Went to A's house last night and had a nice chat about all sorts of things. We had the intention of discussing a certain topic, but it didn't happen. On a slightly tangential note, there was a BMA student online debate about students basically, and how people think that students ate going into medicine just for status and money, rather than caring about patients. Whilst this may be true for some people, that doesn't mean you can generalise. I feel like people have negative views of medicine, and maybe they don't appreciate all the good things, instead focussing on the bad things. Being a doctor still commands respect in society, and some people, I guess, want that feeling of being respected and looked up to. People I know and see are people I can imagine doing it for money/status but for a lot of others, that doesn't ring true. I can't imagine wanting to do it for the money. As long as I had job security, I would be fine doing it for very little money.
I feel like people have different views about money, depending on how they viewed it when they were growing up. The whole "Carol hoarding" thing probably stems from this too. I grew up in a household where money did not flow very easily and the importance of saving and investing and not spending a lot of money was impressed upon me very strongly. I mean, I live a relatively comfortable lifestyle at the moment, as in I have a rented flat, I can afford to buy supermarket food (mostly supermarket brand stuff) and I can afford to travel, and buy things that I need. I mean 'comfortable' in the sense that I am not (student debts excepted) in debt, and if I budget, I can afford things I want, as opposed to need. P makes light-hearted fun of me a lot because of my thrifty ways. It's a bit ridiculous sometimes, but that's the way I have always been. For example (I can't imagine what ever possessed me to do this) but I used to go to P's house by bus, and I would get the bus for like 15 minutes and then walk for 15 minutes and it would cost me 90p. A faster route would be to take the tube (5 minutes) then walk for 5 minutes. And it would cost £1. Yet somehow, I got it into my head that I was making a huge saving by spending an extra 20 minutes travel just to save 10p. :/
I actually get a bit ridiculous about soap. I only ever buy it when it's on offer, like 3 for 2, or it's £1 for a limited time or whatever, and I won't ever buy it full price. I stand there in the aisle for ages trying to work out which brand of 250g liquid soap is cheapest, and I work out which offer works out the cheapest. (ask P. He's found me in the soap aisle with a determined thoughtful look on my face and a basketful of things I worked out to be the cheapest many times) Yes, I know I could buy solid soap, but I don't. I mean, those offers are there for a reason. Why would I pay £1.49 for soap when I could get it for £1 if I used my brain to work out which was cheaper? (Told you it was a bit ridiculous)
Anyway, I suppose the point I am trying to make is that the way I view money is probably because of my upbringing. I am not saying that my parents did/do the same as I do (I only started the whole soap calculating thing a few years ago) but they instilled a lot of good ideas about money in me.
Does anyone else think the same? The way money flowed in your household affecting your views about money now?
One of my friends believes in spending when he feels like it, because he is used to having no money. I am also used to having no money (or not letting myself spend any money) so that's why I save. People find it weird that I don't always have my purse on me. And my answer is that I never let myself get in a situation where I am out somewhere where I need money and there is no way for me to access it.
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| from google |
that you were the last good thing
about this part of town
~ Fall Out Boy
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