I don't think I understand money the way other people do. I've been living a kind of ivory tower life.
$50 a day is all I need to live comfortably. Maybe $100 in London or Paris. But I have pretty modest tastes.
Then I hear people mention $5000 a month as a comfortable figure. (On the internet, of course. People don't talk about this kind of thing out loud.)
So, just a reality check here: how common is it for people to spend $1000 on purely discretionary things, without any real planning?
Is it more common for men or women to "splurge"?
What kind of people can spend $1000 without hesitation? It's not a rhetorical question: what's their usual job, their typical attitude? Are they "exclusive" or just ordinary middle class people?
By ivory tower, do you mean subsidized by your parents? If so, it makes sense.
Otherwise, I encourage you to live in Paris or London on a $3k/mo salary and see how comfortable you are.
>>1037276
I bought my wife a piece of jewelry yesterday that was around $1200, just because she liked it.
But I rarely do shit like that.
>>1037276
>All I need is $1500 to $3000 a month to live.
>thinks this is humble
Yeah britty ivory tower, brah. To answer your question, most people spend more by being highly leveraged lower-middle class people who have been trained to consume by the Upper class. (They gold toilets too, but IDK why.)
>>1037280
Close enough.
I found a hotel that charged €40 a night in Paris. Nowhere glamourous, but within the city limits. If I cooked on a hotplate I'd be fine with an €80 per day budget. No savings, though, and no margin for error.
This was not the intended topic of the thread. I have been known to subsist entirely on a two sandwich a day diet, so my outlook has nothing to do with the average attitude to money, which is what I came here to discover.
If you could tell me why you would be uncomfortable, that would be enlightening.
I spend a grand on a whim several times a month. Its often on things I've wanted for a while, but is also pretty spontaneous. I have a tuner car with about $16k just in parts, that thing is a money pit.
Have no debt, some savings (~30k). 29 years old. Own a small business. Planning to spend less this year and try to double my savings.
>>1037294
>two sandwich a day diet
so you're from a rich Western country and don't know anyone who's both poor and frugal? Many poor people buy expensive junk food because they're stupid. No self control.
Poor people in other countries are happy to get rice and soup. Fuck your two sandwich asceticism honky.
>>1037276
I live in a similar ivory tower.
2 years ago I decided to get rid of all the bullshit in my life.
Get a cheap apartment such that I won't need a car. Don't waste any money on stuff I really don't need. Think twice about every non-food related spending decision.
I can live for less than $40 a day.
Since I moved in with my GF even less.
And I am not unhappy. Simplifying your life creates space for the really important things (building a business and relationships in my case).
>>1037324
Okay.
>>1037276
The problems of trying to live a conservative life are three fold:
1) social comparison. Assuming you don't have a rock solid self esteem, the constant barage of "everyone has more than you" will wear you down and make you feel weak
2) Bitches. You want a sexy woman that loves you? Good luck finding that as a broke person.
3) The neighbors. Living a poor life means living around poor people who are often violent and dishonest.
But yes OP, if it werent for that, Id still be at my old job earning $1,400 a month.
>>1037347
I think no. 1 is what keeps people spending money.
They try to buy social status with cars, clothes, vacations etc. even if they have to get into debt.
Deleting my social media accounts is the best thing i've ever done. The only way to win is to not play the game.
>>1037343
>>1037347
Mainly curious about who the big spenders are, what their psychology is, since I'd like to build up capital. I intend to do this mainly through personal connections.
Since I tremble to say the words, "one thousand dollars," it's fair to say I need to bone up. I need to be able to talk numbers in a way that doesn't seem too monkish or ascetic for these people.
Say I want a "lend" of a thousand from a girlfriend, whose finances I don't really know, except for the fact that she has been to Europe via transcontinental flight twice. Is this considered an excessive figure among the middle classes?
>>1037399
>I'm 12 and how can I scam like a smoove criminal
I feel silly for doubting you earlier
>>1037406
Where's the scam in asking for money?
It's largely a question of picking the largest figure that won't give them pause.
In my experience, women are very generous.
>>1037421
Why do you need money? You only eat two sandwiches a day and are perfectly happy.
inb4 i need bread and mustard
>>1037431
maybe I want lobster and steak?
Maybe I want to eat it on granite countertop?
The people that say money doesn't buy happiness are rich happy people
>>1037431
Short term, I want more spacious accomodations and access to richer women, both of which mean money for a higher rent.
Medium term, I want to buy stocks and bonds, for a stable income.
Long term, I want to buy land.
Mostly I want security and freedom from work.
>>1037448
>How do I become successful gigolo?
Get off 4chan and hit the gym.
You're not going to sell your personality. Lift and tone dat azz.
>>1037454
Not really necessary. The main thing is not to behave like a sap. Which is not the same as behaving like a villain from a 1980s high school movie.
