People who talk about How Much Things Cost

LoveBunny

Active member
Last night I had one of the worst "dates" with a person I "met" online EVER. We met at a restaurant bar. She was an extremely well-heeled woman. I learned she and her husband have a house in New England and just bought a second home in the Keys. After a while, I began to notice her conversation circulated around How Much Things Cost: How much more expensive a ticket to St. Bart's cost in winter verses summer. How much she (over)pays her housekeeper. How a certain restaurant couldn't even cook her $40 piece of salmon correctly. While she was talking, I took out $20, my entire drinking budget for the evening, and paid for her martini without her even noticing. That is how badly I wished she'd stop worrying about money.

I encounter this style of conversation often (many of my husband's friends think money is a fascinating topic) and it drives me nuts. Is it supposed to impress me? Is this how a certain class of people in the U.S. get to know each other? Is honestly that some people find How Much Things Cost a fascinating topic? Clearly, I'm a bohemian type, they can see I'm dressed simply, no jewelry, they know I work offbeat jobs that aren't high-paying, everything about me says: not materialistic.

When a person talks a lot about How Much Things Cost, do you find it tedious? Or is just that some of us are overly sensitive because we live mostly paycheck to paycheck?
 
The price of whips

Well, you know I would be right there telling them when I buy a slave how shocked I am at how the prices have gone up, not to mention how many whips I have to go through to keep the housekeeper in line, not to mention the cost of burial plots and all.

I grew up with money, pop, son of a washer woman and mom who had silver plating to hide the platinum spoon beneath.

My friends had houses with museum piece antiques and they never went in those rooms. My family had antiques and we broke stuff all the time. My mother would remind me stuff is just stuff.

Now, one evening at a cocktail party, they decided to break out these champagne glasses, gene isinglass Ruby with gold inlays, Sotheby's had valued them at $2,000 per glass.

A guest dropped one and it broke. He was mortified. My father downed his drink and whipped the glass into the fireplace and said, "we got this from the family, and think they are so gaudy we use them in hopes they will get broken."

Later, my father explained that man's feelings were more important than everything we owned.

But my god the price of slaves! And I've even heard they are thinking of outlawing the practice. I do hope you had your bodyguards break the legs of that careless chef. Over cooked salmon is not something which should be forgiven, even Buddha would have kneecapped the SOB.

So either she is neuvoriche or has a life so vacuous she has little talk about. Did you try switching to where to buy a good hot pink angora sweater? She sounds like a real Barbie.

Who was for dessert?
 
@Dickdomin Haha! You nailed it totally!
 
Paycheck?

When a person talks a lot about How Much Things Cost, do you find it tedious? Or is just that some of us are overly sensitive because we live mostly paycheck to paycheck?

Wow, you are way ahead of me in all this materialistic stuff. Or is this like when the waitress checks to see if you paid?

How about a huge laugh, followed by, "You mean your accountant tells you take sort of thing? Mine tells me he doesn't know me well enough to disclose that sort of information."

I think somewhere I mentioned that I was involved in a rather intense BDSM relationship with a fem-corp-exec. Now this was a new relationship, I mean in all fairness I had only tied her up naked fewer than ten times, whipped the bejesus out of her and fucked her silly.

She was bitching about money and so I casually asked her how much she made.

Oh yes honest to fucking god, direct quote: I don't know you well enough.

In all fairness, she hadn't been introduced to my Shetland pony, so...

How about, "Christ, panties have gotten so expensive, I've stopped wearing them."

You know you should should just try some great mindfuck lines and write a book of their answers.

"OMG!!! You fly Commercial!?! How do you stand that!?!"
 
I love talking about frugality lol nothing makes me happier than finding $300 cashmere sweater for 6 bucks at the thrift shop
 
I love talking about frugality lol nothing makes me happier than finding $300 cashmere sweater for 6 bucks at the thrift shop

I'm like you. I love to find old cool stuff for $1-5 at Savers, run home and see how much they want for it on ebay. 5 times as much, usually. I could make a fortune reselling my vintage Pyrex collection.
 
Same here - I love talking about bargains. It seems crazy to brag about spending a lot!
 
I've met people who can only talk about how much money they saved on various things, how they bargain hunt, never pay full price for anything. It's just as dull as the How Much Things Cost crowd. I do enjoy a good bargain but when it gets to be the only topic they want to discuss? Boring!
 
JAPs

I've met people who can only talk about how much money they saved on various things, how they bargain hunt, never pay full price for anything. It's just as dull as the How Much Things Cost crowd. I do enjoy a good bargain but when it gets to be the only topic they want to discuss? Boring!

In NYC they are known as Jewish American Princesses

They tend to start their sentences with, "you didn't pay retail for that, did you?" Lol
 
I've met people who can only talk about how much money they saved on various things, how they bargain hunt, never pay full price for anything. It's just as dull as the How Much Things Cost crowd. I do enjoy a good bargain but when it gets to be the only topic they want to discuss? Boring!

I guess if you dont have anything else to talk to someone about then it's better than silence lol. Ive never met anyone who I wasnt able to steer the conversation to something else. It's easy enough to bring up a new topic.
 
waaaaaa!

