Are You....

[MorelCabin]

Our friends think we're weird because we only go 'out' on special occasions/birthdays. We decided to go to the movies earlier this year- the first time in years. It was so funny! We all left feeling ripped off- my 11 yr old son got in the car and said "Do you know how much popcorn and DVD's from the library we could've rented with the money we just spent? Years worth!" He was right. We recently went to a very nice restaurant for our anniversary and agreed that my cooking was far better, hands down (which made me feel pretty good). My youngest begged for a store bought cake for his birthday last year, so we went to a raved about bakery and paid way too much for one of their 'basic models'. He took two bites and asked me to remind him how awful and dry that cake tasted if he ever asked for another store bought one!

For us, it isn't a matter of not being able to afford to go or do- we would reallocate the money towards it if we agreed it was important: We've just come to the realization that not only have our priorities changed as a family, we want real value for our hard earned money. It seems, to us anyway, most of the things people love to spend money doing these days holds very little value to us.

I don't think we've stopped living. If anything, we've started living more fully and less materialistically.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Everyone's mileage does truly vary. We are all at different points in our lives with widely varying responsibilities.

The spectrum extreme ranges from "I can't count on anyone else but myself" to "No worries at all, everything will work out just fine" (with different opinions on why it works out).

The balancing point is going to be different for all us, certainly. I get frustrated when someone not in my shoes (indirectly) makes me feel bad because I'm not more on the "no worries" side of life as they claim to be. In many ways, it's a lot harder for us older guys who were brought up with the "man as the breadwinner" mentality.

It's been a very busy year around here (and some of friends here have properly given me grief about it being tooooo busy), but right now, we're trying to figure out how to take a mini-vacation before school starts. So there is hope for a better balance.

 

[R2D2]

I'm concerned with our state of affairs in America, but do enjoy myself.Growing, gathering food is one of my greatest passions, and doesn't cost much money.In the warmer months i spend time down on the bay, clamming, crabbing, cooling of in the water, all free and very enjoyable, except for a few bucks in gas to get there.
I'm not always out there looking for something to do or somewhere to go.My life is pretty simple and low maintance.Never go out to eat or the movies, i watch flicks at home and cook to my liking.I'm really only interested in things like county/country fairs, farm animal auctions.I do check out local yard sales for good used garden tool bargins and other useful items.
I'm much more conservative with the way i spend money in recent years.These days i have less to spend, but i manage to buy things i want and can really use around my homestead.But,like others have said, i don't need money to be happy and out there, i'm content with my life style.

 

[Beekissed]

I actually spend more freely than I ever have in my life....not that I'm buying anything. I just don't stop and mull it over anymore if I want to treat someone to a meal, go to a movie or give money away to those who need. My boys are grown and on their own, so I have more free cash floating around....of course, some of that still goes to help the nestlings make their own nests.

 

[AL]

I have lived paycheck to paycheck with days of doing without in between. I lived in a rotting trailer with no AC, no heat and no stove for 4 years in order to payoff over $40k of credit card debt. My mess, I lived with it. Now, if I have cash to do something I want , I do it. I'm not going to worry about what might happen.
Is our country in the toilet? Yep. Anything I can do about it? Not much more than I am doing already. I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on surgery for my dog. I am sending my horse to the trainer for 4 weeks starting 8/14. Am I in my old time debt? No way. But I am going to live - whether it means hanging out watching chicken TV or going to the movies.

 

[k0xxx]

so worried about day to day, next week to next week, year to year expenses etc and the ecomony--THAT YOU DO NOT live your life?

just wondering how ya'll feel about spending money to enjoy life a bit vs. always saving, always worrying, always looking for free fun and all that mess. LOL



edited to say everyone's life circumstances will differ, but can ya part with a dime to pay to enjoy life a bit?????

I am concerned about the economy, more for what it means for my children than for my wife and myself. Being disabled, I have a small pension and SSI, and my wife has a part time job. We have pared down our life to where we could live on the pension alone if needed, and without either if it absolutely came to it. Our largest areas of spending come from acquiring things to make life easier should we eventually lose my "income".

