patrick.net

New renter says

Heck send them to Pittsburg

Hey now you forgot the "h" at the end. ;-)

Pittsburg is in the Bay Area!

clambo says

Herewith I will regale dear readers with an *extremely typical case* of the woman who must have everything.

Sounds to me like you need to find better dates. Non-materialistic women ARE out there - I married one and am grateful for it.

It does help one's perspective to go through a bottleneck at some point in your life. To watch all those things burn that were once so important to you or to be forced to whittle down you possessions to just about what will fit in your car or worse, what you can carry. Happens to people in other parts of the world all the time.

I suppose for most Americans its moving day. Finding and having to move all those heavy boxes still unopened from the last move is quite enlightening, especially when time is short.

xrpb11a says

Rent4Ever says

Is having a luxury car, watching cartoon network and having some games on your phone really worth 70k after just 10 years?

Yes.
Yes.
and Yes.

You are not alone, most of America would agree with you. Most of america is also heavily in debt, living paycheck to paycheck, and ill-prepared for retirement. Now that's living!!!

clambo says

Mexican professional guys blow money like it's water.

Professionals in Mexico barely make enough money to afford a small apartment and a ten year old beater of a car.

The ones you are talking about at the 1%'ers of Mexico.

Sr. Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer MXN 293,527
Project Manager, Information Technology (IT) MXN 413,475
Information Technology (IT) Manager MXN 424,847
General / Operations Manager MXN 808,889
Software Developer MXN 210,000
Regional Sales Manager MXN 497,996
Software Engineer MXN 204,193

http://www.payscale.com/research/MX/Country=Mexico/Salary

Cboy,
They also don't have expensive mortgages usually. Many live with a parent, grandparent, or have inherited a house.
It's culturally acceptable and common to be a spendthrift and save nothing because 1. former 150% inflation teaches blowing your money, "use it or lose it" 2. not common to find investments like Fidelity, T.Rowe Price, etc.
Once years ago I told my local friends about this idea for their proceeds from a business. The bank guy said they have mutual funds in Mexico and I spoke to a guy on the phone right there. The minimum investment=$100K USD.
The girl I mentioned in particular inherited a house and a pension income from both her father and grandfather. She works to spend her dough flying around and eating in restaurants, buying Raybans, handbags, etc.
Newrenter of course there are some "non materialistic women" out there. The exception proves the rule.
Go to your local *fancy* mall and tell me who is in there. I have never met an "extreme cheapskate" female. She must exist however, like unicorns.

I think the real comparison once the house is paid off is taxes + maintenance versus rent. Where I live, the paid off house wins by a large margin. Hate to be an 80 year old and still needing to come up with the rent money, and have no equity.

Which assumes of course you have no other form of equity, e.g. stocks, mutual funds, annuities, inheritance, 401k, social security, etc.
Those gangsta wannabe punks shuffling around in their baggy pants are not going to be making house prices rise much.
You can be an old geezer, take a chunk of change from your Roth IRA and make the down and immediately reverse mortgage the little house you want to live in the rest of your life. Problem solved using no "home equity".

clambo says

Go to your local *fancy* mall and tell me who is in there. I have never met an "extreme cheapskate" female. She must exist however, like unicorns.

On the rare occasions I hit the mall - and I HATE malls! - I see mostly high school kids. I don't know how old you are but if you are over 40 and looking at those kids I think I see your problem....

Patrick, guess who's reading your website?

Max Keiser and the Keiser Report.

http://maxkeiser.com/2012/07/08/anybody-ounce-good-sense-can-see-buying-property-anywhere-risk-need-taken-you-can-rent-place-live-anywhere-world-money-ahead/

This thread has been referenced on his website today. I am honored and humbled. As a mere part time gardener and lifelong peasant, I had no idea that anything I had to say meant shit in this world. I am stunned.

On the other hand, I do my best writing in the middle of the night befriended by a jug of Russki Standart.

Again, money is fiat and you better hope it will hold value if you put your theory to work. Look around at what's going on with the banks, there lack of stability is becoming a mainstream conversation.

wthrfrk80 says

New renter says

Heck send them to Pittsburg

Hey now you forgot the "h" at the end. ;-)

Pittsburg is in the Bay Area!

Yes but either way its still way cheaper than the rest of the BA

KILLERJANE says

Again, money is fiat and you better hope it will hold value if you put your theory to work.

In theory, there's nothing wrong with a fiat currency. As long as it's supply is tightly controlled, it holds its value.

Of course we all know that its supply isn't controlled enough to avoid long-term inflation.

newrenter, there are no guys like me hanging around malls.
I don't go to them often but when I was in the nice ones they're packed with ladies shopping not just punks shuffling around.
Valley Fair in San Jose comes to mind.
If I like to scope out young chicks that's another subject not about being an extreme cheapskate. However, that's still not reason enough for me to drive over to a miserable mall just to ogle.

