Hiding Your Wealth (NOT a poll) :)

[dixonge]

I'm wading a few feet from shore tossing my lure (a crocodile) into the jones beach inlet with the hopes of finding striped bass or blue fish. A 40ft cigarette boat comes flying by, loud, obnoxious and in my eyes -useless. A mindless, conspicuous display of wealth and nothing more. Turn the key point the nose and go. It screamed hey look at me. Impractical and a waste of our limited oil. The fish are spooked and I'm more then annoyed but It is a beautiful day, I'm in no rush and I know bluefish are a ravenous lot.

I didn't hear her until she was nearly abreast of me - a 40ft something sloop. Both mainsail and jib taught in the steady breeze. She was moving along, silent, stealthy, beautiful and substantial. Oh she too cost a pretty penny but she could sail to Bermuda on little or no fuel, just skill and experience - she was a delight to the senses.

Wealth like most things in life is a choice: the ugly conspicuous cigarette boat or the beauty and stealth of the sailboat. No matter how much I fantasize , in the end, I always opt for the sailboat.

Timex watch, modest reliable cars, No toys -I chose to leave no wake.


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A poet in our midst!

 

[scrabbler1]

Another good time to buy a car is right at end of month. It makes their numbers look better to not have to carry inventory for another month and the sales guy might just need to make his "quota bonus"

I happened to buy my last car just before the dealership was bought out by a larger conglomerate, something which helped me get a good deal.

 

[Lucantes]

Wealth like most things in life is a choice: the ugly conspicuous cigarette boat or the beauty and stealth of the sailboat. No matter how much I fantasize , in the end, I always opt for the sailboat.

To each their own, I would prefer the "ugly conspicuous cigarette boat" if I had to choose. Luckily I don't as I have never been much interested in owning a boat, although I like friends who do!

 

[HFWR]

To each their own, I would prefer the "ugly conspicuous cigarette boat" if I had to choose. Luckily I don't as I have never been much interested in owning a boat, although I like friends who do!

Personally, I'd prefer a pontoon boat, equipped with stereo, cooler, and grill. But I would note that cigarette-style boats seem to come with an owner resembling W. C. Fields, and an assortment of string-bikini clad supermodels, probably the owner's grand-daughters...

 

[Lucantes]

Personally, I'd prefer a pontoon boat, equipped with stereo, cooler, and grill.

+1 even better! as long as somebody else owned it!

 

[rayinpenn]

Oh so you like the cigarette boat allow me to enhance your fantasy - there was a bikini (barely) next to him.

Working where I do, for as long as I have -I have developed an exaggerated dislike of conspicuous comsumption. There was a time when I would have written off the cigarette boat as to each his own. Not now it strikes me as vulgar - loud, selfish and wasteful. I am cursed to see the impact excess and how often it is spending money you don't have. I am a data cruncher working on projects where I get to see the terminal side of these excesses.

It hard to just say they are all just numbers because I know behind those numbers there are people, many are families. It is one thing to just not have a lot of money because of low income - that I can appreciate. What troubles me is to see the ease of falling victim to the monster that is consumer credit. Oh you think it is their problem because they "made their bed.." Your wrong it is all our problem - our society is weaker because of our addiction to credit. IMO that cigarette boat is a extreme example of a society with the wrong values. Too much Miami Vice and too little 60 minutes (Kudos Morley). Think of the house of cards that was our last credit crisis. So many are living on the edge waiting for the next shake.. It is bound to come.

Hey do you think that bikini (barely) would consider having a fling with an old man with a timex, CRV, and a new knee. I guess not - but that's ok.


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[pb4uski]

While I understand your feelings rayinpenn, for all you know the boat could be fully paid for and a very small percentage of the owner's net worth.

 

[Jack_Pine]

I heard over the weekend that Morely bought a Bentley with winnings from a card game.

 

[Bestwifeever]

A little Rolls sedan passed us yesterday while we were walking to the library and try as I might to be personally offended by the driver's decision to buy it or wonder if his children were starving, I could only think, sweet car. It was.

 

[Ronstar]

A little Rolls sedan passed us yesterday while we were walking to the library and try as I might to be personally offended by the driver's decision to buy it or wonder if his children were starving, I could only think, sweet car. It was.

