Anyone else finds money utterly useless?

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Mootoo
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07 Oct 2012, 7:13 am

So, I'm not sure if this is actually an ASD trait, as Sheldon Cooper also seems to think similarly in The Big Bang Theory, but... money can't be more useless in my life, or at least compared to how important it seems to be for most people.

That, of course, doesn't mean that if I have absolutely none I wouldn't require some to survive... but over the years I've actually ordered thousands of takeaways and... the overall balance seems to increase, not decrease (so, in other words, fast food merely destroys my health, but I don't primarily think of money when buying it). This is because other than fast and normal food (and an Internet connection, which is relatively cheap), I buy little else...

...although this certainly doesn't mean I'm happy, so in this respect I share my unhappiness with others who are simply unhappy because they want more money. No, well, in all likelihood my problem is that I've no clue how I could use money to meet my needs - but at least I don't waste it all on shallow goods in an attempt to become happy, like those who constantly desire money do. In all probability, though, all the things that could make me happy can just not be bought... and I'm not being merely romantic, but indeed most other things that manage to fill up some of the gaping hole that is misery in my life are free (reading, primarily). Other than that... even with regards to sex it's difficult (not that it is usually for most people if they can use money) - as what I desire isn't readily available (and brothels are already sort of covert... what's the chance that I'll find a gay one?) - this being besides the fact that the more I think about the topic the more I find that I dream of idealized romanticism, and this certainly can't be bought (well, not unless it just happens in a Moulin Rouge-type fashion).

So... would anyone possibly have any thoughts about how money could fill up this gaping hole, or do you also think it's utterly hopeless?



Tyazii
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07 Oct 2012, 7:29 am

Well, if you're content living in a cardboard box, then sure, money is completely useless...lol

I don't think that money will make you happy in totality, but being successful will definitely assign confidence to your life.



onks
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07 Oct 2012, 8:31 am

Mootoo wrote:
So, I'm not sure if this is actually an ASD trait, as Sheldon Cooper also seems to think similarly in The Big Bang Theory, but... money can't be more useless in my life, or at least compared to how important it seems to be for most people.

That, of course, doesn't mean that if I have absolutely none I wouldn't require some to survive... but over the years I've actually ordered thousands of takeaways and... the overall balance seems to increase, not decrease (so, in other words, fast food merely destroys my health, but I don't primarily think of money when buying it). This is because other than fast and normal food (and an Internet connection, which is relatively cheap), I buy little else...

...although this certainly doesn't mean I'm happy, so in this respect I share my unhappiness with others who are simply unhappy because they want more money. No, well, in all likelihood my problem is that I've no clue how I could use money to meet my needs - but at least I don't waste it all on shallow goods in an attempt to become happy, like those who constantly desire money do. In all probability, though, all the things that could make me happy can just not be bought... and I'm not being merely romantic, but indeed most other things that manage to fill up some of the gaping hole that is misery in my life are free (reading, primarily). Other than that... even with regards to sex it's difficult (not that it is usually for most people if they can use money) - as what I desire isn't readily available (and brothels are already sort of covert... what's the chance that I'll find a gay one?) - this being besides the fact that the more I think about the topic the more I find that I dream of idealized romanticism, and this certainly can't be bought (well, not unless it just happens in a Moulin Rouge-type fashion).

So... would anyone possibly have any thoughts about how money could fill up this gaping hole, or do you also think it's utterly hopeless?


Money is also a concept. It has many aspects.

If you have enough money then you wont get happier if you have more( recent results from scientific studies)
It is simply because people gain no happiness with having more power.

The money you'll earn will show how much you and your work are worth. That is the only important aspect to me apart from that having enough money is a good thing.

I'd neither buy a lot of useless stuff. Once I have a thing I want to keep and use it forever, ideally. Only if there is good reasons like the thing broke down or it will really increase your comfort. Only then I would buy something.

Generally I don't like to go shopping.

Money is just a method to exchange your work for that what you would need or would like to have. Nothing more.
It has got some quite weird and too powerful method to rule the world, increasingly with unreasonable and destructive imprint on the societies.
The original really important meaning has got a little lost.

Ideally it shouldnt be allowed to gather the money with just a few people, because that in the end will cut away the original ideas of price and market,
to serve as a tool to generate and develop goods that are for everyone,
and not just for a few

Now that this happens already there is only a few that have the right to decide what kind of goods will be produced.
The concept of Homo economicus is really a thing that I think will never work out.

It is in all business and economics peoples minds
but they'll simply forget that it is always better to distribute such decisions to an as broad audience as possible.



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07 Oct 2012, 10:04 am

[Moved from General Autism Discussion to Random Discussion]


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smudge
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07 Oct 2012, 10:50 am

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Joe90
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07 Oct 2012, 12:58 pm

We need money. This world will be an awful place if we never relied on money, you know. It would be horrible to just walk into a supermarket and take stuff without having to pay for it, because then everyone would be taking everything before any of the workers have the chance to order new food, and it'd just be awful. Also people wouldn't want to work for nothing, and it would be totally different. But, on the other hand, people have gotten too greedy with money too, which also makes the world (or this country alone) an awful place to live in. It would be nice if everyone just used money in moderation, like keeping all the bills at a reasonable price and just making it easier for the poor (in other words the ''average person'' in the UK :roll: ).