Well, for all the people who read my thread and thought it was great, I am a woman, but an educated woman. Once you know the ins and outs of finance which is not taught but to the last year of college, you can do ok living on little. Hubby just took a 25% hit in wages, and it doesn't phase us a bit. I wonder how many unemployed people are waiting for the 100k jobs to roll around again. It ain't happening. I retired in my 20's because we found that my mall job was costing me money, not paying me. It's easy to do the math, just add up all the stuff you need while working and if the total comes close to yearly salary net, then women can retire early, and live on one income. But you have to give up going to malls totally, live in a small house, and have no kids. Lots to give up, most people won't do it.

clambo says

newrenter, there are no guys like me hanging around malls.

I don't go to them often but when I was in the nice ones they're packed with ladies shopping not just punks shuffling around.

Valley Fair in San Jose comes to mind.

If I like to scope out young chicks that's another subject not about being an extreme cheapskate. However, that's still not reason enough for me to drive over to a miserable mall just to ogle.

Well you are the one who hold up the ladies shopping at expensive malls and complains that "cheapskate" women are as elusive as unicorns. That's a bit like complaining you can't find a 4/3 3000 sqft house iin Palo Alto for under $500k.

Why not instead try the science dept at UCSC, hook up with a nice marine biologist or geochemist or other sciencey type. They're smart, can be hot and tend to be practical. Just watch out for the ones with large outstanding student loans.

jan says

I retired in my 20's because we found that my mall job was costing me money, not paying me. It's easy to do the math, just add up all the stuff you need while working and if the total comes close to yearly salary net, then women can retire early, and live on one income.

But then the hardcore feminists won't like you...

wthrfrk80 says

But then the hardcore feminists won't like you...

Actually the ones I know would LOVE you - they "love" their jobs as much as anyone else.

I am a hardcore feminist!!! Now, young women compete equally with the men, so I'm cool with that. It only failed when the question of homosexuality was defined equally with "sex", we've come a long way since then. Besides it's none of their business either what I do. But, back on topic, both in the marriage have to keep to a strict budget, men can be bad at going out and spending money just as easily as women. We just felt that since he worked from home, I stayed home to keep him company, and it works for us. Soon, he will have that opportunity again, and we will be fine with one car, gas, and no clothing expenses. There are trade-offs for everything. The problem arises when both work and get house, cars, babies, and then she doesn't work. There is where the debt gets out of control.

clambo says

Herewith I will regale dear readers with an *extremely typical case* of the woman who must have everything.
Firstly, every man I know who loves being a cheapskate and says it with pride

Well, I am not a Chesapeake and I am probably twice you age. I have always paid extry for all the good stuff out of self respect. I have all throughout my house the granite and the stainless. Also a koi pond. I feed the stray cats around my place prime cuts. not leftover stuff either. The girls go wild for this kind of thing even if they act like I'm crazy for being so free with my $$. Even if you meat a frugal type gal, pretty soon she will get tired of all that. Even a vegetarian bookworm is gonna want adventure and that costs money.

jan says

Soon, he will have that opportunity again, and we will be fine with one car, gas, and no clothing expenses.

You gonna rund around in the buff??

Jody, I do not doubt that being free with your money to impress the girls is necessary at your age and position.
What impresses women are three things:
1. fame, fortune, or just fortune.
2. youth, good looks
3. intelligence, interesting to talk to, etc.
We may have a combination of these, some people may have one of these.
If you possess NONE, you're toast with the ladies.
If you have #3, you will still have difficulty.
Jan's comments gave me a chuckle, she "retired" at 20 and therefore is happy. No big surprise there. Who would not? I would not call that particulary feminist however.
I am a true feminist, the ladies should all go out and make their money for their various bags, toys, iphones, vacations, clothes, shoes, nights out with their girlfriends to go salsa dancing, pilates and zumba classes, and of course, do not forget those great $3.50 frappuccinos at Starbucks.
New Renter, I do not "complain" that cheapskate women are rare, it's just a fact. It doesn't bother me in the least they are spendthrifts.
Without them and the guys who kill themselves to please them, and greedy lazy teenagers, we would have a much worse recession.
When that petite young yuppie in San Pedro bragged to me about having two iPhones I just smiled knowing that she was like millions of other budding consumers who will pump up my stocks, particularly AAPL.
For the record, I kid around about being cheap but I drop hints so they think I have the bucks stashed for some future use. I do and this keeps them motivated.

clambo says

If you possess NONE, you're toast with the ladies.

Not quite. You're fine as long as the girl you're going after has none of those three qualities as well.

No, I just get my clothes from ebay, buying someone else's mistakes. You've misunderstood me again. Being cheap doesn't mean that you go without neccessities, we both have a small amount of money each pay that goes to walking around money.

Brentok3 says

Latin America has a number of nice countries to live in

Really? I was under the impression that they were mostly corrupt and filled with drug-related violence.

This thread reflects the American attitudes about "consumerism".

Often we LAUD the things we like about it, and attribute them to our innate brilliance in coming up with them.

Many however attribute the negative sides of consumerism to the "other" or "those people", never themselves or the society they live in. It's always CRASS people or "material girls" that make the WRONG use of it and look like idiots. You of course don't care about what the neighbors think one whit right?

