1. Dating seems to be wicked expensive, between the activities, meals, clothing/beauty treatments, etc. Married people can and should date their spouse, but it seems to be cheaper.
Yeah, we've laughed about that many times! We used to go out to eat constantly, to movies and events. Now we agree NOT to purchase gifts for "holidays" like Valentine's Day and our anniversary. Also we no longer enjoy going to crowded restaurants on Mother's Day and so forth -- instead, we splurge at home on crab legs or a good steak for the grill, and we enjoy a nicer meal in the solitude of our own home.
I married a frugal man. He researches purchases to make sure we get good deals, he clips coupons, and he makes a good salary. He is not a shopper and he is a saver and investor.
I believe what the book The Millionaire Next Door said. Choice of spouse is very important in becoming wealthy.
I didn't marry a frugal man, but I realized that
he liked money and he was trainable. He caught on quickly and has surpassed me in certain areas.
I used to have a poster in my classroom (lost it somehow when I moved schools) that listed 30 things to do to increase your chances of lifetime happiness. #1 was marry the right person, and it went on to say that something like 80-90% of your personal happiness would come from this one decision. I think it's true.
Why not say old parents are expensive (they can be) or sisters or spouses? Seems like "expense" gets used a lot in relation to kids. In another thread, people were talking about the "expense" of kids. What about the "expense" of me? It just seems silly.
You're equating "expensive" with "not worth the cost". That's not true.
For example, my house was expensive, but I'm glad I own it.
Those antibiotics I took when I was sick a few weeks ago were expensive, but I am awfully glad they were available to me.
Quality shoes are expensive, but they last a long time and keep my feet from hurting after a long day at work.
Many things are expensive, yet totally worth the cost.
To use your own example, in the last few years of my grandmother's life she was unable to drive and called upon me on a
very frequent basis to do errands for her or take her places. She was a lot of work -- wheelchair in and out of the car, help in and out of the bathroom. Towards the end she kind of forgot that money was "a thing", and she started expecting me to pay for everything too. Other times she'd call me up and said, "I wish you'd cook me a pot of chicken and dumplings. And a batch of those cookies with white chocolate chips and cranberries." Two hours later, I'd be at her house with the requisite meal. Though I spent
more than a few dollars on gas, lunches, pedicures, groceries, medicine, and pillows and drawer organizers and washcloths and all sorts of other things that she wanted RIGHT NOW,
I regret not one single penny. Oh, and 2/3 of the things she had me buy, she had me return the next week! Still, I took good, good care of her right up to the end. Was she expensive?
Oh, yes! Was she worth it?
Oh, yes! She did so, so much for me when I was younger, and she was one of my best friends in the whole world. I'd spend any amount of money if I could call her up right now and say, "Would you like to go out to lunch tomorrow?" And if I could, I'd take her to the pedicure place she loved where the little Korean woman always asked her, "How you doing, Mama? You warm enough, Mama? I not too rough on you, Mama? You really 100 years old, Mama?"
Great. You made me cry.