I guess if you dont have anything else to talk to someone about then it's better than silence .

What happened to silence is golden? Did it go out when these bit coins started.

Where is my hot pink sob rag, this convo has just gone from Kicky to totally somebody trashed my T-bird.
 
I've met people who can only talk about how much money they saved on various things, how they bargain hunt, never pay full price for anything. It's just as dull as the How Much Things Cost crowd. I do enjoy a good bargain but when it gets to be the only topic they want to discuss? Boring!

Well, yeah, any one note monkey is boring. I will gladly talk about Biblical historical criticism, or wild plants, or music, or post-Impressionism, or the zombie apocalypse, or why don't they make Skechers Twinkle Toes sneakers for adults, or what happened to Good Humor ice cream trucks, or sex/kink at the drop of a hat. ;)
 
I've met people who can only talk about how much money they saved on various things, how they bargain hunt, never pay full price for anything. It's just as dull as the How Much Things Cost crowd. I do enjoy a good bargain but when it gets to be the only topic they want to discuss? Boring!

Good point, and thankfully not quite what I meant. ;)

I was brought up believing (and still believe) that it's gauche to talk about money, period. You never know who you're excluding, and it's a boundary that has a verrrrry fuzzy line.

However, if I'm shopping with a friend (which, admittedly, doesn't happen often), or I get a comment on a pair of shoes or something, then it sort of becomes this self-effacing thing: "Oh these? Naw, I got them at Famous Footwear. Great bargain."

I will, however, reserve the right to be proud of finding Henckel's and Wusthof knives at Savers for $1.99. I feel that talking about that is more of a public service ("Did you know if you poke around, you can find good knives cheap?"). :)
 
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Question about hats

Well, yeah, any one note monkey is boring. I will gladly talk about Biblical historical criticism, or wild plants, or music, or post-Impressionism, or the zombie apocalypse, or why don't they make Skechers Twinkle Toes sneakers for adults, or what happened to Good Humor ice cream trucks, or sex/kink at the drop of a hat. ;)

I mean I don't own one. Will I have to bring one? Do you have one, is borrowing one acceptable? Do I have to drop the hat? You? Is a third party hat dropper acceptable? Do they need to be a licensed hat dropper?

And the construction of the sentence left me confused will we be just Talking about sex/kink? Are explanations with elaborate demonstration allowed?

Do I have to include the hat?

And since I would hate to take us off topic entirely, could we have a price range on the hat? Do I have to work in clever convo using the price of the hat bargain or the outrageous price, especially when a licensed hat dropper is involved?

Will in need to simulate the tones et voce of a Jewish American Princess when I say, "OMG you didn't pay retail for that!?!" I was raised in the wrong neighborhood in NYC and never really mastered the JAP voce.

I suspect the reason for the Good Humor trucks disappearing was the FBI agents inside were having multiple problems like freezing, eating too much ice cream and not being able to get in and out of those little doors. Or some dickhead thought ROI was more important than joy.

When I was little I was already showing signs of being an existentialist philosopher. I figured when I closed my eyes and I couldn't see you that you couldn't see me. I would say, "I'm all dark. You can't see me." My mother kept asking the other kids where I had gone.

So it became sort of a family thing and she would cry out, "everybody be all dark!" We would shut our eyes.

One day I peeked and saw a Good Humor Truck. After that, "everybody be all dark meant for sure there was one visible from the driver,s seat at least.

I don't know the sneakers, but I sure did want a pair of those Heelies my youngest had. That looked like real fun!

Am I doing OK so far? I mean am I making a good Impressionism? Whoops missed that hyphen after 'post' have I made a good Impressionism?

This Bible stuff, will it be criticizing the Bible or how the Bible has criticized history or the different ways the bible has been criticized throughout history?

I'll probably need to make notes for that, I would hate to come unprepared for such a kicky convo. <one of my daughters favorite jokes after she out grew Her 18 Barbies. Still has her Hello Kitty rice bowl, hashi and cup at college. I mean duh! But when I told her I needed a comb before I left the US, she gave me her Hello Kitty comb and mirror. I mean when you are trying to be swave and deboner, gotta whip out the Hello Kitty combo. Total chick magnet.
 
Re (from OP):
"When a person talks a lot about How Much Things Cost, do you find it tedious? or is just that some of us are overly sensitive because we live mostly paycheck to paycheck?"

I frequently spend time with my older brother and his wife, and I never hear them talk about the price of things. They are are thoughtful and generous. Their home/s is (are) my home/s. I am welcome to stay over with them anytime, and am never a bother to them. They enjoy doing stuff with me. They work hard and don't hire any housekeepers.

Rich people are just like poor people: Some of them deserve to be rich, others deserve to have all their money blown out their butt.

Now talking about bargains, that is another matter. :)
 
Growing up...

We were not the poorest family my parents made sure I had 3 good meals a day a warm coat, shoes, and everything I needed for school. If they found out someone I knew didn't have those things the figured out ways they could help.

My dad could find St Bart's on a map. So could I..

