Community Chat

[KarenQVC]

I saw an article in Daily Mail that the more $ you make, the less time you spend with family and neighbors.  While the rich socialize less in general, they socialize relatively more with friends. 

Some people thought it was caused by living away from home.  Others though it was because the rich are not economically dependent.

Does this make sense to you?

[151949]

I know many women who are married to "successful" men and they all complain that their husbands are never home so it does seem to me that it takes an extraordinary amount of work and time to be "successful". So I suppose it is a choice between success and family for many people. 

[chickenbutt]

I saw something, just yesterday, from a slightly different perspective.  It took place somewhere in China.  The people needed to work away from their home, and for long hours, in order to make enough money to feed their families.

As a consequence of this, they didn't get to be with their families much and basically only got to go see their kids, who were being taken care of by THEIR parents, about twice a year.

It was like they had no choice - they had to make money to support their own families, but couldn't do so in a way where they were able to spend much time with their families.

[deepwaterdotter]

"Cat's in the Cradle".

[dex]

I see people out with their families and friends but each is wrapped up in their cell phone so maybe we have a new culture with a different perspective on quality time.I can understand working long hours to get ahead but when you are with people in person then I think you should give them your attention.

[SahmIam]

Those that I know that make $$$$ (including my own family) are rarely home. When both spouses are making $$$$, the kids are either in boarding school or have nannies because no one is home or the hours working are not conducive to the hours children need you.

I was raised by a nanny and attended boarding school. I will say that when I chose to have children, I knew they would NOT be raised the way I, cousins and friends were raised.

Not worth it in ANY way.

[hckynut]

I have always valued my free time over any amount of $$$$.  1 of my 3 older sisters is the total opposite.

had i worked all the OT hours my company wanted me to work when i was working the 4pm-Midnight shift for years when in my 20's? i would not have had a Social Life.

$$$$ has never and will never be that important to me. I chose not to have a family and what i said above was the major part of that choice.

I really don't care what any article or study says, i saw up close and personal  what happened to many of my co-workers families when they chose all the OT $$$$ over time with their families, and it was not "Happy "Days" times.

hnj

[millieshops]

I can name several people I've known who have been hugely successful financially.  One was basically a playboy for the majority of his life, another a workaholic who spent easily half of his working days on the road, and a third who has made his millions working out of his own home.

What I don't know personally is a big enough sampler of successful workers to know what the majority of them do, but I do believe they generally put in far more than a 40 hour work week.  Their earnings certainly give them plenty of financial options, but I don't think free time is one of them.

[KarenQVC]

Of my friends' kids, the ones who made it big have less time for their parents.  Could it be because they don't need any $ from their parents and aren't concerned about being let out of the will?

[Shorty2U]

The few people I know that are "very well to do with money", do tend to mingle a lot with friends, but they also do family things.

But here is what I do notice. We have 2 relatives that are doing well as in have really great high paying jobs. BUT they commute so far to and from work and are never home to enjoy their beautiful homes. They basically get up early to commute, get home in time to eat dinner and go to bed and go right back to work.  

Which makes me glad my husband works early and is done early (and although we live in the country, we are very close to his job). My husband gets done work at 130 one week and 230 the next week (as in he rotates those every other week) So we have the entire rest of the afernoons and evening to do things together. (Plus hes off Sundays and thats our date day where we go out to movies, and or out to eat etc).

The bottom line is, I dont think anyone should make their job their whole life. Here is an exception to when I said above people do family things too. My one cousin just got a divorce, because her husband works 12 to 15 hours a day! Sure they had everything they wanted, but their marriage suffered with his working so much.