Oddly, I am far more inhibited about money than I am about sex. That's why I'm trying to hash this out here of all places.
I have a small legitimate income.
The plan is to use the cash I get for living expenses (I might even frankly ask for it as such - girls do love to play nurse,) which will increase if all goes well, and leave the legitimate money untouched until I invest it.
I tentatively hope to maintain three or four relationships and extract around $500 per week from each. There will be at least that many duds left in my wake. Thank god for online dating.
Excess cash will be set aside for living expenses, or converted into chattels (e.g. jewellery, watches.)
Then I will move to a richer area and repeat the scheme; if all goes well, I will begin laundering the cash via an online custom software business I allegedly operate. Or maybe just overpriced ebooks.
The plan will commence once I get a certain bank business sorted out, a visa, a plane ticket, and arrive in my intended pasture.
>>1037504
Aw ye we delusional now
>>1037538
If you can get one girl, you can get another. These days you can do it without going outdoors.
It's not a matter of skill so much as persistence and compartmentalisation.
>>1037504
What part of the world you in? Want a partner?
>>1037504
>$500 from each girl each week, 4 girls, $2k a week
i think you overestimate the wealth of girls pathetic enough to be on online dating websites
if they're not dating a chad it's because they're either unattractive or poor, or both, likely with crippling college debt
you could maybe get $100 out of each a week, but $500 is fucking absurd and delusional unless you're black and have a 12 inch cock, in which case just do porn instead
>>1037617
like i said unless he's a 10/10 with a huge cock it's not going to work
assuming $14 an hour wage, 8 hour work day and 5 days a week, (which comes out to just a fair bit above average female income a year) you're still only looking at $560 a week before taxes/makeup/drugs/food/rent/whatever
$100 a week would be a fucking steal
>>1037276
Just did the math. With splurging once week I'm living on 61 a day. Minus the splurges I'm looking at 55 a day and I'm cozy.
I have no clue on these people who burn money so hard and so fast. I think they buy on impulse and little else and end up with mountains of debt wondering what happened. It's like they pretend their money is endless then wonder why they never have enough!
A thousand dollars is a mountain to me. The only time I bought anything more expensive than that was when I purchased a washer and dryer set for my home. I'm now saving money in the long run by doing home laundry.
>>1037622
>>1037584
Mfw my bf is a 8/10 with a huge cock and I give him around $100 a week!
Mfw i am being scammed
>>1037627
>19 days worth of expenses is a mountain to me
Jesus Christ is this how poor people think?
>>1037687
>19 days worth of expenses is a mountain to me
Look at it closer. 19 days. That's most of a month. ALL AT ONCE. Yes, that's a lot. You try spending absolutely nothing for 19 days and see how much it is.
>>1037276
>$50 a day is all I need to live comfortably. Maybe $100 in London or Paris. But I have pretty modest tastes.
I'm on the same order as you, OP. Even right now, as a senior in college, my actual living expenses are only about $45/day. Once I graduate and move into my parent's second home (with no rent) it'll be around $27 a day. I'm very comfortable on about $10k a year.
>how common is it for people to spend $1000 on purely discretionary things, without any real planning?
Something like half of all Americans actually don't have any savings. Like, at all. What you mention is very common.
>Is it more common for men or women to "splurge"?
Women make up the vast majority of consumer spending. Again, United States figures. Maybe not as much wherever you live.
>What kind of people can spend $1000 without hesitation? It's not a rhetorical question: what's their usual job, their typical attitude? Are they "exclusive" or just ordinary middle class people?
Just about anyone who can afford to. This usually starts at "middle class" but even the poorest black man in the middle of a Detroit slum will still spend hundreds of dollars to get the newest iPhone or rims for his car.
People are, in the overwhelming majority, totally fiscally irresponsible. People are compulsive, emotional sheep who are entirely at the whim of what "society" thinks they should do. "Society" means marketing agencies and large corporations.
There's your red pill for today, OP. I hope you accept the fact that it's true.
>>1037318
What industry is your small business in?
>>1037710
>Something like half of all Americans actually don't have any savings. Like, at all. What you mention is very common.
Actually it is 60% of Americans have no savings for retirement at all. 65% of Americans would have to make "significant cuts" to their lifestyle to afford a $500 dollar one time emergency (car repair, appliance failing)
Here is the thing you always have to remember. A lot, I would almost venture to say most, people do not have anyone else to lean on. If you had zero outside help, what is your budget?
I do well for myself. Im able to save enough to where I CAN retire at 62. I have an oh shit fund. However my rent alone works out to 71.66 per day. Thats not electric, gas, water. Thats not car or insurance payments. Thats not food. That is a place to sleep at night. That also isnt a huge apartment. Its a 2 bedroom 1 bath. Selling price for this place would be right around 1.2million give or take. The penthouse in the building I live sold a few months ago for 32 million.
