What's the moral of saving when you don't need to?

[AqD]

Growing up from a poor family, I have always hated to save anything or be asked to do it, but it was solely because the environment around me was terrible, which isn't anymore. It however intrigues (and sometimes annoys) me that many people prefer to save even most little things when they absolutely don't need to. Why is that? I mean things like turning off lightbulb, air conditioner, or reusing plastic bags, etc. Why don't they hate to trouble themselves with such annoyance? Why do they even care? Shouldn't we always try to acquire more wealth, exploit more resource and create more things we want, rather than to save, since saving cannot make one rich of anything? What's the moral or benefit of it?

[Hazzard]

I suppose it's just there's always the thought in the back of their mind "What if my life falls apart? Maybe that pound I saved could make the difference" Or perhaps it's simply that in their mind it adds up and will be worth it in the long run.

[ComnenusTheOne]

Shouldn't we always try to acquire more wealth, exploit more resource and create more things we want, rather than to save, since saving cannot make one rich of anything? What's the moral or benefit of it?

Who said we are supposed to be rich? Who said we are supposed to acquire more wealth? Who said we have to exploit resources and create needs?

[Himster]

My uncle is a millionaire, he got rich by basically doing that, squeezing every little copper coin out of his farm and spending as little at home as possible, spending what he had to and not a cent more. The most strict and most dedicated man I've ever met: and even though he's rich now (having sold his super efficient farm) he still keeps the lights on when in a room, repairs his own cars rather than paying someone to do it for him. I think he's a bit loopy, but hey he's rich, what do I know.

[Aeneas Veneratio]

There is no reason to exploit our resources, it only increases the rate of Earth's entropy. All of the things you are saying are morally good goes against most religious views, society views, individual views and general consensus views on morality.

[ComnenusTheOne]

There is no reason to exploit our resources, it only increases the rate of Earth's entropy. All of the things you are saying are morally good goes against most religious views on morality.

This is not about religion, as most religion is "spread the word, do as we say, and give us power" without any real concept of morality other than the right of the strongest. This is about morality by the normal definition, part of it would be to not consume irresponsibly and at the expense of another being, sentient or not.

[Himster]

Waste is a thief.

[ComnenusTheOne]

Wat?

[Biggieboy]

Growing up from a poor family, I have always hated to save anything or be asked to do it, but it was solely because the environment around me was terrible, which isn't anymore. It however intrigues (and sometimes annoys) me that many people prefer to save even most little things when they absolutely don't need to. Why is that? I mean things like turning off lightbulb, air conditioner, or reusing plastic bags, etc. Why don't they hate to trouble themselves with such annoyance? Why do they even care? Shouldn't we always try to acquire more wealth, exploit more resource and create more things we want, rather than to save, since saving cannot make one rich of anything? What's the moral or benefit of it?

because saving lets you have more money, which you can then use for other things. Simple things like turning off light, turning down heat,... are things you can save on without a great sacrifice, so it leaves you with more money.

[AqD]

But you don't get more than a few dollars by such little savings. 100 plastic bags cannot be exchanged with one cup of coffee, yet my friend still does it.

Who said we are supposed to be rich? Who said we are supposed to acquire more wealth? Who said we have to exploit resources and create needs?

Because everything you have today are the results of our desire to become rich, to have more things than we already had, and by exploiting and utilizing resource.

We didn't need computers, or cars, roads, silk clothes, diamonds, anything electric or even houses better than pieces of wood or a cave. If we're to save everything, why don't we all just live like the Amish?

There is no reason to exploit our resources, it only increases the rate of Earth's entropy. All of the things you are saying are morally good goes against most religious views on morality.

That's why we need more planets and terraforming capability. It's what space-exploration is for, which would otherwise be a huge waste of our money and resource. Do you think we should just stop all those space projects?

[ComnenusTheOne]

Because everything you have today are the results of our desire to become rich, to have more things than we already had, and by exploiting and utilizing resource.

