Is Getting Rich Worth It?

The Ultralinx ^ | August 3, 2014

[SamAdams76]

Pretty accurate. The biggest thing I struggle with is the relationship with my family and the friends I grew up with. It's not that they hit me up for money, they are good about that. But there is definitely a "jealousy" there and they assume that I don't have any problems to deal with "like they do." When I take them to a restaurant, it's awkward because when I offer to pick up the check, they sometimes get offended and feel I am patronizing them. Yet when I don't, they will assume that I'm being cheap. Christmastime and birthdays are also awkward for the same reasons. One time I put a $100 bill in a relative's birthday card and that did not go over well with his parents at all - they actually returned it to us, in the mail, with no comment. The implication being that we were jerks.

Those who aren't wealthy probably laugh at concerns like that but it does bother me quite a bit as I try to be humble and do not want to be seen as "flaunting" my wealth or making myself out to be better than others. Yet I'm constantly in situations that are perceived that way.

Bottom line is that once you achieve respectable middle class, you are better off than 90% of the rest of the world. Any additional wealth brings diminishing returns. A Mercedes Benz doesn't really drive that much better than the Lexus I own. A $100 bottle of wine doesn't taste that much better than the $30 bottle I normally drink.

I'm happy where I am and don't feel that I need to be ashamed of it.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

I keep telling the Lord that I could handle being rich.....so far He’s not buying it.

[GeronL]

lol

Yeah, that island in the Bahamas is calling to me

[BipolarBob]

Thanks for posting. I was going to get rich but this article talked me out of it. I will always thank you for the rest of my un-rich days.

[RedMDer]

Fiddler on the roof - If I were a rich man (with subtitles)

[bgill]

Money might not buy happiness but it sure can make the down payment.

[RedMDer]

Free Republic 1st Quarter Fundraising Target: $85,000

Receipts & Pledges to-date: $33,602

39%

Woo hoo!! And the first 39% is in!! Thank you all very much!!

FReepathon day 36.

Two percent a day keeps the 404 away.

[right way right]

Being debt free is better than being rich.
At least that is how I imagine it would be.

[Tammy8]

A very wise man told me not too long ago that the only things you could really ever own is what you can carry on your back.

[Dr. Sivana]

Being debt free is better than being rich. At least that is how I imagine it would be.

Or, as McCawber in David Copperfield put it,

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery."

[Cool Guy]

I doubt I would change much, a new computer, a softer bed and a better chair to FReep from.

Maybe a new Tesla Model X to drive around ;-)

[Gay State Conservative]

In modern civilized societies one needs a certain amount of money to buy the basics....decent home,decent food,etc,etc.But beyond that money can’t really do anything for you.A late model Ferrari won’t make you any happier...*really* happier...than will a late model Ford.A piece of $15/lb sirloin won’t make you any happier than will a $7/lb sirloin.

[Fightin Whitey]

Hear ya.

I’d buy a ranch with a stream and an elk herd and go Galt.

[Dianna]

Any inheritance horror stories out there?

Not an inheritance and not a horror story, but maybe helpful...

We came into some money--not in the million dollar range-- but a nice sum. Before the money, I spent a lot of time plotting and planning about how we could pay off our debt, if we made X and paid Y, if we cut here, we could pay more there...that sort of thing.

After the money, I spent the same amount of time, if not more, worrying about the money. Are we invested wisely, are we managing it wisely, what if it disappears, what if it grows to an enormous amount, how will we teach/protect our son, on and on and on.

Finally, we took a portion of it and paid off the house. Nice boost to our lifestyle and some of the money was "preserved" in a concrete benefit. That's when I stopped thinking about it. Best decision we ever made!

We get a monthly statement from the people whose job it is to grow it. I look at it and then I go to work.

[workerbee]

All day long I'd biddy-biddy-boo
If I were a wealthy man

[GeronL]

Somewhere in the middle of “nowhere” sounds nice.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

One of the best things about not being rich is, you can pretend that you would be really happy if only you were rich.

So if you become rich and you still are not happy, you have to face the reality that it is you. You just aren’t a happy person.

The gift of being able to pretend that money problems is the only thing keeping you from being happy, is a really convenient crutch for most of us, and really serves to help us cope with life.

When you don’t have money, you can honest feel, “If only I was rich, I would be so happy and life would be so good”. When you have money and life still isn’t that good, where do you go? What do you blame? You’ve lost your best rationalization for not being happy.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

That is the only thing you can take with you when you die.

The only pain and regret we take with us when we die is the love we left ungiven.

[MosesKnows]

Everything is relative

There are two types of people and it is not rich and poor; it is takers and givers.

Danny Thomas said it well when he observed that takers eat better but givers sleep better

[Night Hides Not]

What’s missing? No mention of faith or church.