What annoys me about people and money is (this is very minor but I want to say it), is how much people always want to pay less for everything. They look hard for bargains, they try to work out what would be cheaper; buy one small item get one small item free or just one big item, they get upset when they have paid for something then see it in another shop for 20p less....it gets on my nerves. Unless you are really poor and do have to be careful with money, I really don't see a problem in paying 20p more for something. I just pick up something and buy it, I don't always care about the price, unless the price is a ridiculous price, but just a few pence more than expected isn't really such a big deal.


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07 Oct 2012, 1:20 pm

I just don't know how to get by without any money, it is essentially useless in the grand scheme of things, but for current survival it seems to be necessary, hence the reason my lack of being able to function in the what people call 'the real world' is requiring me to apply for SSI and probably spend some time in the psych ward for how crazy its all driven me. But I certainly do see your point.


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07 Oct 2012, 4:14 pm

I'm not keen on money either. There are plenty of people in the world who exist in societies (or by themselves) without it, but I don't think we have much chance of making that happen in our current social structure. I forget the URL, but I've read a blog by a guy who chooses to live without money (for those who are wondering, he updates the blog using the free internet service at a local library). A google search would probably find it, it was interesting.

I'd really like to be self-sufficient - to own a small property, keep chickens and a vegetable garden. I imagine I would still need money occasionally, but I would need very little to live on - I already live on very little by most people's standards.

Trouble is, you need money to set up a system like that! Can't win.



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07 Oct 2012, 4:35 pm

Our society has made us essentially slaves to money. Do you need a vaccine? Chemotherapy? Food? Clothes? Or perhaps a house? In order to have these things, one (usually) has to have money (one can possibly find a person with enough money to cover medical costs and basic living expenses, steal food, go to a soup kitchen/pantry and "squat" or use someone's shovel to dig a hole in the ground, line it with pilfered straw and sleeping bags and make it their domicile or live in a warm enough region to build a dung hut). Prior to the establishment of a system of currency, humans engaged in a system of non-currency barter. For example, if Person A was a skilled hunter and Person B was a skilled farmer, Person A would trade some meat for grains from Person B. Both parties' needs were satisfied and neither had a desire to monopolize the trade of a specific commodity: the furtherance of the civilization was what mattered most. Now we have multinational corporations lobbying government officials, influencing the legislative process (research ALEC and its role in Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law), profiting enormously off taxpayers, all the while government and corporate execs are laughing all the way to the bank, while we suffer high unemployment and question where the next meal is going to come from. It's all about the money and we are merely "collateral damage." <<end semi-rant>>



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07 Oct 2012, 5:05 pm

Joe90 wrote:
We need money. This world will be an awful place if we never relied on money, you know. It would be horrible to just walk into a supermarket and take stuff without having to pay for it, because then everyone would be taking everything before any of the workers have the chance to order new food, and it'd just be awful. Also people wouldn't want to work for nothing, and it would be totally different. But, on the other hand, people have gotten too greedy with money too, which also makes the world (or this country alone) an awful place to live in. It would be nice if everyone just used money in moderation, like keeping all the bills at a reasonable price and just making it easier for the poor (in other words the ''average person'' in the UK :roll: ).

What annoys me about people and money is (this is very minor but I want to say it), is how much people always want to pay less for everything. They look hard for bargains, they try to work out what would be cheaper; buy one small item get one small item free or just one big item, they get upset when they have paid for something then see it in another shop for 20p less....it gets on my nerves. Unless you are really poor and do have to be careful with money, I really don't see a problem in paying 20p more for something. I just pick up something and buy it, I don't always care about the price, unless the price is a ridiculous price, but just a few pence more than expected isn't really such a big deal.


You heard of bartering before? All money's purpose is to make bartering easier by having a universal barter standard. IE, if you're a shepherd, and someone wants to trade you sheep, you probably don't need sheep, but might want like, corn or something. Money's purpose is to make it so people don't have to hunt high and low for bartering purposes. It's quite convenient having money, but sometimes bartering is easier, imo. I like bartering a lot.

As far as being cheap, I'm pretty damned cheap. However, I try to be logical about it. But I find it almost offensive for shops to charge me excessive amounts of money for things. Walgreens here charges $7 for 10 double edge blades, online the going rate for double edge blades is 10 for $1 and change. That's highway robbery to me, if I gotta go to Walgreens for blades. Family Dollar on the other hand, is pretty reasonable, and only charges $1 for 5. Not bad. People have odd concepts, though, and will see something for less dollars, but have less stuff. Like my mom didn't understand one day why the "big" bag of cheddar cheese from Walmart went so quick, I had to explain to her Walmart's bag is only 2lbs, and is $7 or so, whereas Price-Rite's bag is $10 or $11, but is 5lbs, people need to basically ignore the actual price tag of items and look at unit price. That, and quality of items is a factor, too. I will often pay more for better quality, especially if it's not much more, but again, in cheese, I can buy Price Rite brand mozerella in a block for $2.79lb, and the name brand is the same price, but half a pound or so, so it's 4.79 a pound. However, sometimes buying something higher priced is worth the money.

I'm almost OCD about prices, though. I usually always when grocery shopping, walk through the entire store, "scan" it all for things I want, and compare all the prices of everything, then I go back through the aisles and buy what I want after carefully comparing all the prices in my head.



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07 Oct 2012, 11:50 pm

money for me, is so damned hard to get a hold of, that i can't get much use out of it due to the lack of it.