I really don't want my life to be all about the money in whatever way. but of course it is. when I work 160 hrs over 4 weeks for a corporation for 4 years on a 22 hr a week contract, but making up the hours on random shifts, just to get by. I'd like to think that company saw me as a hard worker willing to do whatever it takes. So I'm on a 33 hr contract now, still working full time (+40 p/w ) and more hrs.
Why don't they just contract me a full time job??
you on night shift ?
no
These guys have got the right idea.
you know the answer to that one , is there a union in your w/place, if its gmb your goose d --- nothing worse than grafting and being undervalued-- i doubt that they give two hoots about you as an individual, not personal its just how big corps work
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From the OP on everything is about the price - value seems to have gone out of the window.
Cheaper is better even if it's not as good or the support is missing.
If STW is to be believed everything costs too much, everyone else earns too much 🙂
Yeah, but my moanday morning dilema is whether to spec Engineered wooden plank flooring or to go for parquet flooring.
Oak, or course.
Damn !.
😉
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The thing is, half of that isn't true.
Once you've experienced losing the lot, material possession wise, it tends to sort out your perspective on things, going forward.
Got a roof over your head? 3 meals a day? Friends and family around you? Yes? Stop whining then.
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off to photoshop some armchair philosophy onto a funky background
I agree. Today people seem to know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Its the rat race, and it is designed by the high-ups to keep us suppressed and preoccupied with [i]having more[/i].
I know what that feels like. Just yesterday (yes thats right, Sunday...) I stood in a store holding yet another item I had thought I [i]needed[/i].
I stood there, looked at the box in my hand, looked back at the shelf, at the next model up in the range, for only £5 more...........
I then put the box back on the shelf and walked out. I decided that I didn't need another thing to clutter up my life / apartment yet [i]another[/i] possession. I decided instead that I'd make do with what I already have.
And in future, I'm going to start reducing what I own. You know, the stuff that owns me....
;0)
off to photoshop some armchair philosophy onto a funky background
Wow I wish I could be as cool and cynical as you.
Never said I agreed with all of it, but I like the old codger and think he makes some interesting points, so there.
It's how everyone's thinking right now. Just about to go to bed.. before starting another week of the daily grind. ;O)
Depends if you hate your job/boss/colleuges/customers or not?
If none of the above applies then the outlook is a bit more rosey 8)
If none of the above applies then the outlook is a bit more rosey
Have you seen the weather?! 🙁
Just wear the right clothing (or being self employed wait for a ride break midweek and go for a ride in better weather) 🙂
I am seeing all of this from the other side too - I have such a materialistic sister in law. She drives me up the wall - even went as far as asking us how much the play kitchen we bought for our girls' birthday cost (commenting something like 'Ohh that looks very expensive - how much did it cost you?'. Like it is any of her business.
And recently she has announced she 'needs' an Audi Q7 (even though they only have 3 children) because 'I might have to ferry their friends around too'.
Everything she does and says comes across as a competition and I really can't be arsed with it or her. We buy our girls new shoes, she gets some for her kids, my wife buys a new coat, she does, we get a new car (company car) so they get one (more expensive of course).
I want to kill her to death, horrible excuse for a life that she is.
Get yourself to Cuba. I went there a couple of years ago and it was so refreshing to be somewhere where you're not bombarded with inane adverts
[url= http://www.visitcuba.com ]This ^^^^[/url]
and I do wonder if those rebellious young rock and roll stars would be so supportive if we were to sneak into their concerts without paying.
and before you ask... yes, i am
work less, buy less stuff, don't concern yourself with what other people own.
don't concern yourself with what other people own
Beautiful in its simplicity. Can I tattoo this on my sister-in-law's face?
don't concern yourself with what other people [s]own[/s]do
nothing worse than grafting and being undervalued-- i doubt that they give two hoots about you as an individual, not personal its just how big corps work
and...
I stood there, looked at the box in my hand, looked back at the shelf, at the next model up in the range, for only £5 more...........I then put the box back on the shelf and walked out. I decided that I didn't need another thing to clutter up my life / apartment yet another possession. I decided instead that I'd make do with what I already have.
...this. After thinking aboutr a thread I'd posted last week (about an employee assuming credit for my work, which turned into a career progression thread), my recent desire to upgrade my iphone 3GS, and the fact I was a bad dad yesterday (didn't go to a B'day party with Jnr 'cause the F1 weas on) I've realised that I have ajob which pays the bills, I can use my company Blackberry to telephone people / recieve calls, and my priorities are with Jnr.
So I shall turn up, do my job and pay the mortgage / bills for the family and be happy with my lot and my 1 soon to be 2 great kids. Holidays, iphone 5's and other shiny things other people have may come our way and if they do great. If they don't, who care's, I'll always have my wife and kids and a home to appreciate them in.
Lucky you bought that new road bike before your epiphany kryton? 😉
I even go into TK Maxx now, pick up a pair of cheap shoes, then decide they aren't worth £20 really and that I don't really need them.
johndoh - you can't control your sister in law so just leave her to it.
Another thing when I'm rambling on - when buying stuff, think about how long you had to work in order to obtain said item. There are a few range rovers etc sat in the office car park representing a few years of the owners life.
JD.
An acquaintance of mine had a wife who played the possessions / one-up-man-ship game. All it really meant is that he got into massive debt.... and then she left him.
😯
johndoh - MemberI even go into TK Maxx now, pick up a pair of cheap shoes, then decide they aren't worth £20 really and that I don't really need them.
