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Learning the value of money

gromit

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As for the original question, like others have said, I think you learn the value of money when you understand that it is not unlimited, that it must be earned.
 

Giggly

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For the record, I'm not taking any issue with the father and his parenting, which is why I didn't put this in whatever the parenting section would be and he only had his father and they were poor.

When I graduated from college, I recall living in my first apartment and not having enough money to buy curtains, a bed or furniture. It took a couple of years for me to be able to afford basic furniture, buy a car and things like that. I literally slept on the floor for a couple of months. I recall living on $10 - $15 a week for a period while I was in college (for food). When you don't have a lot, and you work hard to obtain something, I think you appreciate it more.

Thanks for answering and understanding my question.

As for the original question, like others have said, I think you learn the value of money when you understand that it is not unlimited, that it must be earned.

I think most kids, especially by age 14 or 15 know that money is not unlimited. They have heard "no" or "we can't afford that" many many times. I think there was something about father sending him to work for it himself, and that's why I asked.
 

Giggly

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another way to learn, is not having enough money, you learn by being like geeze i wish i could actually afford everything I need, and that in return teaches you the value of money.

Ahh yes. thank you for answering.
 

Giggly

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Well it is literally true, isn't it?

A gym workout is not intellectual work, it is not artistic work, it is not scientific work, it is simply manual work.

But notice, no manual worker goes to gym after work.

It is non-manual workers who go to the gym after work.

And notice manual work (in the gym) has now changed status from working class to middle class.

And this gives us the general principle that a practice no longer in use rises in status.


Interesting!
 

Coriolis

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Valuing money to me is not the same as valuing the things you buy. Some might disagree with me but I think money provides some level of security and freedom. Things you buy are different. For the most part, the money is either gone or spent on something that depreciates. You can spend money on a wonderful vacation and enjoy it as well as have a lifelong memory. I believe experiences are some of the more worthwhile things to invest in. You can also buy stuff. Stuff in my opinion has less value. You get a short boost when you first get it. There are exceptions. I live well below my means and save a lot. I also splurge at times on things that many would think are quite wasteful but it is rare for me to spend a lot on something that I don't use. I have had a nice convertible for the last five years and I love driving it now as much as when I got it, so it's really the experience I bought and not as much the thing. I've definitely gotten value out of what I spent on it.
Interesting observations. Only recently have I come to value money spent on experiences. It is very easy for me to assess whether a thing is worth its cost, but not so with experiences. I make a distinction between money and things as well, but in reverse. I value money because of the things it can get me: food, shelter, car repairs, medical care, etc. Money provides security and freedom by making it possible to get similar things if/when I need them. I value the stuff I buy, not for any emotional boost I feel when I get it, but because of what I can do with it. I buy a sewing machine, and can use it for many years to make things. I buy books, and can enjoy reading and rereading them, and sharing them with friends. I live well below my means also, and like you spend money on things I will really use.

A gym workout is not intellectual work, it is not artistic work, it is not scientific work, it is simply manual work.

But notice, no manual worker goes to gym after work.

It is non-manual workers who go to the gym after work.

And notice manual work (in the gym) has now changed status from working class to middle class.

And this gives us the general principle that a practice no longer in use rises in status.
I have observed this as well. Interestingly I prefer exercise that is also work, like walking or riding my bicycle to get somewhere, or chopping wood and doing yard work.

For the record, I'm not taking any issue with the father and his parenting, which is why I didn't put this in whatever the parenting section would be.

Thanks for answering and understanding my question.

I think most kids, especially by age 14 or 15 know that money is not unlimited. They have heard "no" or "we can't afford that" many times. I think there was something about father sending him to work for it himself.
That depends. There are many parents who deliberately try to shield their kids from the impact of financial necessity, because they view it as an adult concern, see it as their job as parents to provide, and don't want their kids to worry. Many parents do spend more on things than they should; just witness the high levels of credit card debt, low levels of savings, and number of households at the upper limit of mortgage payments based on income. At the same time, there are families who are relatively well-off, and really could afford most of the things their kids ask for. These kids need to learn the value of money, too.

As Highlander explained, you don't value money because you suffered to earn it; you value it because you understand what it represents in time and effort, whether than be waiting tables, making cabinets, teaching classes, or anything else. There is nothing sacrosanct about minimum wage jobs, but teenagers often don't qualify for much else. Kids don't have to wait until age 15 to learn the value of money, though. That's what an allowance is for. Instead of buying things for their children, parents give them a little money every week or month, and let them decide how to spend it, or possibly save it up to buy something bigger. Also, kids much younger than 15 can understand legitimate financial concerns and responsible strategies for addressing them. Parents do no favors by shielding them from it.
 

gromit

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I think most kids, especially by age 14 or 15 know that money is not unlimited. They have heard "no" or "we can't afford that" many many times. I think there was something about father sending him to work for it himself, and that's why I asked.

