What is the value of money in your life?

Question

I appreciate beautiful things yet i do not trow money at them.
There is so much in this world that's priceless, but there's also a lot that's is buyable. For example, in restaurants in the US (and in many other places) people pay a waiter according to his friendliness. A foreign (Belgian) guy like me perceives this as perversion, but this aside. I could give a lot more of those intercultural differences. Yet, in short, it shows that the value of money is relative: some things (as well as attitudes/roles in services) can be bought, others cannot.
But it remains a pressing question: How much of a person is buyable? (Think of prostitution.) And how much of a person is involved when you're being seduced by a seller? (For example: in the US i'm friendly to the waiter although i pay him to be friendly, and not vice versa.)

So, what is money really worth?

To 'the foolish fox' (answerer 13):

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I'll try to give you a tip here... so here we go.
You wrote about how the worth/value of money is brought about - a very insightful account in that perspective. But there's more to it. Some of the other answers here are very helpful to broaden (y)our view... In short, my aim for this Q was a metaphysical account, an answer on the simple question: what IS money? It's about what it represents in the whole of our lives, all our lives. We like to think the value of money is absolute and universal, but that would attribute a kind of inherent value to it whereas money (being a social fact) is constructed as a means, not an end.

Answer 1

Money is one of many means to various ends.

The end you are seeking is what's important - not the means to achieve it. You might pay to build a house or you might build it yourself. Notice how the personal value of the house increases relative to personal effort and decreases relative to money payed. (effort gives increasing returns, money gives diminishing returns when it comes to overall satisfaction)

Often the means are valued more then the ends. When that happens, the means are exchanges between people without the exchange of achieving the ends.

This is a subtle form or prostitution - selling the means in exchange for ends that will come for neither party.

Having said this, money to me is simply a convenient way to quantify exchange. I don't value money in and of itself at all. Money is only worth what we say its worth. Its only a common baseline to establish a relative exchange rate (in a manor of speaking). Its a tool used along the path. Its not the destination in and of itself.

Answer 2

Money means alot to me. That's why I work hard; success and money.

Some will say, think of the Mizer.

Myself, personally, I only pay what I believe is appropriate. I will not give someone more or less than they are worth to me. So, is it really the question of what money is worth? Or is it the question of what is worth Your Money?

A waiter is only worth X amount of money in my eyes. I will not give a bigger or smaller tip, no matter how good the waiter is, or what I am paying for dinner.

Answer 3

It has a fairly low "relative" value in my life. I have never made the pursuit of wealth a high priority, although as a skilled tradesman, I have always been very well paid.

Enough money to pay the bills and a little extra is enough for me.

You can buy "things" but you cannot buy back "lost time" due to a lust for money.

Answer 4

Everyone has a level of comfort. I believe if you are deprived then even the simpilest "thing" will make you happy. I believe the more you have the more spoiled you become, so it will take more to satisfy your needs-whatever they may be. I enjoy feelings of comfort, goodwill and knowledge-if I were deprived of those I would need to seek ways to obtain them on a level that I could survive. In the end I would hate money for what it represents.

Answer 5

The simple answer is that money is worth whatever you are willing to do/give for it.

Traders calculate the value of money on the foreign exchange minute by minute.

Capitalists calculate the value of money in terms of supply and demand for goods and services.

Politicians calculate the value of money in terms of votes.

Workers calculate the value of money in terms of what they are willing to do.

Consumers calculate the value of money in terms of what they want.

There is an old adage that time is money. If time is money, then we can understand what money is really worth in terms of time. For some, an hour's worth of earnings might buy a pizza and a beer. For Bill Gates, an hour might purchase a racy new sports car. No amount of money will buy an hour already spent.

If we want to understand what money is worth, we must convert it to time. Each item we purchase equates to n working hours, each hour we work equates to x items we may purchase.

In 2006, Americans worked until April 26th just to pay taxes (http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxfreedomday/). So that is what our government is worth to us.

p.s. I also consider tipping to be an affront, but do it anyway feeling the lesser offense is to tip according to custom. In truth, it devalues the employee, demonstrates the lack of guarantee on the part of the proprieter and demeans the customer.

p.p.s. Please, send me a tip for answering your question.

p.p.p.s. To sigmundie, goats, time and inflation will eat money.

Answer 6

Worth and Value are different. Paper money, bills of payment due, legal tender, has no worth, but it has an applied or agreed upon value for debts and payments.
A banana is worth more to a hungry man than any amount of paper.
The banana has both worth and value.
A drink of water is more valuable to a thirsty human that any gold,silver, or paper bills of not that have no value but make nice doilies.
I understand the acceptance of a paper representation of value , but I fail to see the need.

Answer 7

To paraphrase an old adage, money doesn't mean much if you have a lot of it. It means a lot if you don't have much. In my life, money pays for a comfortable, loving place for my Husband who has had 2 major strokes. I can't care for him by myself anymore. Money pays the bills and allows me to buy food. I have some extra from time to time to share with my family for their needs. We all need money and the worth is calculated by each and everyone of us to suit our wants and needs.

Answer 8

Money to me is a means to whatever end, I decide I want, but not an end in itself. This is the way it should be, because the love of money for its own sake, can lead people to do monstrous things to other people. Money is actually just energy, and it is what you do with that energy, and how you use it that matters the most!!!!!

Answer 9

It is a currency for trade and barter.
I find it valuable in that it secures my basic needs.
Shelter; rent, or mortgage,with the household bills.
Food; staples as well as high end food stuffs like fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
Clothing; good quality wear for the four seasons, protected feet, and covering against the elements like rain,hot sun,and snow.
After that everything else is gravy.
Money is valuable for barter and trade for your shelter,food,clothing.

Answer 10

Money is a necessity and you cannot live without it. However, there are more important things such as love and friendship and family. You need money to buy things in life but you can't buy happiness. For example, you can buy a house but not a home. You can buy a clock but not time. You can buy education but not intelligence.