If I wanted/had to, I could live in the middle of no where and cut trees. I could probably live on <20 a day in that case. You however could never compare that existence to mine
Its all relative and very subjective
>>1037347
>Assuming you don't have a rock solid self esteem
Let the poor be poor. It's a personal choice to let other people drag you into their retarded consumerist lifestyles. Just the other day my "friend" (best friend's girlfriend) saw me and said "Wow I know what to get you for your birthday" I asked her what that was, and she said "A new jacket, you wear that one like every day. It's getting old."
This coming from an overweight, low self esteem drama queen who's slept with more men than you can count on both hands and both feet. Saying it to a tall, attractive guy who works out, runs, plays volleyball, and will be starting his first business about 2 weeks after graduating from college in a few months. The point isn't me swinging my dick around, it's that the people who try to turn you into a consumer are almost always complete fucking morons who shouldn't get any of your respect.
Again, though, it's all a choice. If you let other people shame you into doing something, not doing something, building your wardrobe a certain way, buying a certain car, etc... You're a fucking cuck.
>2) Bitches. You want a sexy woman that loves you? Good luck finding that as a broke person.
Two parts to this answer:
a) If you can only pull women by flaunting your money, you're ugly and they aren't attracted to you anyway. I've porked a handful of girls since the start of the school year and I have a few more lined up right now. Money has absolutely nothing to do with it.
b) There's a difference between being broke and choosing not to waste money on worthless fucking consumer trash. Yeah, I could spend what money I do have on designer clothes or other nonsense, but it won't make me happy, won't make me smarter or more attractive, and will drain resources from more meaningful ventures.
>3) The neighbors. Living a poor life means living around poor people who are often violent and dishonest.
I won't argue this. Poor people are a fucking nightmare to live near. Anywhere near.
>>1037434
>The people that say money doesn't buy happiness are rich happy people
Nope. It's broke, sad people who are trying to rationalize away their dejected lifestyle that they brought upon themselves. The fox and the grapes fable is a good analogy.
>>1037735
>A lot, I would almost venture to say most, people do not have anyone else to lean on. If you had zero outside help, what is your budget?
Absolutely true. With no help from parents, which would mean rent, cellphone bill, health insurance... probably a few other incidentals, I need about $17-$19k a year to be comfortable. Having help makes a huge difference, no doubt, but even without it I'd still spend much less than the majority of people.
>Its all relative and very subjective
Yep. Location is probably the single biggest factor. If I wanted to live in say, Los Angeles, my budget would necessarily double (or more) to maintain the same lifestyle. But that's what business and investments are for; when I do start making a lot of money, I'd like to live in San Diego or Los Angeles because weather and hot women. But I would never move there unless it was totally inconsequential to be paying 3 or 5 times as much for the same quality of life.
>>1037746
Yeah, the cost multiplication here (LA) is ridiculous.
When I visited my friend out of state, I made him take me to Red Lobster, because we don't have them and you can't get a lobster here for less than $60.
>>1037736
Accomodation is the thing I will NEVER go cheap on. Living next to shitty neighbours, a busy road, most ethnic minorities or gang members is the worst choice someone can make. You lose so much time and energy to noise and anxiety. You can't compromise on a quiet night of sleep, no one can.
>>1037577
Currently Malaysia. Not a local. And no, this is between me and my dick.
>>1037584
Considering my location, I actually do have ethnic appeal. I'm considering Taiwan as my starting point.
Another factor is English. I'm automatically targeting girls with a middle class education at least, since they're fluent; and if they're not, I will quietly next them.
Though you do make a good point. These girls won't be the cream of the crop in any respect.
>>1037617
Oh hell no. And in any case, the locals already overestimate the beauty of anyone with a narrow nose and pale skin.
50€ is frugal?
Try 15€/day. This is including rent.
>what's their usual job, their typical attitude? Are they "exclusive" or just ordinary middle class people?
Depends, there's a lot of "big hat, no cattle" type people who go on spending sprees just to show off. They tend to have upper/middle-upper class salaries, but often spend too much of their money on useless things, and therefore aren't very rich networth-wise.
And then there's the people they try to imitate -- people who can afford to splurge. They're usually executives, business owners, etc. But they're much rarer, partially because they're actually part of the top 1%, and partially because rich people tend to be frugal as fuck.
And of course, somewhere in the middle of these two groups are celebrities, trust fund kids and so on, but they're by far the rarest.
>>1038397
That is roughly my Malaysia budget.
Then again, I live in a hotel.
Then again again, my room has no window.
>>1038468
So. From that point of view, my targets are mainly insecure nouveau riche. Well, fine. I'll go for the Taiwanese chicks with pictures of them next to the Eiffel tower holding a Louis Vuitton bag. I can be their newest accessory.
