Business & Finance Owning stuff is nice

[Papa Juggs]

Thought I'd go business and finance as stuff costs money.

Why purchase something that's at the mercy of the elements and depreciation?

Because owning stuff is nice...?

This was in relation to a couch.

How much stuff do people need to have?

I've never had my own couch, always been one about the place and when there wasn't we always had chairs or milk crates to sit on.

How much luxury does one need?

What sort of stuff do you spend big money on and feel justified about it?

The most I ever spend is on my computer and other assorted gadgets. I guess I don't need any of this stuff but at least I'm able to use all the parts I upgrade my computer with almost all of the time. A couch I wouldn't use much as I don't watch tv and if I wanted my own tv I would buy some $200 job from Dickies.

Is owning stuff really that nice?

Is Caesar materialistic?

 

[Scotland]

Of course owning stuff is nice. I'm not really sure where you're going with this thread.

I own everything in my house, and I would have thought that is pretty common. Much rather be in my position that on some Radio Rentals deal or have thousands of 'interest free' debt at Harvey Norman.

I don't own a washing machine, fridge, couch etc. to rub my vast wealth in people's faces, I own these items because I use them in day to day life. I could take my clothes down to the river and beat them clean I guess but that sounds pretty time consuming. In my previous house there was already a fridge, washer etc. so I didn't go out and buy my own, but when I moved into a house that was totally empty logic dictated I'd have to put stuff in it...

As for how much is too much to spend/own, well it depends how much you earn. People don't come over and look at my fridge in awe and say 'oh I wish I had one like that, but I'd have to sell one of the children' - it's a fridge. If you earn big money and want to buy nice clothes, appliances etc. then why not? I don't have a massive house so aside from the usual furniture and appliances I don't have that much stuff as the place would be too cluttered. I'm also not going to put in marble benchtops in the kitchen because it's just overcapitalisation on a first home.

 

[Sanders]

You don't own a couch?

Do you eat catfood?

 

[Poseidon]

I would have thought a couch would go under the 'bare minimum' category of 'things to buy for your house/apartment'

If I went over to someone's house and had to sit on milk crates I would leave and never come back.

 

[DrVanNostrand]

Milk crates are comfy as ****. Need to get some for my house.

 

[Messenger]

Owning stuff is nice. We are products often economy we live in.

 

[Papa Juggs]

You don't own a couch?

Do you eat catfood?

Catfood is just tinned fish. Yes I eat tinned fish.

Never had a nice couch, always had some couch just never cared about having some awesome fancy leather upholstery.

One mate bought the super comfy 3 seater. All the cushions ended up soaked in drunken man sweat during marathon Wii sessions, nasty for something that cost 1000s.

I guess my distrust of couches stems from the fact that Darwin is so hot and sweaty really.

 

[bunsen burner]

The problem here is age and how different age groups (or financial scenarios) see things.

If you're in your 20s, renting, and enjoying life then "owning nice stuff" is stupid. You should just get by on the bare minimum (old couch, second hand fridge etc). Your money is better spend on appreciating assets (stocks, property), or saving for them in a high yield account. If you keep upgrading your sofa and fridge and household items you'll be renting for longer than you need.

When you're in your 30s or at some age when you own your home, owning nice stuff is ok and generally proportionate to your income and financial situation.

 

[Gasometer]

The electronics cats are full of stuff I would like, but the expotential rate of tech development makes me want to wait...but then how long do you wait?

It kills me that I buy the latest stuff and then within 3 months something better comes out.

 

[J_Moore]

Lol milk crates. How bourgeois. What's wrong with a big rock?

Anyway, I've relied on hand me downs for most things in my house. Where that hasn't been practical, I've bought good quality stuff that'll hopefully last a long while.

 

[Messenger]

The electronics cats are full of stuff I would like, but the expotential rate of tech development makes me want to wait...but then how long do you wait?

It kills me that I buy the latest stuff and then within 3 months something better comes out.

A few years back a workmate bought a 40" LED FOR $3600. I bought a 26" for my son a few weeks ago for $170.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I'm a uni student and have basically accepted I'll probably never own a house, and houseshare for quite a while. My family has always spent money on quality things we like, but rarely buy shit for the sake of owning it. We always had nice meals every night and lived in nice, leafy, beachy suburbs instead of buying expensive cars.

