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So I was out and about today getting my shopping and errands done, when I stoped at a local store to get cigs (Yes yes I know they are bad for me). As I walked into the store I was looking at the other cars in the parking lot. I found myself laughing because directly infront of a "Dollar Store" was parked a Land Rover, Range Rover and a Caddie. I was amused to see what must be reasonably well off people shopping at the dollar store. Not that I have a prob with it, I just find it funny someone would spend 40K + on a car (Mabye not the Caddie but still not cheep) but wont spend that extra buck at their local grocers for paper towels. As I left the Cig shop, the caddie had left but 2 Mercedes Benz's had pulled in. i guess everyones feeling the crunch these days.

They may have stolen them...

At least one might belong to somebody who has worked hard their entire life in order to scrape together enough cash to buy a car that they like.

Not everyone who owns a flash car is rich, some might be well earned and deserved.

The rich have often become rich by knowing where to put their money. Buying loo roll at the dollar store could just be a sign they're careful with their money, and that's how they can afford the flashier things.
Good on them, wish I had more fiscal will-power

I have a mercedes emblem on my car.... and it is a 98' Honda Acord.... See what I am saying here?

Nicorex wrote:So I was out and about today getting my shopping and errands done, when I stoped at a local store to get cigs (Yes yes I know they are bad for me). As I walked into the store I was looking at the other cars in the parking lot. I found myself laughing because directly infront of a "Dollar Store" was parked a Land Rover, Range Rover and a Caddie. I was amused to see what must be reasonably well off people shopping at the dollar store. Not that I have a prob with it, I just find it funny someone would spend 40K + on a car (Mabye not the Caddie but still not cheep) but wont spend that extra buck at their local grocers for paper towels. As I left the Cig shop, the caddie had left but 2 Mercedes Benz's had pulled in. i guess everyones feeling the crunch these days.

My father owned Taiwan's largest chemical plant, he goes shopping in shirts with holes in them.
it doesnt mean he cant afford cloth, he wears the shirt like a form of badge of stinginess.

Frugality is the hallmark of the newly wealthy. It was many years ago but I remember an article in Time that said a majority of American millionares drove midsize domestic cars from one of the big three brands, bought used; shopped at discount markets, and lived in the same house most or all of thier working life. Obviously they were not talking about rappers, musicians, and actors.

It's also entirely possible that the people driving these cars can't afford to shop anywhere but the Dollar Store after sinking more than they can afford into the ability to show up at work or soccer practice looking more well-off than they actually are.

Nicorex wrote:So I was out and about today getting my shopping and errands done, when I stoped at a local store to get cigs (Yes yes I know they are bad for me). As I walked into the store I was looking at the other cars in the parking lot. I found myself laughing because directly infront of a "Dollar Store" was parked a Land Rover, Range Rover and a Caddie. I was amused to see what must be reasonably well off people shopping at the dollar store. Not that I have a prob with it, I just find it funny someone would spend 40K + on a car (Mabye not the Caddie but still not cheep) but wont spend that extra buck at their local grocers for paper towels. As I left the Cig shop, the caddie had left but 2 Mercedes Benz's had pulled in. i guess everyones feeling the crunch these days.

Maybe they sell cocaine in the back.

But, more realistically, depending on the profession, there are definite reasons to squeeze a nicer car, or nicer suit, into the budget.

Appearances matter in things like sales, marketing, and really anything where you have to present a service to a reasonably high profile client.

Johnny-Crass wrote:I have a mercedes emblem on my car.... and it is a 98' Honda Acord.... See what I am saying here?

Somebodies car is missing its hood ornament?

As for the dollar store, they have great deals at the store near me. I get boxes for shipping stuff much cheaper than the post office, junk for modeling, as well as junky snacks to keep me alive another day( and kill me one day sooner). I don't know about buying TP there....I prefer my mountain money with more than 1 ply just to be safe. I will take a note next time I pass by to see what cars are parked out front. The one I goto is by a college so the location may play more into a less well off clientele.

