how do you respond

[Deleted]

How do you respond when someone asks you what you paid for something? To me, that is a personal question. I don't care if I paid $4 for a pair of jeans at a garage sale or $100 at the mall. It is none of their business. I am usually caught off guard with questions like that.

It also bothers me when someone tells me something I have is out of their price range. One person in particular won't pay $20 for a necklace but she will buy a rain jacket for $300. The necklace is out of her price range (we were looking at a catalog.) Well honey, the rain jacket you bought is out of my price range but I keep that to myself.

[Green Eyed Lady]

Just say you paid $2.99 at WalMart. 

However, if I saw a $300.00 necklace and a $300.00 coat, the necklace would be out of my price range but the coat would not. I don't need the necklace, but I need a coat. My budget for jewelry will be a whole lot less than my budget for protective winter clothing.  The same would go for a rain coat.  I need something that will keep me dry so I'd spend a bit more for quality.  That doesn't necessarily mean I would spend the same amount on a luxury item

[Deleted]

If someone ever asked me what I paid for something I'd just tell them.   I can't say I ever recall it happening though. 

[Tennesseer]

Tell them it was a gift and you have no idea the cost.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I just share the price.  I don't really care.

I don't care what their reaction is to my response either.   It says more about them than it does about me.

You seem to spend an awful lot of time getting bothered by and thinking about other people's comments.   That's all you post about.

You might find life more enjoyable if you quit investing so much time in analyzing what other people think/say.

[andi9899]

Small things I don't mind. Maybe you were getting ready to pay more for something I have and will buy it somewhere else at a better price since you know how much I paid for it. Big things like my car or my house and other big ticket items are none of your business and you won't get an answer. But if I got my shoes or a gadget somewhere and I can point you to a sale, I don't mind.

[Deleted]

May 2, 2016 8:55:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

If someone ever asked me what I paid for something I'd just tell them.   I can't say I ever recall it happening though. 

Oh my gosh. It happens to me a lot. It must be the company I keep.

I never had children so I often hear remarks about how much money I must have.

Ugh!

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Maybe it's time to keep new company.  It seems like all the company you keep does is irritate you.

[Green Eyed Lady]

May 2, 2016 8:59:43 GMT -5 @bluester said:

May 2, 2016 8:55:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

If someone ever asked me what I paid for something I'd just tell them.   I can't say I ever recall it happening though. 

Oh my gosh. It happens to me a lot. It must be the company I keep.

I never had children so I often hear remarks about how much money I must have.

Ugh!

Me, too!  I probably should have way more money since I don't have kids, but I work for it, it's mine, and I'll spend it like I want to spend it. As long as I'm not asking for the government or anybody else to take care of me now or in my retirement, I feel like I'm good to go.

[Deleted]

May 2, 2016 9:00:48 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Maybe it's time to keep new company.  It seems like all the company you keep does is irritate you.

Thank you for your advice.

[Deleted]

May 2, 2016 8:59:43 GMT -5 @bluester said:

May 2, 2016 8:55:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

If someone ever asked me what I paid for something I'd just tell them.   I can't say I ever recall it happening though. 

Oh my gosh. It happens to me a lot. It must be the company I keep.

I never had children so I often hear remarks about how much money I must have.

Ugh!

On this board there is lots of what did this or that cost...especially on Carl's threads, LOL, but it's a money board.    In real life, I honestly can't recall anyone ever asking me how much an article of clothing cost or anything like that.  I'm sure it probably has happened, I just didn't think enough of it to store it away in long term memory.

[midjd]

I don't recall being asked, either, although I'm sure I've volunteered how much I've paid or where I got something if it's a good deal. ("Nice boots!" "Thanks, they were on super sale at Target!" etc.) 

I don't see being irritated by it unless it's used as a segue into asking to borrow money or complaining about your spending choices... 

[sarcasticgirl]

May 2, 2016 9:11:48 GMT -5 midjd said:

I don't recall being asked, either, although I'm sure I've volunteered how much I've paid or where I got something if it's a good deal. ("Nice boots!" "Thanks, they were on super sale at Target!" etc.) 

I don't see being irritated by it unless it's used as a segue into asking to borrow money or complaining about your spending choices... 

I'm always telling people "On sale at target for $15! go! BUY!" 

[Deleted]

My sister shops at Goodwill all.of.the.time. and often tells us what she paid for things. She lives in a bigger city where there are several Goodwill stores. Sometimes she will go during her lunch break. Good for her. I am glad she made the choice to live in a bigger city.

The nearest Goodwill store is 100 miles from me. There is a church thrift store 20 miles from me. I do not get to those types of stores very often. I made the choice to live in a rural area. Sometimes I pay full price for things online, but most times I wait for sales.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

May 2, 2016 9:21:04 GMT -5 @bluester said:

My sister shops at Goodwill all.of.the.time. and often tells us what she paid for things. She lives in a bigger city where there are several Goodwill stores. Sometimes she will go during her lunch break. Good for her. I am glad she made the choice to live in a bigger city.

