Do you ever think and worry about ...

[Gryffindorian]

Money?

Well, I do occasionally. I have a good job that pays me a decent salary, but since I'm a single guy with no dependents, it sucks that I have to pay more taxes. It's not like I have an extravagant lifestyle, either. But eventually, there comes a point whenI start to get anxious when my bank account falls below a certain balance. Sometimes I can't help wondering what life would be like if I won the lottery.

 

[freak]

Wouldn't it be nice if you won $1,000 or more in the lottery? I'd be in hog heaven if that happened for me!!!! If I won more, I'd use it to pay my car note off and other bills!!

 

[Canadave]

I'm a soon-to-be-graduated university student with a large debt and no job currently lined up. So yeah, I worry about it on occasion.

 

[thestrangequark]

Every day.

 

[AstroSmurf]

^ Ditto. Being a starving artist I am constantly plagued by it.

And I would LOVE to win the lottery. I could really use the cash since no one will give me a small business loan right now. I need to update my software and equipment.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I think everybody does, no matter how much of it you have.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

I'm a soon-to-be-graduated university student with a large debt and no job currently lined up. So yeah, I worry about it on occasion.

I'm right there with ya! I have a few interviews lined up, but nothing definite. It's scary, that's for sure.

To answer the OP's question, yes. Everybody worries about money. Poor people worry about not having enough, and wealthy people worry about losing what they have.

The only people I can imagine do not worry about money ever are ones born into rich families whose parents spoil them, and thus the concept of doing without is foreign to them.

 

[Holdfast]

I don't worry about money, but I do think about it a lot. Keeping track of economic news, my personal finances, making sure my little side-businesses and investments are ticking over OK and generally figuring out how hard my money is working and whether anything can be optimised is one of my favourite hobbies.

In that respect, it's no different to someone who enjoys the satisfaction of a rising score in a video game, or following the stats of their favourite sports team... except I also get to benefit in other ways from playing this particular game, as a rising scoreline in this lets me indulge other hobbies too. Plus, I love the feeling when you make money while sitting on your backside doing nothing.

 

[Finn]

Money?

Well, I do occasionally. I have a good job that pays me a decent salary, but since I'm a single guy with no dependents, it sucks that I have to pay more taxes. It's not like I have an extravagant lifestyle, either. But eventually, there comes a point whenI start to get anxious when my bank account falls below a certain balance. Sometimes I can't help wondering what life would be like if I won the lottery.

If you have a decent salary, you shouldn't worry about your balance unless you are in debt or pay too much rent and/or bills. I lived very comfortably at under $25K a year when I was single and still had bills and debt to pay back. Are there expenses you could cut back? I didn't have to pay taxes much, usually got refunds. If you had to pay a lot of taxes, you might want to check the paperwork you did when you started your job for paycheck deductions that wasn't on your paycheck.

Of course, it depends on what you mean by "decent pay", and where you live.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I'm sure everybody worries about it to some extent, without it you face many problems in life. Some have more reason to worry than others, and of course I think I am one of them. I don't have any debt, thank goodness, but the two part time jobs I have now are only temporary and so I will have to find something new in August. And it's not like I earn a "decent salary" at my current jobs, I am earning just enough to get by.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Money?

Well, I do occasionally. I have a good job that pays me a decent salary, but since I'm a single guy with no dependents, it sucks that I have to pay more taxes. It's not like I have an extravagant lifestyle, either. But eventually, there comes a point whenI start to get anxious when my bank account falls below a certain balance. Sometimes I can't help wondering what life would be like if I won the lottery.

If you have a decent salary, you shouldn't worry about your balance unless you are in debt or pay too much rent and/or bills. I lived very comfortably at under $25K a year when I was single and still had bills and debt to pay back. Are there expenses you could cut back? I didn't have to pay taxes much, usually got refunds. If you had to pay a lot of taxes, you might want to check the paperwork you did when you started your job for paycheck deductions that wasn't on your paycheck.

Of course, it depends on what you mean by "decent pay", and where you live.

Thanks, all, for sharing your feedback.

I have worked for a public utility agency in the SF Bay Area for eleven years now, and my employer provides competitive salaries and excellent benefits. When I think about it, I'm very fortunate to even have this job considering today's economy.

