Are you afraid to look poor?

Our lawyer (actually a good friend of ours) said we needed only a simple will since trusts are for people with money.... We do a real good job of living poor, I guess.
 
Linney said:
Ah yes, well that's a device we have here in the very rainy Pacific Northwest to get our clothes dry. If we hung them outdoors, it might take --months-- before they got dry.

:)

--Linney
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That is on the west side of the Cascades. The east side is totaly different.

About 8 years ago when my son was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, another officer made the comment - "I bet you are glad to get out of the Pacific NW and get here where it is dry". Son's response - "I have never seen so much rain before coming to Ohio".
 
While making a donation of clothes to the local Homeless Veterans shop, one of the workers asked me - "Are you sure you don't need to keep some of those clothes?" Oops! Fancy clothes are very low on my hiearcy of "needs".
 
retire@40 said:
I actually try to look more poor than I am.

I still wear clean clothes, eat well, and travel, but I don't flaunt it. I don't drive fancy cars, I don't live in a McMansion, and I don't belong to any country clubs.

Most friends and relatives would probably guess my net worth is 1/10th to 1/5th of what I really have, and that is just the way I want it. They know I'm not poor, but they also don't think I have as much as I do.
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Me too. I enjoy not standing out. Actually I did a stint once as a night janitor of an office building to help my former in-laws out; that was fun.

Right now I'm wearing tennis shoes and jeans from Walmart, a dress shirt that was a gift from a prior employer (with company logo), and a jacket my former wife bought me so it's at least two years old and probably more like 5 years old. Oh, and boxers and socks from Costco.

I drive a 1995 Toyota Corolla and live in a house that is priced just under the median for where I live, and is also around the median for my subdivision.

As far as country clubs go, I was flabbergasted to learn that -- at least at one fancy pants one nearby -- paying the $20K per year membership dues just gave you access to pay to play golf there. The greens fees there are even more than the better public courses. So you pay $20K a year, then $85 a pop to play a course that is worse than a course that costs $50 a pop to play? Insanity...

2Cor521
 
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Bought some new shirts today

First time in 3 or 4 years. I'm still on the job (21 more months!) and my wife mentioned a few times that my shirts were looking frayed at the top of the collars and on the sleeves. ("Yeah, so what's your point, honey?") I finally decided to spend a few dollars and get replacements (should take me through December 31, 2009 -- the day we reach ravioli). My wife said now I'd be happier getting up on Monday, now that I have nicer shirts to select from. She paused and realized her mistake -- nothing could make me/us want to get up on Monday, except the 10,000 things that await us once we are FIRED.

But the important point is that somewhere along the line I decided I really didn't care too much what others thought about my work clothes -- frayed sleeves are a bit much, okay, but I wasn't aware that my opinion on this changed. I used to be more of a stickler about dressing for work. But not any more.

BB
 
I'm 20-something, I'm entitled to look poor. It's a badge of courage, carry on my wayward college student kind of thing.
 
SecondCor521 said:
As far as country clubs go, I was flabbergasted to learn that -- at least at one fancy pants one nearby -- paying the $20K per year membership dues just gave you access to pay to play golf there. The greens fees there are even more than the better public courses. So you pay $20K a year, then $85 a pop to play a course that is worse than a course that costs $50 a pop to play? Insanity...

2Cor521
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Ahhh, but the STATUS!

Priceless.

At least that's what they want you to think.
 
retire@40 said:
I actually try to look more poor than I am.

I still wear clean clothes, eat well, and travel, but I don't flaunt it. I don't drive fancy cars, I don't live in a McMansion, and I don't belong to any country clubs.
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I'm in the same place in terms of looks, cars, and house (although the costs for the neighborhood are extremely high so we would be in McMansion-land rates if we were somewhere else)

Most friends and relatives would probably guess my net worth is 1/10th to 1/5th of what I really have, and that is just the way I want it. They know I'm not poor, but they also don't think I have as much as I do.
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That would be true of strangers but not relatives. I think most of my relatives and close friends are within the ball park on how we stand because they know I had a long Federal career and actually over estimate the pension. They also know that DW is closing out a career in "big law" and have heard all the rumors about that.
 
I hate to say it, but I haven't stumbled on to this thread before this morning. You guys sure remind me that I am in the right crowd hear at the forum. It's nice to be around people like me.

I seem to feel like the odd duck around this area sometimes. I don't spend a bundle on matching purses and shoes with all my outfits. I don't have a closet for my jewelry. I don't have a thing in the closet that has a designer label in it unless it came from an outlet.

My neighbors and friends all seem to be consumed with status in clothing, cars, and home furnishings. They excepted that I don't really care to have the latest fashions and don't hold it against them if they do.

