They say money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you new teeth. Or therapy. Or a few members of Congress. And if these things don't make you smile, I don't know what does.
A few weeks ago, Redditor u/TheDeathSummoner posted a question: "What would you like to buy for yourself, but can't afford it?" Other users immediately started replying, listing all the things they wish they could invest in.
The honest answers paint a vivid picture of what's important to people and honestly, it's sad to see that so many folks lack basic necessities. They do, however, remind us to stay humble and respect each other as everyone is fighting their own battle.
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I’m homeless and have been living in a shuttle bus for a year so my prospective might be not be as exciting as others. I’d like to buy shelter. A home or a condo would be great but even an acre of land where I could build a small home. Just some place to call home.
My babies.
Chemo made me infertile at 34 before I had the chance to have a baby.
I have 12 embryos in a testube. Can't afford to use them.
The cost of living is notoriously high in the US but it varies by state. Last year, GoBankingRates determined the necessary living wage in each one using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. This popular general budgeting principle allocates 50% of annual income to necessities like housing, 30% to discretionary expenses like travel, and the remaining 20% to savings.
The median necessary living wage across the entire US was $67,690. The state with the lowest annual living wage turned out to be Mississippi, with $58,321. The state with the highest living wage was Hawaii, with $136,437. Other expensive states (surprise surprise) included New York and California, which have notoriously high costs of living and expensive housing markets.
A future where I can live comfortably. Not rich. Just not having to choose between paying all of rent and electricity or food
Therapy
If you wanna talk, I'll talk with you. I'm serious. Maybe we could help each other out with a little listening. Not enough people listen when people talk. I have no one to hear me when I have something to say. I am a listener and would like to have someone hear me when I do talk. It's hard. People wonder why I was always so quiet. This is why.
u/TheDeathSummoner said they came up with the idea for this post out of curiosity. "I took a second job earlier this year to be able to buy extra things besides necessities for my family, so I just wanted to see what other people want but can't afford," the Redditor told Bored Panda.
All the replies made u/TheDeathSummoner really grateful for what they do already have. "They made me realize that I currently own the majority of things that are on people's minds, like a house, health insurance, a car, a PC, etc. I'm blessed."
The Redditor said they don't know if money can make you content. "It does, however, relieve a great amount of stress that casts a shadow over your life," they added.
New teeth.
It's like....thousands and thousands of dollars to get dental implants. Or anything not dentures. It sucks.
India thrives on medical tourism. We get quite a few patients from countries like USA because they cannot afford the treatment in their country.
A mountain cottage deep in the wilderness. With endless views, forests on its doorstep and a stream nearby. No neighbours for miles, plenty of wildlife and a massive fireplace that is on permanently when the snows arrive.
I would love to be out of debt. It would only take 35k
Seriously I would love that more than any single item
A really good, actually water-resistant raincoat and/or a pair of rain trousers.
For context, I live in the Netherlands where it rains for maybe 3/4 of the year (this is how it feels,anyway) and as I’m on a bike for much of that, a good raincoat or other rain gear is necessary. But the good ones are pretty expensive so I just end up buying the cheap ones, which wear and tear pretty quick, so I guess in the long run I’m spending more money but I can’t avoid it. It’s like the Vime’s Boots theory but with rain gear.
I had to think about Vimes while reading this, and at the end you mention it yourself!
Operation for my eyes…
I can’t drive and I’m 28…, no one knows but I hate it so much…
The hardest part is to look for a job if you have really bad eyes…
And glasses don’t work well.
I have 60% with my glasses
Life sucks sometimes but we have people that have bigger problems so…
Looking on zillow and seeing housing that's considered safe, clean, and in a good area starts at 500k and that's just depressing.
I wouldn't mind owning some members of Congress. Get some laws passed that I want.
It would be expensive, but big companies have shown that it's possible.
A new lung.
A month-long all expenses paid trip to Scandinavia to chase the Northern Lights
An island to live out the remainder of days on. Strolling up and down the beach, sleeping under coconut trees in a hammock, fishing, swimming and generally living a quiet and peaceful life to the end!
A breast reduction.
I saw a meme or something the other day that said "Wouldn't it be great if the the women that wanted a reduction could send boob to women that wanted an enlargement. Kinda like Venmo or Paypal for titties. And going along with the theme of this article, I'd buy a cure for cancer so all the newly reduced or enlarged ta ta's would be safe and secure on their chests.
A place to live. A vehicle. Real privacy. The capacity to make enough money to take a week off ever. Insurance. I know it seems like I am young based off the lack of things. I live on my own, and have for a number of years. I will be married soon. Trying to make a living wage is very difficult.
