I mentioned that a while back that I met up with a friend of mine for dinner who comes from money. Like, major money.
She’s 25, never worked a day in her life, has always kind of been in school and is finishing her Masters right now.
Her parents live in Europe, and they send her money to run the household, buy cars, fix the house, etc.
She lives alone in the house with her aunt who was moved over to Canada for better healthcare.
She once mentioned that it costs around $10,000 to run the household each month with her aunt being sick, as she had to hire a full-time nurse to take care of her aunt, and live-in nurses don’t come cheap.
On top of that, her parents sent her money to buy 3 cars: Mercedes, Audi and Acura to fully pay them off.
She needs 3 cars because a lot of family members visit often, so they each need a car. She also gets extra money to spend on renovations for the house, clothing or whatever else she wants.
<— If I were a Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani. That get up is how I roll every day. Every single day.
I did a rough guesstimate and her parents send her at least $120,000 a year net in cash to run the household, and another $120,000 just to pay for the cars and other things.
All in all, she gets sent $240,000 in her bank account every single year, or $20,000 a month, net.
With the money, she’s been fairly smart with it.
She’s saved a lot of it, she doesn’t pay more than she has to, and she entertains family members who visit (and they visit a lot).
So now, age the age of 25, she has $100,000 saved in cash and $250,000+ in the stock market. And this is just money from her parents, saved aside from what they gave her each month.
That, I think is admirable, and taking care of her aunt is also amazing, being so young to give up her freedom as a young, vibrant 20-something to do that.
And that kind of independence is something that really drew me to her a couple of years ago when we met through mutual friends. She and I got along so well in temperament, we stayed friends even as I turned into a wanderer, drifting from city to city.
I went to go see her the last time I went back, and she has completely changed.
She still has all of the same things that she’s done before, but she has quit going to school (still hasn’t worked, by the way), still gets $20k in her bank account each month, and is has increased the full-time help which means… she doesn’t do anything except run the household with paying bills for example. Or cooking food. Sometimes.
This has been nothing new.
We all run households.
We all write cheques, or pay bills online, or have to talk to contractors for renovations, save up for vacations, etc.
She just writes a bigger cheque for each amount than most. And her entire attitude has changed to one of a pained martyr who has to deal with big girl stuff.
She complained about a LOT of things and I’m going to just highlight 2-3 things that bothered me.
First, how she can’t travel back to Europe to see her boyfriend who lives there because she doesn’t have time which I understand…..
But not everyone is able to just up and go to Europe every 3 months the way she used to before.
Not everyone has that kind of cash to do that, and even if she does, it’s exceptional to be able to go overseas 4 times a month for 3 weeks, because we all have jobs, are in school and/or can’t afford it.
And I totally get that she’s on a different level of income than the rest of us.
But given the fact that she hasn’t earned the money from her family, she cannot consider that as earned money (which by her pained attitude she did), AND I don’t believe she really values money.
She has never had to slave in a fastfood restaurant, flipping chickens for $5 an hour, which is fine – but generally, people are aware of this if they come from money.
So they shudder at flipping chickens for $5/hour just to save a couple thousand for the ticket back to Europe and for spending money, and they don’t complain about plebian things.
Never mind.
This one was not a big a deal, but she made it sound like the world was going to end because she had to cancel a trip to Europe because of her aunt.
Second, she starts lecturing me on finances… y’all love that right?
G: You know FB, you should think about saving that money you’ve earned, aside.
FB: I already do. *weird look*
Inside FB’s Head: How the hell did she think I climbed out of debt?
G: I mean, REALLY save it aside. For an emergency. I mean, what if something happened?
FB: I know, I do save money aside. I have about $36,000 in liquid cash.
G: It’s not enough.
Inside FB’s Head: Umm.. WHAT? Considering that most people take 5-10 years to save $36,000 on regular salaries, I’d think that’s pretty good. I earned a good chunk near the end with that contract, but it was gross, I still have to pay taxes and dividends, and now you’re telling me that $36,000 is not enough?
I think its fine.
