No Cash Registers in Coffins??

[suebeehoney]

Ok - here's something I just heard at work during the lunchtime "gabfest" that the men usually have here. (Excuse the grammar, but this is word for word.)

"I ain't never seen a coffin yet that has a cash register in it! You could be dead tomorrow - I'm gonna spend it while I got it. These guys that save and save and save, spend all their life pinchin' pennies, thinkin' they're gonna have it to retire on - then they up and die at 46 - not me! I'm gonna spend it like today's my last day."

What's your opinion on that outlook on money??

I sat here in shock, thinking, that's a heck of a way to live. I'm sure the person that lives that way enjoys every day, spending all their money....but when they retire, what do they have?? I have to say, it left me tongue tied.

I know there has to be more people out there with the same outlook this fellow has (probably not on THIS website..but... )

I just had to post something on this topic, since it came up today. What's your opinion on this? Are you married to, or know anyone else who has this attitude towards money/life?

[Greebo]

"I ain't never seen a coffin yet that has a cash register in it! You could be dead tomorrow - I'm gonna spend it while I got it. These guys that save and save and save, spend all their life pinchin' pennies, thinkin' they're gonna have it to retire on - then they up and die at 46 - not me! I'm gonna spend it like today's my last day."

What's your opinion on that outlook on money??

Freaking stupid.

REALLY freaking stupid.

In 2005, in the USA, there were 2.45 million deaths. Of those deaths, 1.39 Million occurred at or beyond age 75. 65-74 was 398k.

http://www.disastercenter.com/cdc/Ag...es%202005.html

The TOTAL deaths up to age 64 was 660k. 27% of the population dies before age 65.
15% dies before age 55.
EIGHT (8) percent dies before age 45.

So your friend thinks he or she is so special that she's one of the 8 people out of every 100 that will die by 45, thats' just friggin STUPID.

[beks37]

And what about the people he leaves behind? He's gonna leave them without a penny. I guess when he dies, dig him a whole beside the road, because there won't be any money left for a funeral or coffin!

[Ceashels]

What a stupid way to live. I like the numbers Greebo posted. Print them up a copy and tape a few to the table where the gabfest takes place. Then slip one on the inside of the mens room. That'll get them talking!

[sunshine]

Duh! so what happens when they DON'T die?

Does this person have health insurance? Why? he might never get sick?

Does he have car insurance? Why? he may never have an accident.


Good grief - I understand about not wanting to live like a pauper your entire life, but to not save for the future is just plain ridiculous.

[elphie]

I wouldn't assume someone is happy just because they live like this. In my experience a lot of people who live this way are trying to buy their happiness today because they don't see any other way to achieve it. Since I have seen the light and started my frugal lifestyle I am happier than ever. I still buy things that are important to me but am better able to discern what those things are. I truly don't want a new iPhone that my brother thought he couldn't live without. I truly do want a beach vacation next summer and don't think of it as a sacrifice to do without some things I might have had in my old life to get it.

Mostly I am sad for people who need things in order to be happy.

[GM97]

Most people who have this mentality are in debt. They are just ashame to face the reality that they don't have savings or are not ready to get rid of their wasteful habits. I've seen a lot of people here at work who makes $80 + thousand a year but are in debt. I think he is also a little bit selfish because he is not thinking of his family. I hope nothing really bad happens to him that will require hospitalization for months and there will be no money coming nor savings. Ceashels is right, print that statistics out and post in your office.

[The Muse]

I think it's a reckless, selfish and foolish way to live. Odds are in favor of him not dying at 46, then what?

I know someone who lives like that. She makes $11/hour and has four kids. She smokes like a chimney and constantly blows money on acrylic nails, hair coloring, takeout, DVDs, extravagant Christmas gifts, etc. I often hear her say things like, "I can't really afford it, but you have to live a little". She's got no savings and bleak prospects for the future. I've tried to convince her to go to school, or at least find something that's less physically demanding, but she has fun at her job and doesn't want to leave. What is she going to do when she can't do physical labor anymore? As it is, every financial curveball is a crisis for her.

There needs to be a balance between "penny pinching" and living.

[suki]

Having worked with the elderly, I can see both sides of this argument. I've seen folks who were so miserly with their money they never enjoyed it. They denied themselves in hopes of leaving something for their children. In the end, often...they spent it all on health care and died destitute anyway. I had several conversations with elderly folks who refused to get adequate care because of the cost and they wanted to leave the money to someone. That's ridiculous. Denying yourself pleasure, fun and adequate care is not what living a frugal life is about. Life is a series of moments, you can watch your pennies and still enjoy the moments.

[DJ1972]

I have people in my family who say things like that all the time. The famous "you can't take it with you" speech. The people that I know that say this, are in debt and live paycheck to paycheck and they are miserable. But, somehow, they think they can hide their misery by making jokes about it and trying to make everyone believe they enjoy living that way. (kinda like an overweight person making fat jokes about themselves, and I know cause I have done it.) I think it's all a defense mechanism.

[dcompton]

He's "dead" right -- there are no cash registers in coffins. So maybe he ought to practice living without them now?

[suebeehoney]

Suki said:

Denying yourself pleasure, fun and adequate care is not what living a frugal life is about. Life is a series of moments, you can watch your pennies and still enjoy the moments.

This is EXACTLY what I think. I think you can be frugal - SMART - and save for the future, but you can still have a good time and enjoy life while you're at it. You just don't have to go and blow all your money every single day.

I'm a single parent, I don't make a huge amount of money, and I don't get a huge amount of child support (much less than the state would mandate, but that's another story). I make do with what I have. I've made major financial mistakes in the past, but I'm recovering from them now, and have learned from those mistakes. I can't imagine spending all the money I have every payday - just to say that I did it??

I'd much rather enjoy the FRUGAL/FREE/CHEAP stuff with my kids now, like going to the beach, the park, an apple orchard, etc. - than having all the 'things' in the world and retiring on what MIGHT be left in the Social Security fund by the time I reach 65.

(Can anyone say...little old man in the dogfood aisle at the store? That's where this co-worker is going to end up!)

[missmanny]

I agree that you can't take it with you, but surely there is peace in life to have money in the bank for just in case if nothing else.

When I die I won't want to have millions sitting in the bank, just enough to give my kids a head start and to make sure that I don't leave any messes behind.

[Greebo]

I'm fully in support of having fun with money.

As long as you HAVE the money to have fun with. That means having the fun w/o debt.

I'm willing (finally!) to defer having fun for a few years, so that my future fun can be debt free. Everyone should be, IMO, cause the odds are much more in favor of you living a very long life.