Would you feel guilty if someone asked you this Q..

[Dancing Fire]

do you know how many hungry children you can feed with that rock on your finger?

There are members on watch forums whom wanted to make people feel guilty about buying expensive watches.

making a comment like...why don't you buy a $5K watch instead of a $25k watch and donate $20k to charity?..a lot of good karmas will be heading your way in the future.

 

[yssie]

Nope. Hungry children don't do it for me
Now if they asked "do you know how many cats and dogs you could save"...

I'm comfortable with our spending habits and charitable contributions of both time and money, so no, I wouldn't be inclined to pay attention to gratuitous griping from armchair moralists.

 

[kenny]

No.

 

[braga123]

I learned a long time ago not to allow others to make me feel guilty. When I feel guilty, it is usually self-induced.

 

[KaeKae]

No.
1) I know how much we give to charity and to our church.
2) The first time my stone was set, in 1987, it cost about $100, the second, in 2009, was $500, tops. Not a lot in the bigger scheme of things, but even if it was many, many times that, it was our choice to make, and that money does going into the general economy, does it not?

 

[LaraOnline]

The only person who has ever critiqued my spending on jewellery as frivolour and selfish was so notable to me by her cheapskate attitude to all aspects of life, including charity, that the hypocracy has stayed with me.
We as a family give to nearly a dozen charities on a monthly basis.
My critic, on the other hand, will feed her children only porridge for breakfast year on year to save a few cents.
She most certainly does not have a monthly charity bill.
I rest my case.
My case being: mind your own d*mn business!

 

[TooPatient]

Nope!

I know how much money and time we give to charity. I also know that everything I wear was purchased from a local store so benefits people here locally. It is interesting that the people who usually make the nastiest comments like that are the stingiest penny pinching people you will meet!

Plus, it is our money that we have worked for and can do whatever we want.

 

[JewelFreak]

Somebody will always tell you how to live, on any subject they can think up. I tell them to go eff a duck & do what I want.

 

[missy]

No because I know how much my dh and I give to charities near and dear to our heart and more importantly it's none of their darn business. I don't worry nor do I care what self righteous hypocrites think.

 

[dk168]

I shall spend my hard earned money the way I see fit, if peeps do not like it, it is their problem, not mine.

DK

 

[Meezermom]

Not at all. We make charitable donations throughout the year, but that's something we just do - we are not, nor would we allow being guilted into it.

 

[ringbling17]

Nope, I don't feel guilty at all.

I don't beg, borrow or steal for the things we have and we have worked hard for whatever we have accomplished in our lives.

My husband and I do everything for ourselves and our four kids on our own, without ever having any help from his or my family, or anyone for that matter.

We have both dedicated our lives to helping others in need, my husband worked for the NYPD as a police officer and retired as a lieutenant and I am a NICU nurse, so everyday, we do for others before we do for ourselves.

We donate to charity once in awhile but prefer to donate food and clothing rather than money.

 

[Karl_K]

no not a lot.

I have wondered what kind of good works could be done with all the money spent by posters in RT in any given month.
So its not just rude people who ponder it but most would not say anything.

 

[momhappy]

I think that any compassionate human being would be affected by a comment of that nature. As much as we may not want to think about it, there is some truth to it.
Having said that, we all make choices in regards to our finances. Some spend, some save, some donate - many if us do a combination of those things. I didn't grow up with money (quite the opposite actually) and now I feel very fortunate for the financial situation that I am in. My DH and I have worked hard for our money and although we feel that we deserve to enjoy it on certain levels, we also struggle with it. We try to add balance by making charitable donations/contributions each year.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

No, we all make our choices on how to spend our money. I do not discuss how I spend my money with most people, especially not people who would ask this kind of question. To be honest, no one has ever asked me this!

 

[SB621]

No because I know how much my dh and I give to charities near and dear to our heart and more importantly it's none of their darn business. I don't worry nor do I care what self righteous hypocrites think.

BAM and plus 1 to that!

 

[packrat]

No. Anyone asking me this question better be living a la Mother Teresa and be pure as the driven snow.

 

[AprilBaby]

Nope.

 

[Circe]

Emotionally? Yes, I would feel guilty, because I would love to be able to save every kid out there, every adult as well. But I would beggar myself in the process, because there is an endless tidal wave of inequality and suffering and exploitation, and it is something that needs to be addressed on a systemic level, and not on a purely individual level.

