# Are YOU rich>? What IS rich?



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

People talk about wealth and say someone is "rich", but it's a very relative term. My mom , to me , is rich, but she would never call herself rich.
I sometimes call myself rich, because I can spend 20 on lunch for myslf and a friend and it's no big deal at all. 

What is rich to you? For example's sake, What annual income for a family of four would be enough for you to call them "rich"?

70,000K$ 120K? 200K? ?


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## mtngrl7500 (May 29, 2011)

Oh gosh, that's hard to say really. There are three people in my household...myself, hubby, and our 4 year old daugther. Our annual income is around $150,000. I definitely don't see ourselves as rich. Although, where I live, that is certainly a lot of money. I live in Mississippi, so the cost of living is very low. If you were to see us out and about or visit my home you wouldn't think "wow, they have money". The median income for my area is $26,000 so compared to that then I'm sure most people would consider us rich. I certainly don't.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

To me, all those incomes would classify as "rich". It translates that they can pay their utilities, have vehicles, keep a roof over their head, eat a chosen diet, & have some disposable income while also contributing to some savings.


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## Catdog88 (Oct 3, 2011)

I agree with Cacow girl. To be able to pay your bills, and have some left over for investing and/or saving. This requires living below your means, when possible. 

Look at some of those celebrities making millions of dollars but mismanage their money and end up being sooo much in debt. They make more money then I probably will ever see , but I don't consider them rich if they still can't keep their head above water. IMHO


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

.

Depends on the area of the country, taxes and utilities can be 2,3,4 times as high in some States. 

70k per year for a family of 4 can pay for a decent house (in some areas of the country), cars, utilities and have money to save. 
But in the same respect if that family wanted a 600k house, 2 brand new expensive cars, a boat and to eat out 5 night a week, 200k per year might leave them less money to save than the 70k per year family that was frugal with their money.

Because it has become a society of lets keep up with the "jones's" no one is ever "rich enough"

Somewhere I read in a study that the poorest in this Country are Richer than 90% of the worlds population.

I agree Rich is a very relative term.

.


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## eclipseranch (May 31, 2012)

to me it depends on perspective....as I look around & see heart ache in the world, people choosing to feed their family instead of buy their medication, dieing in sweltering houses because they can't afford to turn on the AC, sending their children to school in clothes 3 sizes too small ..I feel lucky & blessed by the good Lord above for children, health, a home, a job, food, clothes, friends, a loving family, pets both large & small...then I would say yes, I am rich..philosophical...maybe but I am not in to chasing the almighty dollar


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

If you add up what we own in the way of land, machinery, and especially the crop in the ground, then we could be classed as rich, but BUT BUT, we have to get that crop to ripeness and safely in the bin before I can count that.

So at the moment we are poor, as in we have no cash, I broke a tooth of at gum level last night, right in the front, and apart from my dental phobia, I don't know if I can afford to have anything done with it.

I need to raise enough cash to get diesel in the tanks so we can harvest, but then for the first time ever there are no advances to be paid off from the harvest, just the normal bills, so I'm crossing everything that we at last break through the barrier this year, and we will actually feel well off.

On the other hand, the fact that I have all teh hay I need baled and in the yard makes me feel rich.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Rich can be so many different things.. Rich to me isn't just about money.. Rich to me is being able to afford your animals, any kind of entry fees, take care of your wants, your family, fun stuff.. but always being humble enough to share if needed. I could have all of the money in the world and be unhappy. Money can't buy happiness (Yes it buys horses and such) but without people in your life and happiness from being successful in the things you want to do and be able to live comfortably.. That is rich to me. There are different things you can be rich in and I'd rather be "rich" in a good life with my animals, people I love, things I own and can appreciate more so than just having so much money that it's "just another thing".. I'd rather work hard and have to save for things than to just live life easily..Even though it'd be great! I'm not denying that... I'd just chose being rich in other ways than being financially rich, but that's just me.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Justin Wilson, a famous Cajun comedian said, "A rich Cajun is one who makes more than he can spend in one day.". Guess I'm not rich.....probably never will be by that definition, cos I can SURE spend it!