I have a low overhead each month of around $1500/month unless I go back to Ontario to visit, and with that cash, I could go for a year and a half to two years without working or more.
FB: So what’s enough? $50k?
G: No, like $100k. Everyone should save $100k saved aside.
Inside FB’s Head: Okay this girl has gone and bumped her head like some monkey on a bed.
Who the hell saves $100k aside in a normal income bracket?
If I was in her income bracket with Mommy and Daddy throwing $20k my way each month without working for it, I’d save $100k aside too.
Why not?
But does she have any idea how much work and time it takes to earn $20k a month NET? That’s over a quarter of a million gross to get to $20k net.
NORMAL people don’t have the means to save that by the age of 25.
The average Canadian earns $33,000 a year!
If a person were to set aside $1000 a month, in 7 years they could do it at a compounding interest of 5%. But on a salary of $33,000 who can afford the luxury of saving $1000 net each month?
And on top of that, they have to save for retirement and all this other stuff?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
FB: *mouth slightly open*
G: Yea, I think everyone should save $100k. It’s the only reasonable amount. Anything less than that is stupid. And it should be in a high interest savings account.
Inside FB’s Head: ……….. Girl, I didn’t even have more than $1k saved when I was in debt. You have never been in debt to know how hard it is to save!
You don’t even know how hard it is to save $1k when you’re actually working for it and not being handed the money.And the whole proud moment she had about her bit about a high interest savings account made me gag.
FB: Well, I can’t save money if I don’t earn it, so I think $36k is pretty reasonable right now. And I tried to save money during the time I cleared my debt, so I have about $20k in investments as well.
Inside FB’s Head: Which is pretty good for a 25 year old!!!!! I think!
G: It’s not enough, FB. What if you need to pull out $50k and give it to a family member who wants it?
Inside FB’s Head: The hell I’d give it to a family member.
I’d pay for their mortgage or their food each month if they needed a helping boost, but I wouldn’t just up and give them $50k without asking what it’s for.
I don’t have that kind of cash lying around to give without crippling my own finances.
I’d give maybe $10k which is reasonable considering I can still live on what I have left, but not $50k. That’d basically wipe out everything I have and I’d be struggling from scratch, and putting my own life in financial danger.
I do not owe anyone that kind of money.
FB: Well, I’m pretty careful with my money, but I don’t think I’d have $50k lying around to give to someone.
G: Yeah, you are pretty cheap. *distasteful wrinkle of her nose*
FB: ……… Um. Yeah. *forced laugh*
Inside FB’s Head: So…. first you tell me to save $100k in savings, but then you call me cheap.Which is it?
Seriously?
I cannot be saving $100k in liquid cash, including a retirement fund, and regular savings to go on trips, AND THEN go out and spend like a muthaeffin’ bajillionaire on dinners out every night, clubbing on weekends, day-long spa trips and treating all my friends to rounds of Starbucks, now CAN I?
I’m careful with my money, I’m not CHEAP with it, I just spend it on what I prioritize, like a meal out with friends (which by the way, you are not one of mine any longer), or travelling back to see everyone, and buying technology to make my life easier (hello? Garmin GPS?)
G: Anyway, I guess I lost a lot in the stock market, like around $100k, so I’m more nervous, maybe.
FB: *casually* that’s like what, 50% of your portfolio?
G: Well. Yeah. Around 40%.
Inside FB’s Head: *quick calculation* 40% means she had $250,000 in the stock market, and she just told me she has another $100,000 just lying around. So she had close to half a million dollars in before the stock market dropped.
G: And my financial advisor …..
Inside FB’s Head: *DING DING* I’d never pay for a financial advisor. I don’t have the cash for that, and I know enough or am able to research/learn enough to do it on my own.
After hearing those stories of those advisors who were duped by Madoff, I’d be leery.
G:… retired. So I was interviewing other financial advisors, and I picked one with 20 years experience who came prepared.
FB: What do you mean prepared?
G: He came with a risk assessment quiz for me to take so that he could allocate my money into different funds in different percentages. That was really prepared versus the other ones.
Inside FB’s Head: Uh huh.