Reminds me of a Rolls Royce incident a few months ago. I brought DW to the seamstress shop. A 30 wish guy pulls up in a nice Rolls. Gets out and brings a few pairs of jeans in to be hemmed. Really? What man has his jeans hemmed?

 

[Philliefan33]

Reminds me of a Rolls Royce incident a few months ago. I brought DW to the seamstress shop. A 30 wish guy pulls up in a nice Rolls. Gets out and brings a few pairs of jeans in to be hemmed. Really? What man has his jeans hemmed?

A short man.

 

[NW-Bound]

I'm wading a few feet from shore tossing my lure (a crocodile) into the jones beach inlet with the hopes of finding striped bass or blue fish. A 40ft cigarette boat comes flying by, loud, obnoxious and in my eyes -useless...

I do not know about useless, but loud will bother me. A Rolls Royce is not loud, hence all OK with me.

 

[unclemick]

Whether something is "worth it" can only be decided by the consumer. IMO it is a bit overbearing for me to tell anyone that his/her choice in anything is not worth it, or somehow morally deficient or that it shows anything other than taste. Some people prefer to dress well for example, or buy their women friends jewelry, or buy organic foods, or BMWs or expensive gold clubs.

If someone can't afford it, or he feels superior by not buying something, great, he should not buy it.

Ha

My go to Vietnamese store near City Market in Kansas City closed - the closest I could come to New Orleans Po-Boy bread.

Can I afford to import? Sure but it is Painful.

heh heh heh - nothing I've found up North comes close - even the daily Vietnamese loves were only semi-close. Driving down for Leidenheimer's ZIP loaves hasn't anything to do with wealth/leisure. Just a slight obsession.

 

[Amethyst]

If you refer to women as merely "the bikini next to him" I would say you do not deserve them....

Oh so you like the cigarette boat allow me to enhance your fantasy - there was a bikini (barely) next to him.

Hey do you think that bikini (barely) would consider having a fling with an old man with a timex, CRV, and a new knee. I guess not - but that's ok.


h

 

[Hermit]

The blue collar city I was born in and still frequent has an obsession with hot rodding. Always has. There is a large lake west of town and some of those hot rodders have taken their obsession onto the lake. Those super fast boats are probably more expensive than a hot rod, but those guys put their heart and soul into their hobby.

 

[calmloki]

Oh so you like the cigarette boat allow me to enhance your fantasy - there was a bikini (barely) next to him.

Working where I do, for as long as I have -I have developed an exaggerated dislike of conspicuous comsumption. There was a time when I would have written off the cigarette boat as to each his own. Not now it strikes me as vulgar - loud, selfish and wasteful. I am cursed to see the impact excess and how often it is spending money you don't have. I am a data cruncher working on projects where I get to see the terminal side of these excesses.

It hard to just say they are all just numbers because I know behind those numbers there are people, many are families. It is one thing to just not have a lot of money because of low income - that I can appreciate. What troubles me is to see the ease of falling victim to the monster that is consumer credit. Oh you think it is their problem because they "made their bed.." Your wrong it is all our problem - our society is weaker because of our addiction to credit. IMO that cigarette boat is a extreme example of a society with the wrong values. Too much Miami Vice and too little 60 minutes (Kudos Morley). Think of the house of cards that was our last credit crisis. So many are living on the edge waiting for the next shake.. It is bound to come.

Hey do you think that bikini (barely) would consider having a fling with an old man with a timex, CRV, and a new knee. I guess not - but that's ok.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forumh

Re: 60 Minutes

Last night while dozing through 60 Minutes they were talking needle skyscrapers being built in NYC - 75' at the base, 1500' tall, 105' at the top. Built as residential units, a single floor single unit (say 9000 sq. feet?) would run $20,000,000. Location location, heck of a city view.

They mentioned that they were built as stores of value for the buyers; so much like the vacant Chinese cities built and invested in by the Chinese?

I like to remind myself that there are a lot of different levels both above and below - not much point being too proud or too humble because it is a huge world.

 

[karen1972]

I realize sometimes I do too good a job hiding my wealth. More than one time I've been offered help to get on assistance if I needed..it isn't that hard you know.. you politely decline.. I'll manage.. but you always get that bleeding heart person that just won't accept no because they think your embarrassed and I end up feeling guilty.