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

"Rich" is a very relative term. 

We own a house, several cars (everyone commutes to work so one car for all would not work, and unfortunately it's extremely expensive to buy anything decent close to DC), and I have cats, dogs, and 2 horses (I keep in my own place). It took years of hard work and savings to get where we are, and in no way I'd consider us "rich" (we always try to live by what we can afford). However for those who can only afford to pay for rent, utilities, and food, we probably are "rich".


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My wealth is in the form of two horses that I can afford to provide good care. I was raised to be frugal so the bank account has a 6 month survival buffer. I wonder how many people could survive for 6 mos. if there was a sudden job loss. My place is paid for and I have everything I need and some stuff that needs to go. My saddle work provides extra income which I really don't need but I do enjoy the work.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Saddlebag said:


> My place is paid for


Mind if I ask how old you are? Not exactly, just 30s, 40s etc. 


Back to the original topic....
I think there is a difference between being 'comfortable' and being 'rich'. 
To me being comfortable is paying your bills on time, being able to afford your expenses. Being rich is having oodles of money sitting there despite reasonable spending.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

According to my kid, everyone IN THE WORLD is richer than us. We are poor and live in a small house....

According to my kids friends... We are the richest people IN THE WORLD because we have horses...

According to my husband... We are on the verge of bankruptcy...

According to me.... We are so poor the ants won't even pilfer our crumbs...


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Hey FP, I can give you all my ants. For free!  We usually have lots of them in summer, but this summer it's just horrid!


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

*Rich is not an income*

it is an attitude.

I have friends that are dirt poor. They live check to check and eat mostly what they can grow and catch. They are not advanced degree educated, work in menial service positions, but, they are the happiest people I know.

I have friends that have a family income of $350+k. They have a 5000 sq ft home on over 100 acres. Maid service, new cars every 2 years, and travel the world.

They are the most miserable people I know.

Plus, a family with an income of $150k can be just as poor as a family of $60k if the higher income is strapped with mortgage, car payments, credit debt, and school loans.

I used to judge wealth by gross income. Now I judge it by net income. Someone with a $250k income but is over his/her head in debt in not rich. Stoopid, maybe. But not rich.

I would rather be poor with a good attitude than wealthy with a poor attitude!


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Define rich? cash rich? asset rich? emotionaly rich?

i would concider myself as coming from a wealthy background but we are not "rich"
My mum owns 2 businesses worth in excess of £6mil if sold tommorow and an annual turnover of close on £2mil, my dad used to work in electronice R&D untill he retired early
My parents put 3 kids through boarding school (in UK) and by the time i was 15 i had 4 top class ponies. We were also put through university.
We have a house in the country with land and stables worth £500,000 and my mum is looking at buying me a house up here.

However compaired to my friends we were one of the least well off.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I agree with others, it's very much relative. Am I rich? Nope, not in my eyes. My hubby & I make a decent living, higher than most people our age (at least in my area). I can say though that my only debt is my car, that includes the farm, truck, trailer - and no credit cards  That makes life a little more comfortable. 

As far as what is rich? The only answer I can give is, I don't know and I'm probably not going to find out - I have way too many horses for that to ever happen :lol:


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> As far as what is rich? The only answer I can give is, I don't know and I'm probably not going to find out - I have way too many horses for that to ever happen :lol:


Ah...but Mandy...when I look at your avatar of Morgan and Honor, I'd say you were rich. 

For me, it is all relative to what rich means to you. Emotionally, spiritually, monetarily, whatever-ily.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Jake and Dai said:


> Ah...but Mandy...when I look at your avatar of Morgan and Honor, I'd say you were rich.
> 
> For me, it is all relative to what rich means to you. Emotionally, spiritually, monetarily, whatever-ily.