Best wishes for your marriage and you will get all of these things. Just work hard and keep your priorities in line.
A college degree in the United States. Still paying back student loans from 1996.
A house
Who wouldn't? It's just outrageous that young people can't buy a house because they are either too expensive or just aren't there. In the Netherlands people are paying exorbitant prices for terraced houses that do not stand out in anything, except for the fact that they are for sale. In Amsterdam people pay €1 million for a house that would have costed them less than €250 000 10 years ago.
An early retirement.
I don't even need early retirement; I just want to know I don't have work until the day I die
Always wanted to buy my nans house and my house and make them into 1 (we live next door) but if i won the lottery id buy the street"
A Sprinter van that’s been converted into an RV. I would take that thing camping everywhere.
A good office chair. The one I have at my home desk now kills my back, but the good ones are all too much for a student like me.
A hot tub. I’ve got a number of health issues and sitting in the hot water is extremely helpful. I know there are super cheap ones that are inflatable and for like one person, but my dad had one of those and got an electric shock touching the water after having it only a few months, so now I’m afraid of the real cheap ones.
An air conditioner.
I have aircon for the first time in my life - I felt like a brand new person last summer! Where I live in Australia, it regularly gets over 40c in summer.
IVF so I can have a child
A car. A farm. Some animals to keep me company. And a fancy water colouring set. Oh and my dream wardrobe
Oh,a canvas to paint and paint ,brushes! I 've always wanted one as a child.
Note: this post originally had 34 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I wish I had a lot of money so I could start a animal shelter. Working with animals was my dream and it was the happiest time of my life. I wouldnt be able to do it anymore but i could manage it, give an opportunity to abandoned animals and give jobs to kind animal lovers
You can still do it,let's plan and make it happen?
Yeah, come on Ozacoter, go for it.
I dont have the money to buy a plot of land or build a shelter. I barely have money for my insurance xD
I opened and ran an animal shelter a few years ago. Depending on the species, it doesn't need to be a particularly big endeavour. I took in around 10-15 guinea pigs at a time. At the beginning only 5 guinea pigs at a time. Some shelters specialise in reptiles or fish or hermit crabs, which lower the cost even more. The biggest cost is vet care, which depends hugely on where you live, how much you can do independently (aside from surgery, I could do most health care-related things myself), and how good you are at fundraising. You really just need some room, the knowledge, and the support network of related shelters in your country. The emotional reward that came with rehabilitating even those 5 little animals at a time was worth it. People think of animal shelters as these huge organisations like the SPCAs, but really most animals are rescued and rehomed through the little private niche shelters done out of someone's spare room.
Thats really cool!
This has always been my plan. I don't know if I will be able to pull it off now, but here's an idea. I was with a rescue group as a volunteer. I provided end of life care and took "permanent residents"... dogs that were unadoptable for some reason. The rescue group covered all the vet bills, I just covered food (and routine vet bills.. but I didn't need to). You might start fostering with a rescue group first and see what happens. Hopefully you can find a good one near you...not all are great, but you can probably find one with research. I also raised hatchling gopher tortoises for the state... the cost was just some produce. There are a lot of goodbyes in both endeavors, but it was the most rewarding thing I ever did.
Thanks :) I always wanted to do fostering. But my gsd is very reactive and super scared of new dogs so it would be really cruel towards her
Yes, I understand. I always struggled with taking younger dogs, because sometimes they stressed my end of lifer's out. Maybe another creature then? I have a friend who runs a large bunny rescue, or maybe guinea pigs as littlesaresare said?
I volunteer a local animal shelter and I've befriended some of the sweetest dogs as well as some of the sweetest cats.
I wish i had enough money to do some splurging if not all... buy that good chocolate once in a while.. get some amazing books without getting anxiety attacks over cost. Buying a good tablet for work purpose. Replacing my washing machine with a fabulous one and once in a while, going a trip without the need to break my bank account.
I get all my books second hand from Abe books for £2-3.50- bargain!
VENCHI chocolate and cheap used books. Heavenly
🥰 https://1lib.in/
What I am going to say may seem judgmental. I don't know. Maybe it is. But I guess I don't understand why people feel the need to pass on their genes so much. What am I getting at? Folks who talk about wanting to have children. Well, there are thousands and thousands of orphans out there who are waiting for parents. No special technology required. No elaborate details or huge amounts of money needed. Just the desire to have children and to love them. Even being a foster parent for a few years can help someone. Just do it.
