Would you live someplace just because you could?

[smallestangel]

The three of us went for a drive yesterday morning. I felt like being out of the house, Jacob looooves to go for car rides, and DH hasn't seen all of the area yet. So I decided we should go for a drive to a nearby city, and I'd show DH the houses. It's a really, really RICH neighborhood. We're talking beautiful mansions on the water. These houses are crazy,lol. Worthy of movie stars, I'd say. Very pretty to look at, and the "Ohhh" factor is fun too.

Anyway, we got to talking about the lottery since it's a big pot right now. DH said if we won, he'd want to move there right away. I asked him why and he said, "Well, because we could". I totally disagree. Why live someplace just because you have the means?

I'd just rather stay in the area (or there abouts) and buy a really nice home. I don't see the point of "just because you can". And that goes for lots of different things. If DH got a huge raise tomorrow, it would be the same thing. It'd be nice, but not much would change.

I don't know...I was just thinking about it now and wondered if I've gotten a little boring or something. Like, even if I could afford a Mercedes, I'd still drive a Honda. Because I love my little Honda. :)

Sorry for being so random with this post!


Amanda

[Alys the Cat]

As a fellow Honda driver (2001 Accord), I'm with you. I would love to win the lottery, but I wouldn't blow it all on fancy homes and high-performance cars. I just think how nice it would be to fix up my own house and have lots of extra cash to save and invest. Of course, if I won a REALLY big lottery prize, I might have to reconsider... ;)

[hautemama15]

I think if I "could" I would move to a nicer area, but no Beverly Hills for us, even if we could. I wouldn't want that kind of pressure!! AND, I am right there with you about switching cars, I would still drive my Honda Odyssey even if we could afford a Mercedes!! It would be nice to have all that $$, but my life would not change much and I would not change my spending habits much either. I might buy more expensive clothes once in awhile, but I wouldn't all of a sudden start buying Prada!! Don't worry, you aren't boring, just practical and seems like you are satisfied!! Me too!!

[murpheyblue]

When I was a year old, my parents moved out of the city and bought a modest home in a modest suburb. As the years went by, my dad was very successful in business and we had means well beyond our modest home. Our 3 bedroom house wasn't anything fancy but it was plenty big enough for us. We never moved on up. In fact, my mom still lives in the same house.

If I won the lottery, we'd move out of our current house or remodel but just because it's too small for us. I'd move for increased size if needed or to get into a better neighborhood/school system if that was an issue. Otherwise, I'd tend to stay put. I'm not a martyr though. I'd probably spend some $$$ on a nice vacation house somewhere.

[aliceinwonderland]

Sure. But I am not like that with everything.I like to look at pretty buildings/houses, it's basically a neccesity for me, and living in a nice neighborhood with architecturally significant homes would greatly increase my happiness! I could not care less what car we drive, my DH I think has the crappiest car in his company's parking lot, they tease him about that but we do not care :)

But, I commend you because it is a virtue to be able to live below one's means/what one can afford. I think that virtue escapes me, esp. when it comes to discussing houses. etc. We may end up renting for 2 or more years just so when we buy again, it is something I like to look at. :)

[smallestangel]

I think I just might have an irrational fear of being "house poor". For example, when I think of living in a mansion I think okay-Do you know how much $$$ it would cost to decorate a place that is 10,00 sq feet? You'd need a lot of stuff to fill it up. What's the electric bill like for a place that big? How are the taxes? The garden bill to keep up a yard that's a block long would be crazy! LOL, that's why I wonder if I'm boring. My first thought isn't "Yeah!", it's more like "Oh, crap!".

If we had the means (we are not poor, but not rich either) we'd travel more, and I'd probably buy the kid even more stuff. ;) But I wouldn't try to elevate myself. KWIM? I don't know how to say it. Nothing would change about US. I wouldn't pack up and move to the rich part of town, just because I could. I have no desire to live below our means, I'm just not a status whore is what I'm trying to say I guess. Like my DH. I love him dearly, but I think if he could, he'd be a huge snob!

Amanda

[jesseandgrace]

I would pick the area I liked better, so if that meant the nicer homes I would go there, but if i liked my area better I would stay!

[jbowman]

If I won the lottery, the four of us would be on the next plane to Rome. We'd buy an apartment in Trastevere or near Campo dei Fiori. We'd spend our days eating gelato, and we'd have Texas BBQ flown in a couple of times a month. ;)

[hez]

Maybe-- but then I'd have to set up a fund just to cover the property taxes :)

I see myself less likely to trade up my house than I would be to spend the money on a second house (a cottage on a lake somewhere) or on really cool vacations. Our house is fine, and we'll move someday, but I don't think winning the lottery would drive us to do that.

[elliput]

Yes, I would. Neither DH or I have any familial ties to the area we are in now, so if we could move closer to our families we would. The move would require a change in our means (lottery win or change in employment), but we wouldn't upgrade to something extravegant just because we had the money.

[tarahsolazy]

Well, we currently live in a house which is a great size for us, but no great shakes architecturally, etc. I could have bought a house that cost twice as much, but honestly, it made me nervous. I also don't see what three people (or even five) could need with 5000 square feet of house. Just more resources to heat and power it, etc. But that's me and my DH. We're kind of cheap, but we're a one-income family, too.

If I won the lottery, we'd likely move because I'd change jobs or quit working. A nice farm in northern MN, or a house on the edge of the Boundary Waters. Maybe a bungalow in Portland again.

[muskiesusan]

I wouldn't go overboard or become house poor, but I would probably want to move. There is a part of town I am in love with and would love to move to, but it is pricey, although, definately not movie star pricey!

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[denna]

Im with you on the car. Im not into cars just because of the name, I like the cars that handle better, are practical, and safe. As far as the home, I agree w/ a PP if the area is an area I love I would stay there, if there was one I wanted to live in more I would. I would never over spend or become a glutton but I would provide for my family the best I could. Without spoiling them or any of that nonsense of course. And no I wouldnt want to live in Beverly Hills either, just because of the status.

Fun topic.....

[JTsMom]

I wouldn't want to live in a snooty-tooty neighborhood, regardless of how much money we had. I would build our dream home, in the most beautiful area I could find though, which would probably be in the middle of nowhere. To us, a dream home would have plenty of square footage, but not overwhelmingly huge. It would be comfy, and not at all museum-y feeling. I would never want a house where I felt like Jason couldn't drink chocolate milk in the living room, if that makes sense. :)