And I bet those funds were managed by him so he gets a cut of that, or some sort of commission, and that risk assessment quiz can be found online at almost any bank as well as on a ton of blogs that will tell you ALL about asset diversification (i.e. not putting your egss into one basket).
That is not preparedness, it’s just that he knows how to sell after 20 years. And I’d do the same, for sure if I wanted to get bidness.
G: And he had 20 years dealing with high net worth clients, and won’t take anyone who’s portfolio is under $250,000.
Inside FB’s Head: Not that I think bankers like that are scum, but usually that doesn’t mean crap.
Whether he deals with million dollar or $10,000 clients, it’s the same thing in the end – a small percentage of a big portfolio over $250,000 is a lot more money per year than a small percentage of a portfolio at $10,000.
Of course financial managers want high net worth clients. Even I like clients with money so they can pay me my rate.
The more money a client has when you take the on, the higher your cut will be. Simple.
FB: Sounds interesting. *slight sarcasm* So how much does he charge you a year?
G: Umm..something like 3%.
Inside FB’s Head: *quick calculation* 3% of $250,000 is $7500 a year or $625/month, plus he gets commissions off the funds he sells her.
He also gets 3% guaranteed every year, no matter if she loses $100,000 or gains $100,000.
Of course, he’d like to see her gain the money, but what does he care?
He’s still collecting cash no matter how she does. So if she gets 10% each year in returns, 3% is inflation and 3% is taken by him, so her real return is 4%. Huh.
G: And with his 20 years experience it was reassuring.
Inside FB’s Head: Even financial managers don’t know WTF is going on.
Your last one couldn’t rub a crystal ball and see that the stock market was going to take a dive, that’s why you lost $100,000.
You could have done the same job if you had put more time into researching on basic financial terms rather than leaving it all up to one person to handle it.
Financial managers have been known to have bilked people in the past. HELLO? BERNARD MADOFF, anyone??
G: So for example, since my risk profile is fairly high because I’m young and I have a long ways to retire, so I put some of my money in emerging markets.
Inside FB’s Head: RETIRE FROM WHAT? You haven’t WORKED.. a day in your life.
FB: Uh huh.
G: So you should think about a financial advisor. Like, after you start saving more money. We should really be careful with emergencies, and retirement and making sure we’re financially independent.
FB: *jaw drops*
Inside FB’s Head: Girl, PLEASE!
I could run circles around you about being financially independent.
You’re sponging off your family, and you’re lecturing ME on independence? You are totally dependent on your family sending you $20k a month.
I’m the one that f*cking went to a business school, and became obsessed with money after I graduated.
I then clawed my way out of $60k of debt in a year and a half on decent income ($65,000), and took fairly ballsy steps in my career to clear the rest of my debt and manage to save aside $80k+ in savings/retirement in 2 years.
I’m the one that could work financial circles around you.
I am not doing any kind of finance as a job and I don’t have the 20 years experience, that’s true.
But no one is more interested in my money than me.
And that’s the same for everyone.
I actually lost about 30% in the stock market, but even though I couldn’t foresee what happened (maybe I could’ve if I studied all the industries all day as a job which he’s supposed to be doing), and he sure as hell didn’t!
But it sounds to me like I knew just as much as your precious financial advisor because you lost 40% in the market with $100k in the market that he couldn’t foresee.
These guys can help people take care of their finances, if they don’t know what to do or need direction.
I understand that.
But if you know about your own finances, and have learned the financial terms, been reading articles, blogs… you know more than enough to handle your own money and manage it properly. It’s only if you don’t have the time, or don’t want to learn that stuff (insert “G”) that you get a financial advisor.
But it was so presumptous of her to assume I was some blockhead who didn’t understand the basics of saving, investing and retirement to run around and spend $80,000 in one shot.
She talked down to me like I was some sort of country bumpkin who managed to get some money in her bank account.
And I may be reading into this too deeply, but i felt like because I didn’t come from money, I didn’t know how to handle it.
G: I think I could score some GREAT financial advice for you, FB, and pass on the information I get from my advisor for free to you so you don’t have to pay for it. And it could really help you out in your financial situation and with your finances.