Personally, A lot of my stuff is at my parents house over in WA. So aside from my computer, phone, playstation, and things like that, I really only spend money on the things that make me happiest in life – clothes, going to pubs, checking out gigs, going to the footy and soccer, and a solid, good meal (which I do once every week).

The Germans have it right. Almost no one has a credit card. They live within their means. But when they spend money, it's always high quality and more expensive. Sure, they learnt this after some heinous crimes against fuarkin' everything, but it's a good way to live.

There is nothing more gross than bogans owning two four wheel drives, a boat, and living in an awful new meth-den development in a cream brick house.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Owning stuff is nice. When people go overboard though you do wonder a bit. Like you’d think they could do better things with their money, particularly stuff around the home.

Like people who spend tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars on furniture, new kitchens, gizmos, etc etc. I always think, jeez you could have just bought something more basic. Still something new that’ll look nice, do the job, and last if you look after it ok. But I always think of the thrills you could use all that money on.

A cousin of mine recently got a new fridge... it was like $5k or something??? I mean it’s nice, it looks sweet and god knows, it keeps stuff cold. But I just think faaark... surely you could get a really good one for less than half that and spend the rest of something fun.

I dunno, it’s their money I guess. Maybe some people get a thrill out of furniture or an oven.

 

[JuddsABlue]

I cant comprehend people that dont want nice stuff

Quality of life is everything. You cant buy your way into heaven and big bank accounts when your 70 are wasted. Sure you need to make sure you have enough to survive/not worry about money but anything extra is a waste

My grandparents hoarded money like they stopped printing it. They lived on bare minimums their entire lives while always have a bank account balance in 6 figures. My grandfather died at age 80 and my grandmother now lives in a home and is pretty angry at the world and how wasteful we are. They have nothing to show for their money except bad backs from their shitty chairs. Theyve never seen the world, never seen past queensland. Ive wondered if they ever had a good time.

All you've got is your time on this planet, enjoy it as much as you can. The only purpose of money is to allow us to get nice things. Its like hoarding potatoes but never eating them, and then dying with a million potatoes in your cupboard

 

[skilts]

Stuffing its owners is better.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I cant comprehend people that dont want nice stuff

Quality of life is everything. You cant buy your way into heaven and big bank accounts when your 70 are wasted. Sure you need to make sure you have enough to survive/not worry about money but anything extra is a waste

My grandparents hoarded money like they stopped printing it. They lived on bare minimums their entire lives while always have a bank account balance in 6 figures. My grandfather died at age 80 and my grandmother now lives in a home and is pretty angry at the world and how wasteful we are. They have nothing to show for their money except bad backs from their shitty chairs. Theyve never seen the world, never seen past queensland. Ive wondered if they ever had a good time.

All you've got is your time on this planet, enjoy it as much as you can. The only purpose of money is to allow us to get nice things. Its like hoarding potatoes but never eating them, and then dying with a million potatoes in your cupboard

I think that’s just a generational thing. Many people’s grandparents would be the same. Mine were, though they did take a few holidays in their later years.

I think people sometimes don’t appreciate what a prosperous society we live in at the moment. Modern day Australia is a paradise. The middle class is huge and incredibly loaded.

It wasn’t always like this, people got by on the minimum and kept money for a rainy day. Just habitual I think, lifetime habits are hard to break.

 

[Papa Juggs]

This is about materialism not hoarding money until death.

I buy myself nice stuff. My computer case was like $600 cutting edge black anodized aluminium.

It serves a purpose, it protects my expensive hardware, it keeps that hardware cool and it doesn't turn itself into a rusted mess in 18 months like all steel cases do in Darwin humidity.

All a couch does is give you somewhere nice to plant your backside.

It's more of a status symbol to show off to visitors so they have somewhere to plant their backside while enjoying some television with you (hopefully AFL related).

Do they really care how much it costs or how soft it is or do they care that their mate was nice enough to invite them around for the game?

Do they care if the beer came out of a $5000 fridge or do they just care that their mate was kind enough to shout them a cold one?

