Comments on: Happiness For Others Comes From Contentment With Yourself

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:54:13 +0000

Great post Frugal Dad

You sort of touched on it– as my wife says, people earn every penny and most are unhappy about it.

By: ryan

ryan — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:17:08 +0000

marci,
I once had a conversation with a real estate agent who told me a story similar to yours. She was a new, junior agent in the office. Late on Friday afternoon, when everyone was getting ready to go home for the weekend, a family came to the office in an old, beat up minivan. Two parents, four kids, very simply dressed, very unpretentious asking to see some listed houses.

Since none of the senior agents wanted to deal with this family at the time, this junior agent got “stuck” with them on Friday night. She found out very quickly that they had done alot of their research on their own, they looked at about four or five properties, then put in a contract offer of about $600k on their favorite the very next morning–for cash–which was immediately accepted.

By: marci

marci — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:34:21 +0000

Lucy – Looks can be deceiving – and why should it even matter?

I enjoyed going to a car dealer once in my old work jeans and t-shirt (my usual attire) and having the salesmen rush to the lady in the fancy classy clothes… and then some farther-down-the-line salesman got stuck with me and my farm look…. but the lady in the fancy clothes couldn’t get her credit to qualify for the used car she wanted, and so the salesman lost the deal. My low-on-the-totom pole salesman got my sale – cash for a spanking-new full-sized pickup truck….. 1993

So…looks are very very deceiving!!!! Learn to not let it bother you!

By: Lucy

Lucy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:02:43 +0000

I hate it when I go to Christmas parties and look around and see people who are better off than I am. My husband and I went to a Christmas party in Birmingham last year and found that was exactly the case.

By: California Unemployment Rate History: A Visual Guide

California Unemployment Rate History: A Visual Guide — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:14:30 +0000

[...] Frugal Dad: Happiness For Others Comes From Contentment With Yourself [...]

By: Danielle

Danielle — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:00:42 +0000

Monday I put in my resignation at work. Financially this will change our entire life; it will force us to reduce and reuse. Our hopes is having less money will eliminate the temptations and reponsibility at the same time allow us to live without so many constraints and distractions. Thanks for the inspiration.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:15:22 +0000

Another great article Frugal Dad. I’m a fan! Though I come from the Philippines and some articles don’t pertain to our situation here, I still enjoy reading your posts.
I just want to share this nugget I read from Ms. Ellen Goodman….”Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car, and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it”. Sadly, a lot of people live that way (not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you, that just saddens me). Then you factor in being jealous of the people you think are way better than you. Uh-oh, recipe for depression!
So, let’s all break free from materialism and apply this principle in our lives…that SATISFACTION is not getting what you want, but wanting what you already have.
PEACE!

By: Meg

Meg — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:23:19 +0000

What Looby said at comment #13. I see it a lot in personal finance blogs, and I don’t understand it. Knocking other people down to prop your own ego doesn’t hide the fact that you’re still jealous.

By: marci

marci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:07:36 +0000

First be happy with yourself.
And learn to be truly yourself.
Live simply, and contentment will follow.

It would be a boring world if everyone were exactly alike – so learn to enjoy the differences, but be true to yourself and your values.

By: Jacqueline Johns - Your Happy Life Mentor

Jacqueline Johns - Your Happy Life Mentor — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:41:18 +0000

Here here!
It’s so refreshing to read another opinion so aligned with my own.
People these days are so engrossed in their own egos – as though the clothes they wear or the car they drive somehow make them a better person! How sad they must feel to rely on these false outer validations.
I pity those ego-driven souls and hope they one day come to the realization that it’s what’s INSIDE them that counts.
Live Life Happy!!