Model
M A U I
Posts: 1587
Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe
I'm fascinated to which extent people try to look rich. For example, my former classmate works part-time in a garage and today some dude pulls up with a Porsche Cayman S to change his ball joints. 1st of all he's in a general mechanic shop, not the Porsche dealer. He asked for replacement parts i.e. Mevotech which is cheap parts. Then he flips out because the work too more time than estimated and cost him 60$ extra on his bill. He also had cheap Chinese winter tires on his car.
Why can't some people buy according to their needs?
Many times I've seen dudes with sports cars putting 85 octane gasoline in the car. Or people who buy 600k houses and years later the parking entrance is still on gravel with weeds all over the lawn.
People with all brand new stuff, with all their accounts in the red, all their bills past due, yet they still have an 80$/month cellphone plan with a brand new iPhone.
shit blows my mind
Photographer
Kyle T Edwards
Posts: 437
St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
At the risk of getting picky, are we talking real sports cars, or n/a four-bangers that only have open exhausts, oversized whale-tails and nothing more? Because if you mean real sports cars, I'm sure there's some kind of hate law against putting 85 octane in one!! That shit just ain't right. ![https://operationgaga.com/public/style_emoticons/default/shaking_head.gif]()
Model
angel emily
Posts: 1020
Boston, Massachusetts, US
M A U I wrote:
Why can't some people buy according to their needs? For some of this stuff, one might argue if there's really a "need" in the first place.
Anyway, ever heard of "Keeping up with the Joneses'"? 
Model
JadeDRed
Posts: 5620
London, England, United Kingdom
Don't confuse 'tight' with 'not rich', most of the well off people i know have been penny pinchers.
Photographer
TrianglePhoto
Posts: 582
Chicago, Illinois, US
There is an old saying, "Success breeds success".
In business, it has always been common to spend money on a car, house or expensive clothes in order to look successful. Business people prefer to do business with people who are successful not struggling... Unfortunately, if they get in too far over their heads, it starts to show at the edges (as in your OP example).
Heck, back in court of Elizabeth I, the courtiers often wore a large percentage of their wealth as jewelry in court in order to win favor by proving how successful they were (even if their estates were so broke they could barely keep up maintenance).
On the other hand, some people are just peacocks and want to "strut their stuff", even if they don't have much to strut...
Model
Russian Katarina
Posts: 1413
London, England, United Kingdom
TrianglePhoto wrote:
There is an old saying, "Success breeds success".
In business, it has always been common to spend money on a car, house or expensive clothes in order to look successful. Business people prefer to do business with people who are successful not struggling... Unfortunately, if they get in too far over their heads, it starts to show at the edges (as in your OP example).
Heck, back in court of Elizabeth I, the courtiers often wore a large percentage of their wealth as jewelry in court in order to win favor by proving how successful they were (even if their estates were so broke they could barely keep up maintenance).
On the other hand, some people are just peacocks and want to "strut their stuff", even if they don't have much to strut... The bottom line is that you have to look the part you're playing. I wouldn't buy a house from a real estate agent driving a Lada either.
The husband works in personal security - even though he's mostly a desk jockey nowadays, he still has to look the part. A fat slob wouldn't instill the confidence in affluent clientele who's looking for professionals to keep them and their belongings safe.
In that regard, projecting success is a sound and sometimes necessary business investment.
However, regular Joe trying to impress the (female) neighbors by driving a Porsche he can't really afford is not about business, but about attempting to compensate for a lack of self confidence. It is a very common trait in Western and westernized culture, particularly in the US where people are used to finance *everything* from their house to their cars to the TV set. Overstretching yourself like that has been the cause of many bankrupcies.
Photographer
Chris Rifkin
Posts: 25581
Tampa, Florida, US
You can look successful without breaking your wallet.
