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.