No, we did it for survival, necessity. We surpassed that level some time ago. We needed better homes, because the former ones couldnt protect us. We needed cars, because distances were too great and we needed to connect with farther lands. We needed diamonds to cut through softer material, we needed electricity to power up our industry, we needed roads to actually connect the world and computers to calculate for us. This has nothing to do with riches. This is necessity. Survival.

We didn't need computers, or cars, roads, silk clothes, diamonds, anything electric or even houses better than pieces of wood or a cave. If we're to save everything, why don't we all just live like the Amish?

And we still dont need them. However we need vaccines, unless you prefer dying by an infection in your upper respiratory system by the age of 5. And to create vaccines we need computers, anything electric and houses better than pieces of wood or a cave. Following the instinct of survival has nothing to do with being greedy. Not to mention that all that you mentioned dont enrich our lives, they simply change our lives.

As you can see, nearly all inventions were and are out of necessity. And necessity doesnt equal wealth and riches. What you want, is to spend money and having a good time, wasting fortunes that would feed other people for month, and the fact that you somehow acquired these money is.... dubious, at best.

In general, your argument is simply invalid, you probably robbed a few people off their goodwill and now you are celebrating your newly accumulated wealth, like my granpa said: a richman's father was a thief.

[LSJ]

For most people, reusing bags, or saving a bit on electricity means a tiny dent in their expenses that is overridden by random purchases like a trip to a restaurant, a new TV, or not shopping around for a new car, and thus paying several hundred more dollars.

But for me, the little things matter because I have very little money, and because of what I spend money on. I buy lots of low-price items. I shop at thrift stores, where shirts are up to $15 (and come in great variety and surprisingly good quality), and there are 50% off sales all the time on clothing. If I were to save 10% on monthly utilities, that would be the cost of a new wardrobe.

For me it is about relativity. If you deal with expenses and incomes in terms of thousands, then the dollars saved are insignificant and not worth the trouble. But when your purchases are like mine, then the savings actually do improve your life, and are definitely worth the trouble.

[Elfdude]

Oxytocin can bond people to objects as well as people. Some people are particularly more susceptible to it especially females who have a much higher load of it. If you've ever had a special object, baby blanket or etc you probably understand the concept of attaching meaning to an object. Imagine doing that with brain chemistry that results in low standards of what is significant to you.

This is why.

[ComnenusTheOne]

Oxytocin can bond people to objects as well as people. Some people are particularly more susceptible to it especially females who have a much higher load of it. If you've ever had a special object, baby blanket or etc you probably understand the concept of attaching meaning to an object. Imagine doing that with brain chemistry that results in low standards of what is significant to you.

This is why.

Ok... its sunday, its 11:20 am here, i still havent had my coffee so i have to ask...

WAT?

[Sar1n]

Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love.

In short, you can develop a connection between saving up and feeling good.

[ComnenusTheOne]

Aaaah now i see the concept.

In my case, i needed a good dose of coffeine.

[Micromoron]

[Sar1n]

Yeah, that's what I was talking about you can see oxytocin pouring from his ears

[Micromoron]

Scrooge doesn't have ears O_O

[AqD]

No, we did it for survival, necessity. We surpassed that level some time ago. We needed better homes, because the former ones couldnt protect us. We needed cars, because distances were too great and we needed to connect with farther lands. We needed diamonds to cut through softer material, we needed electricity to power up our industry, we needed roads to actually connect the world and computers to calculate for us. This has nothing to do with riches. This is necessity. Survival.

We don't need cars or roads if we don't travel and just live in villages with our friends and relatives. The stone-aged people had lived and survived well without modern industry. All they needed to protect themselves are primitive wooden spears and longbows. Survival has nothing to do with what we usually do today.

In general, your argument is simply invalid, you probably robbed a few people off their goodwill and now you are celebrating your newly accumulated wealth, like my granpa said: a richman's father was a thief.

You don't need to steal or rob to create fortune. The most obvious examples are smartphone companies, which created the smartphone market largely by themselves and earned money from it, and by doing so they created more jobs and generate more total income for just everyone, nobody has to lose anything.

Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love.

In short, you can develop a connection between saving up and feeling good.

I feel only hatred when I have to save anything.

All should be abundant and limitless.