While you‘re basically correct, have you actually looked into the whole matter more closely? My husband and I wanted to adopt, but there are way more people who want to adopt than adoptable children in my country. International adoption was our next plan, but it’s also difficult because a) many of the rich countries also have more potential parents than parentless children, so they won‘t even consider international adoption b) many of the poor countries didn‘t sign the Haager convention which means you‘re completely on your own if you want to adopt from there c) even if you find a country willing to consider you as an adoptive parent, you and your SO have to spend about 3-6 months with the child in the foreign country. My husband and I legally can’t take that much time off work. Now we‘re applying to be foster parents, but foster kids are usually meant to go back to their biological parents. A couple we know had a little boy for nearly two years and now he‘s sent back to his mother.
I can’t even imagine how they must feel, especially as the boy had been abused by his mother and of course they fear that she might abuse him again. So while yes, I am definitely pro adoption and pro foster care, things aren‘t that simple in reality. Also, most children who need a home actually aren‘t orphans - orphans are usually adopted by family members (in my country, that said). Children who‘re up for adoption or foster care mostly have parents who either didn‘t want them or were abusive or were otherwise unable to provide them a good home.
Adoption from foster care can be amazing, but it’s a completely different experience from having a biological child or adopting an infant (private infant adoption is just as expensive as IVF or more). The average age of a foster child is eight. They are children who have been through lots of trauma and often have special needs. They need parents, but it’s completely different from having a baby.
Doug Stanhope said once it was because you want to see what you'd look like if you didn't eat so much cake.
Yes there absolutely does exist the desire to pass on ones genes. It exists in all life on earth and is a very important evolutionary trait which ensures the growth of a species. But I do also get what you're saying. And I dont understand why it is so difficult to adopt. Governments make it a really tough process for some reason.
Because when it was easier kids would be placed in just as hostile environments as the one they were leaving. My dad was adopted in the 60's he later found out he would of had a similar life no matter if he had been raised by his bio parents or his adoptive parents. Went from one alcoholic parent to the next. . It is important to ensure that people are actually interested in becoming parents to better the child's life not for selfish reasons, and that all party's involved actually want to adopt. In my father's case my adoptive grandad didn't give my adoptive grandmother a choice he just brought home babies as she didn't want children. In total 3 children over time with out her agreeing. The children going through this already have trauma its absolutely the government's job to ensure they are being placed with competent parents that want them and are capable of caring for them.
But the biggest hurdle seems to be money - rich people can fake being nice for a while and get a kid.
I wish the trolls of the internet would stop sharing judgmental opinions on things they know NOTHING about. It costs tens of thousands to adopt. $40-100,000. More if you do international. IVF costs 10-20,000 per treatment. It typically takes 3 rounds to work, and isn't covered by insurance. And don't even get me started on foster care. It's heartbreaking. Lies about parental rights being terminated when they are not, kids ripped out of loving homes and forced to go back with drug-addicted, abusive, neglectful parents, promises that they will be with you forever only to lose your found family... Once you've had multiple miscarriages and have put through the wringer in every other way imaginable, THEN you get to share your opinion. Until then, try shutting up and listening instead of judging those of us whose hearts and bodies have been broken again and again and again.
I never wanted to bring a child into this world, so I helped my friends raise their kids, worked out perfect
Adoption is expensive and can take years to complete.
I wish I had a lot of money so I could start a animal shelter. Working with animals was my dream and it was the happiest time of my life. I wouldnt be able to do it anymore but i could manage it, give an opportunity to abandoned animals and give jobs to kind animal lovers
You can still do it,let's plan and make it happen?
Yeah, come on Ozacoter, go for it.
I dont have the money to buy a plot of land or build a shelter. I barely have money for my insurance xD
I opened and ran an animal shelter a few years ago. Depending on the species, it doesn't need to be a particularly big endeavour. I took in around 10-15 guinea pigs at a time. At the beginning only 5 guinea pigs at a time. Some shelters specialise in reptiles or fish or hermit crabs, which lower the cost even more. The biggest cost is vet care, which depends hugely on where you live, how much you can do independently (aside from surgery, I could do most health care-related things myself), and how good you are at fundraising. You really just need some room, the knowledge, and the support network of related shelters in your country. The emotional reward that came with rehabilitating even those 5 little animals at a time was worth it. People think of animal shelters as these huge organisations like the SPCAs, but really most animals are rescued and rehomed through the little private niche shelters done out of someone's spare room.
Thats really cool!
This has always been my plan. I don't know if I will be able to pull it off now, but here's an idea. I was with a rescue group as a volunteer. I provided end of life care and took "permanent residents"... dogs that were unadoptable for some reason. The rescue group covered all the vet bills, I just covered food (and routine vet bills.. but I didn't need to). You might start fostering with a rescue group first and see what happens. Hopefully you can find a good one near you...not all are great, but you can probably find one with research. I also raised hatchling gopher tortoises for the state... the cost was just some produce. There are a lot of goodbyes in both endeavors, but it was the most rewarding thing I ever did.
