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<p>Could be; I don’t own a TV and haven’t for years.</p>
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<p>No, some people may want SUVs because of weather. People got around in weather before there were SUVs.</p>
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<p>Oh, I’m sure you can find some sedans that are more expensive than SUVs.</p>
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<p>Yeah, other expenditures like groceries and paying the rent.</p>
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<p>Yes, and some people’s priorities are very skewed.</p>
<p>I am sure your priorities are very grounded, or maybe it is just lack of choice.</p>
<p>Whatever you may think about my priorities (to the extent you know what they are, which is next to zero), I can assure you they are the result of conscious decisions.</p>
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<p>It is always about YOUR cosncious decisions. Every post and every thread you have ever made on CC is about your decision you have made for yourself, hence for your children. Yo do not miss an opportunity in putting down people who have made a different decision than you. This was a decent, codial discussion about a philosophical view until you decided once again to put down people who you perceive to have more than you do. If you are so happy with your conscious decision of the way you want to live, why keep on attacking. A long time poster, mini, who has decided to live the kind live he want is not here constantly telling others what they are doing wrong. I don’t live my life as mini, but I respect what he is doing and how he has raised his children.</p>
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<p>Really? I could go back and provide links to hundreds of threads and posts that have absolutely nothing to do with me or my children - but since you’ve shown that evidence doesn’t impress you, I won’t bother.</p>
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<p>I haven’t put down anyone. I expressed a view that those who grow up with less expect less and that that leads to better values. You decided to take that personally - and then, true to form, you turn to personal attack mode.</p>
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You didn’t put down anyone? This is said without any stats to back up, only personal opinion. Your definition of kids who get all the bells and whistles are kids whose family could afford SUVs, wide screen TVs and “expensive vacations,” which is everything YOU are not prepared to pay.</p>
<p>annasdad,How do those growing up with less expect less and how does that necessarily lead to better values? Just curious.</p>
<p>Money doesn’t cause happiness. But there is definitely a correlation between money and happiness,</p>
<p>And as far as different salaries in different areas goes, don’t forget about the cost of living in those two areas. A 40k job in Omaha would seem like a lot more than a 40k job in LA.</p>
<p>Anasdad, all you seem to be doing in this thread is projecting your values about money/material possessions onto others. People have the right to live as they choose</p>
<p>“Money doesn’t cause happiness. But there is definitely a correlation between money and happiness,”</p>
<p>Most of the research studies suggest this is true. A positive correlation up to $75k, a negative correlation above that.</p>
<p>How do those growing up with less expect less and how does that necessarily lead to better values? Just curious.</p>
<p>Not annasdad but I will try and answer.</p>
<p>We didn’t have a tv for about 5 years when the kids were growing up. It was great cause they had to chose what they were going to do instead of plopping in a video.
( and I would be lying if I didn’t miss it at times just for that reason- but most of the time the lack of one gave us more options for family time)
I think it can be much harder to monitor use of electronics with children than if you just don’t have them available in the first place.</p>
<p>( We do currently have a television but it is about 17 years old- not a flat screen , don’t have cable cause we really don’t watch it anyway- we do read a lot)</p>
<p>Another example- we only have one car that runs- so we take turns using it. The rest of the time we walk, which is relaxing & good exercise, or we take public transportation, which for my husband is much more relaxing than the drive home.
Since we have limited use of the car, we plan our trips more wisely, which is a time & money saver.
Im not saying you can’t do those things with a Tesla ;), I am just using examples from daily life since you asked.</p>
<p>Money is not so important by itself, and does not by itself buy happiness, but is merely a tool to avoid the unhappiness that can be brought on by poverty and debt.</p>
<p>ucbalumnus,Your response is great. Makes alot of sense. emeraldkity, thanks for your personal examples,not sure how that necessarily relates to better values but maybe I could be convinced!</p>
<p>EK, with respect-- you cited activities that took the place of TV, not better values. </p>
<p>I tend to agree with the posters who state that money doesn’t buy happiness, but poverty doesn’t equate to nobility either. I’ve known fabulous people and scum on both ends of the economic spectrum.</p>
<p>but is merely a tool to avoid the unhappiness that can be brought on by poverty and debt.</p>
<p>Im wondering how much debt the average family who makes $80K has compared to the family who makes $160K.</p>
<p>I really am wondering, cause Google is down!</p>
<p>Google is not down.</p>
<p>I can’t get it to work at all.^</p>
<p>I am outside of US, but I did get on the US site and it is working for me.</p>
<p>Im wondering how much debt the average family who makes $80K has compared to the family who makes $160K."</p>
<p>I don’t know the debt numbers, but I do know the asset numbers. Basically, the $100k family has four times the assets of the average $50k family. (By the way, the numbers are VERY different for racial and ethnic minorities). The $150k family, about 8 times, the $200k family, roughly 16 times.)</p>
<p>These numbers may have changed some in very recent years, as home value (assets) have fallen, both absolutely, and in relation to mortgage debt. I expect it has affected lower income families even worse, as they have been the most likely to have lost their homes (and the full value of the asset.)</p>
<p>So doing without material things makes one a better person? Yikes…that mindset is 2 generations ago I would give my children almost anything, not everything,they’d ever want or need, as lng as we could afford it…AND they are grateful and respectful for everything they have received…They are great kids…</p>