To think that not everyone is obsessed with making as much money as possible?

[MyShyShark]

It feels like a lot of people assume that financial success should be everyone’s top priority. But not everyone is constantly chasing a bigger salary, a promotion or investment opportunities. Some people genuinely prefer a simpler life, working just enough to be comfortable without the pressure to constantly “level up.”

Obviously, money is important for security and stability but isn’t there more to life than just filling your bank account? Or is that naive? AIBU?

No, I’m a teacher. The money does not get me up in the morning.

Yup, I could have earned shed loads more money than I've earned (and saved) but chose quality of life. I gave up a ridiculously good job to set up my own small business, and have since worked part time/flexible hours to suit me and my family, choosing the type of work/clients I prefer, and not having to put up with people/work/corporate nonsense that I detested and caused me too much stress. I can get up after a bit of a lie in, wander down the canal to get to my office, do a couple of hours of work, have a wander around the village at lunch time, do another couple of hours of work, then walk home again on the canal - all just 3 or 4 days per week depending on what else I've got going on - also tend to work more on rainy days and walk more on sunny days! Absolute bliss. Just doing enough work and earning enough money to pay the bills and put a bit aside in savings/pensions. OH is very similar, but he has cancer and is on lifetime chemotherapy so he just works pretty much part time in his self employment too, basically doing the same as me - working when it suits. We paid off our mortgage years (two decades!) ago and instead of up-sizing, getting a bigger house, spending, etc., we decided to go part time and live within our means - very liberating not to have to work all hours just to pay the mortgage and without the mortgage, our overheads are really low.

That's a simplistic argument at best.

person 1 - likely pays more tax overall on their spending - vat is a tax.

person 2 - paying tax on savings income is not paying tax again on income already taxed. It's paying tax on the interest/dividends created by that income.

YANBU, but you should also accept different people are different, and that’s ok. I was having this conversation with my sister yesterday very recently. She is very much not about money, and I am. I enjoy making money, spending it, I’m ambitious with how to make it and what best to do with it. My DH is the same. I aspire to be very wealthy (I won’t be, but nevermind!). I think my sister’s useless partner brings nothing to the table financially (I don’t share this opinion with her as it’s none of my business!).

She’s very unconcerned with money, not aspirational regarding earnings, thinks being wealthy is a burden and a chore etc etc.

We’re just different, and that’s ok. She’s unhappy with some aspects of her life – which definitely could be fixed with more money. I’m unhappy with some aspects of mine, which can’t be fixed with money.

Shrug.