Inside FB’s Head: That’s nice. Isn’t it?
I’m not passing up that information, any information even if I don’t follow it at all, is interesting, but this is like her version of a charity case!
I am someone’s financial charity case!
And to help ME out with MY finances?
Girl, please.
You have NO idea.
Gawd. This has just too many angles to deal with right now.
G: I also think that you should think about saving for a down payment on a mortgage.
FB: I’m not interested in buying a home now. I’m moving to the States. *getting irritated*
G: I know, but I don’t get why people rent. Just buy! I don’t get it. Why we throw money away on rent each year, and we could rent and build equity at the same time.
Inside FB’s Head: Yeah, it’s so easy for you isn’t it? Not everyone can afford to buy a home.
Not everyone has Mommy and Daddy to buy a house for them cash, outright so that don’t have to rent. And then fork over money for the expenses, the cars, and the spa trips or travel trips to Europe.
A downpayment is a lot of money, people take years to save for money, even up to 10% or 20%, and then they have to figure out the mortgage and how much it costs to run the place.
And people sacrifice a LOT to save for a house, and in the end, they can get screwed if the prices drop and they can’t unload a high mortgage that’s eating their income each month.
FB: …… Some people can’t afford to do anything, BUT rent. I’m sure they’d love a house but can’t afford it, I mean look at what happened to the States when they tried to overextend themselves.
G: They can always find a way to buy a house. They have so many ways to get a house today, I don’t see why anyone still rents.
Inside FB’s Head: I am not even going to touch that.
She clearly has no idea what happened with subprime mortgages down south with that kind of mentality with people who felt bad for throwing their money down the drain, so they followed the advice of their financial advisors and bought as much house as they could afford just so that they could build equity instead of renting.
I could bust out a whole theory about doing the calculations of renting versus buying a half a million dollar home in Toronto (which is the size of a small townhouse), and seeing that renting may actually be cheaper in a very expensive city.
You have to do the proper calculations and see the comparison between renting and investing the rest of the money you’d normally funnel into a house or your mortgage. If you do the math, in some very expensive cities, it may work out to be a lot more advantageous NOT to buy a home.
I’d buy a home if I were to keep it forever (ideally) and out of sentimental reasons. Nothing more.
Plus with renting, you don’t get the maintenance hassles, the renovation problems, utilities through the roof and a whole host of other expenses that come with owning a home. But you also trade off a backyard…..
FB: *changes subject to avoid getting into an argument*
..followed by G lecturing me on my love life when she has a nonexistent one with a boyfriend in Europe whom she doesn’t even think she’d be allowed to marry, and they now only see each other once a year and she keeps avoiding the issue of committing to him at all.
G: I just want someone to take care of me. *sigh*
Inside FB’s Head: All right. I’m never calling this girl again.
She’s gotten too big for her head and this entire dinner conversation was irritating and stilted.
And taking care of her for a change?
Girl, you don’t do ANYTHING! You’re at a spa all day, and now you’re out to dinner with me. Whaddya mean you need someone to take care of you for a change? That’s ALL your family has been doing lately!
See, Living Almost Large wrote a great post a while back called “Given a choice“, talking about how people eat what they eat because they sometimes don’t have a choice. It’s a really great post, so I encourage you to read it.
It’s something that people with money don’t think about. I’m not trying to slag people with money, but my aunts, uncles and cousins are all uber rich (hah, only our family isn’t rich by their standards at all).
But G had, has and will never have ANY idea about what it’s like to struggle by.
Believe me, I know there are people out there struggling on regular incomes. Even on minimum wage incomes.
With debt up to their eyeballs.
And in fear of losing their jobs.
So to me, her callous remarks about how just anyone can buy a home outright for cash, why they rented in the first place, or why people don’t have $100,000 saved aside for emergencies really hit a sore point and got my back up in arms.
Some people just don’t have the choice, as what LAL mentioned in her post above.
It may be a good idea for some (whatever is comfortable for you) to save aside $100,000 (I know Revanche is salivating as this thought), but for me, $50,000 is the maximum.
