Living frugal but looking rich

I had learned to live frugal so my kids wll have a better future, lots of people make fun and talk behind my back concerning my lifestyle but at the end of the year I am the one going on non expensive vacations and having a great time . My 10  year old daughter can give you an explanaton of what a foreclosure is ,I want to teach them young so they do not make the same mistakes I did when young.finally i got it right and I LOVE my new lifestyle  everyday. My kids look good and are happy that is what life is all about  : )

I can totally relate to what Tiffany A said. I used to travel overseas to exotic locals so often that I had to add extra pages to my passport to accomodate all the visa stamps. And, just like Tiffany's friends, some people I knew would look at it as a waste of money for someone with my limited income. But then I explain to them that for what they might spend a year on cigarettes, or sodas and sweets, I could take a nice two week vacation in Thailand or Bali. I’d rather have a nice relaxing vacation in paradise once or twice a year than a costly and unhealthy habit. Most people constantly waste money on small things that they don’t even think about, like expensive Starbucks coffee for example, and they rarely think of what those costs actually add up to over the course of a year. Anyway travel is important to me so that’s what I spend my money on.

Spending foolishly spans every age bracket. I have an older friend in his 70s that I worked with and some of the things he does with his money makes me wonder where he learned about money. He wants everyone to think he is frugal and smart with his money but when it comes down to it he does things that he says are smart but in the end costs him much more. He had the opportunity to invest in the company 401k but didn't. Then he complained about having to pay taxes on his mineral rights checks. I put money into the 401k for 30 years and it is earning 2x what I make now and he thinks I am lying. He put his name on his aunt's property and bank accounts when she became ill and he stated he was expecting to get that money as a windfall because she wouldn't live long. She went into a nursing home and outlived her money and he ended up paying for it out of his own pocket. He bought 2 cars that are large V8 rear wheel drive luxury cars and then complains about how much he spends on fuel and insurance. He got a new roof with a 30 warranty and 7 years later he replaces it after one hail storm because it was "about to fall off" even though it wasn't missing any shingles and wasn't leaking. Complained about that because the warranty wouldn't pay for the replacement. He spends close to $1000 a year on chemicals for his yard and waters it every day at a cost of $300-$400 a month and complains about what it takes to maintain his yard. We live in an extreme drought area and he will even pay the daily fines for watering and then complains about how the city can't find enough water to supply the needs of the citizens. He buys and pays for cell phones for his grand kids and then thinks the phone company is charging too much and he then deletes his wife's phone from their plan. She was furious. Hey, these kids have parents that are working. Let them pay for it. He got mad at his internet provider because the rates jumped but what it was the promotion period ended and the normal rates kicked in. His reaction was to drop it and sign up for dial-up internet. That costs him about $7 more per month than the most basic high speed internet from his former provider. This behavior is being passed on to younger generations and the media seems to promote it too. It doesn't matter what you really have or who you really are as long as it appears that you are doing well. My self worth is not based on the external perception of others. I would rather be slow and steady than ride to bankruptcy court in a fancy car and dressed to kill. In the end I will see and do everything I want and still have something left over to more.

Good for Tiffany for learning how to be frugal. However, I get tired of only reading about stories like this.  What about the individuals who had to overcome odds to become good with money?  First, Tiffany's parents gave her an edge. How many people can really afford to go to college without paying a dime? My parents were not really broke but they weren't very "college-minded" and my mom is HORRIBLE with money so that was my shining example as a child growing up.

My mom has asked me for money 4 times in the past year alone.  After she found out I got a promotion and a new job, she has been asking for money like a hound.  I am always afraid to talk to her because I know she will ask for money time I am a little nice to her.  Her incessant need to spend everyone else's money definitely ruins the relationship we should have as mother and daughter.  Which is also now affecting her relationship with her grandchildren because I don't like to talk to her and have to explain why I can't support her when I have my own two children to raise. 

