Do you ever mention investing while at work?

[Belbo]

Of course, even your real mates find it confusing, which is hardest of all, so with them I always respond as to how the incipient property empire is developing, "the banks thoroughly own my @ss now!" Emphasise the debt and duty, and they feel wise for having taken the easier road. Far better to never have mentioned it in the first place, but that was a wisdon I didn't have in the early stages when bragging came all too easily.

Belbo

 

[Dazz]

Well I guess comparing investing to fitness is like comparing investing to taking drugs or graffiting...

There comes a point when you go to be sensible. Comparing fitness to investing is like that...

I disagree completely. I think investing and fitness can be paralleled almost to a tee.

Category 1 - Hardcore Freaks

You have your hardcore nuts who do it every day - regardless, it is their top priority, nothing gets in the way of them spending time on their passion. They get good at it, and it shows. It consumes them. They love talking about it, they live and breathe it.


Category 2 - Middle Wannabes

Then you've got your middle of the road wannabes who are glad they are doing something, know they are better than the great unwashed, but marvel at the hardcore nuts who seem to make the impossible easy. They yearn and crave to be up in category 1, but just can't / won't bring themselves to sacrifice the time and effort necessary.


Category 3 - Also rans

Then you've then got your 'also rans', who do the odd thing here and there, but it's no big deal to them either way. They really couldn't give a flying fig if they didn't do another thing for the next 10 years and are happy to simply cruise. Vast bulk of the population are in here.


Category 4 - Sloths

Then you've got your sloths. Hopeless, won't hear about doing anything to improve their lot in life and blame their condition (financial or physical) on anyone who is in finger pointing range. Think the whole thing is a complete waste of time and -- do you mind, get out of the way -- I'm trying to watch some American drivel on TV which is far more important.


I think the parallels between being good at investing and fitness are very strong indeed.


Being a category 4 in both disciplines, I speak from experience.

 

[BuildingBlocks]

I think perhaps it is jaycee.

For some reason, I see people who are trying to lose weight/give up smoking etc get more encouragement than when people talk of property investing.

As other have said it tends to invoke emotions of jealousy for some reason. Or that 'Gee, you're lucky'...this one makes me mad as it's sooo not luck. As we all know, it can be bloomin hard work & involve sacrifices others are not prepared to make.

People like those who are similar.

People who don't smoke encourage those who do smoke to quit.

 

[jaycee]

Being a category 4 in both disciplines, I speak from experience.

Me too of course

 

[BuildingBlocks]

Being a category 4 in both disciplines, I speak from experience.

*nods*

Baron Dazz, you fail at life.

 

[Deltaberry]

I disagree completely. I think investing and fitness can be paralleled almost to a tee.

Category 1 - Hardcore Freaks

You have your hardcore nuts who do it every day - regardless, it is their top priority, nothing gets in the way of them spending time on their passion. They get good at it, and it shows. It consumes them. They love talking about it, they live and breathe it.


Category 2 - Middle Wannabes

Then you've got your middle of the road wannabes who are glad they are doing something, know they are better than the great unwashed, but marvel at the hardcore nuts who seem to make the impossible easy. They yearn and crave to be up in category 1, but just can't / won't bring themselves to sacrifice the time and effort necessary.


Category 3 - Also rans

Then you've then got your 'also rans', who do the odd thing here and there, but it's no big deal to them either way. They really couldn't give a flying fig if they didn't do another thing for the next 10 years and are happy to simply cruise. Vast bulk of the population are in here.


Category 4 - Sloths

Then you've got your sloths. Hopeless, won't hear about doing anything to improve their lot in life and blame their condition (financial or physical) on anyone who is in finger pointing range. Think the whole thing is a complete waste of time and -- do you mind, get out of the way -- I'm trying to watch some American drivel on TV which is far more important.


I think the parallels between being good at investing and fitness are very strong indeed.


Being a category 4 in both disciplines, I speak from experience.

I shall aspire to be like you too so we can all sloth around on this forum.

 

[mary&mat]

"For some reason "

That would suggest you can't understand why that is (?)

Surely you can stretch your mind and understand ppeople, of which you & I arand the rest of us investors are still part of and behave EXACTLY the same, wheter we like to admit it or not !!!

hi jaycee,

I thought about it and came up with....it's b/c it has to do with money whereas weight loss/stopping smoking is not about one person's money versus another's.

 

[mary&mat]

People like those who are similar.

People who don't smoke encourage those who do smoke to quit.

I agree with the first statement BB.

