Community Chat

[Mominohio]

My mom watches HGTV often and will call me to catch bits of some of the shows where people are house hunting, and wanting everything in a house. That, along with many people I know over the years and their house buying strategies makes me think that (in general, not everyone fits the bill) on the whole, Americans are so spoiled in what they expect to have and more importantly in what they think they NEED.

I'm the first to say that if you work for your money, you should spend it however you see fit. I have no problem with wealth, or people who live very high lifestyles if they earn it. What I have a problem with it what people claim to need. Ultimately we need food, water, and shelter for survival, and most after that is to make our lives easier.

I grew up in the 60's and 70's in a middle class neighborhood. Very Catholic centered (though we were not) large families. People were successfully raising between 7 and 12 kids with one bathroom, and maybe a second or half bath for a couple of the families. Kids shared rooms, the houses were older with large bedrooms, and sometimes 4 kids shared one room, but at least two to a room. I was the only girl in my neighborhood to have my own room. There were no man caves, no elaborate back yards, never more than a two car garage, because not many people owned more than two cars, and early on even that was rare. There were very few family rooms, and they were just fixed over basements, no open concept kitchen areas, but the food was just as good. All those kids grew up, many of us went to college, got jobs and lived just fine then as well as now.

It seems today, people (and not all of them that young) think they "need" so much. "We need a four bedroom house", "we need at least three bathrooms", "we need at least a three car garage" and on and on.

Then when you get to the creature comforts, like TV in every room, central air, a kitchen that costs more than I paid for my first house with all the latest appliances, first floor laundry rooms that are the size of a small efficiency apartment, it drives me nuts. They act like they won't survive if they don't get it. Many think they are entitled to it. There seems to be no more "starter" home mentality.

I've come to the age where I believe that the more you have, the more work (and time and money and stress) it takes to have it and keep it up. I like nice things and homes as well as the next person, but when it comes right down to it, Americans are just spoiled in the way we live, what we expect, and what we think is "necessary".

[~moxie~]

People should be able to do what they want, whether they are modest or extravagant. It is none of my business.

[deepwaterdotter]

Then you would love my house, relatively small with few "creature comforts".

[NoelSeven]

It's a show. Do people who watch reality TV not realize they're not watching average Americans?

Reality shows are for the drama and the players all know that. It's instigated. For sure, the producers don't want Mr. & Mrs. Milktoast on their programs.

[------]

When you speak about ""need"" and ""want"" I have to ask you who ""needs"" 7 to 12 kids? Doesn't that fall into the ""want"" category?

People have different needs and wants. As long as they can afford it who am I to say anything.

[bikerbabe]

In lower to lower-middle class neighborhoods that attitude is not the norm. The shows on HGTV are scripted. That attitude does reflect a portion of the population but many in the hardest hit areas when the economy tanked have just looked to survive the past 5 years without ending up on the street. In my town nearly everyone I know from low income to high income either went bankrupt or foreclosure or had to downsize in some way to avoid it.

[Surfnturf]

I remember when we shopped for our first house. It was a basic split level home, but to me it was a mansion because we buying instead of renting. The home we live in today is rather basic as well, just bigger than the first one. I have noticed from watching those shows, many expectations are very high.

[brii]

I don't worry about other people.

I don't think people are spoiled if they want to have one child in one bedroom or a first floor laundry room.

I have a friend who lives in an old home. The closets in that house are so tiny and she is always complaining there is no room to put things away. That doesn't seem worth it to me.

But to each their own...

[hckynut]

The difference between the way I lived in the past and now has not changed. Many people of this era can't tell the difference between a "want" and a "need". I always worked for what I wanted and/or needed. That said I am still very frugal with how I spend my money because remember how it was when being raised by a single mother along with my 3 older sisters and living in public housing.

Sure I've got a lot of things I don't need, but I've always valued my free time much more than any luxury in my life. If I had to work overtime for something I wanted? That is what I did and the same if it was for something I needed and it wasn't in my 40 hour work budget.

My life was more than working to me and how much $$$ I could pile up for the future. My future, for the most part, was always my present and to me that meant I wanted to live for the now, not for a future that I may never experience. Day by day was and is my way of life.

[straykatz]

It's all for drama.....personally I think some of these shows are way over the top....whining because there are no stainless appliances?....seriously....buy your own......and while I understand the appeal towards granite why has that become a make it or break it deal when house shopping?.....I saw one of these house hunter shows the other night where the wife had to have something in a certian neighborhood close to the beach even if it meant paying 2x the square footage....of course it all came down to happy wifey = happy lifey for the man who really tried to be pratical about price and their future plans for children...the itty bitty house they bought (barely 800 sq ft) isn't going to work when they have kids.