I may have mentioned this before, but I went through a foreclosure and a bankruptcy in the past couple of years, which is why I'm in sort of an "economic recovery" right now. I've certainly learned my lessons. Sure, I don't have to worry about owing any debt at the moment, but this also means I can't get any for a while. When I was a homeowner, I used to get huge tax refunds because I was able to itemize my deductions. I always looked forward to the extra income every year. Also, back then, the credit cards gave me more confidence (or a false sense of it) to spend on "wants" in addition to "needs."

Now it seems that sense of financial freedom has diminished. Oh, I can get by just fine with the money I earn, and the rent and bills I have to pay are manageable. It's just that I wish I had more to spend (e.g., vacation, travel, etc.). I occasionally borrow money from my 401K to get that extra "boost," and this helps ease my mind and makes me feel more secure about my finances.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I've been unemployed for two years and have a five figure debt. Anything else I say at this point would probably just be redundant.

 

[Amaris]

Constantly. I manage the total finances for three people including myself, and make every cent stretch as far as it will go.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, I do and I don't. My current job doesn't pay as much as my old one, so my monthly budget is pretty tight; on the other hand, as far as savings goes, I'm already set for an early retirement, so I don't have to worry about that.

 

[Goji]

I had kind of a big scare recently when I first tried to use an ATM over here in Japan and it told me I had an "invalid card". It turns out it really meant that it was out of the particular bill I had asked it to dispense. Someone really needs to program those things better.

But yeah, I'm sure I'll be worrying about money enough. My salary is not through the roof and I've got tons of expenses. But I'm where I want to be and I'm doing what I want to do, so it'll be worth it.

 

[scottydog]

Money?

Well, I do occasionally. I have a good job that pays me a decent salary, but since I'm a single guy with no dependents, it sucks that I have to pay more taxes.

Are you sure you pay more than married people? I've heard that when it comes to taxes there is a marriage penalty. It could be true that our tax code is so ridiculously complex that some singles pay more than marrieds and vice-versa, depending on income and a billion other things.

 

[Kestra]

I've been incredibly lucky in that I've never really had to worry about money. I still budget but I have a decent amount to play around with and currently I am able to go back to school without a job lined up.

Since you never know what's going to happen, we are careful about saving and don't spend money simply because we have it. I know that in the future this means we'll be able to spend it on a bigger condo or grad school for me, and I'd rather live more frugally now if that means better things in the future.

I grew up quite privileged and I've realized that money can do great things, but there's always something more to want. You eventually adapt to a higher income and may find yourself still wanting things you don't have.

 

[Jetfire]

I think & worry about money all the time...not working last 7 months has been hell.

 

[Holdfast]

... I went through a foreclosure and a bankruptcy in the past couple of years, which is why I'm in sort of an "economic recovery" right now. I've certainly learned my lessons....

Now it seems that sense of financial freedom has diminished. Oh, I can get by just fine with the money I earn, and the rent and bills I have to pay are manageable. It's just that I wish I had more to spend (e.g., vacation, travel, etc.). I occasionally borrow money from my 401K to get that extra "boost," and this helps ease my mind and makes me feel more secure about my finances.

What you do with your money is entirely your own business, so please don't take this comment as a personal jab, more an observation: the two paragraphs here do not logically follow on from each other (at least, based on the limited information provided).

Learning lessons from bankruptcy/debt would involve making a change to how you balance your income vs your expenditure and drawing down against your 401k to get around your current income restriction hardly fills an observer with much confidence that this has happened. Of course, I hope this observation is wrong, and that you have a prosperous future ahead of you.

But yeah, I'm sure I'll be worrying about money enough. My salary is not through the roof and I've got tons of expenses. But I'm where I want to be and I'm doing what I want to do, so it'll be worth it.

Good luck!

I've been incredibly lucky in that I've never really had to worry about money.. Since you never know what's going to happen, we are careful about saving and don't spend money simply because we have it. I grew up quite privileged and I've realized that money can do great things, but there's always something more to want. You eventually adapt to a higher income and may find yourself still wanting things you don't have.

Good approach. I feel that the way round the final, very valid, point is to actually decide what you want out of life ie. what will make you happy, and in quite a clear and concrete way. Then set yourself the goal of not just achieving that, but sustainably maintaining it. That way, extra money/income beyond that point becomes irrelevant. Very welcome, of course, and allows for more intermittent indulgences, but not necessary. That attitude then should lessen the chances of sacrificing quality of life for the irrelevant extra income.

 

[RandyS]

The only time I worry about money is when I don't have enough.

In other words, all the time.

We should all get together and as a group, and rob the rich.