 

[Silent Alarm]

If you can afford a nice couch, buy it. But if you're unemployed and with a mortgage, you shouldn't. It's kind of, y'know, simple...

I just think it's about what you like. My mum is into a lot of chairs and tables and things from 70s Europe. It's really expensive, but that's one of the things she thinks is cool. If it makes her happy, go for it. I think the chairs are cool, but I don't have a passion or really interest in them at all, so me spending a few grand on a stool is completely pointless and wanky.

You seem to like your laptop case. Good on ya. You reckon it's practical and you get a bit of enjoyment out of it. Someone else might want to spend it on a fishing rod because they're mental and think fishing is fun it's something they like doing: They see fishing as relaxing, a time to hang out with mates, to hang out with your son or dad.

That's basically what life is about. Fulfilling what you enjoy and want to enjoy. Because, like someone else said, money is nothing more than a transactional tool. You can save it for a future transaction (say, travelling around the world for 18 months), but saving it for the sake of saving it is pretty futile.

But I mean, financial security is a nice thing – but not when it restrains you too much.

 

[Andre]

The electronics cats are full of stuff I would like, but the expotential rate of tech development makes me want to wait...but then how long do you wait?

It kills me that I buy the latest stuff and then within 3 months something better comes out.

You'll never win on tech gear. There's always going to be a new better model coming out soon. Short of a world war where the resources of tech companies are co-opted. In which case you'll have bigger concerns. You just have to set a budget and suck it up that you'll be superseded quickly.

 

[Gasometer]

A few years back a workmate bought a 40" LED FOR $3600. I bought a 26" for my son a few weeks ago for $170.

Yes, I know someone who bought a 50 inch Pioneer in 2008 for $5K.

 

[Phenotype]

I just live under the 'if I want it, I'll buy it'. Just control what you really want and you'll end up living within your means. I'm a uni student living off a decent job in a financial firm and my apartment has nice things that go further than 'necessary'. Buying the odd thing or two when I want to keeps my ego happy and spruices up the box I live in.

 

[Gasometer]

You'll never win on tech gear. There's always going to be a new better model coming out soon. Short of a world war where the resources of tech companies are co-opted. In which case you'll have bigger concerns. You just have to set a budget and suck it up that you'll be superseded quickly.

Bought a second gen Blu Ray for $400.

 

[Caesar]

This is about materialism not hoarding money until death.

I buy myself nice stuff. My computer case was like $600 cutting edge black anodized aluminium.

It serves a purpose, it protects my expensive hardware, it keeps that hardware cool and it doesn't turn itself into a rusted mess in 18 months like all steel cases do in Darwin humidity.

All a couch does is give you somewhere nice to plant your backside.

It's more of a status symbol to show off to visitors so they have somewhere to plant their backside while enjoying some television with you (hopefully AFL related).

Do they really care how much it costs or how soft it is or do they care that their mate was nice enough to invite them around for the game?

Do they care if the beer came out of a $5000 fridge or do they just care that their mate was kind enough to shout them a cold one?

Why do you assume that because you can't see the value in an item, the only reason someone would own it is to show off their wealth to other people? People like different stuff, have different priorities, place different levels of value on different intangibles.

You say your computer case 'serves a purpose'. The painting that hangs opposite my bed 'serves a purpose' - it pleases me aesthetically every morning when I wake up and see it. Who is to say your purpose is more valid than mine?

 

[Papa Juggs]

Whoa dude, you had to take it to the arts.

Did you pay 1000s for it? Will it hold its value?

Remember this is about depreciation too. Fridges and couches are worth nothing once they've been used.

People don't touch paintings every day and they don't wear down from usage like a fridge/couch does.

A piece of art is something that can hold value. Not a big waste of money in that case.

 

[SugarShane]

I love stuff, it probably makes me materialistic or a slave to consumerism but who cares. If i want to spend the money on a nice lounge that's extra comfy and costs more than the bare minumum, i will. That's why i work. Same reason people buy coke when water would suffice, or buy a pizza when meat and two veg would suffice.

Personally i love sitting on a new lounge or watching a new TV, or both.