Classic case of poor craftsmen blaming their tools.

The thing that bugs me, is that the general case seems to be blaming poor people reaching above their station. If you have 12 yachts and 14 mansions you are not crass of course.

Vicente says

Many however attribute the negative sides of consumerism to the "other" or "those people", never themselves or the society they live in. It's always CRASS people or "material girls" that make the WRONG use of it and look like idiots. You of course don't care about what the neighbors think one whit right?

I think you're right. We all live in this toxic culture where "keeping up" is the be-all and end-all.

jan says

It only failed when the question of homosexuality was defined equally with "sex"

I don't think it is that simple. My understanding is that there was also a perception that women would enter the workforce only to leave after a few years to raise their children. Bosses were less willing to mentor even the brightest up and comers only to lose their investment within a few years.

stoutfiles that's funny. I hadn't thought of that. Now the flashback to MadTV "Lowered Expectations"
Brentok may be able to get by fine. If you are not trying to attract chicks you can really save a ton and no one will bother you at all.
Guys who lose all interest in women can 1. eat in cheap restaurants 2. wear sweatpants or goodwill clothing 3. drive a heap 4. ride a bike and skip the car 5. not spend money traveling together to club med and suchlike. 6. no gifts, flowers, etc. to be bought.
Most people seek security and this is what I derive my extreme cheapskate-ism from. I fear lack of money more than the ridicule of people who are usually broke keeping up the appearance of wealth.

clambo says

Most people seek security and this is what I derive my extreme cheapskate-ism from. I fear lack of money more than the ridicule of people who are usually broke keeping up the appearance of wealth.

I'm the same way.

It is possible to live cheapy in a small house outside of major metro areas. This has been my reference guide, and it is the wave of the future.

http://www.simplesolarhomesteading.com/

Billy Bob says

It is possible to live cheapy in a small house outside of major metro areas. This has been my reference guide, and it is the wave of the future.

http://www.simplesolarhomesteading.com/

Hey Apocolypsefuck is ...your name here, you should check this out.

Billy Bob says

It is possible to live cheapy in a small house outside of major metro areas. This has been my reference guide, and it is the wave of the future.

lol. Try living on solar power here in upstate NY and the rest of the Northeast. Good luck! You'll need it.

wthrfrk80 says

lol. Try living on solar power here in upstate NY and the rest of the Northeast. Good luck! You'll need it.

In that case get your hands on one of these babies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_4S

10 MW of safe, clean reliable nuclear power.

clambo says

Jody, I do not doubt that being free with your money to impress the girls is necessary at your age and position.

nonono...look don't go getting the wrong idea on that. I've always been a king farouk around these parts even when I was busticated. I make a splash because it is an APHRODISIAC on top of my own natural charms.Double dynamite. The thing what makes it so exciting for a woman is that it tells her you ain't the kinda dude to play it safe. Not a coward. Everyone will tell you a lady wants security and that is true. But Danger is what makes them keep straying over to Jody Chunders side of the street.

I respect your caution with $$ but cheapness is not an aphrodisiac. ask any lady., any honest one.

jan says

No, I just get my clothes from ebay, buying someone else's mistakes. You've misunderstood me again. Being cheap doesn't mean that you go without neccessities,

It wasn't that at all, I just figured you to be even more progressive than most. I applaud nudists and naturalists. Savagery and barbarianism is my kinda thing.

I hate wearing clothes and have ever since I was a boy but if I have to I only wear the high dollar stuff. High thread count sheets also.

New renter says

wthrfrk80 says

lol. Try living on solar power here in upstate NY and the rest of the Northeast. Good luck! You'll need it.

In that case get your hands on one of these babies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_4S

10 MW of safe, clean reliable nuclear power.

I seem to recall an article about Con Ed installing small solar panels on the tops of all its electrical poles in the NYC area.

New renter says

In that case get your hands on one of these babies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_4S

10 MW of safe, clean reliable nuclear power.

Give me a couple billion and I'll buy one! :-)

Barter!

jody, I am in complete agreement. I have yet to meet a woman who likes a guy who is "cheap".
The notion is against our biology and evolution.
My rule of thumb is generosity in their presence 1. if I want more than company later 2. if it does not involve buying clothes, etc. (lingerie an obvious exception) 3. it's a reasonable restaurant.
For example, I would NEVER take a woman to Etoile in Napa for the dinner "tasting menu" at $90/ person. Never, ever happen.
If the restaurant she wants to go to seems too expensive I say I am in the mood for another cuisine. E.G. "Gee I am really in the mood for Thai/Vietnamese/etc.
Sushi is the kiss of death. I claim some kind of aversion to it. Of course that's untrue, in Kesennuma Miyagi Japan they had (gone now) the finest sushi in Japan and I ate it up ;)
It's a delicate balance, protect your budget for the future, let loose a little dough so women don't hate you, and never give the impression that your cheapness is *permanent*.

Or just find a cheap woman. Assuming they exist somewhere.