Things that make you feel rich - NOT money

[Koogie]

This may sound like schadenfreude, but I feel "rich" when I hear other people talk about genuinely having trouble making ends meet. I feel lucky and grateful for the wealth that we have (not achieved without some hard work) because I know lots of hardworking, reasonably intelligent people who will be stuck at it until they are 65 or die in the harness.

[FIREd]

Older, well worn rugs bring unequaled warmth to a home IMO.

I really like old rugs. My cats do too. That's why I can't have old rugs.

[calmloki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FD Older, well worn rugs bring unequaled warmth to a home IMO. I really like old rugs. My cats do too. That's why I can't have old rugs.

What you said. Cats have an unerring eye for the best of rugs upon which to sharpen claws or hack up an unfavored meal.

[deserat]

When I think about all of the places I've been and things I've seen - also, when I'm next to my husband - he's such a great partner for me. When I'm on a ski slope at the top of a mountain and looking down at the awesome views - about to feel the wind on my face. When I hit a great shot in badminton after setting it up.

Second on the TV - we don't get an HD signal here in Europe with our AFN box, so when I go back to the states and see the HD TVs (and the 3D screen I saw on a mobile phone a few weeks ago), I'm amazed and realize how rich we are. when I check out the DVDs that are in HD quality, it amazes me how flawed the actors and actresses look and how much makeup they are wearing :-)

[Lsbcal]

Those are nice rugs Calmloki and Nemo2.

[omni550]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FD Older, well worn rugs bring unequaled warmth to a home IMO. I really like old rugs. My cats do too. That's why I can't have old rugs.

Can't rugs be displayed on the wall? Unless you have aerial cats (some people do), the rugs should be safe.

omni

[Lisa99]

Being able to wake up one day and say "I'm tired of living here; why don't we move across country". Then having the move completed in under three months.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal Experiences (not things in our case) that are different and fun. Example, yesterday DW and I took a drive to Point Reyes. We brought our oil painting gear and sat on a small beach painting the scene. DW had forgotten her painting gear but luckily I had brought enough that we could share. When you sit in one spot and concentrate on it for 2 hours, it's burnt into your brain. Just lots of fun. Here's a photo of the view we were painting (Tomales Bay):

The painting turned out great (must click bar for full-sized image)!

[toofrugalformycat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom This reminds me of my friend who once told me that he thinks the best kind of wealth to build up is wealth of experience. He lives a comfortable middle-class life, so he certainly wasn't saying that from a position of inverse snobbery (i.e. because he's poor). I agree with him. Learning new things, and seeing different things gives a very real and lasting sense of satisfaction. Now if you want to know what kind of material possessions give me pleasure, I'd have to say the sight and smell of a cup of coffee and a pastry first thing in the morning

+1, but minus the pastry, plus a newspaper that I have time to read at my leisure.

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl The painting turned out great (must click bar for full-sized image)!

Well Al, I guess this is photoshop? Sorry, you have to go to Tomales Bay first and then spend 2 hours slaving over an oil painting before you get any credit .

[ProspectiveBum]

Sailing does it for me. We typically rent a little 18 or 22 foot sloop for a couple of hours at a time, but out on the water, it always feels much, much longer. There are few things I've experienced that are more relaxing than time spent on the water without an engine chugging away. The fact that not many of the people I know can handle a sailboat probably adds to the "rich" factor.

[East Texas]

My warm and fuzzy is knowing neither one of has to work in order to make ends meet. It's also knowing I have a spouse I love and respect, a storeroom full of canned and dehydrated goods, a full freezer, a spring fed lake, a whole-house generator and two propane tanks, having no debt, rifles by the door, handguns in most rooms, and lots of bullets.

I wouldn't mind one of those nice rugs....

[Moemg]

When my grandson call me and says " Grandma I miss you every minute of every day " . I feel extremely rich and loved !

[RunningBum]

The beautiful views I see on our mountain as I'm sitting on the deck, running on the parkway, or driving near home. Not only do I enjoy the views themselves but it reminds me that I have the freedom to live in a somewhat remote place.

I'm starting to collect clocks. I have a grandfather clock from when I got married. I bought a cuckoo clock in Germany on a trip there a few years ago. A couple of the other clocks are just fun, like the one in my playroom with billiard balls for the hours and cue sticks for the hands. And a Captain Morgan neon clock for the bar that my kid gave me a few years ago. Next will be a nice fireplace mantle clock. I enjoy them, they aren't terribly expensive, but I really enjoy them.

Amazingly, only once have the cats I got this year played with the chains on the cuckoo clock, and she managed to get untangled without pulling the clock down and has shown no further interest. It might help that I hung a string from a beam about 3 feet away from it that they both love to play with instead.

[obgyn65]

I feel rich when I learn and experience new things in life, when I teach others, when I help patients who need me. Material things have never made me feel rich.

[freebird5825]

Since I was a young girl, my Mom taught me that no matter what life throws at you, you must rise up, overcome calamity and keep a positive attitude. She showed me (by her example) that it does no good to sit around and complain.
I watched her go through some very difficult life situations, yet she still had a wonderful spirit and never gave up on herself. I am proud to be my mother's daughter, making lemonade out of every case of lemons that arrives on my doorstep.
Because of her example, and my own "Tuff Girl from Noo Yawk" mentality,
my life is rich because I refuse to let those lemons swallow me.

No price tag on any kind of material object can ever be attached to that kind of freedom of spirit.

See my signature quote for more details.

[pb4uski]

I would have to say our friends and family make me feel rich. Nothing better than spending an afternoon with friends and family chatting about whatever comes up, having a couple drinks together, going for a cruise around the lake, playing cards, etc.

Experiences/memories are a close second though.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki If you want to post pictures of your friends or family that's fine, but thinking more of the little bits of opulence that just make you feel like, daaamn, this feels goooood.

I've thought about this a lot today.

I keep coming back to the same two things. I love cranking the a/c up, getting it chilly in our bedroom and diving under my comfy linens. I simply love my elaborate bed.

The second thing is having a fancy refrigerator full of food. Then being able to go out to eat if I'm not in the mood to cook.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan The long winter nights must fly by in the Walt household. (I'm with Mrs Walt on this one)

Well, okay, we're not talking about one of life's ambitions here, but it was something I'd been tweaking on for a couple of months.

Other rich-feeling things are:

Watching the snow fly and knowing we won't have to scrape snow & ice from the car windows because we have a garage. I'm astonished at the number of people who have garages and don't keep their (usually) second most expensive item covered, instead storing junk other stuff in the garage. Our vehicles are almost nine years old and I can see the difference that "garage kept" makes.

Zero Debt. (That's a biggie.)

Being 61 years old and being healthy enough that I can ride a heavy motorcycle.

The exhilaration of wide-open-throttle in second gear and a little while in third.

Making DW smile. (That's a biggie too.)

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki If you want to post pictures of your friends or family that's fine, but thinking more of the little bits of opulence that just make you feel like, daaamn, this feels goooood.....

Leather interior in our nicer car.