That being said, we don't have problems spending money on things just for their enjoyment (as an example, we have about $20k in Amateur Radio equipment). My wife and daughter recently saved for a couple of months and then spent a week in Branson, just because they felt like going. To be honest though, I have been enjoying the animals and the garden more, and spending less time on the hobbies. We go out to eat at times just to have a break from cooking, but I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. I'd much rather sit in the glider on the porch, eating a sandwich and watching the (free) chicken show (but I do still spring for a whole ribeye and cut it into steaks on occasion).

My life is a lot simpler than it ever was, and I'm enjoying it more.

 

[sunsaver]

Those of us who are most worried about the economy, are worried for those among us who are not very ss, and totally dependent on the 24 hour grocery store/ news cycle. Many of us pinch pennies because we have to, or because we don't want to have to work all the time. We would rather be at home, close to family, or in the garden than an office cubicle. FC, why do you equate spending money with enjoying life? Do you think we who are very ss are depriving ourselves? We are enjoying life much more than the average American. We work hard, but at homesteading instead of b#!!kissing our corporate masters.

 

[JRmom]

Like many others who have replied, the things I enjoy the most and consider "fun" are usually very inexpensive or free. A few bucks for gas and we can enjoy our boat and be out on the water all day (and maybe even catch dinner). Working in my garden, cooking, reading, taking the dogs hiking in the forest, swimming... maybe I'm boring, but spending a week doing those things is preferable to a week in a hotel somewhere. Been there, done that.

Our economy does concern me, but I don't let it rule my life. I do what I can to put a little padding between us and a failing economy. At least we'll eat good if things head south in a hurry.

Like k0xxx I worry more about what life is going to be like for my daughter and my grandchildren.

ETA: Money? Who cares, you can't take it with you. I'm more worried about the erosion of our freedoms. Erosion? Ha! It's turning into a landslide!

 

[garden pixy]

DH and I have found that since I am home with the kids and only working part time we can't do all the things we used to love to do, vacations, go to movies, theme parks and all that crap, but we have also found we really outgrew most of that anyway. We even dropped cable tv because I monitored our use and determined we were spending $60 a month to watch football games, we really do spend most of our time home, but we have found that we love it. I know when we get invited to go out to dinner we hesitate because we don't want to spend $50 on mediocre food (i can't help add up how much local fruit I could pick up at the farm market if i skip that one meal), we try to invite friends and family over to eat but they insist we go out because they think they are imposing, if they only knew how much I enjoy having them over (and showing off what i grew ).

When we just want to get out we find ourselves visiting local parks and just going for walks because it's what we enjoy doing. We go to the beach maybe 3-4 times a summer because it's so crowded and charges admission. We go to a couple fairs, but to see the 4H exhibits, not to go on overpriced rides or eat more than a couple fair novelties. We do have a free water park in our county and a nice reservoir recreation area so we visit them and just enjoy being out. Gas prices going up made it so I just packed lunches and spent the day instead of going for an hour or two, we do get 30+ mpg in our van so I could see it being an issue if we had a less efficient vehicle. I know the biggest factor preventing us from going on vacations or going to movies or going out to eat is economic, but honestly, I don't miss any of it.

 

[Living the Simple Life]

edited to say everyone's life circumstances will differ, but can ya part with a dime to pay to enjoy life a bit?????

Actually I find that being SS has given me the opportunity to enjoy life...and more than a bit!! While the economy concerns me, I don't feel the need to fret about it. It is because we have become self-sufficient that we don't have to spend our time worrying...I know that I can keep my family fed, clothed and warm. I get much more happiness knowing that I don't have debt hanging over my head than any material item can provide.

The fact of the matter is that I only found true, genuine happiness and enjoyment of life when I had the epiphany that money don't buy it!!! No amount of clothing or cars or vacations or gadgets was ever going to make me happy because happiness comes from within. Once I realized that, the lure of materialism vanished. We worked extremely hard for three years to pay off all debt and build up our emergency fund. The true value of that experience was the self-realization that occurred. We could more fun as a family spending time time together making pizza and playing a board game than spending a night on the town. Don't get me wrong, we spend money, we eat out (probably more than we should!), we go to the waterpark or car races, but those are special times. My kids would much rather go to the 4-H poultry show or a free program at the library or the $1 movie.

Isn't about that I can't or I won't spend money....it is that I choose not to.