I may have to re-think what I look like when I go out... ie like when some guy at Aldis gives you his cart and wont' accept your quarter to help you out... hmm maybe I've gone too far. hoping he's just being nice or doesn't want to bother with a quarter in his pocket.

 

[brett]

Shortly after retiring early we downsized and sold our home. We intended to buy but have just kept renting because of the market conditions.

We travel frequently, usually for 8-12 weeks. Some of our friends, and no doubt some of our relatives, think that we are spending/squandering the equity from our former home on travel. We have done nothing to confirm or deny this even though several appear quite desperate to know. Not really their business...is it.

 

[NW-Bound]

...I like to remind myself that there are a lot of different levels both above and below - not much point being too proud or too humble because it is a huge world.

+1

When I go out in the world, nobody cares that much about me or my look, unless I do something to attract attention (and why would I care to do that?).

 

[athena53]

Wealth like most things in life is a choice: the ugly conspicuous cigarette boat or the beauty and stealth of the sailboat. No matter how much I fantasize , in the end, I always opt for the sailboat.

One of the first things I asked about the lake behind our house when we were considering buying the house was whether power craft were allowed. No. (It' sonly a 3-acre lake.) That was the right answer.

I LOVE my kayak! I like to sneak up on birds so I can watch them.

 

[W2R]

My go to Vietnamese store near City Market in Kansas City closed - the closest I could come to New Orleans Po-Boy bread.

Can I afford to import? Sure but it is Painful.

heh heh heh - nothing I've found up North comes close - even the daily Vietnamese loves were only semi-close. Driving down for Leidenheimer's ZIP loaves hasn't anything to do with wealth/leisure. Just a slight obsession.

Finding decent bread for po'boys up there is a real problem. Honestly I looked and looked and didn't find anything suitable in Springfield.

I am wondering if maybe your new bride or you can learn to bake good French bread at home. Perfection is hard to achieve, but "good enough" might not be that tough. If you can bake acceptable bread at home, that would take care of that problem for good.

Not only that, your bread would be very fresh, and you know what a difference that makes. And oh, the smell of fresh bread baking.... ah!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Reminds me of a Rolls Royce incident a few months ago. I brought DW to the seamstress shop. A 30 wish guy pulls up in a nice Rolls. Gets out and brings a few pairs of jeans in to be hemmed. Really? What man has his jeans hemmed?

Maybe he bought them at Goodwill (kidding). Not to mention foofoo designer jeans cost a ton of money, and he is probably paying extra for a special hemming technique that will keep the original hem.

Re noisy boats, cars, motorcycles, gyms with loud music, stores that feel compelled to have music blaring through speakers mounted on the outside of their building--they all should be spanked and fined. Noise pollution.

 

[braumeister]

I used to know a guy with not one, but two Rolls-Royces. Different colors, to go with whatever he wanted to wear that day. He drove them himself, no chauffeur.

But the point is that everyone would see him and wave cheerily at him. He was the biggest philanthropist in the region, and gave so much money to good causes that he was universally beloved.

Based on that one experience, I can look at people with what for me would be extreme levels of luxury possessions and not judge them critically at all. Of course, if their behavior merited disparagement, that would be a different story.

 

[mpeirce]

There is actually another good reason to keep a low profile: becoming a target of crime.

Back when I worked in Silicon Valley there were a number of kidnappings of tech executives. It was keep fairly quiet, but I do know that security got bumped up substantial at a number of companies.

I also know someone who was visiting an African country and staying with family for a couple of weeks. People noticed the "rich white folks" and broke in at night and robbed them. Not fun.

 

[GravitySucks]

I realize sometimes I do too good a job hiding my wealth. More than one time I've been offered help to get on assistance if I needed..it isn't that hard you know.. you politely decline.. I'll manage.. but you always get that bleeding heart person that just won't accept no because they think your embarrassed and I end up feeling guilty.

I may have to re-think what I look like when I go out... ie like when some guy at Aldis gives you his cart and wont' accept your quarter to help you out... hmm maybe I've gone too far. hoping he's just being nice or doesn't want to bother with a quarter in his pocket.

LOL.. Almost hate to admit this one but....
I once tried to put a dollar in a homeless mans cup and was told "We don't take from our own."