Yeppers you can tell a rich man from a poor man because the rich man will stop and pick up a penny or a dime on the street while the poor guy will walk on by it.

@OP there is nothing wrong with smoking, I rather enjoy it especially american smokes ( is canadian).. I love me some real marlboro's =o]

You call it penny pinching. I call it common sense. Why would anyone knowingly pay more for something when they know they can get it for less? Stupidity? Laziness? Your guess is as good as mine...

Barksdale wrote:You call it penny pinching. I call it common sense. Why would anyone knowingly pay more for something when they know they can get it for less? Stupidity? Laziness? Your guess is as good as mine...

Often laziness, if it really matters its probably necessity regarding the amount of time required to maximize the return on savings when shopping.

Then there's always the issue of insignificance. Sometimes people make enough money, and have few enough obligations, that they just don't care about an extra grand, or two, or five in annual costs.

Barksdale wrote:You call it penny pinching. I call it common sense. Why would anyone knowingly pay more for something when they know they can get it for less? Stupidity? Laziness? Your guess is as good as mine...

I think its to do with pride and pretend ego.

Poor person will attempt to not look poor.

Rich person that have everything really dont care what others think.

hungryp wrote:It's also entirely possible that the people driving these cars can't afford to shop anywhere but the Dollar Store after sinking more than they can afford into the ability to show up at work or soccer practice looking more well-off than they actually are.

This 1k times.

I see nice cars parked in trailer parks every day. There's a reason repo men exist.

AustonT wrote:Frugality is the hallmark of the newly wealthy.

Other way around. Old money is famously frugal, because it's got nothing to prove to anyone. Old money has always had money, always been treated by everyone as if they've got money, so what does a brandname shirt prove?

In comparison, look at the way the new rich spend it up, paying an outrageous premium for brandnames, flashing money around clubs, buying cars entirely around conspicuous consumption.

It was many years ago but I remember an article in Time that said a majority of American millionares drove midsize domestic cars from one of the big three brands, bought used; shopped at discount markets, and lived in the same house most or all of thier working life. Obviously they were not talking about rappers, musicians, and actors.

That's an old trick based around inflation making the word 'millionaire' mean a lot less than it used to. Most of the people quoted in those stories about the millionaire next door, they're generally just people who've got a decent business, or who have some healthy investments. That doesn't mean there aren't some excellent lessons to be learned about living within your means, but we really, really shouldn't pretend those people have anything in common with actual, genuinely rich people. These days an average rich person can expect to generate a million bucks in income in a year, simply having a million in net assets lands you in the upper middle class.

Barksdale wrote:You call it penny pinching. I call it common sense. Why would anyone knowingly pay more for something when they know they can get it for less? Stupidity? Laziness? Your guess is as good as mine...

You've just summed up the gamer who buys stuff at full retail from GW.

SlaveToDorkness wrote:This 1k times.

I see nice cars parked in trailer parks every day. There's a reason repo men exist.

I just took a job on the outskirts of the city, I see expensive cars everywhere. But not the Range Rovers and the like the . It's all the high performance utes and WRXs and the like. Stuff that goes really fast, but will wear out fast and not hold it's value.

There's a lot to be said for the idea that lots of people never really have any wealth because they spend everything they get. Right now the city I live in, Perth, is in the middle of a mining boom. There's $150,000 jobs for people with basic trades to go out and work on the mines. So all these working class folk could be setting themselves up for life. But instead you just get more money spent at the casino, and more obnoxious cars.

You see the same thing with people who earn extremely high incomes, and complain that they couldn't afford a tax increase because it costs so much to maintain their lifestyles. Like it never occurs to them that they shouldn't have got that Bentley on monthly payments, or that if they hadn't rented that flash inner city apartment and instead just bought a decent place they'd be miles ahead by now.

chromedog wrote:

Barksdale wrote:You call it penny pinching. I call it common sense. Why would anyone knowingly pay more for something when they know they can get it for less? Stupidity? Laziness? Your guess is as good as mine...

You've just summed up the gamer who buys stuff at full retail from GW.

Well, there are five main motivators to buy. Saving money is only one of them.