However, I (stupidly) smoke & am genuinely happy for those who have managed to quit or encouraging to those who are trying to quit. I know there are some who don't like it when one of the smokers quits & leaves the flock, but there are those like myself who are happy for them too

 

[rugrat]

I think talking investing and / or money with anyone (work colleague or not) depends on good common sense. Some people are just not interested - in which case why bother?? Some people are jealous (and they usually are in alot of areas of alot of people, so you should have an idea before you even mention anything) - in which case don't go there. Some people will be polite and listen, but not really 'into' it - in which case find a topic they are into so you can both enjoy the conversation. And some people are really keen and eager to discuss PI - in which case go for it.

It really isn't any different from most other topics. People generally know I am interested in property, they know I have an IP, but they mostly don't know any more then that, because most people don't want to talk about the in's and outs of everything - they don't need or want the details. When I was getting my drivers liscence (13months ago) my driving instructor and I had a lot of good PI conversations. He owned 4 of them, and was keen to chit chat on the topic. Two of my good friends have investment properties, but we rarely talk about them (except in basic abstracts, ie, someone just got new tenants in) - mainly because although they invest, they are not hugely 'passionate' about PI, it is just a part of their overall portfolio.

As for work colleagues, I find it easier to talk to my work colleagues about PI (with the exception of one staff member), then I do to talk to my friends about weight loss (which is the industry I work in). I have learnt that outside of work, it is better if I just avoid disscussions about weightloss and nutrition, unless directly asked a question on the topic - because EVERYONE fancies themselves an expert on that topic, and people's general ignorance clothed in stubborn belief in their own 'knowledge' makes any real conversation basically impossible.

 

[Aaron Sice]

i work with investors so i guess i'm lucky that we get to bang theory and ideas and politics back an dforth.

then i leave work and have to dumb myself down to socialise.

prob why i don't bother going out much.

 

[jaycee]

I think talking investing and / or money with anyone (work colleague or not) depends on good common sense. Some people are just not interested - in which case why bother?? Some people are jealous (and they usually are in alot of areas of alot of people, so you should have an idea before you even mention anything) - in which case don't go there. Some people will be polite and listen, but not really 'into' it - in which case find a topic they are into so you can both enjoy the conversation. And some people are really keen and eager to discuss PI - in which case go for it.

It really isn't any different from most other topics. People generally know I am interested in property, they know I have an IP, but they mostly don't know any more then that, because most people don't want to talk about the in's and outs of everything - they don't need or want the details. When I was getting my drivers liscence (13months ago) my driving instructor and I had a lot of good PI conversations. He owned 4 of them, and was keen to chit chat on the topic. Two of my good friends have investment properties, but we rarely talk about them (except in basic abstracts, ie, someone just got new tenants in) - mainly because although they invest, they are not hugely 'passionate' about PI, it is just a part of their overall portfolio.

As for work colleagues, I find it easier to talk to my work colleagues about PI (with the exception of one staff member), then I do to talk to my friends about weight loss (which is the industry I work in). I have learnt that outside of work, it is better if I just avoid disscussions about weightloss and nutrition, unless directly asked a question on the topic - because EVERYONE fancies themselves an expert on that topic, and people's general ignorance clothed in stubborn belief in their own 'knowledge' makes any real conversation basically impossible.

That doesn't sound too different for the reasons that discussions on investement dont; go down too well either, despite deltaberry's insistence that this is not sensible.

I 'm still convincedinvesting is not a magic different topic with it's own unqiue reactions, but rhater just another toipic toi which people react the asme instinctive way as they always do

Sucks though, cause of course I want inveesting to be more special, that wauy I can be more special for participating in it. But soemhow, I find it harder and harder to actually believe that myself

 

[wylie]

I 'm still convincedinvesting is not a magic different topic with it's own unqiue reactions, but rhater just another toipic toi which people react the asme instinctive way as they always do

Sucks though, cause of course I want inveesting to be more special, that wauy I can be more special for participating in it. But soemhow, I find it harder and harder to actually believe that myself

Interesting... and made me think. I think the big difference between discussing, lets say, weight loss, or giving up smoking or your kids is that investing CAN mean having "spare" funds with which to do it.

Most people have SOME interest in losing a couple of kilograms or have some interest in hearing about your kids or weekend, if only so they can then tell you what they did that weekend, or what their kids are up to.

If you strike up a conversation about the house you are hoping to buy, unless the other person is interested, you could strike disbelief that you could afford the money to pay off TWO houses, jealousy or even simply no interest, because it is not something they are "into" or even interested in hearing about.

