Does anyone else live like a King for a couple of days then a pauper for the rest of the month...

[John Clark]

We used to be every year like clockwork, but over the last number of years we seem to get to play the Downsizing Lottery every 12 to 24 months.

Ours always tended to be just before Christmas too

 

[rhubarbodendron]

How true is is that 'old money' (inherited wealth from many generations) are frugal and watch every penny but new money (self made from sports and entertainment industry) do not? (With business people being somewhere in the middle)

I think it depends on the individuum and on circumstances. My granny came from a very rich family, my granddad was a business man and crashed, ruining the family (definitely not a good idea to wholesale sweets when Twiggy is the current fashion icon). The last bit of money was used up when granny had a stroke and needed medical care for more than a decade.
Dad managed to pay off the mortgage about 20 years ago and built up enough again to do the most urgent repairs on the house.
Like him, I started at zero, had built up a fortune of 5000, lost all in my last move and managed to build up again some 14 k Euros within the last 6 years. If I go on at this rate, I'll have about 40 k by the time I get pensioned off. That will cover the worst for a few years but won't suffice if I live longer than 72 years (statistically, I have a life expectancy of about 74-78). In other words: I urgently need a rich husband. Any volunteers?

 

[USS Firefly]

I think it depends on the individuum and on circumstances. My granny came from a very rich family, my granddad was a business man and crashed, ruining the family (definitely not a good idea to wholesale sweets when Twiggy is the current fashion icon). The last bit of money was used up when granny had a stroke and needed medical care for more than a decade.
Dad managed to pay off the mortgage about 20 years ago and built up enough again to do the most urgent repairs on the house.
Like him, I started at zero, had built up a fortune of 5000, lost all in my last move and managed to build up again some 14 k Euros within the last 6 years. If I go on at this rate, I'll have about 40 k by the time I get pensioned off. That will cover the worst for a few years but won't suffice if I live longer than 72 years (statistically, I have a life expectancy of about 74-78). In other words: I urgently need a rich husband. Any volunteers?

Well I am not rich but I can look like I am rich, does that count?

 

[rahullak]

Well, I like steady growth and that reflects in how i live as well. i don't like the extremes, so splurging for a few days and then going to the opposite extreme for the remaining days is simply too neurotic for me. Also, wealth is built over time and emergencies are always around the corner. Living paycheck to paycheck and zeroing your account at the end of the month when you can afford not to, is little different from any kind of addiction, in my world.