Instead of getting that Hugo/Boss polo shirt for $90 in the mall,get 2 at the outlet mall for the same price(for example)
Heck...if I desired to I could take $500 from my tax returns and fill my closet with some nice fashionable clothes that would give the illusion I was doing well(OK,I make good $$,but for arguments sake if I was making half of what I make and still be able to do the same thing)at an outlet mall
Photographer
Christopher Hartman
Posts: 54196
Buena Park, California, US
Kyle T Edwards wrote:
At the risk of getting picky, are we talking real sports cars, or n/a four-bangers that only have open exhausts, oversized whale-tails and nothing more? Because if you mean real sports cars, I'm sure there's some kind of hate law against putting 85 octane in one!!
That shit just ain't right. ![https://operationgaga.com/public/style_emoticons/default/shaking_head.gif]() I'm not a gearhead, but I've heard often that putting higher octane fuel in any car is a waste of cash.
But that might just be from people that lease cars for 2 years and dump them. for those people, the long term effects/performance obviously doesn't mean anything.
Retoucher
pixel dimension ilusion
Posts: 1550
Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
i always tell my son "dont worry what others do, if they fake then u have 2 try 2 be real ,cause these ppl they love attencion and when u worry about what they do u feeding them and make them more strong , let them act 2 be someone they dont r, at the end they will feel fake them self and maybe wakeup from they fantasy , i read in the bibble about an king named salomon the riches king ever on earth he said" is al vanity" to be short and real happyness is not in whealth trust me
Photographer
Shot By Adam
Posts: 8089
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Christopher Hartman wrote:
I'm not a gearhead, but I've heard often that putting higher octane fuel in any car is a waste of cash.
But that might just be from people that lease cars for 2 years and dump them. for those people, the long term effects/performance obviously doesn't mean anything. You're supposed to put in the octane of gas the car manufacturer says you're supposed to put in. My last car was a Mitsubishi Evo and it required 92 octane. I once put in 89 accidentally and the car ran like crap until I refilled it with the good stuff. Now I'm driving a Nissan Xterra and Nissan puts in bold type in the manual not to use Premium gasoline in the engine as it's been built to run specifically on 89 octane. Most sports cars though, just like most high performance motorcycles these days, require Premium gasoline though.
As far as to the OP, it has already been mentioned but I think it needs reinforcing that image is everything in some industries. Perhaps this guy you are talking about is in real estate and he needs to convey a professional appearance but doesn't care about the performance of the vehicle? If you were buying a million dollar home from someone, would you rather:
See them driving a Porche with crappy Chinese tires (that 99.9% of the population would never know about anyway) or;
Drive a 2001 Honda Accord with a great set of Michelins?
Photographer
Sophistocles
Posts: 21320
Seattle, Washington, US
pixel dimension ilusion wrote:
i always tell my son "dont worry what others do, if they fake then u have 2 try 2 be real ,cause these ppl they love attencion and when u worry about what they do u feeding them and make them more strong , let them act 2 be someone they dont r, at the end they will feel fake them self and maybe wakeup from they fantasy , i read in the bibble about an king named salomon the riches king ever on earth he said" is al vanity" to be short and real happyness is not in whealth trust me I do hope your son could make sense of what you tell him, because I sure couldn't.
I tell my children something simple: "Don't worry about other people. Worry about yourself."
It's as simple as that.
As for wealth, I have my opinions on that, as well, but they tend to get me in trouble, so I'll keep them to myself.
Model
Jules NYC
Posts: 21617
New York, New York, US
Poseurs. but if it works for business, awesome. At best, this thread gave some bragging space. 
Photographer
Justin
Posts: 22389
Fort Collins, Colorado, US
I have a small, relatively inexpensive, relatively speedy, relatively fuel-efficient car. It's moderate, like me. And paid for.
But that's what works for me. If others like the sheen of new things without being able to maintain them, that's what they'll get. Shrug.
Model
Jules NYC
Posts: 21617
New York, New York, US
Old money people don't flash.
New money people over finance or brag.