Yes agree.

And it's more "real" once you are the one doing the earning, as opposed to the parents. Particularly if the family can only afford needs and the children must pay for their wants or go without. Then you really get it: work = money = things you want
 

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Sounds like either some strange rednecky belief, or that like the son was a little bit of a spendthrifth.
 

Giggly

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Sounds like either some strange rednecky belief, or that like the son was a little bit of a spendthrifth.

Yeah I'm trying to figure out what was going on there. Both father and son were immigrants coming from a poor country and were still considered poor here but were doing better than in their mother country.
 

Giggly

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Bit of a different topic but I think [MENTION=8936]highlander[/MENTION]s observations were also interesting about valuing things vs. valuing experiences. When I think about it, I don't really value things much either. I value experiences a great deal. I also value money in the form of savings.
 

kyuuei

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No body likes to work at 15. :laugh: I sure didn't. I worked long before then, but it still sucked. I didn't like my job very much..

But that's a ripe age where money starts to be viable to you. Cars, drivers training, prepping for college, trips to the beach, etc. You really ought to learn the value of money loooong before the age of 15. You start to learn how much people work to get that money at 15.

And yeah, you won't get a job you like at 15 unless you're pretty lucky. But it is an important lesson to learn how to like your work regardless of if it is something you chose or not.
 

Magic Poriferan

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Here's a counter to the hypothesis that lack of money results in thriftiness: A lot of poor people become used to spending money as soon as possible as a matter of necessity, and should they receive a great deal of excess money (say, by winning the lottery) the habit tends to stick around.
 

93JC

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You assume that people are poor because they don't have much money in the first place. I could just as easily say that poor people are poor because of how they spend the money they have.

I'm amazed at how difficult it is for some people to grasp the idea behind encouraging a 15-year-old to get a job in order to learn "the value of money". Just baffling to me. I feel like I'm not in on some joke.
 

Giggly

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You assume that people are poor because they don't have much money in the first place. I could just as easily say that poor people are poor because of how they spend the money they have.

I'm amazed at how difficult it is for some people to grasp the idea behind encouraging a 15-year-old to get a job in order to learn "the value of money". Just baffling to me. I feel like I'm not in on some joke.
What is wrong with you? You don't know more about him than me and you know nothing about me so if you don't get the purpose of this thread then just stay out if it.
 

93JC

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Before I leave can I ask you a question? How did you learn the value of money?
 

Giggly

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I can't remember ever not knowing the value of money and the purpose of work. Making money and spending it did not make it feel any more special. But I am not suggesting that the guy in the OP is like me.
 

Giggly

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But that's a ripe age where money starts to be viable to you. Cars, drivers training, prepping for college, trips to the beach, etc. You really ought to learn the value of money loooong before the age of 15. You start to learn how much people work to get that money at 15.

Maybe he was learning the value of time and the value of independence more than anything.
Just a thought I had.
Here's a counter to the hypothesis that lack of money results in thriftiness: A lot of poor people become used to spending money as soon as possible as a matter of necessity, and should they receive a great deal of excess money (say, by winning the lottery) the habit tends to stick around.

Yep that does happen sometimes. I never suggested that a lack of money always results in thriftiness though. I have seen both.
Do you think that his father was perhaps trying to teach him how to be thrifty?
If so, ironically, he ended up racking up a lot of debt through credit, so I don't think that worked.
 

digesthisickness

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I heard that (referring directly to the opening OP) and experienced it since I was a child. From what I gathered, as no one expounded to me either except in dropped comments here and there, it was to encourage independence, a sense of accomplishment, how to spend wisely because you're forced to work within a budget, and to get used to earning when a mind is still in its molding years so that earning later isn't such a shock to the system, and to hopefully keep them from taking others for granted and avoiding that dangerous slippery slope of unearned or unwarranted entitlement.
 

93JC

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I can't remember ever not knowing the value of money and the purpose of work. Making money and spending it did not make it feel any more special. But I am not suggesting that the guy in the OP is like me.

When did your parents stop paying your way through life?
 

Giggly

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When did your parents stop paying your way through life?

I got my first job when I was 15 and I lived with my parents until two months after HS graduation when I was 18.
 

93JC

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So what would your parents have done if you hadn't gotten that first job at age 15 on your own intiative?
 
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