to think some people have more money than sense

[hollyvsivy]

An old school friend posted on Facebook earlier about taking her four kids plus two nephews out for the day. There was no special occasion yet they all went out for breakfast, stopped for drinks at Starbucks, ate lunch out, bought new toys and then a teddy from build a bear each to take home. Someone commented on how their DC loves build a bear too and she replied how she'd spent £250 in there on the six bears That's two weeks food shopping money for me.

AIBU to hate these kind of braggy posts and such wasting of money when so many people could use the money so much better?

You sound quite bitter OP, and defending your food budget comes off as pretty insecure.

Judging how happy her husband must be with their arrangement is harsh, it's none of your business. Hide her off Facebook if it makes you that cross.

YANBU about Build a bear. Who the fuck wants another bloody cuddly toy cluttering up the house?

But YABU to say that their day out was a waste of money.

If they had a good time then it was well worth it.

We have little to spend on luxuries and days out. But today we went to an all you can eat buffet place which we couldn't really justify in terms of money but dp and I are both feeling exhausted from a virus and neither of us wanted to cook. And we had such a laugh with DD2 who literally had a plate of chicken balls followed by a plate of jelly cubes. It was worth every penny for us to be out as a family and having fun.

I don't think you should worry about how they spend their money but posting the actual figure she spent on FB is vulgar. There was no need for this. She should be sensitive to the fact that her friends may have much less than she does. Do they have good jobs? We often spend this for a dinner out, just me and my DH, but we can afford it and I would never post it on FB! I also know people who have much less but spend 200 or so on going on drinking and clubbing. You could argue this is total waste too...

Left to my own devices and with some spare cash I'd love a day of coffee, lunch, shopping and the adult equivalent of build a bear (a massage?) But my children would get bored very easily and prefer to go out on their bicycles or to a park with lots of swings, etc., play with friends or go swimming. However, if that lady's children and nieces and nephews enjoyed it then I see no problem. (My children would love the build a bear part but they're unaware of this as there's no BaB where we live).
Personally I wouldn't post on Facebook about my or our day out but have no issue with others doing that. So, OP, as kindly as I can say this, you're BU a little bit.

It's her money she can do whatever she wants with it but yes it sounds like a waste of money to me especially when it's not a special occasion or anything like that but maybe she doesn't see her nephews regularly and wanted to treat them with a day they'll never forget though.

Shopping as a hobby is vulgar. I can think of a million things kids ( particularly nephews) would enjoy but each to their own, spending on crap build a bear is not a sign of status but poor taste.
Ignore.

We call it brag book in this house.

I was extremely ill last year and mainly post about how blessed and well I feel.

We are going on holidays in August I will check in on FB at the airport that we are flying down to Malaga, what I won't do is post that we are flying club or that we will be in the private lounge first. Because that would be bragging.

FB is fine if used properly.

Another thing that should be addressed here is - what is a special occasion? Special occasions are often very disappointing and underwhelming. Life is made of normal days, not special occasions. It doesn't matter if an experience comes on "normal days" or "special occasions". Personally I hate the pressure of special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries etc. I think a lot of people do.
I hope you have a lovely holiday Trouble and enjoy all your luxuries! Life tastes so much better after we realise how fragile and special it is, doesn't it?

Thank you accidentalbride, my life has changed enormously, I struggle to get food down and I am delighted to have put on a lb this week. I lost five stone. However I am still here and appear to be very well but I now operate on a brevity of life modus operandi.

I find it mi d boggling that anyone would consider that a person has to have a special occasion to go to Starbucks. I get coffee in carluccios every weekday. Put that in your brag book and smoke it (I do however spend rather less than £125/ week on groceries)

I bet it all went on credit cards! I'm glad I'm not on Facebook as well.

Bore off. What a mind numbing thing to post on Facebook! Does anyone really care about these kind of posts?

I just want to know (regardless of how much is spent) how you go out anywhere with 6 children!

TattyMonkey
I just want to know (regardless of how much is spent) how you go out anywhere with 6 children!
Me too! Maybe that's the thing she wanted to brag about! I probably would if I survived that...

You may see it as a waste but she obviously doesn't and since it is her money she can do what she likes. £250 might be nothing to her. I do agree about how vile boasting is on Facebook though. People also do it by putting a picture up but next to or in front of something they really want you to see, it is like a boast in disguise. I hardly put up anything on Facebook and think more fool the people who put up their whole life.

Tattymonkey yup!! Anyone can spend 250 quid if they have it to spend,but how many can take out 6 kids and survive it?

It is braggy but i doubt she does it often. Once myself and DH gave the DC £50 each for a big toy store and went to pizza hut after. We've only done it the once and my DC save up mostly.

YANBU to criticize about Build A Bear --- a dreadfully overpriced shop where clothes for inanimate teddies cost more than clothes for real, live children. And YANBU for people crassly bragging about their expenditures on FB... it's grim.

OP don't feel bad about judging - honestly many MNetters think any kind of judging is bad and we're supposed to go about our day with blinders on, not noticing or making judgement on anyone else or even flagging up our different values because 'that's their life' not ours. A bit unrealistic to expect and almost impossible as we are social animals.

Op is just jealous. Clearly short of money and wishes everyone else was too.

If you want it, go get it no point in getting salty if somebody else has it. That could be her version of happiness and as long as she didn't steal from anybody, let her enjoy it.

Another fine reason why Facebook can go kiss my ass

Indeed Zhan and who decreed her as the arbiter of what people should and shouldn't spend their time and money on. I hate this sanctimony that goes with the phrase "I would have spent that money so much better"

Perhaps the kids were given a choice and chose build a bear.. I'm not sure why you are giving this any thought.. Just because it's not a birthday it could be pre planned for a different reason. My kids would love it! (I can't afford it but I'm not bitter about those who can)

For you it's a lot of money but for us and others it wouldnt be, it's not braggy, just honest if that's what the poster asked.

We are just fortunate enough to be able to afford such things, my life on Facebook maybe showy, but it's just our live as the way other people post about their daily lives.

What a nasty post OP. Sounds like she just had a nice little day out with her DC and nephews. It's hardly bragging to say she went to Starbucks and Build a Bear!!