$36,000 is really the minimum considering I’m paranoid about the future, and this is just liquid cash.
I’d have more money saved aside in retirement and other non-liquid assets, for sure. But $100,000 to me is excessive, and just because her financial advisor (or her parents) feel that it’s an appropriate amount considering her assets, doesn’t mean that it applies to ME.
Each of our investing risks, and personalities are very different.
And no one single formula will work, which is why we have to take an interest in our own cash and not leave it up to anyone completely, even a so-called professional financial manager.
To me, financial advisors are just like super smart gamblers.
See, it’s not their money that they’re playing with.
It’s yours.
And if they win, they win big and are pleased with themselves, showing you sexy graphs of their returns from the past 3 years at 50%.
If they lose, they shrug and say “Gee… sorry. You know, the stock market. Everyone’s doing poorly.”
Anyway, even if you do use a financial manager for convenience, make sure you know what you’re repeating to others instead of spouting out fancy terms like “MER” just to show off that you have financial terms down, like downtown.
She’s just a parrot repeating what her financial advisor is saying without really understanding what it means to have a diversification of assets.
She couldn’t even tell me what her percentages were in each pie (emerging markets, bonds, metals, etc).
She stumbled over the term “MER” even though she tried to pepper it throughout our conversations and I politely refrained from correcting her.
And I know she has never done the math with percentages and compounding interest rates because she came up with ridiculous numbers in her calculations.
She has also never had debt before, so she can’t understand how on the other side of the coin, it can cripple you and your lifestyle.
She says she can imagine it, but really, she can’t. Just like how I can’t imagine being as rich as her.
She can’t imagine what it’s like to wake up, stressed out, feeling deflated (yet strangely exhilrated) to put $2000 a month towards debt just to clear it as soon as you can, so you can finally feel free.
To her, it doesn’t matter at all what all of that means.
And that’s completely true.
She doesn’t have to worry about any of that stuff.
Ever.
But what bothers me the most is her immediate, controlling attitude towards my finances and her flippant attitude towards other people as if they should be on the same level as her because she’s only 25 and has a quarter of a million in assets, not including the house and 3 cars.
And if someone is 40 they should have triple what SHE has, because they’re naturally, 40 years old!
*rolls eyes*
It was as if she was the mother trying to take over with a child who managed to get her paws on $10 and doesn’t know where to put the money in her piggy bank, just because I don’t come from money or have a rich family to be able to afford a financial manager, which is the general impression I got from her.
Oh, and ignoring the fact that I went to a good business school, love personal finance, talk about my budgeting sheet like it’s my baby and got out of debt in 1.5 years, while investing throughout the entire time when I first started working.
I’m not going to cut her off, but I don’t think I’ll ever call her or meet up with her again if I come back to visit.
And don’t try to talk me out of it, saying that friendships are gold, and I should cherish them. Blah blab blab. I have other friends and if not, I’ll make some. I don’t need this kind of toxic energy around my chakra. LOL
WOW! WOW! WOW!
Ummm… you know what, while friendships are golden – a real friend would NOT have done that to you.
Yup – lose the gal’s number is my opinion – you’ve grown by leaps and bounds – she’s been sent to jail 3x over. She just doesn’t get it. Her loss, not yours.
You get bonus points for not stabbing her with that fork.
Oh, forgot to say that I did enjoy the nom nom nom pics though 🙂
I would have wanted to punch her (and I’m not normally a violent person!)
She does realise that all of her money has come from family, whereas you have done it all yourself??
Rebecca: LOL..
I was forking some good bacon pasta instead.
OMG Baby bunneh nom nom
Seriously how did you not stab her in the face with a fork? No really-I wanna know the secret.
Laura: I hear that. Totally.
I am not saying they’re ALL scum, but my experience with advisors has NOT been good whatsoever. I just don’t see what value they bring to my portfolio that I couldn’t.
But then again, for the average investor – why not?
Everyone: It may sound like I haven’t been a good friend and I guess that’s very true.
I think we’ve just grown apart over the years, and it seems like I’m always in the same position as before.