I would guess that for many families who have a mortgage, kids in school, paying off a vehicle, there is not a lot of money left over and that even though many families by, say, mid 30s might have enough equity to pull out and plonk down to enable them to borrow another $300K to buy an investment house, I just don't think many want to take the risk.

In recent years, this has changed somewhat, with the figures on how many investors are now in the market, but 20 years or more ago, having an investment property was not as common as it is now.

I don't like situations where I have to make small talk at any time with people I don't know, or hardly know. I am worried I will put my foot in my mouth or bore them silly. So the people I DO discuss our weekend, kids, renovations and houses with are my close friends who know how hard we have worked to get where we are. Some of them have investment houses, others have other investments.

To be honest, I am not that interested in hearing about other people's kids, pets, hobbies or anything else unless I know the person well enough to BE interested.

I am about to head back into the casual employment world, so will see how things go in the work situation, because my social situation means I socialise with friends, and haven't had to find things to talk about with work people for a looooooong time.

 

[weg]

i work with investors so i guess i'm lucky that we get to bang theory and ideas and politics back an dforth.

then i leave work and have to dumb myself down to socialise.

prob why i don't bother going out much.

I do a catchup lunch about 4 times a year with 4 other girls, who between us have around 18 properties (20+ inc. granny flats), and we very rarely talk about IP's socially, unless we have a doozy tenant story or someone has just purchased.

Why do you think this is dumbing down?

I think it's refreshing talking about mindless things sometimes .

 

[jaycee]

Interesting... and made me think. I think the big difference between discussing, lets say, weight loss, or giving up smoking or your kids is that investing CAN mean having "spare" funds with which to do it.

Most people have SOME interest in losing a couple of kilograms or have some interest in hearing about your kids or weekend, if only so they can then tell you what they did that weekend, or what their kids are up to.

If you strike up a conversation about the house you are hoping to buy, unless the other person is interested, you could strike disbelief that you could afford the money to pay off TWO houses, jealousy or even simply no interest, because it is not something they are "into" or even interested in hearing about.

I would guess that for many families who have a mortgage, kids in school, paying off a vehicle, there is not a lot of money left over and that even though many families by, say, mid 30s might have enough equity to pull out and plonk down to enable them to borrow another $300K to buy an investment house, I just don't think many want to take the risk.

In recent years, this has changed somewhat, with the figures on how many investors are now in the market, but 20 years or more ago, having an investment property was not as common as it is now.

I don't like situations where I have to make small talk at any time with people I don't know, or hardly know. I am worried I will put my foot in my mouth or bore them silly. So the people I DO discuss our weekend, kids, renovations and houses with are my close friends who know how hard we have worked to get where we are. Some of them have investment houses, others have other investments.

To be honest, I am not that interested in hearing about other people's kids, pets, hobbies or anything else unless I know the person well enough to BE interested.

I am about to head back into the casual employment world, so will see how things go in the work situation, because my social situation means I socialise with friends, and haven't had to find things to talk about with work people for a looooooong time.

wylie, it soudns to me what you're saying is - you can be bored with soemthing someon eyour;e not interested in. And that is the ay peopel also react to us when we start discussing investing.

So investing is not different to anythign else, jsut cause th eperosn who is talking about it finds it interesting, does not mean the other person will (?)

Unless I am missing something

I have little interest in other epeople's weight loss, desptyie you havign more
interst in this, I'd rather hear aobut someone's child then the fact that they eat too much sugar or fat

Some aren't into hearing about investing, big deal

 

[wylie]

I think what I am trying to say in part is that nobody will blink if I say "little Johnny just won the cricket trophy" or "I've been watching my sugar intake and I've lost 2kg this week". They will probably not give a toss about little Johnny and think I am living through my children . But there is nothing in those comments to make them think "what am I doing wrong?". They have similar stories about their own children or their own weight issues.

But if I drop into conversation "I'm buying another house to renovate and rent out" then I think some people will be jealous, others will think I'm mad to take such a risk, others again might think I'm very lucky to have been "given" another house.

I try hard not to discuss ANY of those things with people I hardly know, or even just with school mums who I'm not close to. I don't think they give two hoots for what I have done on the weekend but I do think some of them think I might think I'm better than them if I casually drop "another house" into the conversation.

When I hear similar comments from people, I tend to think they just could be bragging and I don't want anyone to think that of me, so I keep pretty "mum" about what we do, except for our friends, who know pretty much all.

Part of it is our kids having gone to two primary schools in areas where some families have great wealth and having to put up with some of the bragging and tosser stuff from some mothers (some who have great wealth, but others who are simply wannabes).

Now the kids are at high school all that rubbish pretty much stops, though at the more exclusive high schools I know that it continues.

