Reading a great book

[Alibi Ike]

It's called The Cheapskate Next Door.
Lots of what the cheapskates in the book do sound very familiar to me! However, one thing I have taken away from it (so worth it for me to walk to the library to borrow the book

) is when I am feeling that everyone else is getting ahead of me with 'stuff' to sit down with a calculator and realize that if I wanted the 'stuff' I could go out and buy it. That has made all the difference. For me it has always been the idea that I couldn't afford the item, not that I just didn't want it. Now I whip out the calculator, throw in what the item would cost me and say, 'I could have that if I really wanted it!'
And then in the paper there was one of those 'help' columns that said 'when you're envious of what other people have that you don't, remember that to have what they have you also have to have the things they have that you don't want.'
I think I'm being led here to a conclusion that I am really happy with what I have and not missing what I don't have.

 

[Samster]

Very true....If you really want something, you can usually figure out a way to get it. My dh's car is literally falling apart and so we bought a new car for him. We figured out how we could manage it. Now, we didn't need a NEW new car but in the long run since we keep our cars for a very long time, it turned out to be the way to go.
I think that I've finally found that it's not really productive to be envious of what others have. It's better to be grateful for what we do have and what we don't have that some others might have (if that makes sense....like not having other people's problems for instance).

 

[Innkeep]

Very true....If you really want something, you can usually figure out a way to get it. My dh's car is literally falling apart and so we bought a new car for him. We figured out how we could manage it. Now, we didn't need a NEW new car but in the long run since we keep our cars for a very long time, it turned out to be the way to go.
I think that I've finally found that it's not really productive to be envious of what others have. It's better to be grateful for what we do have and what we don't have that some others might have (if that makes sense....like not having other people's problems for instance)..

Not to get too philosophical but I count myself to be very fortunate because the older I've gotten the less envious I've become.
I really enjoyed reading The Millionaire Next Door, which gave lots of interesting advice also. I took away that these millionaires are also cheapskates!

 

[bbinnsitters]

Very true....If you really want something, you can usually figure out a way to get it. My dh's car is literally falling apart and so we bought a new car for him. We figured out how we could manage it. Now, we didn't need a NEW new car but in the long run since we keep our cars for a very long time, it turned out to be the way to go.
I think that I've finally found that it's not really productive to be envious of what others have. It's better to be grateful for what we do have and what we don't have that some others might have (if that makes sense....like not having other people's problems for instance)..

Not to get too philosophical but I count myself to be very fortunate because the older I've gotten the less envious I've become.
I really enjoyed reading The Millionaire Next Door, which gave lots of interesting advice also. I took away that these millionaires are also cheapskates!
.

Millionaire Next Door - great book. I lent it out to someone and have never gotten it back unfortunately. Yes, millionaires are notoriously cheapskates - how do you think they became millionaires! Not by spending money that is for sure!

 

[JBloggs]

I will say hear hear on that notion. The most giving people are the less well to do. Always has been that way!
Going all philosophical to borrow Innkeeps term one step more is the story of the Widow's Mite and how she giving a mere penny which was like 90% of her livelihood vs a Billionaire like say Gates giving $50,000,000.00 and it still doesn't affect him...people ooh and ahh at the millions, but who gave more? That is the gist of the story.
I believe giving time and of yourself is ten fold more valuable than any monetary donation.
Back to that other thread "Do you spend your time or invest it?"