Talking about your wad of cash in public/on VJ

[rebeccajo 14]

*yawn*

I'll reiterate what I said earlier.

It is my experience that people who have REAL money have no need to talk about it.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

You keep repeating that. Trying to convince whom of its truth?

Donald Trump would disagree.

Edited March 5, 2007 by Green-eyed girl

[ChristinaM 0]

I find this interesting, because I talk quite often about money, and am pretty open about my financial status both here and IRL. Perhaps that's because I do not have a lot of money, and I have experiences I feel others can learn from. It's certainly not some sense of "Woe is me! I'm so POOR!!!".

I spent $800 on work on my car last week, and I paid it in cash. I don't feel that it's tacky to make that comment, because I was in fact very proud of that. It was a milestone for me - that I didn't have to charge it. Context is important.

I don't think it was tacky for GEG to mention her trust fund (yes, I did see the thread in question); when a question is related to politics and income, there is often a distinction between those who feel very strongly that they've earned it (Take Gary for instance - he said something along the lines of "I worked hard for that, why should you take it all away in taxes?") and those who are lucky enough to be born into it, and those who do not have any.

There's also a lot of junior high attitude in this thread, and that's unfortunate.

[sparkofcreation 0]

I'd say it's an American thing, in general. I had to tell Gareth when we bought our house that it's rude to tell people how much it cost—he was like "Er, but I knew how much all my friends paid for their houses in Glasgow ...?" But here people kept looking at him funny and changing the subject.

[msu17 0]

I'm in the camp of euphamisms or not mentioning it. However I make an exception for VJ when we're talking about I-134 and 864. Some of the time questions regarding these need more specific numbers to get a good answer since accountants dont know the visa process

[rebeccajo 14]

Christina, I think the type of 'money discussing' you speak of - being able to pay for something in cash rather than credit in the context of a milestone - is not the type of discussion being questioned by the OP. I got the impression the question is about people flaunting dollars.

Which is what someone like Trump does. Some may regard his empire as 'real money' - I don't. A good pin-####### could bring it down.

To me, real money is about wise investments and solvency. It's also about what you DO with the money - how much good you do with it beyond your own needs.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I find this interesting, because I talk quite often about money, and am pretty open about my financial status both here and IRL. Perhaps that's because I do not have a lot of money, and I have experiences I feel others can learn from. It's certainly not some sense of "Woe is me! I'm so POOR!!!".

I spent $800 on work on my car last week, and I paid it in cash. I don't feel that it's tacky to make that comment, because I was in fact very proud of that. It was a milestone for me - that I didn't have to charge it. Context is important.

I don't think it was tacky for GEG to mention her trust fund (yes, I did see the thread in question); when a question is related to politics and income, there is often a distinction between those who feel very strongly that they've earned it (Take Gary for instance - he said something along the lines of "I worked hard for that, why should you take it all away in taxes?") and those who are lucky enough to be born into it, and those who do not have any.

There's also a lot of junior high attitude in this thread, and that's unfortunate.

Thx, sis! You're so right!

Edited March 6, 2007 by Green-eyed girl

[Fandango 1,439]

To GEG: I find that you talking about your money...which let's face it, the 'trust fund baby' comment is probably the motivation behind this thread....anyways, I think you whipped that out as another qualifier of 'how you're so different' on here. It's very similar to the countless times you bring up your PhD, your 'social scientist' thing, how your traits are viewed as more masculine, etc...I personally find it kinda sad that you seem so insecure that you need to qualify yourself to the world constantly....cos after all, on the internet, why must there be an economic and social class heirarchy? Futhermore, you have no clue if that even makes you different at all...there could be countless trust fund babies on here

It's not always wise to judge a book by the cover...for instance, in my job, I'm meeting people all the time. I can't tell you how many cash buyers I've met that other people would judge as poor cos they dress like #######, drive ###### beat up cars, etc. It's called 'flying under the radar'. And many people do it.

I notice that you comment a lot about me.

On the thread where I made that comment, and it is the ONLY time I've mentioned my finances here at all, lots of other people were doing the same. You seem to make a habit of pointing me out even when I'm doing nothing different from anyone else to point out how "different" I am than anyone else. This is YOU doing this TO me, not me doing it to myself.

my thoughts to you is to chill and stop singling me out. No one else does this but you and Alex, so it's something in your heads that's going on that you're trying to impose on me because of your own insecurities. I'm telling you now, I am not insecure here or IRL, and I haev nothing to prove to you. So you choose to can stop being different yourself by paying an inordinate attention to what I say, or you can keep on with this and continue to look like shrill nags who need to elevate yourselves by constantly harping on someone else. And I don't need any lectures on "flying under the radar" either. If you can't handle me, then ignore me, but you should know you're not going to change me. Change yourself and pay less attention to me, coz I'm not all that interested in you.

Starting this poll because of me? What foolish ####### that is!

Actually I did not start this poll because of you. I can list as many as 5 incidences in the last 24 hrs where people have boasted of their own financial standing. Not everything is about you!

Whoops my bad, Alex!

[Fandango 1,439]

Oh and GEG....if I was writing a thesis on how deluded some people are. I'd sooooo put you in it

[bora bora 1]

My father taught me that it's nobody else's business how much money you make. He would never even let me know how much he was making, imagine talking about it with friends or worse, strange people.

This is exactly how I was raised - my mother NEVER let us see her checkbook....

I don't talk about my finances but once someone finds out my profession they know.

[MichelleandCraig 1]

LOL How did I miss *this* one?

Anyway, this just reminded me of my first long-term boyfriend. OMG, it used to drive me nutsssssssssssssss....every time he would buy me something, he would tell me how much it cost him. TACKY in all caps is RIGHT!

On the other hand, I can see how talking about how much money you have when you have a lot, could be seen as bragging and tacky to some people, but I can't really see how talking about how poor you are (if you just don't care and choose to do that!) can be tacky really...? I mean, I know some people, as they stated, were taught to not talk about it at all....so maybe to those people...but for people who don't have much, it's certainly not *bragging*...so...ya know? I dunno. n/m actually...my brain is fried tonight. (and no, I'm not drinking. ) M.

[mawilson 2,133]

Anyway, this just reminded me of my first long-term boyfriend. OMG, it used to drive me nutsssssssssssssss....every time he would buy me something, he would tell me how much it cost him.

Mmm...how romantic! I can see why he's your ex

[MichelleandCraig 1]

That's just a *very* small part of the equation, but YES.

[JelloShotGirl 0]

i really dont care, i am kinda broke, so what ..............watever, i guess if i had lots of dough i wouldnt be bragging about it that is annoying/tacky. I guess we all talk about money here cause of affadavit of supports and stuff.

[Caladan 19]

It depends on how it's said: "I have $35,000 a year, is that enough to support my fiancée and her two kids on the I-864?" Totally cool. "Wow, I made more than that in six weeks!" Poor taste. It's only new money that has to brag.

I'm sort of amused that G-EG seems to think if more people talk about money, people will be richer. I can see that about sharing plans for financial success, but that doesn't make a lot of sense if we're talking about trust funds.

"How did you get your money?"

"I'm a trust fund baby! You should be more fiscally responsible like me because somehow I earned that money."

"Okay, next time I'm born, I'll get new parents. That was my mistake!"

Oh please.

But anyhow. Most of the talking about money lately was in specific dollar amounts anyway, due to mawilson's thread, so there was a context for it. I didn't think anyone was bragging, really, but I can see how it would be taken that way. Class doesn't have to brag.