I'm more of the Warren Buffet school: raise taxes. Adopt a first-world social safety net. And then extend it globally as far as possible. So I donate to charity ... and I think more importantly, to the political campaigns that I think will enact the changes I want to see. Nobody's watch is going to make a difference. Not even everybody's watch would make a difference. Universal health-care, free school lunches, decriminalization of victimless crimes that are disproportionately punished among minorities, job support and retraining for ex-convicts, protection and welfare assistance for victims of domestic violence, child-care for women in poverty enabling them to work and rise up in the world ... the list is endless.

 

[aviastar]

My purchase did feed hungry children; the jewelers', the stone dealers', the miners'. And the general populations' cause I paid taxes on it.

People have no sense of social boundaries, seriously.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

No! I'd asked the person what makes them think I haven't given to charities or helped tons of people out!

 

[Sky56]

I agree. Anyone who would ask that question is rude.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I wouldn't feel at all guilty. I would be my usual flippant self and ask "Are there no workhouses?"

 

[Indylady]

Yes and no.

Yes, I would feel a little guilty. I have a good life, and I'm grateful for it. But no, because I don't actually spend that much on jewelry and don't even have any single piece that is over 1K (I used to, but sold it recently to make headway on student loans). Also, I'm sure anyone asking me has a similar hobby/interest/activity that they spend a comparable amount of money on, so that would definitely cross my mind.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I'm more of the Warren Buffet school: raise taxes. Adopt a first-world social safety net. And then extend it globally as far as possible. So I donate to charity ... and I think more importantly, to the political campaigns that I think will enact the changes I want to see. Nobody's watch is going to make a difference. Not even everybody's watch would make a difference. Universal health-care, free school lunches, decriminalization of victimless crimes that are disproportionately punished among minorities, job support and retraining for ex-convicts, protection and welfare assistance for victims of domestic violence, child-care for women in poverty enabling them to work and rise up in the world ... the list is endless.

We can tax Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to death and still wouldn't solve out $17 trillion deficit problem.

 

[LaraOnline]

I'm more of the Warren Buffet school: raise taxes. Adopt a first-world social safety net. And then extend it globally as far as possible. So I donate to charity ... and I think more importantly, to the political campaigns that I think will enact the changes I want to see. Nobody's watch is going to make a difference. Not even everybody's watch would make a difference. Universal health-care, free school lunches, decriminalization of victimless crimes that are disproportionately punished among minorities, job support and retraining for ex-convicts, protection and welfare assistance for victims of domestic violence, child-care for women in poverty enabling them to work and rise up in the world ... the list is endless.

We can tax Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to death and still wouldn't solve out $17 trillion deficit problem.

France is an interesting example of targeting the mega-rich in taxes...the mega-rich have left the country...the government is still spending heaps of money (including high salaries and benefits for an ever growing legion of public servants) ...yet the poor are - well, they're rioting eek.

 

[hippi_pixi]

but what would you actually reply if someone asked you this question in real life? a relative, a friend, a work acquaintance or a complete stranger?

I don't think on my feet very well so would reply something really lame and then think of something great to say later

 

[missy]

but what would you actually reply if someone asked you this question in real life? a relative, a friend, a work acquaintance or a complete stranger?

I don't think on my feet very well so would reply something really lame and then think of something great to say later

I would not feel the need to justify myself or my actions in this case. No one has ever asked me this question thankfully but if someone did it would depend on who it was. A stranger I would just ignore. A work acquaintance I would say that is a very rude question and none of their business and depends on the family member. I cannot imagine any family asking me this question though because my family knows how much we give to charities and do for others so no way they would say this. In any case it is an incredibly rude question and just none of anyone's business what you do with your money. Period.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I'm more of the Warren Buffet school: raise taxes. Adopt a first-world social safety net. And then extend it globally as far as possible. So I donate to charity ... and I think more importantly, to the political campaigns that I think will enact the changes I want to see. Nobody's watch is going to make a difference. Not even everybody's watch would make a difference. Universal health-care, free school lunches, decriminalization of victimless crimes that are disproportionately punished among minorities, job support and retraining for ex-convicts, protection and welfare assistance for victims of domestic violence, child-care for women in poverty enabling them to work and rise up in the world ... the list is endless.

We can tax Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to death and still wouldn't solve out $17 trillion deficit problem.

France is an interesting example of targeting the mega-rich in taxes...the mega-rich have left the country...the government is still spending heaps of money (including high salaries and benefits for an ever growing legion of public servants) ...yet the poor are - well, they're rioting eek.

No difference here in the US people are moving out of the high taxed states.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I would actually answer by saying,"no I don't know how many children I could feed. Why don't you tell me,".
I would expect no answer from them. Let them calculate and get back to you. Of course you will not give them any info on price you paid. After all, its their statement.


Put them to work!

Annette