So very, very true Lori. I AM rich in that respect. I have an amazing hubby and a smart, polite beautiful little girl, good friends, family, and a job that I absolutely love. Life is pretty darn good


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Money wise? No, my family is not rich at all. In fact, compared to all of my friends who's parents earn anywhere from 100-200k a year, I'm rediculously poor. My father makes about 60k a year, and that is what we live on. We have five people in my family.

We can afford food, our house, and a car without a problem, but we do not have extra money. I get a few pairs of new clothes (mostly polos for school) every year, and a pair of shoes. Anything else that I want during the year, be it boots, riding clothes, or something else, has to be bought by my own means. We can't go on fancy vacations (if we even go on vacation at all), we don't have nice cars, our house is a little three bedroom 1,000 sq foot home, and I can't go to the movies and stuff with my friends. My parents will not be able to pay for even a cent of my college or board when I leave home in two years. We lived beyond our means up until about three years ago when our debt overwhelmed us, and we are still suffering from that. To a lot of people that is 'poor' I guess. 

However, I don't see myself as poor. Yes, I have had to learn to be a 'penny pincher,' but I don't really see that as a bad thing. I have a much more realistic view of my world than all of my friends do, and I am already taking free classes and watching others closely to develope a plan to get myself through college as cheaply as possible and to get out of debt and stay debt free as soon as possible once I've graduated. Sometimes I do feel a little bummed out when I can't go places with my friends to buy new clothes for school or catch the latest movie, but I've learned that thrift stores are my friends and that you can get just about anything that you want if you're willing to put in a little work.

A few examples. This year, I wanted to go to a $250 trip for a week with my church, but I couldn't afford it. After talking with my youth pastor about the situation for about 15 minutes, I had arranged for an almost free ride ($50) in return for painting a large mural in our church because I am gifted in art. 

I cannot afford a horse, so I found a farm that would take me in and, in return for working there 20-30 hours a week, I am allowed to ride whenever I want to and I half lease a little'oroblem' mare. They taught me to care for, ride, and train horses...all for no material cost. And the list goes on. I am never without something that I need and very often I can find a way to get things that I really want. It just takes a little sacrifice.

So am I a bit poor as far as money goes? Sure. But I believe that I am getting priceless knowledge because of it, and I would not trade my happy, full life for any $300k lifestyle of tennis, fancy clothes/house/horses, and everything in the palm of my hand.


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## PurpleMonkeyWrench (Jun 12, 2012)

I'm certainly not rich lol I was kicked out of my house at 17 and on my own since then. I'm now 24 and I'm the only one in my household who works and we barely get by. I make enough and live within my means to not have to rely on the government for support and I'm thankful for that. Rich isn't a number, Rich has to do with what you do with the money you do have.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Here is my take on the term "rich". I had to learn this the hard way, much like all my life lessons..lol!

Since we came to TX in the last year or so with only a three horse trailer loaded with all of our belongings, which only consisted of tack, horses, clothing, bed rolls, dogs and a literally $400 to our name when we got here. My husband managed to turn that couple hundred dollars into our small business that grossed six figures in the first year. Sounds rich right? Sure, monetarily speaking it does. And I am thankful for our good fortune. But in the end it is merely a path to our idea of richness. 
Texas will never be our home. We miss big empty sagebrush country, wild cows and good horses. Spending everyday working together(good and bad) I even miss those crazy nights in our powerless cabin playing cards in lantern light. Taking care of yearlings that had the largest gain than anyone else. Calves that brought a pretty price on the video sale. Going to town on those few and far between days off to blow off steam and catching up with everyone else that happened to get a day off. Big brandings are social gatherings and to help the neighbors get work done. Starting colts from wild youngsters then turning them into good ranch horses. Having good roping days that make you feel like your on the top of the world. And that's the short list!
Our monetary fortune now is to help achieve that emotional, overall life richness we desire. We know back home we will never make the money we do now, but it is/was never about the money. The money is only the means to provide the tools or objects that assist in the overall happiness. My huband graciously has "retired" me but it is temporary. I know as soon as I move back I know that the dogs, horses and us will be a hell of a lot happier, and in turn richer


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Ok. Fine. JR Ewing. That's rich.

Farmpony84 - that's in debt up to my eyeballs, overworked, underpaid, behind on all my farm chores, messy house and not enough time in the day... but happy.....


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

When you already own everything you want you are rich.

I am not rich.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Very few persons who posted here would call themselves rich, and interestingly enough, those who admitted to the least incomes were the most likely to say they felt rich. 
One can say that it's not gross income, it's net, but if you make 250K a year and go out and spend it and keep yourself in debt to your eyeballs, you are creating your own "poverty", yanking defeat out of the jaws of victory, so to speak. 
Such an income means YOU ARE RICH, and if you don't experience it that way, then shame on you.

WE make about 120K a year for 4, one of them a college student. I have NO debt. no car loan, no mortgage. I live on garage sale furniture and drive 175k miles old car. The cost of living here is very high, one of the highest in the nation.
But, in world terms , I am insanely rich. I am rich compared to my neighbors, I suspect. Yet , up the hill behind us, my income would be slum level, as is my house in comparison to the mansions up there.
I have always been able to afford dental care, thank God.

But in the US? we cannot even conceive of how rich some people are . Their wealth is equal to the GDP of some countries! Compared to that, I am poor.

I am not sure why I asked this, just that I am always shocked when folks with big houses, new cars, vacations overseas, beach houses and private college and such will not say that they are rich. They are and should not try to deny that. If you are someone who struggles to pay the utilities and have something left over to save for some goal, then you don't appreciate rich folks trying to fob themselves off as "just poor lil me".


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Well, I guess "rich" is a relative term. I know well off single people (as in - no kids, never married) that can have everything b/c they do not have to compromise or sacrifice w or for anyone. But, I would never trade places w them b/c some things are so valuable as to be "invaluable"....there really is something to be said for "rich in love". Sounds hokey...but it is true.


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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

Rich? You realize you're on a HORSE forum right? No one who owns horses is rich  lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Missy May said:


> When you already own everything you want you are rich.


MM, then I only need BC saddle to be rich. :rofl: That's the only thing I want really for quite some time. Although my ceiling is pretty low (I don't care for cars, electronics, and so on, I'm happy with my cheap horses, etc.).


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

tinyliny said:


> and drive 175k miles old car.


tiny, one of our cars had 220k on it (before the accident last month, when some idiot run on red light and totalled it :-( ), other car has 200+k. Personally I don't see a point of getting a new one unless it's total a must (we had to buy one after the accident, so I'm paying credit now).


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

It is difficult to define "rich", and as several people have said, it is relative.

I retired 2 years ago at 63, Mrs. Face just retired on Friday at 59, we have a 4100 square foot home on 6 1/2 acres just outside Branson, have a new Outback, and have a comfortable although not large income. By most standards we would be considered well off - I don't like the term rich.

But on the flip side we shop at Walmart, wear old tennis shoes and jeans, are not into jewelry, seldom eat out, and just don't spend very much money. Most of the things we like to do are free or low cost. We go to Silver Dollar City (a theme park in Branson) about 25 times a year, but it only costs us about $150 for season passes. We go swimming in the Lake a lot, go for walks at Branson Landing, go trout and crappie fishing, do a lot of hiking and walking in the hills and woods - all basically free. Every once in a while we go to a show in Branson, but not very often - we are more in to outdoor recreation than indoor. Southwest Missouri is a fantastic place for a variety of outdoor recreation. We do spend a lot of money in casinos, which is our weakness, although we don't do that much any longer now that our income is reduced.

I consider myself rich, but money is only indirectly related. I am living where I want to live, am doing what I want to do, and have a wife of 32 years that I love and that likes exactly the same activities I like - what more could a person ask for?

I have made a lot of money in my life, and when I was younger I had boats and motorhomes and lake houses and sports cars and such, but I learned a long time ago that wealth and success are not measured by the size of your bank account, but rather by how happy you are and by how much you take advantage of the short time you have to live. As I have gotten older I have come to the realization that there is much truth in the saying "the best things in life are free"...


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I am like you Kitten, I do not like cars - I particularly do not like paved roads - and they are everywhere! 
When I was a kid, I chance happened to meet a family whilst riding one summer. I found them so fascinating and their life so incredibly wonderful I decided I wanted what they had - so I guess, to me, they were rich beyond belief. I have never achieved it, not for lack of trying and not b/c I did not achieve the monetary wealth to do so, but b/c the forces of society are to great to overcome. This family lived on a 100 or so acre farm. They were not formally educated, did not speak correct english, and their kids didn't wear braces - but to me, they "had it _all_". Their house was built by their grandparents - kind of cabin-esque. No phone, and no indoor running water - no kidding. Everything was _so_ simple and so immaculate. They were such a close knit, "fun loving" and giving family. They knew how to do _everything_ well_:_ sew, cook from scratch, fix engines, build stuff. And, they were resourceful beyond belief. I rode w their children and _really_ wished I were one of them. They did not have the "things" I did, none of which made me as happy as I felt I would be if I were they. I realized they would have been made fun of by my ordinary friends....but when I was w them my ordinary friends seemed so incredibly clueless. They rode w old scratchy rope for reins. At very first I thought they should "fix" that...but then, what for? It is amazing how much "snobbery" one has that comes entirely from their environment - not from "functionality".

The technostructure has us all by the *ss. I do not see how that life could be improved on. It is not they that needed an education. Whist I would have given _anything_ to live that life, you grow up and realize not everyone would, and it would not prepare your own children for the technostructure ....so, no matter how much or how little money it would have taken for me to be as "super rich" as they were...it just wasn't/isn't possible. Its a mad, mad world.


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## muumi (Oct 17, 2011)

Isn't there an old saying that goes thusly:

"I used to have money, but now I have a horse."

Personally I am hopelessly middle-class. And am not good enough with my money to ever become wealthy I think: money burns my pocket. But I will admit, I wouldn't mind being rich... at all! :lol:


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

There sure are a lot of folks here who see their riches and appreciate them! Maybe being around horses makes us more likely to do so.


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## vergo97 (Dec 23, 2010)

I'm not sure exactly what my mum's income is but it's not above £20,000. I don't see us as being poor, as we can afford our cats and rabbit and my riding lessons, but we definitely aren't rich. We don't have expensive holidays, lots of clothes or the latest technology. No way could we afford a horse, even if we gave up a lot of stuff. 

I see my friends with horses as being wealthy because it is more than my family could afford, but I suppose my life is also "rich" because we can afford to have our cats and rabbit, and I know that some people would not be able to afford that. 

I suppose richness can depend on who you mix with as well, if all my friends were really poor then I would be seen as quite rich, but as most of my friends have more money than me I see myself as being poorer. It can make me quite jealous when they talk about there horses so casually, like everyone can afford it, when my mum can just afford to pay for my riding lessons (I know that it takes quite a bit of money away from the family).


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

vergo97 said:


> I'm not sure exactly what my mum's income is but it's not above £20,000. I don't see us as being poor, as we can afford our cats and rabbit and my riding lessons, but we definitely aren't rich. We don't have expensive holidays, lots of clothes or the latest technology. No way could we afford a horse, even if we gave up a lot of stuff.
> 
> I see my friends with horses as being wealthy because it is more than my family could afford, but I suppose my life is also "rich" because we can afford to have our cats and rabbit, and I know that some people would not be able to afford that.
> 
> I suppose richness can depend on who you mix with as well, if all my friends were really poor then I would be seen as quite rich, but as most of my friends have more money than me I see myself as being poorer. It can make me quite jealous when they talk about there horses so casually, like everyone can afford it, when my mum can just afford to pay for my riding lessons (I know that it takes quite a bit of money away from the family).


