FIRE and expensive things

Discussion in 'Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE)' started by Realist35, 23rd Jan, 2020.

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  1. Realist35

    Realist35 Well-Known Member

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    I'm glad someone gets it :)
     
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  2. SatayKing

    SatayKing Well-Known Member

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    I understand now. The closest takeaway. Ta.
     
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  3. Big A

    Big A Well-Known Member

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    Are they nice watches? Sure. Are they $10’s of thousands nice. Not really. But they are a status symbol. Why is that so hard to understand.

    Is a mercedes nicer than a Toyota? Sure. Is it $100k plus nicer. Not really. So why does everyone just not own Camry's?

    same can be applied to brand name clothing compared to Kmart clothing. Everyone participates in this game to some extent and at a financial level they can play at.

    For me, I’m not even a watch guy. But it was like getting a trophy for achieving a certain goal in business. When I started in business I tried on a Rolex while looking at one for someone else. It was an impressive watch but was way out of my budget. But I told the sales rep that I would be back one day. A few years later I decided it was time. I had worked hard and was now in a position to be able to afford it. So that was my trophy for what I had achieved.

    And every so often I like to buy something nice even though it’s unnecessary and at times outrages. But it’s a reward and keeps me focused to continue pushing forward.

    That’s how I see it anyway.
     
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  4. spludgey

    spludgey Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure I agree.
    My car is a 2002 Honda Jazz and at least half my clothes are from KMart/target/bigW.

    Now, I'm not nearly as wealthy as some of the people on here, but I could afford a Rolex or car and clothes that are 10 times as expensive as what I currently have.
    I'm just thinking whether I play this game at all. I do like to show off by ppor, but that's mainly for the work that I personally put into it, so I see it as a little bit different.

    I did want to participate as a young teenager to an extent, but now I'm consciously not playing keeping-up-with-the-Joneses.
     
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  5. Realist35

    Realist35 Well-Known Member

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    It's not about keeping up with the joneses.its about understanding and appreciating diversity in people and their interests, that everyone is different. I think there is some value in it.
     
  6. spludgey

    spludgey Well-Known Member

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    And then other of us Europeans (moi) might be silly in many other ways, but but worry about that sort of stuff.
    I do know that a lot of my guy friends in Germany seem to worry about appearance a bit more than most males in Australia might though, that's true.
     
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  7. Big A

    Big A Well-Known Member

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    Good for you. I admire that. And I’m sure you are more content in life then people like myself and the many others who are chasing after the status symbols in life.
     
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