I guess I always thought it was tacky and cheap to flash your money around. Spending money on stupid stuff is, well, stupid; always was, always will be.

I think people can do whatever they want with their money so long as it IS theirs. Personally, I'd choose to be discreet about it, but that is because I have seen REAL poverty from up close and money can only go so far towards making me happy if it is not shared. Anyway I can absolutely see this trend of 'thrifty is cool' getting bigger as opposed to the 'splurge because you can' phylosophy.

I don't think it's impolite or anything, but I do think it's nice that people in general seem to be more frugal now.

I think that, if you have the money and you want to spend it on bottle service or treats for yourself, then do it. Who cares what everyone else thinks?

If you have the money to do so so for it, it may not be the nicest thing to do if you are with a friend who doesn't have a job or something, but hey it's your money spend it how you want.

yeah i agree that you can spend your money however you want. but... i believe that if you do have a lot of money and your friends or coworkers are struggling you shouldn't tell them about it or make them feel bad. i've actually gone through that where i've had friends spend money on vegas trips while others could barely make rent. it's all so sad when that happens

I don't know. I've always had a distaste for people who like to flash their money or lifestyle in other people's face. I have a co-worker who feels the need to tell everyone she meets exactly where she bought her outfits and how much it costs as if most of us in the office aren't making the same if not more than she does. It's nice to have money but seems to be in bad taste to flash in it others faces.

I agree with most people...it's ok to spend the money, but not to go out of your way to make sure others know you spent it. De you really want the $500 sweater? Go ahead and buy it! But, you don't need to go around telling others you spend $500 on it.

i don't see the problem. it's not your fault you have money and some others don't. what are you supposed to do? not buy an item of clothing, and instead give the cash to a friend who lost her job? it's yours, so do what you wish with it!

It's not the question of spending your money how you want to. That's your money and your business but flashing how much you spent on something in others faces is in just poor taste IMO.

maybe making a scene of throwing down $1000 for bottle service is flashy, but buying a $500 sweater and not telling anyone how much it cost is not flashy. if someone can tell i am in cashmere, great, but i will cut the tag off and only tell the price if asked...that's not flashiness...it's fashion

I'll be honest, if I noticed someone was wearing a sweater I knew was $500, I would think less of them. How 'bout you get a $200 sweater (or better yet, a $30 sweater!), buy something nice for someone else, and give 50 bucks to a good cause?

I've never been a fan of flashing ones lifestyle. I don't think bragging about how much something cost is much tackier than someone bragging about how little something cost.

If you're loaded, be humble about it. It does no one any good to flaunt the riches in front of the poor. The poor guy won't think any highly of you, and you probably won't gain from it anyway.

Now if you have the ability to spring for an Aston Martin or Corvette ZR1, by all means go for it. They are incredible machines. But please wear them with some humility. You didn't make them, you just drive them. And if you brag about owning one, and won't drive it because you're worried about scratching it, please get out of my face.

I have always thought less of people who spend money on super flashy "displays of wealth". Especially the designer handbag trend. Women buy fakes in hopes of passing as real and impressing their friends. But whether you spend $4k on a brown bag with LV all over it or $50 on a fake one...both seem like poorly made decisions. I don't know why it bothers me, for the most part I think people should spend their money on whatever the hell they want. But I'd like to see the end ugly expensive handbag thing. I think that trend reflects poorly on women-it is just so silly.

well i think that i personally get a bit upset when i've mentioned to friends that financially things aren't so good and then they go show-boating and flaunt their purchases and things like that. for me, i know that i can't go around spending money on things that aren't necessities right now, but there are some people that can. my asst. for example, she gets supplemented by her parents, so she feels like it's ok to talk about all her purchases, and the trips that she's taking yet for me, i have a lot more financial responsibilities, so i don't want to hear it. it's upsetting to me.

I personally think it's okay as long as you're humble about it.

I agree with Cpianolover -- I think it's okay if you're humble about it.

Personally, I think it's rude when people flash their money or belongings to make other people feel small. That's just immoral.

