either for yourself or the ones you love. You might even work to give freedom to strangers(donations).
To be rich is to want freedom. Anyone who doesn't desire to be rich has either given up or has been brain washed by society into thinking your freedom is not important in the world and you should conform to the options presented to you at your income class and not desire other alternatives.
Why do I want to be rich?? To be free. I can buy the Porsche or not. At least I have a choice.
-E
The freedom to do what you want and when you want. You work to not gain money, you work to gain more freedoms either for yourself or the ones you love. You might even work to give freedom to strangers(donations).
To be rich is to want freedom. Anyone who doesn't desire to be rich has either given up or has been brain washed by society into thinking your freedom is not important in the world and you should conform to the options presented to you at your income class and not desire other alternatives.
Why do I want to be rich?? To be free. I can buy the Porsche or not. At least I have a choice.
-E
brewer12345
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Between commute and work, I am putting in 14 hours a day. I'd much rather spend that time sleeping, exercising, relaxing, travelling and (most importantly) with my wife and kids.
tryan
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... it's less about have $$ and more about having time (to do what you want).
unclemick
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Hmmm
Rich is a mental thing - when I was layed off in 1993 - I was poor and unemployed - until I discovered I didn't have to work. Then I was free and 'rich.' After ten years, I discovered this forum - Now I are a 'high class ER'
Right
heh heh heh heh heh heh heh
P.S. - time passes, things change - after 12 yrs, now early SS - a semi old phart headed for curmudgeonland.
Rich is a mental thing - when I was layed off in 1993 - I was poor and unemployed - until I discovered I didn't have to work. Then I was free and 'rich.' After ten years, I discovered this forum - Now I are a 'high class ER'
Right
heh heh heh heh heh heh heh
P.S. - time passes, things change - after 12 yrs, now early SS - a semi old phart headed for curmudgeonland.
maddythebeagle
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why? to be able to buy and sell my enemies.....but I would be happy with having independence.
dusk_to_dawn
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Definitely freedom. The more $ I have, the more options I have. I am saving to obtain financial independence. Independence is the key word there. In fact, I should just say I am striving for independence. When you live paycheck to paycheck, you have few options.
Funny thing is that I don't consider myself rich although I have an average high net worth compared to others on this forum. My yearly income probably compares to what a store manager would earn. So I don't spend like I'm rich nor think like I can spend that way.
That being said, I really appreciate the freedom to wake up in the morning with "my day" ahead of me. I also appreciate making this house run and doing nice things for my family. It's a lifestyle I've slipped into quite comfortably.
LL
That being said, I really appreciate the freedom to wake up in the morning with "my day" ahead of me. I also appreciate making this house run and doing nice things for my family. It's a lifestyle I've slipped into quite comfortably.
LL
Outtahere
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I want to be RICH!!! if that's what it takes to have the freedom to come and go as I please and enjoy MY life.
retire@40
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Being financially rich just means you have accumulated a large amount of money in one form or another.
I have accumulated money.
I have also accumulated hammers, saws, chisels, rasps, and routers.
I plan on using the money to support myself and my family by having it generate enough investment income to buy food, clothes, and other necessities and some modest niceties.
I plan on using the hammers, saws, chisels, rasps, and routers to support my woodworking hobby.
All of the above, including money, are tools that one uses as a means to an end. They are otherwise worthless.
I have accumulated money.
I have also accumulated hammers, saws, chisels, rasps, and routers.
I plan on using the money to support myself and my family by having it generate enough investment income to buy food, clothes, and other necessities and some modest niceties.
I plan on using the hammers, saws, chisels, rasps, and routers to support my woodworking hobby.
All of the above, including money, are tools that one uses as a means to an end. They are otherwise worthless.
Rustic23
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An interesting question in that there is really one answer for most of us… YES. However, what is rich? Loto winner? Billionaire? Millionaire? Top 10% of wage earners? Top 25%? Isn’t rich in the eyes of the beholder. Based on the information here: http://www.censusscope.org/us/chart_income.html about 22% of the households have more than $75,000 income, and about 41% above $50,000. So, what is rich. To the 41% of the population that have less than $35,000 I would say that most of the folks on this board look rich! By the way to your friendly tax man, you look rich also.
Andre1969
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My answer is basically the same as many others here. I want to be rich (or at least "comfortable"), so that I have the freedom to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, and not have to answer to anybody. I kinda just want an eternal summer vacation, where I can wake up and not even know, or care, what day it is!
SteveR
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So.. what is the definition of rich?
Compared to my kids I am rich.
Compared to my family I am rich.
Compared to my friends I am above average.
Compared to my neighbors...I am poor white trash.
I don't see myself as rich.....moderately frugal, financially organized, dedicated to saving and spending wisely etc. But I don't see me as rich...at least not my definiton of rich. My wife sees it differently but she comes from a different world where one works until age 65 and then tries to survive on SS and a small pension. She is seeing things in a different light now and understands where it all came from.
I prefer to say I am FI and not rich. FI means I can continue to support my currentl life style on what I have saved and invested without having to work for wages. Rich to mean means having enough money to do "anything" you want, not merely maintain a current lifestyle. Rich = yahts and airplanes...houses all over the world.. more money that I could spend in a lifetime. Bill Gates is rich. I am FI.
Compared to my kids I am rich.
Compared to my family I am rich.
Compared to my friends I am above average.
Compared to my neighbors...I am poor white trash.