Photographer
B R U N E S C I
Posts: 25319
Bath, England, United Kingdom
I'm pretty sure I have a considerably greater "Net Worth" than any of my neighbours, and yet I wear beaten up old clothes and drive a 20 year old car I bought for $800 while they pose around in their shiny new suits and (leased) BMWs and Mercs. Funny thing is, I retired at 44 and am now doing exactly whatever the fuck I like - mostly shooting nude models in my kitchen - while they're still slaving away at their tedious management jobs trying to pay for their expensive "status symbols"... I know who's having the last laugh in my street, and it's not them Just my $0.02 Ciao Stefano www.stefanobrunesci.com
Model
Jules NYC
Posts: 21617
New York, New York, US
-B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote:
I'm pretty sure I have a considerably greater "Net Worth" than any of my neighbours, and yet I wear beaten up old clothes and drive a 20 year old car I bought for $800 while they pose around in their shiny new suits and (leased) BMWs and Mercs.
Funny thing is, I retired at 44 and am now doing exactly whatever the fuck I like - mostly shooting nude models in my kitchen - while they're still slaving away at their tedious management jobs trying to pay for their expensive "status symbols"...
I know who's having the last laugh in my street, and it's not them
Just my $0.02
Ciao
Stefano
www.stefanobrunesci.com
Photographer
sospix
Posts: 23769
Orlando, Florida, US
Jake's the only expensive thing I "own" . . . or, does he own me, he eats an awful lot of cookies . . .  SOS
Photographer
Lovely Day Media
Posts: 5885
Vineland, New Jersey, US
What boggles my mind is the people who never have enough money for food, electricity, gas and other essentials, but they're constantly going on vacation, buying brand new cars, getting expensive clothing and the like.
Another thing that boggles my mind is the people who go out and buy things they have no idea how to use and won't use it once they have it because they don't know what to do with it ... then they call me to come over and show them how to use it. Most of the time, they get upset when I have to read the manual (one person said they could've done that ... why didn't they??) as if I'm supposed to know how to use everything that was ever invented.
Finally, there are people who don't have a pot or window ... they don't even have 2 nickels to rub together. They call and ask me to explain how some new technology works that I've never heard of ... as if they're actually going to buy whatever this thing is.
Model
Russian Katarina
Posts: 1413
London, England, United Kingdom
Lovely Day Media wrote:
What boggles my mind is the people who never have enough money for food, electricity, gas and other essentials, but they're constantly going on vacation, buying brand new cars, getting expensive clothing and the like.
Another thing that boggles my mind is the people who go out and buy things they have no idea how to use and won't use it once they have it because they don't know what to do with it ... then they call me to come over and show them how to use it. Most of the time, they get upset when I have to read the manual (one person said they could've done that ... why didn't they??) as if I'm supposed to know how to use everything that was ever invented.
Finally, there are people who don't have a pot or window ... they don't even have 2 nickels to rub together. They call and ask me to explain how some new technology works that I've never heard of ... as if they're actually going to buy whatever this thing is. Consumption in the US is largely debt based. If push comes to shove you can always declare bankrupcy and start anew scott-free. Over here you have to pay off your creditors for several years (6 years in Germany, for instance) before your slate is wiped clean. This means any buck you make beyond minimum wage goes to your creditors until your debt is paid off.
Naturally, people are a little more careful about financing everything here. A lot more stuff is paid out of pocket compared to the US.
Photographer
Sophistocles
Posts: 21320
Seattle, Washington, US
Russian Katarina wrote:
Naturally, people are a little more careful about financing everything here. A lot more stuff is paid out of pocket compared to the US. I have one debt - my wife's student loans, currently being paid-off at 1.5%, so it makes little financial sense to pay them early. That money earns me considerably more than 1.5%.
Otherwise, I chose to get completely out of debt about five years ago and then hedge my money against both ends of the economic swing. In other words, the only way I don't make money is if the economy does absolutely nothing. That seems... unlikely
Photographer
Lovely Day Media
Posts: 5885
Vineland, New Jersey, US
Russian Katarina wrote:
Consumption in the US is largely debt based. If push comes to shove you can always declare bankrupcy and start anew scott-free. Over here you have to pay off your creditors for several years (6 years in Germany, for instance) before your slate is wiped clean. This means any buck you make beyond minimum wage goes to your creditors until your debt is paid off.
