Aspies with financial security; not pretentious?

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often i will spend weeks looking for a bargin, and estimating costs, normally i buy really cheap shoes, but i often buy 4-5 pairs a year as they don't last with my usage ( i cannot go anywhere without shoes on) ths year i trialed buying an expensive pair of shoes, and it looks like they'll be wearable for another year.

sometimes i'll go with an expensive choice, but i make a point not to spend big.

I find it hard to justify spending large - by most peoples' standards - amounts of money on myself, though occasionally I do. And I would find it even harder to justify not working (by choice) unless I'd made some unusually big positive contribution to the world (which is unlikely to happen any time soon.) ^^

Actually....

I don't know HOW to impress people.

For example, let's take clothing: I can't tell the difference between a $50.00 t-shirt from Macy's and a $20.00 t-shirt from Target. I buy clothes from Wal-Mart, Target, and Burlinton Coat Factory respectively, but people often tell me that I look good, so I must be doing something correctly, but I'll be darned if I know what.

Ditto for just about everything else in life. I own a laptop, a PS3, a X-Box 360, and a PS2, but I didn't buy them to "impress," I bought them to be a lazy nerd.

Impressing other people is one of those concepts I never would have thought of had I not been bombarded with the idea through the media. What's the point? I have enough money to get by. I don't buy fancy stuff. I buy just what I need and the least expensive as possible. When I do splurge it's for something related to one of my interests but even there I rarely buy the best. I'm most concerned with its utility as opposed to its status.

Very interesting topic!

It doesn't impress me when people have expensive things. I actually get a distaste if I see people with designer names on all of their clothing/bags. It's like they're trying too hard and wasting money on things that aren't interesting or useful. Maybe it just doesn't make logical sense to me to want those things.

I'm not frugal, though, nor do I make a lot of money. I do make sure it's a good investment if I do spend money. If I get obsessed with a topic, I may buy 50 books on it in 2 months (amazon used of course). When I get bitten by collection bugs, I spend a lot of money on whatever it is I'm collecting (but the resale value is usually more than what I paid once I get over the collection).

As Dunnyveg did, I'm now saving up to buy some farm land so I can be self-sufficient and away from all the bustle of the city. I want to build the most stripped down home on the property (but with good materials).

The link between consumerism and social acceptance is seen in the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." "The Joneses" have always seemed like a miserable bunch to me, never content, and so I'm happy not to keep up.

LOL!

My father in law asked me last weekend "Why don't you have hubcaps on your car?" my answer "Car gets me to where I need to go with or without hubcaps."

They fell off one by one over a year ago and I couldn't care less but am intrigued by how many people seem 'concerned' that they are gone.

With that, I will buy what I want, when I want it, if I see a pair of boots I like I'll buy them. (as I did last week and wrapped them and put under the tree to give my hubby a break on what to buy for me for the holiday, lol) But it's only because I like them, not because I care what anyone else would think of them.

i'd like to be able to spend money on other people but i think it really effects relationships in a bad way. i'm sure there are ways of doing it like anonymous donations so maybe some day i can do that

^if it's not specific people you want to spend money on you could try this:

I've a few times paid for the person behind me in the drive thru, it's fun to do and no complications. Someone did that once for my husband and it made me feel so good that someone just randomly did something nice for him that I do it when I have extra money.

I know someone else who will walk down a line of parking meters and just add money in.

Can you imagine if tons of people would do these things? There's just something nice about taking the barter system out of it and just doing something nice to do it without needing acknowledgement or repay someday.

I wear sort of expensive clothes (usually not designer, but not bargain basement either), have expensive trainers, expensive glasses, a collection of computers, a collection of smartphones, a collection of iPods, and lots more expensive stuff, because I like things that are good quality. I think I was just brought up like that. And the collections are just an Aspie thing really

If I was really rich, I'd drive around in a Lamborghini for sure

I am always saving money and I don't often buy stuff I don't need. I will also wear clothes until they fall apart or shoes until they fall apart. I had my purse until one of the things came off you put around your shoulder to carry. So I got a new one at Goodwill for eight bucks. It looked good as new. I would also buy used games and used movies and buy things on sale or things that were inexpensive.

I do not care for expensive items either like fancy cars or fancy clothes, high definition TVs, or fancy gadgets like GPS. I did get a ebook because I can have books on there to read and I wouldn't have to clutter up my apartment with new books because they all be on that little thing and it's cheaper. ebooks are cheaper than paperbacks. I also use cloth diapers than disposables.

With food, we also shop at the store that is the cheapest and we buy the same food we usually get. I do not buy junk food or other luxury food. But my husband does buy TV dinners now and we sometimes get a dessert or snacks. I would say frozen juice is a luxury food and so is any kid cereal. So yeah we do buy luxury foods but not a lot.

I also do not stay at expensive hotels or eat at expensive restaurants. I often don't go out either to places that costs money. I am happy with Redbox and Netflix.


My husband says I act like we are poor and broke. I even wore a worn out winter coat for a while and my husband couldn't get me to get a new coat until a year ago. He made me get a new coat finally and he tossed out my old one in the parking lot in the trash can. Now my son has a bunch of used toys but now he has new ones from his birthday and for Christmas. Most of his clothes have been used too and some of it was brand new. I also breastfeed to save money.

Due to the ongoing economical crisis and the ebbing financial support from my parents (yes, I'm 38 ) I decided I'd pile up all the money I can spare on a bank-account (which is more than I can live on for the same period). This is the only way I can feel secure financially. I think I'm guilty of some splurge with the renovation of my apartment (and some f**ked-up attempt at fashion), but most of the time I'm frugal to the point of being miser, especially when it comes to heating (I don't have air-conditioning at all). Besides, I compulsively maximize the mileage of my car to the point others don't believe the measures.

Usually I wear cheap clothes, I don't care what other people say (or don't say at all). Sometimes I give out chunks of money to buy, for example, bicycle parts that are never cheap (you know, the less it weighs the pricier it gets).

Since I always had feelings for cars, I never understood people buying second-hand cars without having the bad feeling that it belonged to someone totally stranger before, who could tell what they did to the car, what damage, abuse, etc the car had to endure. I'm always overly sensitive to every perceived false sound, move, or behavior of a car. The one I bought (new, of course) is planned to be in my service for at least 6 years, so the depreciation is actually moderate for this period. A gray, dull-looking VW Golf isn't an eye-catcher at all (critics agree on it), but it's built and technique is one of the best in its class. So, inner values come first. In the city I prefer alternative ways of transport, though (cycling, public transportation), that few people seem to understand.

really putting money in meters for people can be trouble? I really don't see how, the city is getting their money for someone to park there, that should be all that matters.

Can you imagine how awesome it'd feel if you'd been in the bank line longer then you thought and were worrying about if you had a parking ticket or not only to find someone fed your meter for you and you had extra time?

I used to be a waitress and people would sometimes pay for a stranger's bill, this stuff happens more then people often realize.