Gosh, my neighbor across the street just got a new little expensive convertible. That makes about six of those on the street now. I drive a Yaris hatchback that gets 38 miles to the gallon and I can haul things from Lowes and Home Depot without worrying about destroying it.

I know they whisper behind my back that money must be a little tight for us. I have had a couple of neighbors ask how we can afford all of our travel and I just smile and say we budget for it. They just don't get it and keep on working to feed their addiction to "status". I think they would all be shocked if they knew the "status" we have stored away for ourselves.
 
SecondCor521 said:
As far as country clubs go, I was flabbergasted to learn that -- at least at one fancy pants one nearby -- paying the $20K per year membership dues just gave you access to pay to play golf there. The greens fees there are even more than the better public courses. So you pay $20K a year, then $85 a pop to play a course that is worse than a course that costs $50 a pop to play? Insanity...
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Heres one you'll REALLY like!

Other side of the road from my house is an exclusive country club/luxury development. The HOA dues alone are over $600 a month. Before you buy a home there, you have to commit to one of two packages. Either a 30k country club package that allows you play at your preselected choice of two of the four courses, or a 50k package that allows use of all four.

Uh, and thats an annual fee. And then its $65 for a round, $80 if you go out in the mornings in the summer before it hits 110.

Now the downside to this is that people who built the really big fancy mcmansions back in the mid 90's when the place was initially built thought they were buying into a fairly exclusive enclave. When the money surge from the stock market in the late 90's hit, and the recent housing boom added to the excitement, the builders went back and quadrupled the number of homes in and around the "enclave". It looks like houseapalooza up there now.
 
SecondCor521 said:
As far as country clubs go, I was flabbergasted to learn that -- at least at one fancy pants one nearby -- paying the $20K per year membership dues just gave you access to pay to play golf there. The greens fees there are even more than the better public courses. So you pay $20K a year, then $85 a pop to play a course that is worse than a course that costs $50 a pop to play? Insanity...
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I knew a self-employed architect who built a very nice home (did I mention he's an architect?) on 17 Mile Drive and was a member of both Pebble Beach & Spyglass.

His firm paid the dues & fees and presumably enjoyed some sort of tax deduction. He justified the expense by citing the differing demographics and intense rivalry between fans of the two courses, who of course were also his core customers.

This thread inspired me to go look at some other ol' threads-- my submarine coveralls. I remember the abuse those things took and how long they endured, and I've concluded that owning a wide variety of nice clothing is over-rated. Entertaining, perhaps, but not essential.
 
It is nice to find people who don't think you're weird.

Cruisinthru said:
I hate to say it, but I haven't stumbled on to this thread before this morning. You guys sure remind me that I am in the right crowd hear at the forum. It's nice to be around people like me.

I seem to feel like the odd duck around this area sometimes. I don't spend a bundle on matching purses and shoes with all my outfits. I don't have a closet for my jewelry. I don't have a thing in the closet that has a designer label in it unless it came from an outlet.

My neighbors and friends all seem to be consumed with status in clothing, cars, and home furnishings. They excepted that I don't really care to have the latest fashions and don't hold it against them if they do.

Gosh, my neighbor across the street just got a new little expensive convertible. That makes about six of those on the street now. I drive a Yaris hatchback that gets 38 miles to the gallon and I can haul things from Lowes and Home Depot without worrying about destroying it.

I know they whisper behind my back that money must be a little tight for us. I have had a couple of neighbors ask how we can afford all of our travel and I just smile and say we budget for it. They just don't get it and keep on working to feed their addiction to "status". I think they would all be shocked if they knew the "status" we have stored away for ourselves.
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I used to have to wear a suit and tie at w*rk. Then Megacorp went to business casual (no jeans or tee shirts) on Fridays. Then they went to all casual...for 5 years. The new CEO said No and we went back to suits. In the meantime I had gained a few pounds so I had to get new suits (could not be altered).

I moved a lot with my former company; cold climate a hot one; hot one to a very tropical one; back to a cold one; then to a very cold one; back to a high desert area, etc. etc. This required changing out clothing every few years but keeping some of the "other" stuff for when needed for visits in the "off" season.

The next company was all business casual. By then I had lost 30 pounds so none of my old business casual clothes fit...off to the store again. But always to Kohl's or other discount stores for a good deal.

DW was a clothes horse but always bought on Sale. Current DW has lost a ton of weight so nothing fits anymore so she is on a buying spree as needed. Guys are lucky...we can get away with spending a whole lot less on clothes than the gals. It is a crime what they charge for that stuff and the "need" to have so much of it to mix and match outfits. Yuck! Give me jeans, sneakers and a tee shirt or just old faded sweats anyday.