1. Save Money
2. Save Time
3. Convenience
4. Security
5. Status

Different people value different things. For example, I have and will pay more for something just for Convenience. I simply don't value money as much as my time. I would rather use the time I would spend shopping around, coupon cutting, and researching bargains; to do stuff I like. For some people, it is the opposite. Saving the money is what they like and value more than the time it takes to get the "best" deal.

Lux_Lucis wrote:The rich have often become rich by knowing where to put their money. Buying loo roll at the dollar store could just be a sign they're careful with their money, and that's how they can afford the flashier things.
Good on them, wish I had more fiscal will-power

Agreed 100% on this one. These are people with common sense AND money sensibility, what a combo. The wife and I can afford name brand paper towels and trash bags, but the problem is, we can get the SAME fething brands or a good equivalent, for half the price. So why wouldnt we buy them at a dollar store? Why buy the same thing for a 50% mark up?

All an expensive car means is big car payments. It says nothing about the financial situation of the owner.

unless you actually own it. I own all my cars. Now wheres my pimp hat?

sebster wrote:
These days an average rich person can expect to generate a million bucks in income in a year, simply having a million in net assets lands you in the upper middle class.

For sure. By that definition of net assets my parents are millionaires, and they don't live in an especially flashy manner, and both will likely work into their late 60's.

sebster wrote:Like it never occurs to them that they shouldn't have got that Bentley on monthly payments, or that if they hadn't rented that flash inner city apartment and instead just bought a decent place they'd be miles ahead by now.

But what would I do without my brushed aluminium refrigerator?

Smoking is bad for you.

I just really had to lol.

dogma wrote:For sure. By that definition of net assets my parents are millionaires, and they don't live in an especially flashy manner, and both will likely work into their late 60's.

By that definition the future mrs sebster and I are almost millionaires, because we both bought our houses before the property boom. When we sell them we'll have somewhere around a million, but that isn't a great fortune, it's just property here never collapsed like it did elsewhere, so a million is basically what you need to buy a decent family home in a middle class suburb. I'm just a mid-level government guy and she's a dental hygienist, and I expect we'll both be working until retirement.

But what would I do without my brushed aluminium refrigerator?

I thought a commercial standard coffee machine was a bit over the top, but when I saw envy flash over my neighbour's eyes as I offered him a cuppa, I knew that $15,000 was worth it.

Seems well spent? No wonder GW can ramp up prices in Aus.

A Wealthy chap (who's Rolls I washed as a boy) told me "the rich don't get or stay rich by giving money away".

He owned the biggest house on a very smart street and said that when I asked why there were so many tight fethers on his street (they didn't want their cars washed!).

He was also one of this salt of the earth made my money the hard way cockneys (think a poorer Alan sugar), his neighbours were well educated high earning middle class types.

sebster wrote:When we sell them we'll have somewhere around a million, but that isn't a great fortune, it's just property here never collapsed like it did elsewhere, so a million is basically what you need to buy a decent family home in a middle class suburb.

Really? That seems steep. My parents' place is worth 300k or so (3 bed, 2 bath, finished basement), and my apartment (no gem by any means) is about 1k per month.

dogma wrote:Really? That seems steep. My parents' place is worth 300k or so (3 bed, 2 bath, finished basement), and my apartment (no gem by any means) is about 1k per month.

To an extent its due to the exchange rate, which is at about parity, being really misleading, purchasing parity has the Australian dollar at about 70c US. Then there's also the issue that we had a housing boom same as most places fueled by easy credit, but that tighter banking restrictions meant we didn't follow it with any kind of collapse, more just a three year plateau in prices. Then you add in that despite being a really big and fairly empty country, most of it is places that no-one would ever want to live in, so instead most all of the population lives in the capital cities.

It all adds up to a housing market where a million dollars gets you a 5x2 in a middle class suburb.

sebster wrote:Then you add in that despite being a really big and fairly empty country, most of it is places that no-one would ever want to live in, so instead most all of the population lives in the capital cities.

That settles it, Australia is inverse Michigan.