Comments on: The Financial Personalities of Our Family

By: J. Money

J. Money — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:27:59 +0000

haha, thanks ;) Nice hearing from ya – hope all is well!

By: donkee

donkee — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:08:51 +0000

I love your take on your cats’ spending habits…are you sure they won’t want to sleep ON the bills instead :)

Have fun on the trip…continue to rock it, sir!

By: J. Money

J. Money — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:43:07 +0000

@20 and Engaged – I’d get along with your brothers ;)
@Sense – Huh, hadn’t ever thought of it that way before. Thanks!
@Jaime – I got lucky and then stayed away from bad influences ;) Hoping others can do the same too!
@sandrac – Pretty interesting background – so different than mine! Thanks for sharing :)
@Aimee Davis – That’s what SHE said?
@Kristina – Thanks for the inspiration my friend ;)

By: Kristina

Kristina — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:03:36 +0000

It’s interesting to see how we are the products of our environements. We pick up good habits, and we learn from bad habits. It’s all a part of growing up :-) We can definitely tell a lot about people by their financial personalities.

By: Aimee Davis

Aimee Davis — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:35:24 +0000

I totally reblogged you. I couldn’t help it.

By: sandrac

sandrac — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:24:06 +0000

My parents were products of the depression, and paying your bills was the number 1 priority. My father worked for more than 35 years in one job to pay the bare essential bills for his family (wife, and 3 kids), pay the mortgage. We did not have the ‘treats’ that our peers did (e.g.we did not have a TV until I was in my teens), no vacations to Florida, no ‘fancy’ clothes (brand name), we lived in a tiny 3bedroom 1 bath bungalow and never moved. We were the handmedown family, and I am sure in retrospect an object of some pity at times.

The 3 children (now adults in their 50’s) are as different as can be. The eldest spends money recklessly, has no savings, ‘borrows’ money from our mother – the only consolation is he isn’t spending the money on himself, but rather on his sons to give them everything he never had.

Mys sister is the complete opposite. She has no financial worries. She lived simply (and still does) even though she now has the means to live a different lifestyle. Example: the house she and her husband and 2 kids live in is (literally) a million dollar mansion, her daily dishes are ones she bought when she left home 40 years ago-chipped, cracked. Her husband earns a high income, but as he is also the product of depresssion era parents, he too hates to spend money. He brown bags his lunch, drives his car into the ground, only buys things on sale, and their children know the value of a penny and the fun of dumpster-diving.

As for me – I’m a combo of both. I do save (but not enough), I do shop (but mostly for the bare essentials, but I don’t always look for the sale), I travel (my indulgence) rather than invest in too many things, but will have to work long past my ‘best before’ date to fund a retirement.

By: Jaime

Jaime — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:53:55 +0000

I think its great that you have had so many positive influences in your life especially your wife. So many people grow up with parents who are bad with money, that they don’t realize until later in life that its possible to live debt-free. Good for you. :)

By: Sense

Sense — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:50:57 +0000

you know this already, but you are SO lucky to have your wife! frugal even though she doesn’t talk money…that is SO rare! usually the people who don’t like to talk money are really horrible at it.

By: 20 and Engaged

20 and Engaged — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 05:47:23 +0000

My mom is a serious bargain shopper, but swears that emergency cards are emergency funds. I officially disagree.

My dad is like your dad: he spends with a purpose. He doesn’t have expensive taste for himself but will go all out for the kids.

Big sister: cheap. Not frugal, cheap. lol

Little sister: A serious saver. She JUST started spending her money and she’s 17.

Brothers (too many of them to count): They’re serious hustlers (legit, I promise), but they don’t mind spending on things they like.

The Mr: He’s a spender more than a saver, but the nice thing is he likes spending money on me. Who am I to turn that down? ;)

By: J. Money

J. Money — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:32:22 +0000

@Alexis – hahaaha -“My other brother (25) can hang onto $20 for two years.”
@Cassie – They’re living the good life now that you all are out of the house! ;) Hehe…my parents are starting to do that too. COOL you all had a farm!
@Ariella – Thanks, I’ll check it out.
@C Ann – Dannnnng. You’re on the right track now though, baby!
@Hadenough – Oh $hit, I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t even imagine having family problems like that :( I hope things get better for you! And that everyone learns how to be respectful toward each other.
@LaToya – hahha… you win the funny comment of the day ;) and somehow your husband reminds me a LOT of myself, just not in the money department. I bet he has A.D.H.D. too.
@Budgeting in the Fun Stuff – Cuz you budget it all in! And make it a priority – nothing wrong with that ;) Going traveling tomorrow – woop!
@Eric Lowery (Thrifty, Wealthy & Wise) – haha, as long as you keep your snake away from our cats we can be friends ;)
@thewanderingbudget – YES! – “When an extra large expense came up (driving lessons, braces), Mom always found some sort of second job to take on to pay for it” – I love that mentality. If we all did that when we couldn’t afford something, we’d be so much better off! And I gaurantee we would’t get 1/2 the stuff we wanted if we knew we had to go out and earn it asap too ;)
@Catherine – Make personal finance boring? wow – that’s impressive with this gang ;)
@LB – Hahaha… did you wait for him to plop it out? What if coins fell out? hahaha…. (grooooan)
@quizshow – You’ll get there buddy! Takes some time to get on a good roll there but *always* doable. The fact you’re on the net reading & leaving comments is huge – keep it up :)
@Molly On Money – Wow, your kids are gonna rock that money when they’re older! Good job my friend :) Not that I ever doubted you, haha…