 

[jacbmw]

It is a good point wylie, I hate people big noting and crapping on about them having this and having that. It is all subjective, but the posibility of been interpreted by others like one of these people that i hate (for talking property investment), is a good enough reason as any to never bring investing up....unless asked.

 

[jaycee]

I think what I am trying to say in part is that nobody will blink if I say "little Johnny just won the cricket trophy" or "I've been watching my sugar intake and I've lost 2kg this week". They will probably not give a toss about little Johnny and think I am living through my children . But there is nothing in those comments to make them think "what am I doing wrong?". They have similar stories about their own children or their own weight issues.

But if I drop into conversation "I'm buying another house to renovate and rent out" then I think some people will be jealous, others will think I'm mad to take such a risk, others again might think I'm very lucky to have been "given" another house.

I try hard not to discuss ANY of those things with people I hardly know, or even just with school mums who I'm not close to. I don't think they give two hoots for what I have done on the weekend but I do think some of them think I might think I'm better than them if I casually drop "another house" into the conversation.

When I hear similar comments from people, I tend to think they just could be bragging and I don't want anyone to think that of me, so I keep pretty "mum" about what we do, except for our friends, who know pretty much all.

Part of it is our kids having gone to two primary schools in areas where some families have great wealth and having to put up with some of the bragging and tosser stuff from some mothers (some who have great wealth, but others who are simply wannabes).

Now the kids are at high school all that rubbish pretty much stops, though at the more exclusive high schools I know that it continues.

I still disagree

I bought another house is not akin to I need to lose weight

I bought another house is akin to I'm gonna try to win yet a nother marathon

I have seen people roll their eyes at hearing someone go on about thigns like that a lot

Same goes for investing.

Again, I am not convinced that invsting is so unique as to create it's own different repsone in humans than evrything else going on in life.

 

[wylie]

I still disagree

I bought another house is not akin to I need to lose weight

I bought another house is akin to I'm gonna try to win yet a nother marathon

I have seen people roll their eyes at hearing someone go on about thigns like that a lot

Same goes for investing.

Again, I am not convinced that invsting is so unique as to create it's own different repsone in humans than evrything else going on in life.

That's OK. I'm probably not being very clear anyway. To me the BIG difference is that many things discussed don't involve a LOT of money, but casually dropping into the tuckshop conversation "We've just bought ANOTHER house can bring out some interesting reactions, and I have seen it happen.

Once money and large amounts of it are bandied about, I think jealousy creeps in. Heck, my own son once asked me if I was embarrassed about being a "landlady" . Some people obviously look down on landlords like we have the pox .

Jaycee, I'm happy that we disagree. I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, but simply trying to analyse the different situations I've been in with people clearly more wealthy than me, how they carry on, some being very discreet, others being very ostentatious. I prefer discreet, and that is how I try to be.

I wouldn't consider us "wealthy" anyway, but I believe some people who hear part of the story and know I have painted a house this past week, even if I don't own the house, jump to the conclusion that we have considerably more wealth than we really do. Some people I ensure know that the house I just painted doesn't belong to me. The few who are real gossipers don't need to know my business so I keep quiet and let them wonder.....

I know others who we would (I'm fairly sure) be on a par with financially, but they carry on like twats, babbling on and on in front of others less well off, and I find that absolutely cringeworthy. I have witnessed that enough times to be very careful of what I say, where I say it and in front of whom I say it.

I particularly dislike one family where both husband and wife treat the people who come to the house to clean, mow etc like absolute dirt and I have witnessed some awful exchanges. They came from nothing much, made a lot of money and now carry on like they are royalty. They think they are impressing others, but people laugh and discuss them them behind their backs. Sad really.

 

[weg]

You could be onto something there wylie.

I refrain from saying things to people too, and when I think about it, it's so I don't appear like the very people I hate listening to.

Everyone knows people like this - trying to impress or wanting to feel more superior/accomplished.

These people are different to those that have some positive exciting news or ideas they're busting to tell you about. Some can be very boring and lack people skills (not like us ).

So I wonder if others think I'm jealous when I look bored or don't respond accordingly, when in fact I often have those very same things, or could go out and get them tomorrow.

 

[jaycee]

I'm not disagreeing that people refrain from talking about things due to the reactions they know they will receive - hell, I know this all to owell from my own experiences on many topics...

I'm just saying it is not in anyway limited to talking about investing and that people do this in all facets of life.

If you bring something up just to show off, you will probalby be greeted with reactions like you've discussed.

Money is one topic where it is very obvious because people can feel inadequate or judged...

Investing is just a subset of money as a topic...