I don't see myself as rich.....moderately frugal, financially organized, dedicated to saving and spending wisely etc. But I don't see me as rich...at least not my definiton of rich. My wife sees it differently but she comes from a different world where one works until age 65 and then tries to survive on SS and a small pension. She is seeing things in a different light now and understands where it all came from.
I prefer to say I am FI and not rich. FI means I can continue to support my currentl life style on what I have saved and invested without having to work for wages. Rich to mean means having enough money to do "anything" you want, not merely maintain a current lifestyle. Rich = yahts and airplanes...houses all over the world.. more money that I could spend in a lifetime. Bill Gates is rich. I am FI.
thefed
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Andre1969 said:
ditto
Andre1969
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Honestly, I don't care if I ever get "rich", because, well let's face it, that is an elusive term and does mean different things to different people. I just want to be to the point that I'm FI, and don't need no steenking job!
For me and Bobby Mcgee, Freedom's just another word for nothing left to loose. The notion that you have to be rich, as in have a lot of money, to be free is misguided, to say the least. If you are defining freedom as the ability to buy that Porsche or not, etc. you are only talking about the freedom to consume. My definition of monetary freedom would come closer to having the bills paid and lunch money in my pocket. But even that definition is falls short. Freedom is more tied to truth, inner peace and contentment than it is to money. The rich can be shackled while the poor can be free. Get rich if you want to. I have no problem with that if that's what you want to do, but don't expect it to automatically make you free, happy or any of the other things that are truly important in the long run.
setab
setab
Sheryl
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"Other People" are rich. "We" are comfortable, or well off, but never rich.
In my mind, the word rich brings up connotations of ostentatiousness or extravagance. I could have a 34 ft power boat but a rich person has a 80 ft yacht. Buying designer clothes at outrageous prices, having more bathrooms in your house than people to use them, etc.
In my mind, the word rich brings up connotations of ostentatiousness or extravagance. I could have a 34 ft power boat but a rich person has a 80 ft yacht. Buying designer clothes at outrageous prices, having more bathrooms in your house than people to use them, etc.
brewer12345
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setab said:
JG, is that you?
Rustic23
rich is NOT a number. it's a freedom and like some of you said. it's in the eye of the beholder.
also, do NOT be fool by the census. the number that you quoted is far far far away from the truth. national average on income per family/household is based on anyone is 18 years of age and above. this includes welfare recipients, millions of retiree (who are rich but got no earning income), ~17-20million college students (guessing from the census), disability and handicaps, investors who are "rich" but shelter their income in their company legally or tax defer program and many more that i can' t think of .... these people bring the average income way down.
if your family gross income is around $50k/year. you are just SURVIVING and in some cases, pay check to pay check people. trust me, i am a living example.
enuff
rich is NOT a number. it's a freedom and like some of you said. it's in the eye of the beholder.
also, do NOT be fool by the census. the number that you quoted is far far far away from the truth. national average on income per family/household is based on anyone is 18 years of age and above. this includes welfare recipients, millions of retiree (who are rich but got no earning income), ~17-20million college students (guessing from the census), disability and handicaps, investors who are "rich" but shelter their income in their company legally or tax defer program and many more that i can' t think of .... these people bring the average income way down.
if your family gross income is around $50k/year. you are just SURVIVING and in some cases, pay check to pay check people. trust me, i am a living example.
enuff
Boont said: "Don't like the question. Seems immature."
What, us immature?? I would ask, is a naked maid really practical?
I don't want to be rich. My hub and I could both work to 65 and increase our pensions to fabulous sums, plus double or triple our investments and retire on a couple hundred thousand per year or more. But we've decided that what we want is our present income (about 55,000), adjusted for inflation and medical insurance which must be paid out of pocket. We figure we will reach that goal in about 4.6 years.
My kids ask if we're rich and I tell them we are well-to-do. We fit in with our largely middle-class neighbors. They are teachers, firefighters, paramedics, small business owners, mid-level management types. Although we all have nice houses, none are McMansions and nobody is really ostentatious. Many have already retired in their 50's. You see some driftboats, SUV's and a motor home or two, but mostly people are living a successful middle-class existance. That's good enough for me.
I'm modifying this to add that at our income, we are not living paycheck to paycheck. Salaries are relative to where you live and how frugal you are. We can maintain our lifestyle plus save money on that income. We don't have a mortgage or debt, however.
What, us immature?? I would ask, is a naked maid really practical?
I don't want to be rich. My hub and I could both work to 65 and increase our pensions to fabulous sums, plus double or triple our investments and retire on a couple hundred thousand per year or more. But we've decided that what we want is our present income (about 55,000), adjusted for inflation and medical insurance which must be paid out of pocket. We figure we will reach that goal in about 4.6 years.
My kids ask if we're rich and I tell them we are well-to-do. We fit in with our largely middle-class neighbors. They are teachers, firefighters, paramedics, small business owners, mid-level management types. Although we all have nice houses, none are McMansions and nobody is really ostentatious. Many have already retired in their 50's. You see some driftboats, SUV's and a motor home or two, but mostly people are living a successful middle-class existance. That's good enough for me.
I'm modifying this to add that at our income, we are not living paycheck to paycheck. Salaries are relative to where you live and how frugal you are. We can maintain our lifestyle plus save money on that income. We don't have a mortgage or debt, however.
kaudrey
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I, like some others have said, want to be FI, not rich.
When I don't have to work anymore, that's when I'm going to quit. I have lots of hobbies and interests that I'd like to pursue and just don't have the time...
When I don't have to work anymore, that's when I'm going to quit. I have lots of hobbies and interests that I'd like to pursue and just don't have the time...