The nearest Goodwill store is 100 miles from me. There is a church thrift store 20 miles from me. I do not get to those types of stores very often. I made the choice to live in a rural area. Sometimes I pay full price for things online, but most times I wait for sales.

Have you ever thought of  telling her you don't care what she paid for X can you please talk about something else?

I like to hunt thrift stores for items, it's a challenge for me.   I have to remind myself sometimes other people don't get into it as much as I do. 

[Anne_in_VA]

I sometimes get asked about the price I paid for something and how I answer will depend who is asking me.  If it's clothing or something small and the person asking is a good friend or a family member, I'll tell them if I remember.  If I don't remember, then I say so.  

If it's a stranger, I usually say it was a gift or that I've had it a while and don't remember.  

[Bonny]

I usually volunteer too but am working on that. I've gotten a few raised eyebrows and one recoil in horror when I mentioned buying some things at Goodwill, Lol!

I did pause a moment when one of my acquaintances asked me how much I paid for a rental house.

But in context it made sense; they are thinking about buying a house in the Coastal San Diego and trying to get an idea of what it will cost.

Besides they are both German and I can tell you from personal experience, they are quite blunt.

I thought about teasing them about that but thought better of it.

[Deleted]

May 2, 2016 9:25:41 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

May 2, 2016 9:21:04 GMT -5 @bluester said:

My sister shops at Goodwill all.of.the.time. and often tells us what she paid for things. She lives in a bigger city where there are several Goodwill stores. Sometimes she will go during her lunch break. Good for her. I am glad she made the choice to live in a bigger city.

The nearest Goodwill store is 100 miles from me. There is a church thrift store 20 miles from me. I do not get to those types of stores very often. I made the choice to live in a rural area. Sometimes I pay full price for things online, but most times I wait for sales.

Have you ever thought of  telling her you don't care what she paid for X can you please talk about something else?

I like to hunt thrift stores for items, it's a challenge for me.   I have to remind myself sometimes other people don't get into it as much as I do. 

One time I told her I didn't care what she paid for something and she got mad at me. When I change the subject, she quits talking.

I like going to thrift stores too when I am out of town. I also enjoy going to garage sales. I don't get out of town too often though.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

One time I told her I didn't care what she paid for something and she got mad at me. When I change the subject, she quits talking.

So?   That is her problem, not yours.   Eventually she'll get the message that if she wants to talk it's not going to be about Goodwill.

Or you can give her a time limit, she gets 10 minutes to talk non-stop about Goodwill and then you get to talk about something else.

[Deleted]

May 2, 2016 9:30:59 GMT -5 Bonny said:

I usually volunteer too but am working on that. I've gotten a few raised eyebrows and one recoil in horror when I mentioned buying some things at Goodwill, Lol!

I did pause a moment when one of my acquaintances asked me how much I paid for a rental house.

But in context it made sense; they are thinking about buying a house in the Coastal San Diego and trying to get an idea of what it will cost.

Besides they are both German and I can tell you from personal experience, they are quite blunt.

I thought about teasing them about that but thought better of it.

Now see, I find asking about what one paid for real estate to be less weird than asking about jeans or jewelry. 

It's all public record anyhow.  It just saves me the trouble of looking it up! 

[Bonny]

May 2, 2016 9:37:59 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

May 2, 2016 9:30:59 GMT -5 Bonny said:

I usually volunteer too but am working on that. I've gotten a few raised eyebrows and one recoil in horror when I mentioned buying some things at Goodwill, Lol!

I did pause a moment when one of my acquaintances asked me how much I paid for a rental house.

But in context it made sense; they are thinking about buying a house in the Coastal San Diego and trying to get an idea of what it will cost.

Besides they are both German and I can tell you from personal experience, they are quite blunt.

I thought about teasing them about that but thought better of it.

Now see, I find asking about what one paid for real estate to be less weird than asking about jeans or jewelry. 

It's all public record anyhow.  It just saves me the trouble of looking it up! 

Exactly.

I did just think about a coffee shop conversation I had with a girlfriend. We didn't discuss NW but we did discuss my LTV (loan to value) on my properties. This a girlfriend I went to college with, we were briefly real estate sales partners, I sold her one of her properties and she's in the process of trying to figure out what do to with her portfolio.

We were definitely getting into each other's financial business and in a way that most people would find VERY intrusive!

[shanendoah]

I tell people. I honestly believe that one of the reasons our country, and so many people in it, are in financial trouble is because we have decided talking about finances and the cost of things is taboo. How is anyone supposed to learn if no one ever talks about it. And I think it's great when people know their financial priorities - Willing to spend $300 on a good quality rain coat, but not $100 on a necklace is not a bad thing. I don't know why people would be offended with open talk about financial priorities.

That said, I have no idea what I paid for the necklace I am wearing. I just don't remember - it's not something important enough to me to track. So if you ask me what the necklace cost, your likely to get an answer along the lines of "I don't know, I bought it at Goodwill, so probably only a couple of dollars" or "I bought it at the Aquarium gift shop, so probably more than it should have".

