Is Money everything?

But going back to the point the OP makes - that doesn't necessarily make it everything.

Pretty much everyone wishes they had a Ferrari,

I would never want a Ferrari, Id just worry about A) Do I look a complete knobhead in this ? and B) What if I park it there and somebody shoves a car door into it or a shopping trolley ? and C) Ferraris cost a shit load to own and run, god knows how much a service is, and what if it needed a new clutch etc. Id convince myself that I could be doing more with that pile of dosh, like maybe giving it to the Salvo's.
For me it would just be a worry. (but that's how I am).

But maybe your using a Ferrari purely as a symbol of attainability, in which case, yes.
We all want and desire nice things.
I grew up in a typical working class family, my Dad was a tradesman, my Mother worked in Halfords, they voted Labour. They drummed the work ethic into me at an early age, they persuaded me to go to work with colds and flu, things like that. So Ive done well, Ive worked as an Engineer all my life and earned good money, always. Now Im retired and am comfortably off, its how I imagined myself in my mid 60's, with a nice home, car, some possession's, I travel overseas a lot, I can buy things within reason. I like to think Im living proof that if you work hard enough you can do very well...….But I don't want 10 million, I don't know what Id do with it, see the Ferrari reasoning above. Im happy with my lot.

I think what Im trying to say is, we all have a kind of lifestyle dream, not everyone wants a Ferrari, for some it would bring stress and anxiety, for others pure joy. You have to work out whats right for you.
 
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When I first started out on my career I saw clients with more money than you could imagine. Some of them were in their late 60’s and 70’s and still working. I used to think, retire and get out and spend it whilst you can. Needless to say they didn’t and left pot loads to relatives or charity. My experiences are, easy money tends to be squandered, hard earned money is saved and put to work to generate more. I have met very few who have taken the middle road, enjoyed what it brings and left the world leaving very little. In the perfect world we need lots of it when we are very young and as we get older and I mean over 70, it very quickly means very little.
 
When I first started out on my career I saw clients with more money than you could imagine. Some of them were in their late 60’s and 70’s and still working. I used to think, retire and get out and spend it whilst you can. Needless to say they didn’t and left pot loads to relatives or charity. My experiences are, easy money tends to be squandered, hard earned money is saved and put to work to generate more. I have met very few who have taken the middle road, enjoyed what it brings and left the world leaving very little. In the perfect world we need lots of it when we are very young and as we get older and I mean over 70, it very quickly means very little.

I worked with someone who told their kids "There'll be no money, but yer'll have the house'!
 
But you need enough money to able to live, house, feed yourself without needing a job. Not many people are in that situation. You could live like a hermit in the forest fairly cheaply but for most people you need to be mortgage free, have enough income/capital to keep you well fed and watered, plus with enough to travel to where you want. You definitely need a sizeable amount of cash!


I suppose it differs from person to person. I reckon I could live a happy life off around £20k per year. Using the 4% rule that only requires a 'stash' of £500k. Whilst I'm not saying that's a small amount of money, it's certainly doesn't amount to being 'filthy rich' IMO.
 
I suppose it differs from person to person. I reckon I could live a happy life off around £20k per year. Using the 4% rule that only requires a 'stash' of £500k. Whilst I'm not saying that's a small amount of money, it's certainly doesn't amount to being 'filthy rich' IMO.
That would actually require less than £500k as there is £8.5K old age pension to add on from between 66 and 67.
 
That would actually require less than £500k as there is £8.5K old age pension to add on from between 66 and 67.
True, however I'm not holding my breath for a state pension. They've got 4 decades before I'm entitled to one, I bet they'll bump the age up to 75-80 range in that time.
 
True, however I'm not holding my breath for a state pension. They've got 4 decades before I'm entitled to one, I bet they'll bump the age up to 75-80 range in that time.
Mine in due in 2026 hopefully there will be no changes by then although I would gladly swop my state pension for your 35ish years.
 
The greatest thing that richness can give you is to free you from worrying about money.
 
id imagine winning say 5 million on the loto could ruin your life to the point of being miserable and put you on the bottle but not of course everyone a lot of people have won this much and remaind happy, i came into a little bit a couple of years ago and it changed my life from not being able to sleep at night because of bills etc and im sure there was some depression in there to,trouble is now im scarred to death of spending it as i dont want them bad days to return
 
id imagine winning say 5 million on the loto could ruin your life to the point of being miserable and put you on the bottle but not of course everyone a lot of people have won this much and remaind happy, i came into a little bit a couple of years ago and it changed my life from not being able to sleep at night because of bills etc and im sure there was some depression in there to,trouble is now im scarred to death of spending it as i dont want them bad days to return
Hence why people who have it want more. They fear more of being without it than those who never had it. My fear of spending too much now I am retired is if disappears I would have to take a hum drum job on minimum wage. I know that’s what millions have to do everyday, just to survive, but when you have never lived like that since student days it would be a massive reality check of the real world.
 
It does make life easier in many respects. I did a job that I can't say I enjoyed, but it gave me a reasonable pension that enabled me not to be wealthy as such, but now I don't have to count every penny or worry about paying the bills. A life of having to be fairly frugal has trained me not to run up huge credit cars bills or other indulgent expenses.

Whether winning 100 million on a lottery makes you x times as happy, I doubt it, but I'm never likely to find out.
 
One thing i wouldn't be doing is having my face in the media next to a cheque of that magnitude. I'd be remaining anonymous and telling no **** but my parents about it.
I think people would probably guess if some wannabe hooligan was suddenly turning up everywhere splashing the cash. No offence intended, just going off your username which infers you like to fight opposition ‘firms’ at football matches, which suggests not much going on upstairs.
Big win like they would probs my be wasted on you, only so many Stone Island coats you can buy.
 
I think people would probably guess if some wannabe hooligan was suddenly turning up everywhere splashing the cash. No offence intended, just going off your username which infers you like to fight opposition ‘firms’ at football matches, which suggests not much going on upstairs.
Big win like they would probs my be wasted on you, only so many Stone Island coats you can buy.
Don’t hold back. Just going off your reply, infers you work for the Samaritans. If ever I am on that bridge and you answer the phone will you please put it down as there is a risk I may jump.!
 

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