Rude Money Questions

Scuzi · 20 Oct 2006 at 12:06

I don't see what the issue is to be honest. I get the same sort of questions as yourself and my reply to "How much did that cost?" is "40 million quid", they get the idea. If asked, "How did you afford that?" the reply is, "I work".

There's no need to get worked up over it. :confused:

Serj · 20 Oct 2006 at 12:15

dirtydog said:
Yeah at least his is fast They do have a gay / girly image though. It isn't a man's car really is it.

That's what put me off them - the image. I'm ignoring FF's MX-5 as tbh it must go like **** off a shovel

Also isn't the OPs MX-5 the 1.8i and not the iS? So it doesn't have LSD? I'm sure that affects the handling quite a lot so the argument that it is all about handling and not speed sort of falters with the 1.8i...

bigredshark · 20 Oct 2006 at 12:40

To be honest mate, i think you have the wrong friends, I fairly young and have done fairly well for myself, I have friends who're at uni and I go visit them occassionally, their mates will makes comments like 'nice watch' ocassionally but I don't reckon they'd ever ask how much it cost.

Slightly different as I'm not at uni, have a decent job and so it's less surprising i have money.

if it was good friends I'd have no problem, if it was someone i'd just met, they'd get a sarcastic answer as i would think it a bit rude

MNuTz · 20 Oct 2006 at 12:47

bigredshark said:
To be honest mate, i think you have the wrong friends, I fairly young and have done fairly well for myself, I have friends who're at uni and I go visit them occassionally, their mates will makes comments like 'nice watch' ocassionally but I don't reckon they'd ever ask how much it cost.

Slightly different as I'm not at uni, have a decent job and so it's less surprising i have money.

if it was good friends I'd have no problem, if it was someone i'd just met, they'd get a sarcastic answer as i would think it a bit rude

I like watches, if we met and i did think your watch was nice i would say 'nice watch, can i ask how much it was?'.

Its not being rude, if i genuinly like the watch, im showing an interest in it, so also in you. No doubt the conversation would move onto what you do for a living, what i do for a living, whether we enjoy it etc. Something like a watch or a phone or a pair of trainers is a conversation starter.

Asking how much it was is no different than asking up to what depth its waterproof or what its made out of. My watch is a Addidas watch, was an xmas present but cost £150 and is made out of titanuim with a white face. Its not a big deal.

If youve ever been around a group of women, you can guarantee that one of them will admire something of one of the others, ask where they got it and how much etc.

Can i ask what watch it is you have anyway?

The_Judge · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:01

When i was at uni, i didnt see many poor students, every1 was driivng around in bmw's and sporting expensive clothes left right and centre.

Things change I've changed · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:31

Serj said:
Not being funny mate but maybe it's your attitude? Your thread in motors when you got your new car announced "My Sports Car". Just seems an odd thing to do.

You could be right actually, I was just reading through that thread,

willd58 said:
Had a passenger ride in one, a lot more of a cruiser imo and I cant pose in it like i can my MX5

KNiVES · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:34

I managed to afford a car, a hdtv and some other stuff with a student loan. I know that it's the same case for everyone else. What's the big deal? :confused:

MNuTz · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:39

KNiVES said:
I managed to afford a car, a hdtv and some other stuff with a student loan. I know that it's the same case for everyone else. What's the big deal?

I thought the loans where primarily for food, shelter and course materials?

"andy" · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:51

some peoples parents pay for those meaning the student loan can be spent purely on alcohol

i envy those people

Geoff · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:52

dirtydog said:
Students per se are stereotypically penniless, that's what I meant Ones driving a £5k car generally either had daddy buy it, bought it on credit or have a job and live with their parents. People are naturally curious as to which. If you are 20 years old and have a relatively decent car then you have to get used to the idea that people are naturally going to enquire as to how you afforded it. It isn't rude for people to do that, it's natural.

People are entitled to be naturally curious, and some will be. I have no problem with that. Be as curious as you, or they, like. Personally, I don't care though.

But what I don't agree with is that they have any right to an answer to sate that curiousity. So far as I'm concerned, some things are personal. Medical details fall in that category, and so do finances. Both are nobody else's business and as far as I'm concerned, it's unreasonable to expect details unless volunteered, and rude to ask.

dirtydog · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:52

MNuTz said:
I thought the loans where primarily for food, shelter and course materials?

