I think the only tangible benefit from wealth that I appreciate seems to come from service. It's nice to have a concierge that you can ask to do whatever. It's nice to not have to perform certain tasks. But I don't know if I have the right mentality to deal with service workers. I like them. I want to hang out with them. I have trouble asking for stuff. So in my day to day life, even if I could afford it, I think I'd rather handle most of the gruntwork myself.

bon, for the record, I don't think you're an asshole. I think this guy's asshole perception is coming from a couple of places. First, those of us outside of that environment perceive that his comparison scale is off-kilter from ours. And secondly, I think people feel like he has chosen that lifestyle for himself (work location, home location, job, hours, pay scale) but is complaining about it. Either it's miserable enough that he should (and clearly could) leave, or it's something he can choose to live with and he should (and clearly could) stay. I think it's the complaining part that's making people react to him.

Also, okay, what are people's gas prices right now? I think we're around $2.85 in Arizona. Dana, yours are definitely low; we always fill up when we're in Oklahoma & Texas. You'd think that New Mexico would be low, too, we're driving past all those oil rigs, but no, theirs was usually higher than Arizona, although not right now.

I, like Kathy, have an ambivalent relationship with money. I'm well-paid, but the cost of living around here is nuts. And in many ways, the House O' Reason is a one-income house, because freelance art is not exactly a lucrative gig. (Pete has a whole rant about it.) We're doing well enough that we can eat out when we want, I can buy most of the toys and clothes I want if I save my spending money for a few weeks, and the only debt we have is the mortgage. But I wouldn't call us wealthy by any stretch.

Upstate NY- $3.05 for gas

Halifax: The average price is $1.09/liter. (a little less than x4 for per gallon.)

Dana, yours are definitely low; we always fill up when we're in Oklahoma & Texas.

Yeah, we're usually around the national average, if not below it. I paid $2.69/gallon for my last tank of gas, though I do make an effort to find the lowest price around, within reason.

Floating around $2.60 a gallon here, though that's down significantly from last week.

Yeah, I don't see bon bon whining about her lifestyle a whole lot. That's the difference for me. And I did take the "nobody" comment negatively.

For me, a lot of money comes down to a time/convenience vs. money thing. Like, it's easier and faster to eat out or order in, but it costs more. It's cheaper to use cloth diapers, but it's a lot more work in terms of laundry. Shopping for bargains is time-consuming, so I'm more likely to order needed things for higher prices on the internets (and pay shipping.) Unfortunately, I am currently in a position where neither money nor time is abundant.

About $3 in my neighbourhood, I guess. I drive so little these days I don't keep an eye out like I used to.

At the rate they're going, this is the world's most expensive breakfast. Because I have a $250 copay, and that's all they've done for me so far.

I've gotten an insane amount of work done considering I'm having difficulty focussing, but still.

But I don't know if I have the right mentality to deal with service workers. I like them. I want to hang out with them. I have trouble asking for stuff. So in my day to day life, even if I could afford it, I think I'd rather handle most of the gruntwork myself.

There is a leak in our fridge that my housemate has never dealt with, and the bottom of the fridge under the drawers was nast. Even though we have (relatively expensive) cleaning people that come twice a month, I couldn't ask someone else to clean that, I had to do it myself.