Nothing is positive in her life, she isn’t happy at all (hasn’t been for 3 years) and it’s constant whining every time we meet.
And she’s constantly criticizing me (not just on finances, that one is new).
But I can’t take that any more. I need friends who can at least be a bit positive about SOMETHING in their lives, and she’s just drifting aimlessly.
maybe you should have just cut her off. i think you’re a darling, but (no offense) it didn’t sound like you were being the best friend you could have been, didn’t sound like you even tried… as a friend you could be forgiven for cutting her off and pointing out the reality of her situation, and how you don’t want to be a part of any of that part of her life, and that you’d rather not discuss finances with her. I’ve had to do that with a friend who is perpetually broke/going to collections and it was hard but i haven’t lost her and I don’t have to hear about it any more. Thats not to say that you should, if you’re not close then by all means grow apart. But from your end of things (i.e. most comments you reported were in your head, not to her) it didn’t seem totally fair.
Agreed though, totally spoiled. But, that is the way it is for some people. The thing is, those of us without silver spoons rarely cross paths with those that truly do.
just my two cents.
LOL, I have to laugh about people like that.
Hey FB – wow, that’s a pretty intense sense of entitlement your friend suffers from. She has no right to lecture someone who’s done as much to turn around their finances as you have, and it’s none of her business anyway.
However I have to take a bit of issue with what you say about financial advisors. You may well not need one if you’re comfortable sorting out your finances for yourself, although don’t think only of investments and savings – financial advisors can help you with life insurance and things of that nature as well, which are very important if you have dependents. But it’s not responsible to say they are a waste of money and it’s incorrect to say they are “playing with other people’s money.” Most financial advisors are free to their customers – you don’t pay them for their time. All you pay for is the financial products you buy from them – which cost no more than if you were to buy them on your own. They get paid a commission on the products they sell, but that applies to ANY product – even if it is the right one for you.
Successful advisors are the ones who do what’s in the best interest of their clients, because in the long run, the ones who do right by their clients are the ones who keep their clients. Everybody wins. For someone who wants to get ahead financially with savings, down payments for a house, etc, but maybe doesn’t know the best products and tax savings strategies for their situation, a financial advisor is an excellent idea. It’s just a good idea to go to someone who’s highly recommended rather than finding one from the Yellow Pages.
Sorry to be so sensitive about it, but my dad’s a financial advisor and I highly respect his work and the way he treats his clients. He’s not somehow “scamming” his clients by selling them crap they don’t need – commissions are just the way he gets paid, and they are built into the cost of all financial products so it doesn’t cost his clients an extra penny to buy through him.
wow, what a rant. I’ve been following your blog but haven’t commented yet, but that was pretty infuriating. I’m impressed with your finances!
C: I am proud of what I’ve done and accomplished. Some call it arrogant, I call it confidence.
Everyone: I am not sure I want to call her again. Maybe we’ll just drift apart, for the best.
As for sounding calm, I was boiling. Then I ranted to BF all night and the whole following week.
Did I mention it was 11.30 p.m. by the time we were done and she didn’t even drop me off back home, which is only 15 minutes out of her way?
Mmmmm hmm. That’s right.
I def. could not be friends with someone like that…half way thru that convo I would have snapped.
Holy Moses… I don’t know what to say. It’s shocking, but mostly sad. Sad for her. She really, really, has not a clue. God forbid her family loses its wealth, or she gets cut off, etc.
And good on you for taking the high road and doing the “nod and smile” thing (though I don’t know how you kept your mouth shut).
I guess some people just don’t understand what “regular” people have to go through. I’m sorry she treated you that way though.
Honestly, this is the funniest thing I have ever read. Little rich girl has no idea how the real world works, and yet she’s spouting off advice like she just read Yahoo! Finance and memorized parts of it.
You’re much nicer than me; I would have said something mean.
Darling…
I got about halfway through your convo with that girl and had to stop because it was actually painful to read.
