Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (64766)	12/2/1999 5:31:00 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

I'm not sure it's more materialistic. But they become more aware of the financial requirements of their responsibilities. While I was single, money was just a vehicle for doing what I wanted. As soon as I got married and had kids, I suddenly had other responsibilities which required a different approach to money -- I had to have enough money to feed them if I lost my job, enough to keep them in clothes, shoes (no joke these days of Nike and Reebok), activities (piano lessons go on and on), orthodonture (gad, don't even ask), and looking ahead to college. Money took on a much longer term perspective. Then there's the mortgage -- once you buy a house, if you don't have enough to pay the mortgage your family loses its home. Then when the kids are grown, suddenly you are face to face with the concern of retirement and the reality that SS is NOT going to support you to any kind of life at all. So from my perspective, it's not materialism per se, it's the assumption of responsibilities for the lives of others and your own future that require a material base. BTW, I'm curious -- how do you decide whether people are or are not more materialistic? Just ask them? Do they define the terms the same way you do? Do they tell the truth? Just a few problems with polling!

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (64766)	12/2/1999 6:49:00 PM
From: Ish	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

<<X, fwiw I'm still trying to determine whether people (under 50) become more materialistic with age... I'm gathering up responses from people I know... which unfortunately includes too few over 50 to be meaningful so its a 25 - 50 time period I'm looking at. >> Well I'm 51 and will tell you about becoming materialistic my different age groups. Having no children I will be my only support when I get, well if I get to old age. That idea hit when I was about 40. I started saving, not buying a bunch of things. I realize that there will come a day when I'll have to hire help to get things done. Property taxes will be going up and income down. May have to move some day. My wife's little horse accident has driven home how fast things change. The tab will hit $40,000 and we'll owe about $6 large on that. Plus she will never get back to 100%. At 50+ these things happen. It's a damn shame people have to worry about how to survive when they get older. The schools here are driving up the property taxes so fast older people have to move from homes they have lived in for 50 years. That's not good. I'm not one to hope God or the government takes care of me. Never was, never will be.

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (64766)	12/3/1999 1:43:00 AM
From: Grainne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

If someone studied me it might look like I was becoming more materialistic as I age, but I don't really agree with that. Someone has already posted that as you age the future is less certain and you need to put money aside to handle the side affects of perhaps failing health and mobility. Is that materialistic? I don't really think so. In fact, as many people age they become less materialistic because they want simpler lives with fewer possessions to maintain. Many aging people move to smaller houses or apartments, and get rid of a lot of the things that need dusting. There is a third reason aging people may appear materialistic--they are hungry for the experiences they have dreamed of, like seeing the world, and want to do these things while they still can. Travel may be expensive sometimes, but I would disagree that is materialistic.