How important is money when you're an adult?

asewqrthibdjskdfshflgl wrote:

Reading this thread, it appears that the key to happiness is not having kids. It's having kids that seems to make one a slave to career/money. I'm a single guy making about 70k a year, an amount that should make me ashamed according to the other thread. I live very comfortably below my means and save 20+ percent of my salary for retirement. If I had kids, I'd probably be struggling to survive on my current salary. Instead, I have plenty of money and am pretty much worry free. Staying single and childless was one of the best decisions (financially and otherwise) of my life.

Kids should be considered as a long term investment. You have a long financial commitment to them but hopefully it pays off when you're old and broke and need someone to wipe your ass for you.

I'm 56, have two adult kids, and feel like I happily struggled for financial security until I was around 50. Now that I have enough money to not worry about it, I can say that it is a very nice feeling, indeed (wrings hands and laughs annoyingly)!!! However, if I could go back, I'd choose exactly the same path that I did and maybe even add a kid or two. I think somehow that I actually miss that struggle and life seems emptier without it.

asewqrthibdjskdfshflgl wrote:

Reading this thread, it appears that the key to happiness is not having kids. It's having kids that seems to make one a slave to career/money.

That depends on how you value having kids.

It's like saying the key to happiness is eating nothing but bread and water because having anything more costs money.

Or the key to happiness is renting a room to live in someone else's house because having something of your own costs more.

Or the key to happiness is never taking a vacation because it costs money.

If you value children then it's completely worth the cost.

asewqrthibdjskdfshflgl wrote:

Reading this thread, it appears that the key to happiness is not having kids. It's having kids that seems to make one a slave to career/money. I'm a single guy making about 70k a year, an amount that should make me ashamed according to the other thread. I live very comfortably below my means and save 20+ percent of my salary for retirement. If I had kids, I'd probably be struggling to survive on my current salary. Instead, I have plenty of money and am pretty much worry free. Staying single and childless was one of the best decisions (financially and otherwise) of my life.

I don't encourage people to have families, because reluctant parents are the source of much of the world's misery. But if I had to choose between my $3M retirement account and my fun, funny, loving family, I'd choose the family without a moment's hesitation. I think about money every day, but it's just a hobby. If you think it's anywhere near the importance of building lifelong, nearly unbreakable human bonds, whether that is with family (relatively easy) or friends (harder), you will learn a hard lesson one day.

webby wrote:

I don't encourage people to have families, because reluctant parents are the source of much of the world's misery. But if I had to choose between my $3M retirement account and my fun, funny, loving family, I'd choose the family without a moment's hesitation. I think about money every day, but it's just a hobby. If you think it's anywhere near the importance of building lifelong, nearly unbreakable human bonds, whether that is with family (relatively easy) or friends (harder), you will learn a hard lesson one day.

My previous post was somewhat intentionally over the top for trolling purposes, but the basic message was true. I make enough money to comfortably support myself and save for retirement, but not enough to comfortably support a family. I'm happy with my choice. I'm glad you're happy with yours.

I don't even have a dog because they smell bad and cost money.

I think it is ultimately about a sense of security. I would say making and having more money didn't add any great sense of joy to my life, but it reduced a lot of stress. Addition by subtraction I guess.

Not important at all. I would be more embarrassed about making MORE than 60k because if you're making 60k you are probably spending way too much time at the office or you pissed your 20s away in school.

I make less than 60k. Just over 50k. I don't have a house yet. I don't go on lots of vacations. I don't particularly like my job. It pays the bills. I have few bills. Probably much less than most people. I'd like even less bills. The nice thing about not having a very successful career is you have TONS of free time!

I lived in india in my mid twenties for 4 months. Went to temples, learned to meditate. Hung out with buddhist monks. Partied with israelis(lots of israelis in India for some odd reason). Great time.

I was pressured by religion and culture to settle down and get married. I love my wife but man, if I wasn't married. I would settle for a job at a coffee shop. Then I'd live in a TINY house. One of those houses that are 100-200 sqaure feet and can be towed by a pickup truck. Then I'd just move from town to town for the rest of my life. Maybe spend my summers in the high country in colorado running the trails, then I'd spend my winters in Nevada or Arizona or something. Just working when I needed to.

If you are still young. Dude. don't piss away your 20s in law school or med school. Don't get caught in the rat race. IT's meaningless. Money is meaningless. Go out and live man!! Live life to it's fullest. Go hitchhike across the country!! Just get up and walk to chile. See if you can do it! that's another thing I'd do if I wasn't married. just don't think you have to earn money to be successfull. rant done.

lumanwalters wrote:

I lived in india in my mid twenties for 4 months.

Sorry, < 12 months is "stayed there" not "lived there".

webby wrote:

I don't encourage people to have families, because reluctant parents are the source of much of the world's misery. But if I had to choose between my $3M retirement account and my fun, funny, loving family, I'd choose the family without a moment's hesitation. I think about money every day, but it's just a hobby. If you think it's anywhere near the importance of building lifelong, nearly unbreakable human bonds, whether that is with family (relatively easy) or friends (harder), you will learn a hard lesson one day.

Terrible post and here is why:

It doesn't work out for A LOT more people.

Not everyone has a fun, loving family.

You can have a child with severe mental or physical handicaps that will bankrupt you and put a strain on you for the rest of your life.

Your wife/husband can cheat on you/divorce you and take 50% of ALL your assets for the rest of your life.

Because you have kids and a family does not mean you get have these instant long lasting unbreakable bonds. Families become estranged.

Consider yourself lucky (and good for you) but you are not the normal, especially in today's world.