How can you ride it like that?

[screenman]

See insult again, this 62 year wears lycra every time I ride a bike which at this time is often only at weekends.

 

[Alan O]

True, I'm not exactly skint either and I do spend how I wish, but I have never had a reckless or frivolous approach to money. I'm not saying you necessarily have either, but a lot of people are total muppets and have this amazing ability to turn large sums of cash into much smaller sums of rapidly depreciating consumer goods which then get "upgraded" on a frequent basis. On one level, I'm happy like @GuyBoden that there are so many bargains out there as a result of this throwaway attitude, but on the other hand it really is inexcusably wasteful - and I'm no do-gooder tree-hugging save-the-planet type, I just abhor rampant big-business driven consumerism.

While I also support everybody's right to do whatever they want with their own money, my personal feelings towards consumerism are pretty much spot with what John says here. I know people who curse their struggle to make ends meet every month, and it's simply because they're sucked into consumerism and they spend money profligately - if they had enough to do that with, fine, but they don't.

I don't know, maybe I'm turning into my grandmother in my old age - she hated waste.

 

[Alan O]

Yes, by the side of the road I quite often get cyclists asking if I need any help.

Never taken offence yet, even if a woman.

Why would I?

Two or three months ago in the dark on a night ride from Wolverhampton to Lancashire a chap in a van coming the other way stopped and asked me if I was OK.

I'd just pulled over to peer at the GPS to try to busk a diversion off my marked route to avoid a bit of canal.

Nice.

Simple exchanges like that are the stuff of life - anyone who takes offence at a well meant offer of help deserves a going over with a chain whip

Same kind of thing happens with me too - only a few weeks ago while I was fixing a puncture, several passing cyclists stopped to ask if I needed help. I always ask others too - even just having a better pump was a great help to one person earlier this year.

 

[screenman]

While I also support everybody's right to do whatever they want with their own money, my personal feelings towards consumerism are pretty much spot with what John says here. I know people who curse their struggle to make ends meet every month, and it's simply because they're sucked into consumerism and they spend money profligately - if they had enough to do that with, fine, but they don't.

I don't know, maybe I'm turning into my grandmother in my old age - she hated waste.

I am not turning into your grandmother but I do feel the same about consumerism for those who spend beyond their means, however there are plenty of people about who have got themselves in a position to spend, they are not in my opinion to be called names for doing so.

 

[Alan O]

I am not turning into your grandmother but I do feel the same about consumerism for those who spend beyond their means, however there are plenty of people about who have got themselves in a position to spend, they are not in my opinion to be called names for doing so.

I agree, but it doesn't stop me feeling there's something wrong when I see waste (even for people who can afford the waste). Maybe it's also partly due to the time I've spent in poorer parts of the world.

I'll just add that it's not about buying very expensive stuff. I have cycling buddies who've spent thousands of pounds on their bikes - but they're not wasters. It's specifically consumerism-driven waste that gets me.

 

[screenman]

I agree, but it doesn't stop me feeling there's something wrong when I see waste (even for people who can afford the waste). Maybe it's also partly due to the time I've spent in poorer parts of the world.

I'll just add that it's not about buying very expensive stuff. I have cycling buddies who've spent thousands of pounds on their bikes - but they're not wasters. It's specifically consumerism-driven waste that gets me.

It is one thing thinking about it and another writing it so often, if you were somebody who could afford to and did spend and popped in here as a new member, then the venom spouted about you may not feel friendly.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Buy a Ferrari in most european countries and people will stop and admire it.

buy one here and it will be most likely vandalised.
people seem to resent anyone with more.
if I'd saved instead of peeing up a wall and partying for most of my adult life I'd probably have a big house and a super car.
i like the pressure of dealing with life with a hangover and thinking if only

 

[screenman]

Buy a Ferrari in most european countries and people will stop and admire it.

buy one here and it will be most likely vandalised.
people seem to resent anyone with more.
if I'd saved instead of peeing up a wall and partying for most of my adult life I'd probably have a big house and a super car.
i like the pressure of dealing with life with a hangover and thinking if only

At least you have not wasted your money.

 

[Drago]

But a Ferrari here and you still can't drive it any faster than a 1.0 Corsa.

Article in t'paper the other day, classic car an exotica values arent climbing at the mo. If you buy one as an investment, at least in the short to medium term, you probably will be wasting money.

 

[screenman]

But a Ferrari here and you still can't drive it any faster than a 1.0 Corsa.

Article in t'paper the other day, classic car an exotica values arent climbing at the mo. If you buy one as an investment, at least in the short to medium term, you probably will be wasting money.

Likewise, motorbikes, more than one push bike, computers and the list goes on even without mentioning boats and caravans., what is the point of money if it is not for spending.

John Todd, that was the name of the old guy opposite who died a few years back, lived in a hovel of a place, no heating, no car not even a bike, he had over £750,000 in the bank when he pased away, it that how we all should live?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

the old guy opposite who died a few years back, lived in a hovel of a place, no heating, no car not even a bike, he had over £750,000 in the bank when he pased away, it that how we all should live?

Taking frugality to the point where it becomes parsimony is pretty pointless, but so too is the opposite end of the spectrum; having a reckless and day to day approach to money. For every cash hoarder with £750k stuffed in their mattress there will be a hundred spendthrift muppets who are forced to work until they drop because they have spent their lives blowing their cash as soon as they have any, so have no investments, no savings, no private pension etc to fall back on when they get older.
I know one such idiot at work. Most of the time he's so skint he hasn't got the money to buy a cup of tea and survives on baked beans and date-expiring bread off the reduction shelf. As soon as he gets paid, he'll go on a drink and drugs fuelled bender lasting a few days. By the end of the first week in any month, he's blown all his month's wages. He won't be enjoying any kind of retirement let alone a relaxed and prosperous one.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Taking frugality to the point where it becomes parsimony is pretty pointless, but so too is the opposite end of the spectrum; having a reckless and day to day approach to money. For every cash hoarder with £750k stuffed in their mattress there will be a hundred spendthrift muppets who are forced to work until they drop because they have spent their lives blowing their cash as soon as they have any, so have no investments, no savings, no private pension etc to fall back on when they get older.
I know one such idiot at work. Most of the time he's so skint he hasn't got the money to buy a cup of tea and survives on baked beans and date-expiring bread off the reduction shelf. As soon as he gets paid, he'll go on a drink and drugs fuelled bender lasting a few days. By the end of the first week in any month, he's blown all his month's wages. He won't be enjoying any kind of retirement let alone a relaxed and prosperous one.

I doubt he's expecting to be old.
nothing sadder than a rich man who died of nothing.

 

[Blue Hills]

"died of nothing"

?

sorry, don't understand.

 

[DCBassman]

Trnaslate: For no good reason...

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I doubt he's expecting to be old.

He won't make old bones, not with the amount of drink and drugs he consumes. It's not like he just does it little and often either, he goes on massive binges and then has no recollection of the previous few days afterwards. I'd be surprised if he makes it much past 50. He's only 45 and already looks noticeably older than the 54 year old bloke he normally works with.