Naturally, people are a little more careful about financing everything here. A lot more stuff is paid out of pocket compared to the US. I don't know if it's possible to agree more. Here in the US, people buy, buy, buy without regard for what things cost or what it's really worth. Take cars, for instance. People will buy anything that's "cute". It doesn't matter what it costs. It only matters if they can afford to make the monthly payment. If something happens, like they lose their job, they're in a heap of trouble.
I have talked many people out of many vehicle purchases because they just didn't make sense to me. Other people bought the vehicles they wanted anyway. When they tried to complain later, I reminded them that I tried to talk them out of it at the time so I don't want to hear it.
For instance, my last girlfriend wanted to buy a brand new Honda CRV. I told her that if she bought that car, she was paying $22,000 for a brake job because that's all her car needed. She spent the $800 on a brake job and kept that car for another 3 years without a monthly payment. My aunt decided she wanted a brand new Chrysler 300 in 2005. I told her that if she waited 6 months, they would virtually give her the car. She said she wanted it right then. She got it.
3 months later, she was pitching a fit about her almost $700 a month car payments. Sorry, I don't want to hear it. If she had waited 6 months, put a little bit of money down, paid the sales tax and things out of pocket and dropped the optional insurance, her payment probably would've been $100 a month less ... maybe more. She had to have it, though.
Photographer
Compass Rose Studios
Posts: 15979
Portland, Oregon, US
Because having a porche or a 600K house is the same as having an iphone?
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Russian Katarina wrote:
Consumption in the US is largely debt based. If push comes to shove you can always declare bankrupcy and start anew scott-free. Over here you have to pay off your creditors for several years (6 years in Germany, for instance) before your slate is wiped clean. This means any buck you make beyond minimum wage goes to your creditors until your debt is paid off.
Naturally, people are a little more careful about financing everything here. A lot more stuff is paid out of pocket compared to the US. Hmmm.... http://www.dw.de/the-problem-with-perso … a-16371402
Photographer
Luke Ryan Photography
Posts: 580
Santa Monica, California, US
Remember that rich peopel didnt get rich by wasting money.
I grew up in a wealthy neighboorhood and I know some pretty wealthy people. Some of them are extremely frugal and real minimalist.
I also know alot of people who try to put forth every sign that they are wealthy but they arent.
Model
Russian Katarina
Posts: 1413
London, England, United Kingdom
Lightcraft Studio wrote:
Hmmm.... http://www.dw.de/the-problem-with-perso … a-16371402 One in ten in Germany - but one in five households in the US:
http://economy.money.cnn.com/2012/05/08 … nder-debt/
Given that the median household income in the US is $31.000 while it's only $21.000 in Germany, Americans have a lot more to spend, yet go into debt twice as often as tze Germans.
I know from living in Germany (granted, this was back in the 90ies) that most people over there save up for larger investments like a car. And they love their cars as much as any American. There are few Americans that pay a car out of pocket these days, many finance it and if you finance a whole bunch of such possessions you end up bankrupt quickly when you're out of a job.
It's not just the US government that has become notorious at debt spending, it's the entire economy that is more and more based on debt - that's all the more clear when you look at the ever-growing, massive US foreign trade balance deficit.
Living on the dime of the rest of the world however will only work as long as they believe you can pay back what you owe.
Photographer
ArtisticPhotography
Posts: 7699
Buffalo, New York, US
Christopher Hartman wrote:
I'm not a gearhead, but I've heard often that putting higher octane fuel in any car is a waste of cash.
But that might just be from people that lease cars for 2 years and dump them. for those people, the long term effects/performance obviously doesn't mean anything. Some car motors (and most motorcycle motors) run at higher compression. The higher octane gas is needed to keep them from pinging, especially when you let off of the gas. On a bike, it's pretty easy to hear a series of light backfires when you let off the throttle. It's the same sound a running lean.
If you do that too much, you'll damage the motor. Usually you'll burn a valve.