The recent purge in the downsizing of the house allow us to get rid of a lot of old w*rk clothing and keep only the multi-season stuff for daily living plus a few nice things for going out a few times a year.

I drive DW crazy with keeping stuff for years. I mean, how out of style can you get with tee shirts and jeans?
 
OK, I just went and checked.

It's $15,000 per year for a membership, but you get unlimited access to the 18 hole (flat, no trees, no water, boring) golf course. That's provided you pay the fee in one lump sum; if you want to split it up into three equal payments of $6,000 you can do that. Then it's $447.50 per month membership dues. And you have to buy at least $150 in food quarterly. That's $20,970 per year, which is approximately 33% more than my baseline retirement budget for everything. Wow. Wow. Wow.

2Cor521
 
Cruisinthru said:
My neighbors and friends all seem to be consumed with status in clothing, cars, and home furnishings.
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I know the feeling. A guy two houses up can't get his car in the garage because it's so full of "stuff", mostly for the kids.

But mail carrier misdelivered his water bill (it comes on a post card) and I freaked when I saw it was a 30-day cutoff notice before I saw it wasn't even my bill. Perhaps he just forgot to pay it - that can happen I suppose - but it did make me wonder.
 
Man, am I ever late to this party! This topic really hit with ER crowd! For months after I retired all I would do is pull out my jeans and T shirts and have a great time coming and going whenever I wanted w/o my cell phone constantly ringing and having to be available at all times - wearing comfortable clothes -all - the time....what a great concept! About 3 months after I jumped my then 16 yo daughter started bugging me about my hair.....then wife and daughter started singing Achy Breaky Heart to me - yup...had the mullet thing going......I was starting to fit in with the grocery outlet folks....maybe to much. I also noticed that I was being treated differently than in the past.
Short story long - I still live in my Walmart jeans and bright colored Ts...but I try to keep my hair from going to far into the past...
You can wear almost anything...if you are well groomed.
 
audreyh1 said:
Definitely NOT a fear of ours. Instead, I would say we have a phobia about looking rich! We had raised INconspicuous consumption to a high art.

Why? Because we have a perhaps somewhat irrational (i.e. exaggerated) fear of becoming a target for unscrupulous persons if we flaunt wealth. We like to be quite anonymous.

In fact, when we bought our new motorhome it made me very, very nervous because it seemed obvious that we were driving a lot of money around. Fortunately, in turns out that the average joe has no clue about how much those things cost, and even in RV campgrounds there is usually someone fancier than us.

LOL! We are always trying to stay behind the Joneses and not be noticed!

Audrey
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Right now I am parked next to a fine looking Prevost driven by an apparent retired (from the sport) basketball player. Money, money.
 
Donzo said:
Man, am I ever late to this party! This topic really hit with ER crowd! For months after I retired all I would do is pull out my jeans and T shirts and have a great time coming and going whenever I wanted w/o my cell phone constantly ringing and having to be available at all times - wearing comfortable clothes -all - the time....what a great concept! About 3 months after I jumped my then 16 yo daughter started bugging me about my hair.....then wife and daughter started singing Achy Breaky Heart to me - yup...had the mullet thing going......I was starting to fit in with the grocery outlet folks....maybe to much. I also noticed that I was being treated differently than in the past.
Short story long - I still live in my Walmart jeans and bright colored Ts...but I try to keep my hair from going to far into the past...
You can wear almost anything...if you are well groomed.
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I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy
Snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty
Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining
Gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
Knotted, polka-dotted; Twisted, beaded, braided
Powdered, flowered, and confettied
Bangled, tangled, spangled and spaghettied!


"Hair" Lyrics

YouTube - Hair - Song Hair
 
Frost free planting date around here is 4/15 - getting close.

In celebration - the Golden goes to the dog groomer and me to the $7 beauty college down the road for our 'summer crew cuts.' the dog's cost $33 last year with a shampoo thrown in (coupon).

?Do they still sell Butch Wax?

heh heh heh - :rolleyes: :D.
 
Yes, I am afraid to look poor. My kids, when they were young and now not-so-young don't like the look on me. Actually, I don't like the look, either. Looking casual is fine, looking comfortable is fine, but, looking poor--not so fine. But, then again, I live in So Cal where style often trumps substance. I often wear my UCLA or Pitt sweatshirts when running errands. But they're in very good shape (unlike myself).
 
I like to look nice at work - we're business casual - plus DW likes my nice look. And sometimes I REALLY want to look nice, such as at Grandmother's funeral (I was a pallbearer) or taking DW out for an anniversary dinner.

But when out in the plants, or on the weekends - my preferred mode of dress is a grey t-shirt and jeans.
 
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