Possessions vs. Experiences
Discussion
When I was younger, if I ever found myself with a bit of spare cash or had a windfall, I would generally spend it on a material possession rather than going and doing something, my rationale being that the experience would come and go, whereas the possession I would have for a long time and could savour.
However, as I've got older, while I still like having nice things, I've become much more of the opinion that material possessions wear out or become obsolete, or lost or stolen, whereas good memories are with you forever and experiences are more valuable than mere possessions, and hence prefer to spend my money thus.
How do people here feel on this one?
However, as I've got older, while I still like having nice things, I've become much more of the opinion that material possessions wear out or become obsolete, or lost or stolen, whereas good memories are with you forever and experiences are more valuable than mere possessions, and hence prefer to spend my money thus.
How do people here feel on this one?
Me too except I never really had the cash when I was younger and so I was always a case of all revved up and no place to go. Now I can afford both so don't have to choose.
Given the time again, I'd have gone abroad a lot more and had those experiences by possibly working a bit harder and not getting married so young and not being bled by the CSA for ten years.
If only life was like a computer game where you could go back to a saved game before it went wrong, life would be so much better planned.
Having said that, if your idea of an "experience" is going to Ibiza and getting sh*tfaced, puking your ring and sh*gging some ugly bint or wading through knee-deep mud at Glastonbury, I'll take the material possesions thanks. LOL.
Given the time again, I'd have gone abroad a lot more and had those experiences by possibly working a bit harder and not getting married so young and not being bled by the CSA for ten years.
If only life was like a computer game where you could go back to a saved game before it went wrong, life would be so much better planned.
Having said that, if your idea of an "experience" is going to Ibiza and getting sh*tfaced, puking your ring and sh*gging some ugly bint or wading through knee-deep mud at Glastonbury, I'll take the material possesions thanks. LOL.
LuS1fer said:
Me too except I never really had the cash when I was younger and so I was always a case of all revved up and no place to go. Now I can afford both so don't have to choose.
Given the time again, I'd have gone abroad a lot more and had those experiences by possibly working a bit harder and not getting married so young and not being bled by the CSA for ten years.
If only life was like a computer game where you could go back to a saved game before it went wrong, life would be so much better planned.
Having said that, if your idea of an "experience" is going to Ibiza and getting sh*tfaced, puking your ring and sh*gging some ugly bint or wading through knee-deep mud at Glastonbury, I'll take the material possesions thanks. LOL.
Sometimes you have to take one for the team
Agree with first post.
I'd add that when I was younger, I often took the 'responsible' line on experiences - being careful with cash, not being selfish and so on. It's only later in life that you realise that some things only happen once. It's sometimes worth seizing the day and worrying about consequences later.
I'm probably still like that, so there are no regrets, but I do look on some past opportunities and think it's a pity I didn't take them. The scary thing is wondering what experiences should be grasped now before they're also out of reach.
I'd add that when I was younger, I often took the 'responsible' line on experiences - being careful with cash, not being selfish and so on. It's only later in life that you realise that some things only happen once. It's sometimes worth seizing the day and worrying about consequences later.
I'm probably still like that, so there are no regrets, but I do look on some past opportunities and think it's a pity I didn't take them. The scary thing is wondering what experiences should be grasped now before they're also out of reach.
AlexH said:
Having said that, if your idea of an "experience" is going to Ibiza and getting sh*tfaced, puking your ring and sh*gging some ugly bint or wading through knee-deep mud at Glastonbury, I'll take the material possesions thanks. LOL.
I did say 'good memories'!
With 3 Ibiza trips and 9 Glasto's under me belt they were good memories...
I/we are very careful with money and don't owe anything apart from mortgage. but i tend toward buying 'stuff' and the the missus prefers doing things.
i know where some of you old timers :-) are coming from but i just couldn't justify a daft holiday to myself over a new kitchen! thats why we're going to NZ for the 'moon and doing the ringtaxi (hopefully) for 'stag' do cos it's a good excuse.
everywhere i want to go is expensive anyway!
i know where some of you old timers :-) are coming from but i just couldn't justify a daft holiday to myself over a new kitchen! thats why we're going to NZ for the 'moon and doing the ringtaxi (hopefully) for 'stag' do cos it's a good excuse.
everywhere i want to go is expensive anyway!
I threw in the chance for a steady career and buying a house etc to go for a crazy jaunt overseas as I knew I would regret not doing it otherwise. Most of my friends/peers chose the other option, except one who had left school early to join the army and got to go travelling. When I was weighing up the options after finishing Uni he was in town and said, 'travel, you wont regret it'.
I didn't have any money so I did a couple of crappy jobs to get enough money together and then took off on the road of life, the long way around. Now I'm here and having a much better time than if I had stayed at home in misery. I would have had a nice house/car etc, but they only offer a degree of comfort, there is always something missing.
Of course money inevitably has to be spent on possessions sooner or later, When it does I usually look for something that will last long term and be useful rather than pointless fashionable items. I don't have the latest mobile phone, my digital camera is old, my MP3 player has a laughable 128Mb but it still fine for my needs. Possessions aren't a bad thing, but I feel its better to invest in a few quality possessions than have lots of pointless stuff you never use.