So, if you hear popping or pinging, you need to upgrade the gas. Otherwise, it really doesn't matter.
Model
Retiredmodel
Posts: 7884
Monmouth, Wales, United Kingdom
Personally I don't see why there is a need to comment on what other people have and don't have and what they should or shouldn't be doing. As long as you have the priorities that are important to you why worry what others do? I only have a rented apartment but that is because travel and experiences are more important to me than property. I have no interest in accumulating wealth. If people judge me however (fur coat no knickers) for wearing a fur coat fuck them. Those that would do that would likely criticise whether I am rich and flaunting it or whether I am poor and have my priorities wrong and am showing off, or because I am a heartless bitch. Whatever it usually tells you more about the person doing the criticising than the person they are criticising. Tsk. Fur coat no knickers you are damned. Fur coat and rich damned. The truth is people just don't like others having something that may be perceived to be about status so will find a way to criticise. Often they are just creating stereotypes to hate. It is why I am also against tax on gas guzzlers for example. If the vehicle uses more fuel you already pay more tax. A person who has a gas guzzler but uses it infrequently does less damage than a person using a low fuel use vehicle daily on pointless trips they could take public transport. So another thing people often judge the person just because of the type of vehicle when they don't know the full story and are generally acting out of envy because they perceive it as a status symbol. Often however the reverse is true. Sometimes an old classic car seen as ostenatious can be very cheap compared to a bog standard family car. I never think anything about what anyone else is doing and I enjoy the fact everyone is different and enjoy different things. As long as they are not hurting anyone it is none of my business criticising them just because they have different priorities. You can seldom judge a book by the cover anyway. I know people who have racehorses and only buy out of date food. I know people who end their kids to private school at vast cost yet would consider a racehorse a flippant expense. I have seen people living in colossal amazing houses and have cheap prints on their walls and others who live in tiny rented places full of the most beautiful antiques and objet d'art. Whatever people spend their money on is none of my business but it all keeps people in jobs when it is spent. It is one thing being a frugal puritan but that doesn't do anyone much good in terms of encouraging creation and conserving the finer things in life like travel abroad, art, crafts, beautiful antiques, fashion, and cool cars. I'd rather do without the tv and washing machine and latest i phones and kindles and crappy furniture other utilitarian and techno things I don't really actually need but corporations tell me I do and have some nice things and experiences instead 
Photographer
Christopher Hartman
Posts: 54196
Buena Park, California, US
Shot By Adam wrote:
You're supposed to put in the octane of gas the car manufacturer says you're supposed to put in. My last car was a Mitsubishi Evo and it required 92 octane. I once put in 89 accidentally and the car ran like crap until I refilled it with the good stuff. Now I'm driving a Nissan Xterra and Nissan puts in bold type in the manual not to use Premium gasoline in the engine as it's been built to run specifically on 89 octane. Most sports cars though, just like most high performance motorcycles these days, require Premium gasoline though.
As far as to the OP, it has already been mentioned but I think it needs reinforcing that image is everything in some industries. Perhaps this guy you are talking about is in real estate and he needs to convey a professional appearance but doesn't care about the performance of the vehicle? If you were buying a million dollar home from someone, would you rather:
See them driving a Porche with crappy Chinese tires (that 99.9% of the population would never know about anyway) or;
Drive a 2001 Honda Accord with a great set of Michelins? I know that is what you're suppose to do. Duh!
but I can see if you're only going to keep your car for two years...who gives a shit.
Who puts 92 in a rental car that recommends it? probably no one.
My car recommends 87 thankfully. But I bet all the new Mustangs probably require 92...sigh.
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Russian Katarina wrote:
It's not just the US government that has become notorious at debt spending, it's the entire economy that is more and more based on debt - that's all the more clear when you look at the ever-growing, massive US foreign trade balance deficit.