How things are different now. Renee and Mark do really well for themselves, and that's good their children don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. I have to be honest, I love taking the convertible on Sundays to my soccer games (I have a feeling I will enjoy that less and less as it gets colder) I can't remember a single time Renee or Mark has ever talked about the cost of something... I think they could find St Bart's on a map as well..
They really don't talk about money. My parents were the same way.
I thought it was Turks and Caicos now.. Lol

I had a point but I just lost it...

That $20 that was your whole drinking budget for the night, something I can relate to. I am sorry you had to spend it on someone who did not appreciate it. If it were me (out with you) we would have been talking about something else & I would have gotten the next round.
 
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That martini

That $20 that was your whole drinking budget for the night, something I can relate to. I am sorry you had to spend it on someone who did not appreciate it. If it were me (out with you) we would have been talking about something else & I would have gotten the next round.

I grew up with money. I will not apologize, I picked my parents before I was born. My mother came from so much money, she had never dressed herself until she was 16 years old. Took her like 6 hours.
My father was the son of a washer woman. We lived on what my father earned btw.

My mother liked to dress up in grubby jeans and my father's Carnegie Tech sweatshirt. I remember being out in a working man's bar eating an incredible Pastrami on rye drinking Rheingold on draft. (I might have been a few years under age, but I wasn't driving, she was.)

Some guy spilled his beer and said, "Shit!" Some guy punched him in the arm and said, "Hey watch your language. there's a lady here."

My mother rubbernecked around the entire bar and declared in a nice loud voice, "I don't see a fucking lady here! Oh shit, were you talking about me? Get this guy a beer, on me."

This is a lady who had her private cars attached to the train when they travelled, but preferred workingmen's bars. Bigger and better sandwiches, better cheaper draft beer. She thought Budweiser tasted like that horse ain't fit. In the Northeast she drank Pabst, Reingold, Narragansette.

I suspect she would have taken the empty martini glass off the table, slipped it under her dress and said, "Here let me refill that for you."

When I was growing up, I rarely took girls out on dates. I would take them on picnics and I made all the food myself. Now part of this was, I did not want them to know my parents (be clear here my parents had money, I did not. Pop was not giving out money) had money. I wanted them to love me for me.

I also knew that some motherfucking waiter was going to show up in the middle of my best stuff. "Can I get you anything else?" "Yes! A rag to stuff in your mouth and a baseball bat to beat you over the head. I'm working here!"

On a picnic, under a tree, a few wild flowers I had picked along the way, nice large thick soft blanket to lay on, no waiters to interrupt us. Maybe my notebook I wrote poetry in or a sketch pad "why don't you loosen your hair and undo a couple of buttons on your dress. No don't take it off, just undo the buttons. You look like a forest maiden." (I did tell you I was a lying, cunning, manipulative, self centered, deceptive 'no, I have to stop. I'm getting too excited. I don't want you to think I just want you for....' <this is where she grabs the back of your head and says in a rather firm! but throaty voce "I'll tell you when to stop.")

The subject of money never came up.

My brother is concerned with money but doesn't talk about it much. I remember one birthday, mom took us to a new off the beaten path store, who happened to use the same haberdashers as Brooks Brothers. She said she would buy us both a suit.

My brother walked around looking at the prices and picked some cheap piece of shit with two pairs of pants. I walked around and fingered the material on the lapels. When I found a suit I liked the feel of, I would pull it out of the rank and shake it to see the flow and drape of the cloth. Once I found one I liked, we saw the tailor.

My brother was older, so even though my b'day, he goes first. The tailor informs him that young men are not wearing cuffs anymore. My brother has two pairs of pants with no cuffs.

I told him, "inch and a quarter cuffs" he tried to tell me that young fashionable men blah blah. One raised eyebrow, "inch and a Quarter cuffs. Make sure the extra material is in my pocket in case I burn a hole and need to see the reweavers." Owner of the store nodded approvingly, tailor nodded respectfully.

So folks, I am not a trend follower.

Later at lunch my mother commented that I had bought the most expensive suit in the store. She said, you never even looked at the price. I said, why would I? I'm not paying for it, beside my brother's suit is going to have shiny pants in a year and mine will still look brand new for the next ten years.

She looked over at my brother and said, "Really, next time, let him pick out your suit."

Money is like air. breathe it in, breathe it out. When you have it spend it, use it, create something. When you don't have it, be frugal, learn to make do with less.

Talk about it? Yeah, theoretical discussions about money, the agreement of the variable value of energy is interesting stuff. Price of stuff? Barbie really this convo is not terribly kicky.

That's my take.
 
I want my own train car

This is a lady who had her private cars attached to the train when they travelled, but preferred workingmen's bars.

Just saying that would fun..
 
Fun I need

This is a lady who had her private cars attached to the train when they travelled, but preferred workingmen's bars.

Just saying that would fun..

But she was a4th child so linked to her brother, so when they snuck into a neighbor house and turned his Pierce Arrow sideways in his garage, took apparently 6hours,mShe was there for the fun. They had to remove the end if his garage to get the car out!

Still one needed a maid, because the clothes one wore to breakfast would never do for lunch, not those for dinner. An era gone in our day even for the Gate's of this day and age.
 
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