Death by chocolat: Don't be so quick to judge. Personally, I own a cashmere scarf that retails for $1,000 at Nieman Marcus. I purchased it from an individual (in mint condition with tags) on ebay for $180. It's the main scarf I use, and I've had it for years. Some people may not be as frivolous as they seem.

I plan to spend way less this year for the holidays. Simply because one doesn't know what will happen with the economy. Looking at the numbers around the world, it's a grim reality. The British pound and the Euro have dropped dramatically, just since summer. That means the dollar will not gain much in the coming months. My parents lost on their 401k and retirement this year. They were actually depressed and had to cut back over the summer. I tend to think the best gift idea this year is a savings plan. Happy Holidays to all.

I don't think it was EVER acceptable to be flashy. Do what you want with your money, but you don't have to be a jerk and show it off. It just makes you look rude and pathetic.

Do you.

Huh? Do whatever you want with your cash cause I'm gonna do whatever I want with mine. I dont get it. And hey, if you wanna buy me a $1,000 bottle of champagne I'm not gonna stop you

I don't understand....why should people that can afford nice things be judged? As long as they don't judge people that can't afford nice things and shop at Target (I'm definitely in the Target pool) then I don't see why this is a big deal.

I remember this girl in high school who would not shut up about her trip to some island and finally I got so sick of it I said, "You know some people can't afford to go to an island for vacation." She was all "What do you mean by that?" and my sweet friend said very calmly "She just means that some people can't afford to go to an island for vacation." After that she stopped bragging about it.

I think most people just want other people to be considerate of their feelings. Money is a touchy subject. The only bragging I ever do is how little I spent. If I got something cute on clearance at Target I'm usually a little proud

i think there is a difference between spending money and actually being flashy- i agree with others above that said it is your money to spend however you want, but you don't need to brag about it to others! for example- i like expensive clothes and bags and shoes. my friends know i tend to purchase designer stuff- but i never go around telling people how much they cost. that's tacky. if someone asks, even then a lot of times i'll hedge around it. as long as people aren't spending themselves into debt and saving for retirement, i see no reason not to spend their extra cash.

This is really tough. I try to hang out with people who are in a similar financial situation as me and enjoying spending it on similar things. Don't get me wrong, I have friends all over the board, and I've personally been in all spots. But if I have the money to go on a Vegas vacation, I don't want to go alone- and it is SO awkward asking someone about that! More realistically, I like to spend any extra money on nice, gourmet dinners that will run usually $60-$100pp (with wine) maybe once a month... again, something I don't want to do alone. So I guess it's more important to me to find people that are okay with me spending the money I have in the way that I do; I don't feel like it's flashy.

Flashy or brain dead? I don't care what the economy is doing...if you're only making 50,000 a year, you shouldn't be buying $1000 bottle service at a club or a $500 sweater. They're probably still living in an apartment too, leasing a car.

Nurse DeAnna, "living in an apartment" (or in my case, a flat) is not entirely unwise in a screwy economy. Whilst right now I rent, after having owned and its not a bad thing in a bad economy like this, at least if the prices are stable. I'm not worried about a major repair showing up suddenly or my property being worth less than what I paid, and I have - literally - no debt at the moment, so I don't see how that is at all automatically irresponsible or somehow financially lacking. In my case its good economic sense, and I am glad I sold my house when prices were inflated and got away with some cash before things went haywire.

As far as spending money goes, I really do stick to an old adage that money is best spent on the unobtrusive and well-made things that serve you for years. It may be oldfashioned, but when I DO spend a lot of money on an item, its at a time that 1)I can afford it and 2)I know I will use that item for a very long time.

I have no problem spending the right amount, for the right thing - I bought a Prada black leather bag in 2002 which was a lot of money for me, and I still use it. Its an investment piece, its classic, its beautifully made and its not an "obvious" item.

I don't believe in being obvious with money, particularly in this environment, but if people have it, they have the right to spend it as they see fit.

I think use money the way you want but be reasonable(whatever that is to you)...when you want to be flashy, do it with other flashers as some people feel bad. Why would anyone want to make others feel bad anyway?

i think that what you find is important is what you spend your money on should be your business. to flash it around is tacky, no matter the circumstance.

Flashy has always been tacky. It's always been unacceptable.