I try to travel somewhere new or do something different as often as possible, which usually means each weekend or at least every second weekend depending on how much money I blew on the previous weekend. I only rarely bother going to a pub or club, mainly because I've done that before and the experience doesn't change much. If you must do that, you may as well do it somewhere different anyway.
Todays society is reliant on consumer spending and advertising drives the (false) need to spend money on pointless things. Many people are sucked into this and end up with empty hollow lives as a result, they don't know how to cure it, then advertising provides the (false) answer in a new possession to buy, so they buy it, have a small sense of happiness, then it's back to square one, its a vicious circle.
I usually find that most of the time the journey can be more fun than the destination, both the ups and downs, and I expand this philosophy to life. Life is a journey, you will enjoy it more than the destination, the highs and lows of human experience are what makes life like it is and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I didn't have any money so I did a couple of crappy jobs to get enough money together and then took off on the road of life, the long way around. Now I'm here and having a much better time than if I had stayed at home in misery. I would have had a nice house/car etc, but they only offer a degree of comfort, there is always something missing.
Of course money inevitably has to be spent on possessions sooner or later, When it does I usually look for something that will last long term and be useful rather than pointless fashionable items. I don't have the latest mobile phone, my digital camera is old, my MP3 player has a laughable 128Mb but it still fine for my needs. Possessions aren't a bad thing, but I feel its better to invest in a few quality possessions than have lots of pointless stuff you never use.
I try to travel somewhere new or do something different as often as possible, which usually means each weekend or at least every second weekend depending on how much money I blew on the previous weekend. I only rarely bother going to a pub or club, mainly because I've done that before and the experience doesn't change much. If you must do that, you may as well do it somewhere different anyway.
Todays society is reliant on consumer spending and advertising drives the (false) need to spend money on pointless things. Many people are sucked into this and end up with empty hollow lives as a result, they don't know how to cure it, then advertising provides the (false) answer in a new possession to buy, so they buy it, have a small sense of happiness, then it's back to square one, its a vicious circle.
I usually find that most of the time the journey can be more fun than the destination, both the ups and downs, and I expand this philosophy to life. Life is a journey, you will enjoy it more than the destination, the highs and lows of human experience are what makes life like it is and I wouldn't have it any other way.
i'd just like to add that 'i think you should do what you think is right'. i don't want to travel, i want a house with green stuff on the front and a mini. my mate wants to teach english in indonesia (and so he does).
he'd hate what i do and vice versa. if i want to go on a world tour when i am 49 then i will. likewise he can by a house!
what's worse is another mate who wants to go traveling but keeps putting it off and putting it off and just spending his money here trying to make himself happy..
>> Edited by baskey on Wednesday 14th September 15:44
he'd hate what i do and vice versa. if i want to go on a world tour when i am 49 then i will. likewise he can by a house!
what's worse is another mate who wants to go traveling but keeps putting it off and putting it off and just spending his money here trying to make himself happy..
>> Edited by baskey on Wednesday 14th September 15:44
I'm 29, never had a proper job until now, managed to see a load of the world, own a whole host of fun vehicles and I've got no intention of joining the rat race on a permanent basis. Supply teaching is the go and the idea is to get some bucks, bugger off ad infinitum.
I'll never be able to afford a supercar but life is a ticking clock. As long as I have a surfboard, am near the beach, have time to play the piano and read, that's all I want, it's a cop out and in most peoples eyes, I am a failure, but I'm bloody happy It works for me.
Edit:- Just checked the wavebuoys and there is 1.5M of solid groundswell, better go to work!
>> Edited by love machine on Wednesday 14th September 15:53
I'll never be able to afford a supercar but life is a ticking clock. As long as I have a surfboard, am near the beach, have time to play the piano and read, that's all I want, it's a cop out and in most peoples eyes, I am a failure, but I'm bloody happy
It works for me. Edit:- Just checked the wavebuoys and there is 1.5M of solid groundswell, better go to work!
>> Edited by love machine on Wednesday 14th September 15:53
love machine said:
As long as I have a surfboard, am near the beach, have time to play the piano and read, that's all I want, it's a cop out and in most peoples eyes, I am a failure, but I'm bloody happy
>> Edited by love machine on Wednesday 14th September 15:53
They are just jealous
'Doing is better than having' is a fairly decent mantra to live life by.
I've got any number of mates who have hocked themselves to the eyeballs to buy cars and then never go anywhere or do anything with them. I'd rather have an old Golf GTi or BMW E30 and give it death on a race track than mimsy around town in something brand new, hoping people are looking at you. But that's just me.
>> Edited by bad_roo on Wednesday 14th September 17:03
I've got any number of mates who have hocked themselves to the eyeballs to buy cars and then never go anywhere or do anything with them. I'd rather have an old Golf GTi or BMW E30 and give it death on a race track than mimsy around town in something brand new, hoping people are looking at you. But that's just me.
>> Edited by bad_roo on Wednesday 14th September 17:03
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff