OO

20 years ago we bought a Mercedes 300SD. The car was 6 months old at the time, and cost $32,000 as I recall. I'm still driving that car today. She's a family member, loved dearly, and I'd never think about giving her up. She runs on love...only major repair was converting her air conditioning. With 135,000 miles on her odometer, we are told she is still just a young thing! Now...that vacation at 4 Seasons or Ritz is over with in the blink of an eye. Fond memories yes, but that's it..just a memory.

bad

Fodorite, Can I assume that you consider yourself superior to us narrow minded simpletons because perhaps you drive a Chevy Nova (my first car in college!) and stay in cheap hotels?

There is no nobility in poverty. (That's my quote, sorry if you don't like it).

nina

Olive, 135,000 miles in 20 years? How do you do it? I have a hard time staying under the 15K a year my lease allows!

The mercedes must be the extra car, am I right?

JHS

Do you enjoy what you drive? Is it safe and reliable and can YOU afford it (w/in your overall financial picture). Those are the only questions that matter.

Are you satisfied with your vacations? Do you feel like you're getting good value for the money regardless its La quinta or FS? Thats what matters.

Mind your own business and enjoy what you have.

x

In response to the post, I never take that kind of critism to heart we are open to anyone here that can respond to a keyboad. There are people here who enjoy turning the forum into "The Jerry Springer Show".

It is pretty obvious just don't get sucked in. Unless of course you are someone that like making your own arguments.

??

X - I am confused - what post are you replying to?

goodx

X, YOU'RE confused? x has calmed down from this mornings escapades but the resulting side effects from his medication has rendered him incompetant.

Jill

I'm inclined to agree with "XXX", people with class don't brag about money or where they stayed, and certainly they would not do it on a forum like this. I was brought up to believe you kept your mouth shut about your income, I guess I'm old fashioned. I am assuming that many of these posts are just people getting others riled up for the joy of it, or else they are really people with little or no class who enjoy bragging about their FS vacation or Mercedes. Either way they have a problem. A lot of money has been made by many people in the dot.com world, and a lot has been lost, a lot of jobs lost too. Perhaps many of these people (if they are real) are making the big bucks today but tomorrow they may be at the unemployment line.

Greed ain't nuthin' but greed

Nobility in poverty? At least it means you didn't make money on the backs of others. There's no fun in poverty, of course.

As for those of you protesting that there's nothing wrong with being rich? Keep your head in that gold-dust sand and pretend your money came from the clouds and the sweat of your brow, not from subsidies provided by taxpayers who make up the difference for what the corporations deduct by paying you ridiculous salaries, perqs, upgrades, etc. or paying imaginary dividends on imaginary profit margins.

The Big Deal is that you could feed and provide health care insurance for a lot of Enron's unemployed on the cost of that Mercedes and those vacations.

Capitalism without a conscience is just greed and there is no nobility whatsoever in that.

Now we will hear from those plutocratic fatheads who think a post like this indicates jealousy. They can't imagine that I wouldn't drive a Mercedes or have a conspicuous-consumption mansion if I had $100 million. And they can't imagine that criticism might come from a genuine sense of what's moral, right, and good citizenship in the human community.

Lead

You are what you are and can not be what you're not - if you have money good for you, if you safe money better for you - if you are lying to cause a riot on this board - shame on you.

xxx

I don't recall anyone on this board stating how much money they had. I think one persons luxury car may be anothers family car.

bad

Greed, You sound very angry. I'm not nearly rich, just comfortable, and what we do have comes from hard work, not from the sweat off anyone else's back. Do you have a problem with people working very hard, investing wisely and sacrificing to achieve financial success? Then you may prefer life in another country.

You really need to relax and not take things so personally.

whatare

Just curious Greed, Do you think people who have a lot of money should cash in their luxury cars and homes to support the unemployed Enron folks? It certainly sounds like that's what you're suggesting.

That smacks of communism you know.

Feelbad

I am sure we all feel for the people at Enron, WorldCom, etc., etc., etc., but I am also sure that many of us have been to a point in our lifes where we have had to pull ourselves up by the boot straps, face our situation and move on. We learn from things and make the rest of our lives better because of the situations we have lived thru.

I too work very hard for what I have, and if I found myself in a position like that of the Enron employees, I would not expect others to get me thru I would make myself to do whatever it took to get thru it and be a better person.

Others may not be as fortunate as some of us, but as beauty is in the eye of the beholder so is fortune.

UnbelivableBlather

Greed, if you're so bent out of shape about the unemployed at Enron, I think you would be better suited working harder so you can donate your money to the cause rather than just ranting about what others are or aren't doing. It strikes me as funny how those who think they are morally superior and better citizens are the ones who are least motivated to take action when it really counts. They'd rather just sit on their high horse and tell others what to do rather than trying to effect change through charitable donations of their own.

whythefuss

I don't think Mercedes is quite the luxury status symbol it once was. I am rather shocked that we can actually afford one (my parents never could). We drive the SUV, not for the logo, but because of the comfort. My husband is a big guy and has always had SUV's - Pathfinder, Montero, Landrover. His biggest complaint was that they rode like trucks. The Mercedes SUV rides like a car. He also spends a lot of time on the road visiting job sites. The navigational system in the Mercedes is superior to all that we tested. Sold. As for vacations. We take one big one a year to Europe and usually stay in expensive hotels. Why? Because I don't need to travel 9 hours overseas to live worse or the same than I live at home. I work hard and want to be catered to and spoiled for 2 short weeks out of the year. We balance the tab by using miles for the flights. Does this make me irresponsible, a braggart, foolish, or just plain stupid? Who knows. But right now, I am very happy with my life and hope all of you are too. Remember 9/11? Life is short. Help others, give to charity, but also take care of yourself.

Monica

I have to defend my car here! For those of you who are saying that a Mercedes is like a Chevy Impala, have you ever driven a Mercedes? I love my car (the new cheaper C series) and believe me it's worth every penny. The newer line of Mercedes doesn't cost that much more than an Audi or Volvo (maybe $5K more) and the extra features make it worth it--I'm talking driving features not "bells and whistles". I plan on having my car until it's 20 years old like the other poster, so I think it's worth it. My first car was a Hyundai that crapped out at 5.5 years old, was that a good investment? I think not!

k

Well, Whythefuss, you've just exposed yourself (according to many posters here) as a nouveau riche, arrogant, egocentric, social climbing braggart by telling us you drive a Mercedes.
Aren't you ashamed?

suzanne

A vacation is a GIFT to yourself or your family. Some people choose to spend more than others. Some spend way above their means; some choose to "rough it". It's an individual choice.

It's a GIFT, it's PERSONAL...so who CARES what others spend?

ha

Greed, Every time you buy a loaf of bread in a grocery store you should probably take that money and buy rice instead so that you can take the extra money and funnel it to the poor of the world. After all, the amount that you spend on bread is probably a weeks salary in Bangladesh.

Socialism and communism are proven failures. Do you even understand these concepts, or do you only take adverserial type "i'm smarter than them and I'm against everything" positions? Work for yourself, take responsibility, and spend within your means.

I sometimes stay at the Four Seasons. I sometimes stay in roadside Inns. I drive a crap car, but I eat at expensive restaurants. Whatever floats my boat.

Oh, and I guarantee that regardless of how much I'm spending on my vacation to hawaii, I'll still save more of a % of my income than you will. (I probably give more % to charity as well)