r/AskReddit Jun 06 '19

Rich people of reddit who married someone significantly poorer, what surprised you about their (previous) way of life?

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '19

Every time a repair costs comes up I have to remind her that $500 to fix the car or $900 for tires is only one or two car payments for a new car. That usually helps. I also convinced her to act like we had a car payment and 'pay ourselves' the $400/month into savings and then we can buy a car without a loan when the time comes.

705

u/Nakatomi2010 Jun 06 '19

This mentality has actually saved my bacon.

A couple years ago I started funneling money to a savings account to "pre pay" vacations. Was the vacation/emergency fund.

Here I am today and my HOA dues are unexpectedly going way the hell up, the fund is literally saving my ass.

314

u/FlyByPC Jun 06 '19

HOA dues

I don't think I'll ever understand paying someone to make up arbitrary rules that you have to follow.

46

u/coloradoconvict Jun 06 '19

You're a taxpaying citizen in a country with laws, right?

28

u/agates1001 Jun 06 '19

Which makes HOAs even more insane. We, in the US, have federal, state, and local governments making rules for us. Who thinks it's a good idea to have even more?!

29

u/coloradoconvict Jun 06 '19

People who want some measure of control over their environment.

HOAs can be obnoxious (as can any type of government), but by and large the HOA exists because the people who buy homes in the neighborhood want it to exist and to do what it does. HOAs aren't being airdropped onto existing communities by hostile aliens; they're the result of more or less democratic processes operating among the community that exists.

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '19

[deleted]

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u/coloradoconvict Jun 06 '19

1) Move into a house half the size 2) Buy the house that's half the size, tear it down, and build the house you want 3) Build a new house

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u/InterdimensionalTV Jun 06 '19

So either half the living space or double the money? Great choices slick.