if you had a lot of money would you choose to spend it all and live poor?
By Robyn
@floridachick (603)
United States
August 8, 2008 9:19am CST
who would right that would be really stupid right? well i just found out from my oldest brother something about my parents that makes me sick to my stomach. I always knew that my parents are horrible and weren't/aren't very good parents but this is just unbelievable, words can't describe how i feel right now. here's the story.
my parent's got into a really bad motorcycle accident when i was very young, they broke both there backs and were in the hospital for some time, well they got a huge settlement out of it between the two of them. about $300,000 worth. well the spent it all on deep sea fishing and some other kind of crap. they could have bought a house and then some. well while they spent it all, me and my brothers grew up poor. we had a roof over our heads but still we had no money and always wore nasty clothes to school. now isn't that the most disgusting thing you have ever heard? they choice to spend all of that money and live poor instead of taking care of us kids. I am very angry at how i grow up, I could say something to them about it but what would that accomplish? it's already done, and I'm living a good life now. no thanks to them. oh and by the way they live in a motel.
what would you do, say, or feel?
5 people like this
15 responses
@highlyclever (1111)
• United States
20 Aug 08
They sound like lottery winners - who win all sorts of money and then end up broke within a short period of time.
This sort of thing happens to people all of the time. They get some sort of windfall, and the only thing that comes into their minds is "spend it" - and once it's spent, it's gone.
It sounds like you have done better than your parents. Congratulations to you. They are to be pitied for wasting the opportunity that was handed to them.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
8 Aug 08
I wouldn't be happy about that at all. If my parents came into that amount of money and spent it on other stuff other than me and my siblings, then I would be fuming. I actually can't believe this has happened to you.
@srini33333 (710)
• India
9 Aug 08
hey u really have wrtn a lotta posts...how long have u been here?wooow its amazing to see that u have 9975 posts....all t best4 ur 10000...
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
9 Aug 08
thanks. I've been here well over a year now and I mostly respond to posts.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
9 Aug 08
i definitely won't... i'm sorry to say this but i think your parents are being very selfish... if i have that much money, the first thing i will think of is my children... they come first before anything... so for your parents to spend it on their own like that and let their children living poor, it is really very selfish... i don't blame you if you hate them but i hope you can forgive them and forget the past... anyway, you are living happily now as you say... take care and have a nice day...
@danishcanadian (28955)
• Canada
29 Jan 09
If I had a lot of money, I would maintain the middle class lifestyle I'm living now, and put the majority of the money away in the bank, or in an investment somewhere, for later. I like my standard of living, and the money would be better saved, than blown on a bunch of status symbols.
@deltasswat18 (233)
• Singapore
9 Aug 08
Hello,
If I am rich, I will certainly put the money to good use, such as investment so that the generations after me will have a good life to start with.
Regarding about your parents, it is really sad that they decided to spend all the money on activities and enjoyment rather than investing on your siblings and you. However, have u tried to understand their position?
Maybe when they are much younger, their parents never give them much and they have a poor and bad childhood, even all the way until they are married. Thus, they never really get to enjoy themselves much till when they have substantial saving. If this is the case, then you cannot really blame them. You cannot expect them to work hard for the entire life and save up the money for you to spend, it will be too selfish for you then,isn't it?
Like what I always said, first seek to understand then be understood. First try to understand what they have gone through when they are much younger before you give your judgment.
@srini33333 (710)
• India
9 Aug 08
ya a gud question.....if we spend we ll become poor but if we dont spend we ll be called otherwise"miser"...so it ll be better2 invest a gud amount & spend the rest...tht is a wise decision....life is to enjoy tooo
@giantpada (37)
• China
9 Aug 08
oh,i can't believe this.but i believe that all the parents in the world love their kids except someone.maybe thay have reasons to do this.you are adults now, try to talk to them about this.if they really are so selfish,wow,i don't know how to say.
i never know parents like this and i never will be parent like this!
@pkristie7 (606)
• United States
8 Aug 08
Wow, I would be so mad! I grew up without much too, so I know how it is. We could never afford what the other kids had, like cable T.V and the best game systems. My parents worked hard though so I never felt upset about it. If I found out that they could've had more, I would be sick too.
I just can't imagine that. Almost every penny I make goes to my kids. They are all I think about. I always want them to have what I didn't. I want them to have what all of the other kids have and more.
I'm really sorry you found out about this. I hope you can forgive them and learn from their mistakes!
Thanks for sharing.
Kristie
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
8 Aug 08
I would be pretty irritated myself. They could have put part of the money in the bank and let it gain interest. There would have still been enough money to play with.
Sounds to me like your parents were too immature to handle money or be parents.
@moondrop824 (241)
• United States
8 Aug 08
$300,000 is alot of money, but it wasn't your money. Your parents must have had the dream of deep sea fishing and decided to fill it. You say you love your parents very much but yet you speak about them like they are trash. So not cool.
Everyone goes thru hard times growing up but you made it to adulthood and are doing well and you should be proud of yourself, you obviously learned from your ordeal and have sufficed.
I'm sure it's easy to sit here and speak of them like this but your parents sound like they are free souls living the way they want to live. My dad got a large sum of money also and I didn't get a drop of it but a few of his other kids did but did I complain? no. I was happy for them. It just sounds unbelievable that your parents didn't buy you a thing... I'm sure they did but maybe you were just too small to remember, your brother is the one who told you this story so you must have been very small. I'm sure they are not that cruel. $300,000 is not alot in this day and age, i'd have that spent in a day. I think it's your parents own problem that they spent the money foolishly and i'm sure now they think so too, maybe it eats at them everyday when they are all out of things... now does that make you happy? I didn't grow up rich either but I wouldn't hold a grudge for money they recieved so long ago, it's on them.
@pehpot (4762)
• Philippines
8 Aug 08
You know when I first saw your post title I thought about my kids and told myself if I will have a lot of money, the first thing I will do is buy a house. Then I would secure a trust fund for my kids and if still have some I'll buy a house for them and put it up for rent and save the rents for their future. As for me I really don't mind being poor, I am only concern with my kids future. And my husband and I are striving hard to give them the best.
As for your experience, well they are both served. You are living a good life and they are living in motel. Isn't that sweet?
@fortunecookie (13)
• United States
9 Aug 08
I'm not really sure how I would feel about this. I suppose I'd be angry because it sounds selfish of them. My husband recently found out he has 2 sisters he never knew he had before! Imagine that one! LOL
@fcangel9 (51)
• United States
9 Aug 08
You have to wonder what they spent the money on? Im guessing it wasnt material possessions. 300,000 now adays doesnt buy much. A decent house where I live is in that range. I would have put something away for my son tho, I wouldnt let him grow up poor for the sake of my own selfishness. Im sorry to hear the way they have treated you and your siblings, but some people cant overcome greed
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
8 Aug 08
Wow, I would be ticked off! If I ever got money like that my kids would be the first thing I would think of. As soon as my kids were born we started savings accounts for them. And even with money being tight for us right now we still try to put money in their accounts when we can. If I got that much they all 3 would have college funds too. You're right, there isn't much you can do about it now. But I'm sure even though they weren't great parents to begin with this makes you feel even worse about them because they could have made your life much better. Well, I'm glad you got your life going good on your own. Best of luck!