You took the words out of my mouth!

MNuTz · 20 Oct 2006 at 13:57

andy8271 said:
some peoples parents pay for those meaning the student loan can be spent purely on alcohol

i envy those people

In my eyes, these people shouldnt be claiming the loan in the first place.

iamgud · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:10

My parents are like this, I have no idea how much they earn and they wont tell me, nor will they reveal how much things cost, they bought an apartment and I have no idea how much it was and my dad doesn't even tell some people he owns one.

I don't see any reason for it and am happy to tell anoyone how much things cost, women generally seem the same. They always go on about how much clothes etc cost and where they were from.

I got a 10k car for my 21st Birthday. Astra 1.6 3 Door Sport.

I am not a student but spend a lot of time with them and they obviously ask me how I got it and I just tell them. It isn't like it is hard to understand. My Grandma isn't rich but just wants to make me happy. And I am Very.

I also have a fulltime job so I could probably afford something similar on finance if I was silly anyway.

Christo · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:12

SoSolid said:
Mate, I am a 19 year old student and I can assure you I have much more cash than yourself.

What the hell has that got to do with anything? :rolleyes:

You stink of nouvelle riche to me.

dirtydog · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:14

iamgud said:
I got a 10k car for my birthday.

iamgud · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:15

I am richer than you all, smelly peasants.

Raikiri · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:26

Like most people here I don't see the big problem, it has never been rude to ask how much someone earns, something costs or to generally be interested. Also not answering the questions and getting annoyed is just going to make them think you do something illegal or have rich parents etc.

georges · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:30

Geoff said:
If you want to buy one, you'll have to look up the number of the shop anyway.

Or they could just stop being ridiculously pretentious ****heads and tell them how much it cost. Not hurting them, but saves the other guy time. No point ringing up and then finding it would cost too much when you could have saved yourself the hassle, finding it was too much from the guy who had one.

Geoff · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:35

MNuTz said:
I like watches, if we met and i did think your watch was nice i would say 'nice watch, can i ask how much it was?'.

Its not being rude, if i genuinly like the watch, im showing an interest in it, so also in you. No doubt the conversation would move onto what you do for a living, what i do for a living, whether we enjoy it etc. Something like a watch or a phone or a pair of trainers is a conversation starter.

But it's a question of degree, don't you think?

If someone asked, politely, how much a watch cost because they liked it and wanted one, I may well answer. But if it's :-

- how much did the watch cost?
- what did you pay for the car?
- how much did you spend on the hifi?
- how much is you house worth?
- what's your current bank balance?
- what's your annual income?
- do you have any company shares? If so, please list companies and quantities?
- do you have life insurance? If so, premium?
- how much tax did you pay last year?
.
.
.
.
etc, then it's highly intrusive. At one end of the spectrum, you have a casual inquiry about a nice watch, and at the other end, you have someone expecting an auditor's report on your finances. Somewhere in-between, a line has been crossed. Bear in mind that the OP implied he was getting asked by a variety of people about what all sorts of things cost, and where he got his money from. It's not just a casual inquiry about a nice watch that he's talking about.

jas72 · 20 Oct 2006 at 14:38

cheets64 said:
Huh, someone been on the amber nectar, swearing aswell.

Well for one you are 20 and a student, either you are doing something illegal or just born with a silver spoon, not many people can afford a lot of things when they are 20 and studying, unless they are buying now paying later ala credit cards.

I get this at work but they dont see the fact I live at home dont pay rent and I dont have kids, I just let them make fun then make fun of the slums they live in, they soon shut up.

when I was 20 i was working as an apprentice leccy.

I gave 25 quid a week to my parents and the rest to me.

At that time ( early 90s) it was over 300 quid in my back pocket every weekend and this at age 20-21.

I've never been as rich as a was back then.

Papers always go on about disposable income being best for those at 35-34 but i say 20-25 year olds probably have the most disposable income around.

hit 26-34 you will have mortgage and kids and a wife to support = less money. Unless you are lucky and your career takes off you won't start having decent disposable income until mid 40s.

Or am I the exception?