TK Maxx is interesting. Clothes that someone deemed worth £100 one year, that now look not worth £20 because you realise they're badly made and the brand name emblazoned across them is meaningless.
(mostly)
cynic-al - Member
Lucky you bought that new road bike before your epiphany kryton?
Damn. But yes. 😳 8)
It's not about the money. Well that's what that Jessie whatsherface wrote after she'd made her fortune.....
The world seems to be full of wannabes & gottahaves driven by the media. A mate spent from 5am until 3.20pm last Friday queuing for a couple of poxy iPhone 5's just so his wife could have one before any one else she knew. Pointless.
That said, I'm starting to see signs that some folk are actually re-evaluating what's important to them, in light of the recession, which should be a good thing.
work less, buy less stuff, don't concern yourself with what other people own.
The prevailing idea on here seems to be that the ONLY reason anyone buys anything is because someone else has one.
You all have reasonably nice bikes, I bet?
That said, I'm starting to see signs that some folk are actually re-evaluating what's important to them, in light of the recession, which should be a good thing.
Cynic-al, Nobby just wrote my get out of jail free card here. You see, its good for me to have a road bike, as its important that I am fit & healthy and able to work hard to keep the family going and have a roof over thier heads. However, an Iphone 5 will be no more useful in keeping me in contact with my family than my work Blackberry - see my logic?
Hold on though, talking to the kids using Facetime might be nice... 😀 😉
Hold on though, talking to the kids using Facetime might be nice...
Then get a 4 - you don't [i]need[/i] a 4S or 5 to do that.
It was tongue in cheek Nobby...... I have work laptop to home laptop and skype if I need it.....
So was I 😛
The world seems to be full of wannabes & gottahaves driven by the media. A mate spent from 5am until 3.20pm last Friday queuing for a couple of poxy iPhone 5's just so his wife could have one before any one else she knew. Pointless.
Well that's just stupid. I got one delivered to my door by 2pm.
don't concern yourself with what other people [s]owndo[/s] concern themselves with
don't follow advice posted in an internet forum
Well that's just stupid. I got one delivered to my door by 2pm.
That's the problem, he wanted two 😉
you can't control your sister in law so just leave her to it.
I try to, but our worlds collide and every time I find myself in the middle of the latest game. I try to ignore it but she upsets my wife (and to an extent my mother in law who I really like) so she bothers me.
It seems to me that everyone wants something without having to put the effort into getting it. I want a massive car but don't have the money to buy it, therefore I'll just get it on finance. I want such and such a bike but don't have the spare cash, I'll stick it on 0%. The problem being is that when it gets nicked, or you smash it to bits you're still making repayments on it, a bike that you no longer can ride. Which for me robs the fun out of riding/driving said posh bike/car....
It's not just from a 'must have the latest possession' point of view either. How many people have thought they could 'buy' speed or fitness, be it signing up to an expensive gym, getting a coach or buying lightweight bike parts. Sit online doing a job you hate surfing the internet planning your piece of escapism, however when it comes to actually having to hurt yourself you're less inclined.
Chuck Palahniuk is pretty spot on with what he writes..
“Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes. working jobs we hate, so we can buy shit we dont need.
AlexSimon - Member
TK Maxx is interesting. Clothes that someone deemed worth £100 one year, that now look not worth £20 because you realise they're badly made and the brand name emblazoned across them is meaningless.
(mostly)
From what I've seen, much of the clothing is pretending that it was "worth £100 one year", and so attempting to increase its desirability.... a bit like the special offers on wine in Tesco.
I'd like to think that I'm not materialistic (I don't covet expensive possessions and have mostly modest and many second-hand/repaired 'things'. We too have a CRT TV. Only 28"! I've even been known to go on mtb-based retreats with the Dalai Binners), but I probably am materialistic to some degree as I do have more things/toys than I need. I do prefer using things to collecting them in order to tell people about them.
As for not wishing to see TV adverts: I rarely watch TV 'live' (iPlayer, Virgin TV on Demand etc.), although few of the very few programmes I do watch are on commercial TV anyway. As a consequence TV ads have little effect on me.
As mentioned umpteen times before, hardly anything is priced on the basis of its materials and labour. It's priced on demand and a load of other factors.
I have no idea why everyone keeps being suprised at this. Why do you think package holidays are say £599 six months before and £199 a week before?
In the case of clothes, someone probably decided they'd sell so many units during a particular season when something's 'in', so they have that many made up in advance. They might pull them from the shelves when they stop selling so well, and they can replace them with something that sells better. So they put them on sale. The same thing happens on the sale rail, then what do they do with the stuff that they have to pull from the sale rail? They sell it to TK Maxx (this is actually what happens btw). It's clearly not 'worth' as much after two efforts at selling it and being bought by a clearance shop, is it?
Much of the consumerism which leads to unhappiness is promoted by the media. TK Maxx or not, It's all marketing hype which tricks lemmings into wanting things they didn't even know about. I was once one of these people but I went on a retreat a few years back and studied with a sensei who taught me how to avoid all this. Since then I have been impervious to marketing and advertising and am able to make informed choices about my needs.
Much of the consumerism which leads to unhappiness is promoted by the media.
I doubt that, personally. Most advertising is trying to get you to buy that particular brand when you come to buy whatever it is, instead of a competitor.
Last big thing I bought was lenses for my Olympus DSLR. When was the last time you saw an advert for one of those?