<p>It’s interesting to read this thread in conjunction with the Bag A Week thread, about getting rid of clutter. All these things we can afford but don’t buy? Those are the same things people are trying to part with on another thread!</p>
<p>I have just spent a good bit of time reading this thread and have enjoyed the different thoughts and perspectives. I was sad to see it come to an end!</p>
<p>My Husband and I both grew up in nice neighborhoods, attending private schools. His family was definitely much more flashy than mine- part of the country club set and all that. Although we have a very comfortable income ourselves, we are regarded by his family as being overly frugal. We revamped our financial lives years ago with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace and have held pretty close to that since. We live in a classic four bedroom colonial style house, typical for the area. Our cars (one a Camry, one a van) are paid for and not very current. Our daughter is driving a '99 grand marquis passed down to her by her great grandfather.</p>
<p>I decided last summer that I would take some birthday money and buy myself a Coach bag. It was just ok. After a couple of months I sold it on Ebay for 3/4 of what I paid. I had long wanted an expensive bag but when I finally got it just didn’t see the big deal after awhile.</p>
<p>DH and I could afford brand new cars but don’t go there. I put on 40K miles per year commuting to work so the value of a new car would go way down in the first year or so. DH doesn’t commute at all (works from home) so there really is no need for him to have something brand spanking new. He did purchase himself a Spyder (motorcycle) last year and a new snowmobile this year. This was with my blessing and his last motorcycle he had for 20 years and snowmobile for 15 so he was due for an upgrade on his only hobbies.</p>
<p>
Actually, my mother grew up incredibly spoiled. She had a live-in housekeeper AND a cook. Her mother loved to shop and always took her two daughters into the city to Bergdorf Goodman and indulged. In the summers, my grandparents and kids took a train up to Boston, then a car up to Kennebunkport and stayed at The Colony because “owning a house would just mean more staff”. They’d have their trunks sent up in advance because they spent their entire summers there. Yep, my mom grew up during depression era, but wasn’t affected by it.</p>
<p>By contrast, my DH grew up in a completely different environment: first-born immigrants, lived a 2-story house in Newark, NJ. Vacations were a day at the shore, but back home that night. And us now? We could buy expensive things, but prefer not.</p>
<p>This really is an interesting thread! My husband and I both grew up in homes with $$ but neither of us had any idea how much until we had to deal with elderly parents’ finances. HIs family was slightly more flashy in that they owned a nice waterfront home. Ours was what my mother called “Wobbly WASP genteel poverty” but poverty would be a real stretch. Our kids have no idea what we have now. I would really like an IPAD AIR but too much “wobbly” in me to spring for it when I have an IPAD (1st gen.) already.</p>
<p>I think my husband finds it amusing that as I"m getting older (58) I’m spending more on “upkeep” than I did when we met. Over the years I"ve had new veneers, zoom whitening on the other teeth, ultherapy for skin tightening, gel manicures 2x monthly, laser hair removal, juvederm .and of course good haircuts and color.I also exercise a ton more now than I did back then.I think he likes the results but not the price tag. I like the results which is the most important thing!!</p>
<p>Parking.</p>
<p>We’ve been to World Cups, Olympics, World Series, and a host of other sporting events big and small, but it’s the rare day we pay for parking. $10 to park when we can park for free 12 blocks away? Never! Travel and tickets for the events? Whatever it takes.</p>
<p>This makes no sense, but it’s just how we are.</p>
<p>Fun thread. For me it’s cars - they depreciate so rapidly, I just can’t bear to spend money. I drive old Volvos and have since my 20s. Buy them used, drive them to 250,000 miles…find another one. I’m sure the town thinks of me as the crazy old Volvo lady, I know my co-workers think that. My spurge is face cream. If my husband knew what I pay for face cream he’d have a heart attack.</p>