I OFTEN wonder what would happen if you put someone like that in a “real life” situation. It sounds like the girl only has a concept of big money and wouldn’t know what to do with herself should she somehow lose that all.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say “stop calling her” but I would step in and say “honey, don’t lecture me on finance because we don’t come from the same money backgrounds – let’s talk about something else.”
hi fb
on the one hand, this girl seems pretty proud of herself- which, if u look at it from her point of view – maybe she is justifying her pride ‘somehow’ by thinking – i just get the money, i could hv easily spent it since i have so much more of it, but i did not, so i deserve a pat on the back.
on the other hand, as much misguided as this self-praise is, you should feel a bit of pity for her – because, if ever her source of income was cut off(her parents), most likely, she’ll be in for a rude awakening.
true, it doesn’t seem fair for her to rant like this over ‘being cheap’ and ‘paying for a financial adviser’ – but – no matter what you say to such people, they will never understand your point of view and always have that vain, peacock-strut thinking they are right. so, wth…she’ll get her rude awakening in time…hopefully 😉
1001 Petals,
What’s wrong with FB tagging her comments like that?
This is the epitome of entitlement. I’ve got myself pretty much convinced that entitlement will be the downfall of Western Civilization, and your experience here demonstrates that it works both with the haves AND the have-nots.
If that girl’s parents ever lose what they have, she is DONE. You, on the other hand, can build on what you have and continue to make more, because you have learned how things work. It’s the ultimate insurance policy for your future success… a work ethic and the knowledge to make it happen.
Good luck with everything! You don’t need a friend like that, anyway.
Jerry
http://www.leads4insurance.com
I agree with CelticBuffy, that relationship is just toxic. Stay away.
I don’t understand how you could have kept your cool, I’m surprised you didn’t go off on her. Although that would have made for an even better post! LOL.
Wow. Wow. That girl is just CLUELESS
Well, she’s definitely way off base.. but was is just me or did you accidentally come off sounding pretty haughty about your own success? FB, we know you’ve done well, and we’re happy for you.. but I don’t know. Nevermind. 🙂
Hm, I don’t think there’s anyone who is going to encourage you to try to hang onto what seems to be an entirely self-centered and rather delusional (from shelteredness, sure) personality.
Why bother? You’ve got so many more people you could spend time with that you could teach or learn from. Those are valuable relationships, the ones where there’s an open dialogue and exchange of ideas and discussion. Not this weird, misdirected lecture business.
Ummm… I have no clue how you kept your cool. I think I would have blown up about TEN times during that convo. Please please please DO call her again, just so you can regale us with more stories. Sheesh. If you don’t mind, I’m going to link this post to my blog! Let me know if that’s ok. – Dani
I don’t suppose you’d stop tagging all your comments on other blogs if I asked, i.e.
Fabulously Broke in the City
“Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.”
Some friendships are just toxic and shouldn’t be continued. This sounds like one of them. Who needs a “friend” like that?!
I’m sorry, but people like this make me want to go communist on their asses. Such a sense of ENTITLEMENT should be illegal.
I’m just sayin’
OMG! I can’t stand people like that. They have no clue what life is like for even the average person in the U.S., Canada, etc. — and just how very hard it is to get ahead when you don’t have a lot of help.
The sad thing is how little they seem to value money — i.e. the kind that doesn’t come in huge lump sums. I have friends who work hard for every penny. They may still live paycheck to paycheck, but they’re all in all pretty smart with their money because they understand the value of a dollar.
O-M-G. She is SO sheltered!
Huh. Where’s the part where you beat her to death with her own designer handbag? I kept waiting but it never came…
😉
You have more restraint than me. I probably would have just gotten up in the middle and walked out.
I kinda enjoy the blissful ignorance of the upper-class about the realities of money, but not when they’re preaching at me.
Wow, that was ALOT…LOL..I couldn’t be friends with someone like that either. Only if life was that easy, then we’d all have that perspective on things.
When will people learn; money isn’t everything. I’d rather have peace AND joy on the inside, than a million dollars, trust me!
oh dear. what it must be like to have a SAVINGS account……
woah. I really don’t think you should EVER call that girl again. sound slike a complete self centred frenemy and one that doesn’t live in anything resembling the real world at that