Let me just say that for someone that is just fixing to turn 15 in a couple of weeks I really like your attitude and outlook on your life. I'm afraid to say that over here many, if not most (but certainly not all), girls your age moan and complain about not having this or that, and have come to expect anything and everything they desire. We are waaay too materialistic and entitlement minded over here. Happy upcoming birthday...


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

I don't call rich paying your bills and having some left... I call it having excess that you don't need to live. To be I have one brother that is rich... he is worth several million. I get buy, as does the rest of my family.


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## vergo97 (Dec 23, 2010)

Faceman said:


> Let me just say that for someone that is just fixing to turn 15 in a couple of weeks I really like your attitude and outlook on your life. I'm afraid to say that over here many, if not most (but certainly not all), girls your age moan and complain about not having this or that, and have come to expect anything and everything they desire. We are waaay too materialistic and entitlement minded over here. Happy upcoming birthday...


Thank you 

I think quite a lot of my friends are materialistic, they think it is strange that I spend my birthday money on my pets and not for buying myself one of the latest gadgets or designer clothes.

It probably sounds a bit soppy, but animals are my big aim in life. If I had a small house and basic things, but had pets then I would be very happy  I suppose it's good that I haven't grown up with a lot of money, because if I do get a well payed job I will feel quite rich.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I used to think "if I had $5,000, I could pay off all our bills and we would be happy" Or "if I was rich I wouldn't have to worry". That is the wrong way to think. That amount only increases with the money you make. I have been on both sides of the fence and in between, the money doesn't make a difference. Most folks seem to spend what they earn, no matter how much it is. They just have to worry about a different amount


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Why is everyone trying to define rich?

What is the purpose of this discussion?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I am comfortable, not rich. I would be even more comfortable if I was rich!


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## BCtazzie (Jun 7, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> If you add up what we own in the way of land, machinery, and especially the crop in the ground, then we could be classed as rich, but BUT BUT, we have to get that crop to ripeness and safely in the bin before I can count that.
> .


We used to have a saying for this in Australia.

Dirt rich but, money poor.


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## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

I'm not completely sure but I think my parents (together) make about $80,000 in a year, give or take depending on how much overtime they get and such. I'd classify us as middle class. None of us wear designer clothing, we've never gone on vacation, nothing like that. However, we can buy some "extras" like my riding lessons. Sometimes I wish they made more, but you really can't buy happiness. I know the worth of a dollar and that my parents work hard to make us comfortable. When I go to ride Skippy or hang out with my family at a family party, I feel rich.


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## uflrh9y (Jun 29, 2012)

It also depends on how much you owe. If you make $170,000 a year but more then half is spent on bills (mortgage/rent, utilities, cars, student loans, etc.) then most of it is gone by the end of the month and you still can be living paycheck to paycheck.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Many years ago I took the decission to work with horses. I knew I would never be monetarily wealthy but I would be doing a job I loved.
I watched friends climb the ladder of success - they were earning five or six times the amount I was getting. They had weekends off, exotic holidays, good houses. 

I too climbed the ladder and although I earned enough I was always way behind them. The big difference was that I was happy with my work even if it was often 24/7. They on the other hand wanted a new car every other year, bigger homes, new furniture and carpets. All of which I was told 'This cost ...' Many never had children because they would ruin the ideal life they thought they had. 
When out with them I realised just how false their lives were. We had known each other for many years but when I met them in town, if I was in work clothes, it was all they could do to acknowledge me. 

The funny thing was that many people I knew through the horses and fox hunting, were the people that these so called friends wanted to be in with because they were monetarily wealthy. They wanted to be with the 'in crowd' which they could never be. 

Oddly and not bragging, I have met and been to far higher 'do's' than ever they have. I have met some very high powered and interesting people which they never have.
I have dirt under my fingernails, wear worn and torn clothing. Do not have designer clothes, certainly do not have a new car, new carpets or furniture. I am past retirement age but still enjoying my work. 
I have my animals, my health and enough to get by on. 

Am I rich? - you betcha!


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