Living on the dime of the rest of the world however will only work as long as they believe you can pay back what you owe. A sampling of countries' external per capita debt:
Germany: 57,755
USA: 52,170
France: 74,619
England: 156,126
Netherlands: 226,503
Luxembourg: 3,696,467
Belgium 113,603
Austria: 90,128
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co … ernal_debt
Model
Retiredmodel
Posts: 7884
Monmouth, Wales, United Kingdom
Lightcraft Studio wrote:
A sampling of countries' external per capita debt:
Germany: 57,755
USA: 52,170
France: 74,619
England: 156,126
Netherlands: 226,503
Luxembourg: 3,696,467
Belgium 113,603
Austria: 90,128
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co … ernal_debt Is that just England or the UK? Nobody says England for such things. We are four nations. And I guess when you look at debt per capita one should realise that it is your ability to pay back that is important.
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Eliza C wrote:
Is that just England or the UK? Nobody says England for such things. We are four nations. And I guess when you look at debt per capita one should realise that it is your ability to pay back that is important. Sorry... UK, not England for that chart.
Model
Retiredmodel
Posts: 7884
Monmouth, Wales, United Kingdom
Lightcraft Studio wrote:
Sorry... UK, not England for that chart. No probs. I am English myself but living in Wales acutely aware of the sensitivities of people here....and often that is caused not by the English but the international community calling us all England. So thanks
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Eliza C wrote:
No probs. I am English myself but living in Wales acutely aware of the sensitivities of people here....and often that is caused not by the English but the international community calling us all England. So thanks My sister's lived in England for the past 30+ years (mostly in Bristol, but now in Cornwall) and I've been there many, many times over the years. I also absolutely love Wales, especially Snowdonia Park which is like something out of a fairy tale, so beautiful.
Anyway... sorry for using England when I should have said UK.
Model
Retiredmodel
Posts: 7884
Monmouth, Wales, United Kingdom
Lightcraft Studio wrote:
My sister's lived in England for the past 30+ years (mostly in Bristol, but now in Cornwall) and I've been there many, many times over the years. I also absolutely love Wales, especially Snowdonia Park which is like something out of a fairy tale, so beautiful.
Anyway... sorry for using England when I should have said UK. No problem
I love Cornwall....also some breathtaking scenery.
I used to go to North Wales a lot as a child but rarely now.
Living here one does get fed up with the rain though the scenery does somewhat make up for it.
I am not too keen on Swansea's drinking and rugby culture . However there is a once monthly goth club for my Sisters of Mercy fix which keeps me relatively sane. While I love the scenery around here, and I can't fault I overlook the sea, I do miss London nightlife and restaurants etc.
Photographer
Bob Helm Photography
Posts: 18902
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, US
Sometimes people underestimate the cost of ownership. They can afford the car but can they afford replacing wear and tear items. A set of Michelins for my Porsche runs $1200 for the Saab $550, a little less for a Camry.
This is especially true on a used model where parts are older and need replacing sooner.
Photographer
KungPaoChic
Posts: 4221
West Palm Beach, Florida, US
Jules NYC wrote:
Old money people don't flash.
New money people over finance or brag. Yup
Photographer
KungPaoChic
Posts: 4221
West Palm Beach, Florida, US
Chris Rifkin wrote:
Wtf is a bibble? My guess is the Bible. Maybe English is his second language?
Not sure what the Americans excuses are that write like that ( and that are native speakers) but I bet he speaks more languages than most of us.
Photographer
Kyle T Edwards
Posts: 437
St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Christopher Hartman wrote:
I'm not a gearhead, but I've heard often that putting higher octane fuel in any car is a waste of cash.
But that might just be from people that lease cars for 2 years and dump them. for those people, the long term effects/performance obviously doesn't mean anything. For 90+% of cars, yes, that's absolutely correct. However, for ones that generate higher heat (like sports cars, turbocharged cars, and motorcycles), you do need higher octane gas to prevent/reduce unplanned detonation, i.e. engine knock. I think they planned it that way. If you can afford the toy, you can afford the price-of-gold gas!
Edit: Sorry, didn't see that AP already answered it. That's what I get for going online in the morning pre-caffeine.
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