She feels entitled to everyone's money...her friends, family members and especially her children.  She talks like you are the "lucky" one who she would even consider "borrowing" from.  She asks to borrow money and you know you will NEVER see it again.  She comes up with elaborate stories to borrow money.  She asks for even small amounts of money (probably to see how much she can get out of you before she asks for larger amounts).  It would cost me more money to send her "gas" money via Western Union and I wonder why she can't save even $40?  Every time my mom asks me for money, I feel like she is sucking the life out of me.  I can't stand it.  I always wonder why she isn't doing better financially when she has worked for so many years.  And she has GREAT Federal jobs that pay well.  She has had better financial chances than anyone I know.  She has come into A LOT of money, not once but TWICE and she ran through it all  I, honestly, feel like she has a mental illness and needs help.  I try to educate her about money but I know my mother and she has other problems that I am not even qualified to help her with.  And I have come to terms that most people really don't change.  Some just flat out refuse to even when they can see their life choices are not good.  My mom is going on 60 years old and still has her hand out.  She ran through my money when I was a teenager.  My dad sent me money for a new car and my mom spent it all.  She never paid me back.  She has been asking me for money since I left the house and began working.  I was making next to nothing in the Army, she was at the Post Office...making more than me and asking for money.

My dad isn't horrible with money but he never educated us on what to do with our money. My parents were just happy when their 3 kids (who they saved no money for over 18+ years) moved out of the house after high school. 

I left the house not even knowing what a credit report was or an APR.  I definitely taught myself everything I needed to know about money and now I feel it is my duty to continue to teach myself so I am never broke.

People shouldn't hate on other people for doing the things they love because chances are, you spend money on things that you "love" and a lot of us can't have it all. If you want to travel more, give up the cigarette habit. But for my family, we LIKE keeping our sons in sports and giving them a wonderful childhood. We like going out to eat once a week for Family Night. We LOVE our life and don't regret what we spend our money on. Everyone has their choice. Neither choice is worse or better, in my opinion. You worked for the money, spend it on what you want to spend it on. Life is short. Do you. No need to be mean to anyone for spending their money the way they see fit unless they are putting you down for going on vacations or coming to you, constantly, looking for a handout.

This is my two cents. I wish everyone the best of luck of being financially-savvy!

This is definitely not just about 20-somethings not being able to control themselves; this is a country-wide problem. People that make poor decisions with their money tend to do so their entire lives. Point in case I was making apurchase at a gas station where there was a late 30's attendant. I overheard her complaining about how broke she was and in the same breath commented about how excited she was to get her tax refund back so she could get three new pairs of shoes. Its a lack of financial intelligence within our society. I'm a firm believer that fianancial courses should be taught in schoo as a requirement for graduation.  

I went into the military to pay for my way through college and buy my first car. There are plenty of things I wish I would have done differently but I didn't have "frugal parents" to teach me how to manage money. I learned the hard way by falling on my face a few times over the years as a teenager then young adult. After falling on my face enough, I am now working on becoming debt-free and creating an emergency savings. I am 30 years old with 2 kids and live with their father. We are trying to buy our first home, nothing special but something we can call our own and write off of our taxes each year. We both worked really hard since we left our parents' homes and now we, apparently, make too much money to qualify for any tax credits, benefits, etc. We are both hardworkers with retirement plans. We are frugal with our 2 sons which can be interesting because our children are greedy like most children. They see their friends with everything so they want everything. I bought my sons some new sneakers yesterday because their old sneakers were beginning to stink. After just buying them sneakers, my oldest asked if they could go to McDonald's. I asked him, "Do you have McDonald's money?" And gave him my usual lecture that money doesn't grow on trees. He may be tired of the speech but I teach them about money and have been teaching them since they can open their eyes. My sons will thank me later.

It's sad because my family still leeches off of each other and me. My mom has asked me for money about 4 times in the past year. I NEVER loan her money. How can I ever succeed financially if I am supporting my household, my mom's household (where she lives with NO kids and a deadbeat husband who hasn't worked in years), my sister's household (single mom with 3 kids who refuses to get a higher education even though she has the GI Bill like I did) and my brother's household (he just got out of the military, has NO job, isn't looking for a job and has 2 kids by 2 different women. He isn't with either woman). My brother and sister are both moving in with my mom...

My posts will make more sense if you read from my first posts then go up.  MSN does not allow individuals to post very long posts.  Nevertheless, I am very passionate about finances after I first came to MSN Money's website almost 10 years ago and begin to learn the beauty of saving a buck instead of spending every dime I had and then some (credit cards)....

To this day, it is still one of my favorite financial websites to learn about financial choices I have to make as I get older.  Thank you, MSN Money for making learning about money not so painful and relatable.

Have a good one, everyone!