Thanks :) I always wanted to do fostering. But my gsd is very reactive and super scared of new dogs so it would be really cruel towards her
Yes, I understand. I always struggled with taking younger dogs, because sometimes they stressed my end of lifer's out. Maybe another creature then? I have a friend who runs a large bunny rescue, or maybe guinea pigs as littlesaresare said?
I volunteer a local animal shelter and I've befriended some of the sweetest dogs as well as some of the sweetest cats.
I wish i had enough money to do some splurging if not all... buy that good chocolate once in a while.. get some amazing books without getting anxiety attacks over cost. Buying a good tablet for work purpose. Replacing my washing machine with a fabulous one and once in a while, going a trip without the need to break my bank account.
I get all my books second hand from Abe books for £2-3.50- bargain!
VENCHI chocolate and cheap used books. Heavenly
🥰 https://1lib.in/
What I am going to say may seem judgmental. I don't know. Maybe it is. But I guess I don't understand why people feel the need to pass on their genes so much. What am I getting at? Folks who talk about wanting to have children. Well, there are thousands and thousands of orphans out there who are waiting for parents. No special technology required. No elaborate details or huge amounts of money needed. Just the desire to have children and to love them. Even being a foster parent for a few years can help someone. Just do it.
While you‘re basically correct, have you actually looked into the whole matter more closely? My husband and I wanted to adopt, but there are way more people who want to adopt than adoptable children in my country. International adoption was our next plan, but it’s also difficult because a) many of the rich countries also have more potential parents than parentless children, so they won‘t even consider international adoption b) many of the poor countries didn‘t sign the Haager convention which means you‘re completely on your own if you want to adopt from there c) even if you find a country willing to consider you as an adoptive parent, you and your SO have to spend about 3-6 months with the child in the foreign country. My husband and I legally can’t take that much time off work. Now we‘re applying to be foster parents, but foster kids are usually meant to go back to their biological parents. A couple we know had a little boy for nearly two years and now he‘s sent back to his mother.
I can’t even imagine how they must feel, especially as the boy had been abused by his mother and of course they fear that she might abuse him again. So while yes, I am definitely pro adoption and pro foster care, things aren‘t that simple in reality. Also, most children who need a home actually aren‘t orphans - orphans are usually adopted by family members (in my country, that said). Children who‘re up for adoption or foster care mostly have parents who either didn‘t want them or were abusive or were otherwise unable to provide them a good home.
Adoption from foster care can be amazing, but it’s a completely different experience from having a biological child or adopting an infant (private infant adoption is just as expensive as IVF or more). The average age of a foster child is eight. They are children who have been through lots of trauma and often have special needs. They need parents, but it’s completely different from having a baby.
Doug Stanhope said once it was because you want to see what you'd look like if you didn't eat so much cake.
Yes there absolutely does exist the desire to pass on ones genes. It exists in all life on earth and is a very important evolutionary trait which ensures the growth of a species. But I do also get what you're saying. And I dont understand why it is so difficult to adopt. Governments make it a really tough process for some reason.
Because when it was easier kids would be placed in just as hostile environments as the one they were leaving. My dad was adopted in the 60's he later found out he would of had a similar life no matter if he had been raised by his bio parents or his adoptive parents. Went from one alcoholic parent to the next. . It is important to ensure that people are actually interested in becoming parents to better the child's life not for selfish reasons, and that all party's involved actually want to adopt. In my father's case my adoptive grandad didn't give my adoptive grandmother a choice he just brought home babies as she didn't want children. In total 3 children over time with out her agreeing. The children going through this already have trauma its absolutely the government's job to ensure they are being placed with competent parents that want them and are capable of caring for them.
But the biggest hurdle seems to be money - rich people can fake being nice for a while and get a kid.
I wish the trolls of the internet would stop sharing judgmental opinions on things they know NOTHING about. It costs tens of thousands to adopt. $40-100,000. More if you do international. IVF costs 10-20,000 per treatment. It typically takes 3 rounds to work, and isn't covered by insurance. And don't even get me started on foster care. It's heartbreaking. Lies about parental rights being terminated when they are not, kids ripped out of loving homes and forced to go back with drug-addicted, abusive, neglectful parents, promises that they will be with you forever only to lose your found family... Once you've had multiple miscarriages and have put through the wringer in every other way imaginable, THEN you get to share your opinion. Until then, try shutting up and listening instead of judging those of us whose hearts and bodies have been broken again and again and again.
I never wanted to bring a child into this world, so I helped my friends raise their kids, worked out perfect
Adoption is expensive and can take years to complete.