Now, my house is a matter of public record, so I'll certainly tell people. I also live in an area that's going through another bubble (my house as apparently appreciated $6,000/month in the 10 months I've lived in it - that's unsustainable), so I think it's really important that people talk about those things.
My cars are a little different story, but I still think it's important for people to realize and understand that cost of things new and used, and understand what you actually get for your money, and what things, if you really want them (oh how I love my heated seats), you are going to have to pay for.

[swamp]

either I tell them honestly, or I say "One Meeellion Dollars" a la Dr. Evil.

[milee]

If I'm excited that I got a bargain, I like to talk about it if someone asks. If I think it might sound braggy or otherwise make things uncomfortable, I either joke about it or say I don't know because it was a birthday gift - yes, I am a chicken about money talk sometimes.

$300 is on the low end of what good sailing gear will cost. And the very worst part about it is that you've spent your $$$, and if you're a woman, it isn't even like it's that attractive. You look like a deranged version of the Gorton's fisherman because all the good racing gear is designed for and built for (mostly European) MEN. So you're out all that cash and you aren't looking all that glam. But at least you're dry and toasty so it's all good.

[bean29]

For me, it usually depends on Why I think someone is asking.

How much did your patio cost - I don't know DH paid for it (Pretty much the truth).  Same for the deck, although I could probably come up with the lumber receipts.  The patio pavers - that invoice was never in my house I am pretty sure DH has no intention of letting me know.  I did a back of the envelope calculation based on an invoice I did find and I think he is right (I don't want to think about it).  I do know pretty much what the labor cost though.

How much did we pay for our house/how much is your house worth?  I may or may not answer this question.  If I think the info is relevant to the person asking - I will probably tell them.  If I think they are being nosey especially to be critical of me I will give a vague answer (I know that they can look it up online, but many people are too lazy to do so).  Actually I do not know how much it is worth vs. assessment.  I know what the city says it is worth, but chances are their number is pie in the sky high so that they can squeeze every last penny out of me for property taxes.  Unless I try to sell my house - I don't know if I will ever really know.  Since DH and I have vastly different concepts about what the next property will be (I would prefer SFH or detached ranch condo in a subdivision) DH wants a rural ranch with a pole barn to store all his friends toys (I headache I want nothing to do with but but they are going to pay him Rent).  I guess I will just stay in my house until I die.

I shop at Goodwill on occasion, but I find they are often expensive for the quality offered.  I have found some good deals there, so I am not really scornful of people that shop there, if you have more time you can go on the days they get new stock and the days they mark stuff down and score.

I feel we have generally not done as well as one might expect on used appliances and furniture so I try to plan for the appliance obsolescence and hit a sale like the fall remodeling/old inventory clearance sales or Black Friday events.  My kitchen appliances were mostly bought in 2005, so some of them are hitting close to obsolescence dates I am going to have to replace all due to color so I am going to hope I can last out another 3-4 years.

Where did I buy something clothing wise or furniture wise? I am probably truthful but as far as how much I will say I got it on sale, I don't remember exactly.

how much.  My living room furniture, I think we did OK on the price, but I have a heart attach every time I look at the price, someone who doesn't have our income, our size living room etc. doesn't really need to know.

[Deleted]

People rarely ask but most of the time they've either made a similar purchase or are considering it so it's more data-gathering. If I remember I'll tell them.

[flamingo]

For me, it really depends on who is asking. I have a lot more disposable income than 2 of my closest friends, so I don't always want to tell them what things cost me. I get a lot of "Oh, i love your new skirt, how much did it cost? I wish I had enough money to buy a new skirt." type comments. Which is annoying, but I know this particular friend's finances are tight so I let it go. Most times I just respond with "oh, this? I got it on sale at Macy's" or wherever, and then change the topic.

My mother, I tell her the details if she asks. But we also shop together fairly often, so she's there when I pay so she knows what I'm paying for things.

It's not really anyone's business, but I'm not ashamed of what I spend. It's not like I'm putting myself in the poor house by buying a new skirt, or jewelry, or whatever. I just don't always feel the need to advertise it.

[tskeeter]

May 2, 2016 8:55:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

If someone ever asked me what I paid for something I'd just tell them.   I can't say I ever recall it happening though. 

That's a MN polite thing.  When you can't even stand face to face with the person you're having a casual conversation with, how do you ask a question as personal as how much someone paid for something?

[Deleted]

May 2, 2016 12:48:03 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

May 2, 2016 8:55:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

If someone ever asked me what I paid for something I'd just tell them.   I can't say I ever recall it happening though. 

That's a MN polite thing.  When you can't even stand face to face with the person you're having a casual conversation with, how do you ask a question as personal as how much someone paid for something?

Considering the conversation I was just involved in over lunch, I don't think talking about personal things is a problem. 

I just think (among the people I hang out with anyhow) when it comes to what you paid for a pair of jeans, it's more of a "who cares?" thing that it never gets brought up.

[MJ2.0]

The well to do colleague is always telling me how much her things cost. I just learned to put on a great poker face and say "oh, okay". "Oh, okay" to the $2400 Adele concert tix, the $600 Burberry coat (on sale), the $1200 LV bag....