Here's a million quid

[weeksy]

I’m curious now, you people that bought houses - did you consider the location or did you just stumble into an estate agent and buy the first thing they put in front of you?

Do some of you genuinely think that your location, surroundings, daylight hours, weather, ambient temperatures, seasonal changes, demographics, etc, has absolutely no effect on your wellbeing?

100% we bought on location more than anything else. So much so that when we moved house we moved 80m in distance to remain in the same location.

Things have changed a little and in the ideal world I would move about 90-120 miles north west to the areas around Shropshire but that only works for 2/3 of the family, so we're in our house longer term.

[weeksy]

Them - Happiness isn't about location, it's a state of mind
Me - Did you consider location when you bought your house?
Them - Oh yes, it was all about the location, we wouldn't have been happy somewhere else.

Not sure that was quite how it went

[Wossname]

It's you that decides whether or not your happy, not your geographic location.

If you won £50m in the lottery you’d stay living in the same house and same location would you?

Not sure if that's a q specifically for the Cheese or more general. For me, the answer is "yes" with a slightly puzzled expression on my face. I live here because I want to. But then, I have the advantage (not boasting, just appreciating the fact) that I'm a generally contented person. Some on here seem to be driven by acquisitiveness, and that's fine, for them. We have "enough". You can keep your million, or 50, thanks.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I do often wonder what I'd do if I'd won £50m on the lottery. Indeed you could argue that said wondering is basically what you buy with your ticket price right?

I'd still live somewhere 'round here and I'd still go the same job. I'd just go there in a Rolls-Royce wearing tailor made clothing and hand fashioned shoes. Plus I'd probably bring fancy French patisserie in for my colleagues.

It's different for everyone, but the things which make me content are mostly "internal".

[Yorick]

Just picked the missus up from the airport. Been in India 5 weeks, 4 of which were in a yoga retreat. Followed by a week with her mum in lovely house in Marlow.

Driving home she said "Ah, calm. It's been too busy away"
When we walked in the house she said "Peace, it's great to be home"

[weeksy]

I do often wonder what I'd do if I'd won £50m on the lottery. Indeed you could argue that said wondering is basically what you buy with your ticket price right?

I'd still live somewhere 'round here and I'd still go the same job. I'd just go there in a Rolls-Royce wearing tailor made clothing and hand fashioned shoes. Plus I'd probably bring fancy French patisserie in for my colleagues.

It's different for everyone, but the things which make me content are mostly "internal".

See i wouldn't go to work... but i wouldn't drive a Rolls either or wear posh clothing.... I'd arguably still have a van.. or 3..and a motorhome

I like @Wossname post above... because like him, i'm not about the money... Sure i'd like more... but i'd bet each month i've got less 'left-over' than most on here LOL... but it doesn't drive me, it doesn't mould me. I'd argue i'm happier than most on here, but i think part of that is that the world and people in it are all fucked up... That doesn't mean i'm not, but i'm better fucked up than some

[Yorick]

I do often wonder what I'd do if I'd won £50m on the lottery. Indeed you could argue that said wondering is basically what you buy with your ticket price right?

I'd still live somewhere 'round here and I'd still go the same job. I'd just go there in a Rolls-Royce wearing tailor made clothing and hand fashioned shoes. Plus I'd probably bring fancy French patisserie in for my colleagues.

It's different for everyone, but the things which make me content are mostly "internal".

See i wouldn't go to work... but i wouldn't drive a Rolls either or wear posh clothing.... I'd arguably still have a van.. or 3..and a motorhome

I like @Wossname post above... because like him, i'm not about the money... Sure i'd like more... but i'd bet each month i've got less 'left-over' than most on here LOL... but it doesn't drive me, it doesn't mould me. I'd argue i'm happier than most on here, but i think part of that is that the world and people in it are all fucked up... That doesn't mean i'm not, but i'm better fucked up than some

That's how we saw coming here. It's much cheaper to live here, so we could stop chasing money.

[Jody]

I'm not sure why some people seem to want to bash the ex-pats?

Maybe you don't like it when 'we' tell you about the nice time we're having. Sad really, the reason I tell people I'm having a nice time is so that they might be tempted to do it too.

IE "I'm enjoying this life, you might want to try it"

NOT " You're all thick and poor "

My reasons for staying 'here' (OT I know)

Weather, it's better, but more importantly it's reliable.
Space, UK is crowded, it's rare to get stuck in traffic or not be able to find a parking space here. It's rare to have to pay for parking.
Cost. If you go to the beach in the UK its £3 to park your car 500 metres from the sand. Here it's free to park just 50 metres away.
Cost (again) EG July 14th, countless free firework displays with small bottles of beer available for €1. UK November the 5th, £10 to come and watch the fireworks £5 for a warm can of beer.
Cost. AFAIA the UK has the most expensive water, and the most polluted (In Europe). The most expensive electric and the most expensive gas.


Back On Topic

I've never lived anywhere 'bad', yes my first bedsit was tiny, but it was cheap and I was poor so it suited and I knew it wasn't forever.

[Yorick]

If you won £50m in the lottery you’d stay living in the same house and same location would you?

Not sure if that's a q specifically for the Cheese or more general. For me, the answer is "yes" with a slightly puzzled expression on my face. I live here because I want to. But then, I have the advantage (not boasting, just appreciating the fact) that I'm a generally contented person. Some on here seem to be driven by acquisitiveness, and that's fine, for them. We have "enough". You can keep your million, or 50, thanks.

I'm the same as you, I have enough, I don't want or need the £50m, money isn't important to me anymore, if I won £50m I'd put it in a bank somewhere and probably forget about it. I wouldn't change much at all.

The lottery win example was simply a device to gauge the level of philosophical shite being posted, most people would move location if they suddenly came into £50m.

We couldn't. Penny needs to be able to jump on a plane to go take care of her sick mum and sister at very short notice. Nowhere else with our perfect weather and calm and serenity within a few hours of London.

[DefTrap]

It's all very well us fat balding contented over 50s waxing lyrical over our good fortune, hard work and careful decisions. Most of us have enough money, we can afford to be philosophical about our status quo.

Most people would snap your hand off for a mil, because they're living in their worst place right now, with limited / missed opportunity to ever change that.

[weeksy]

It's all very well us fat balding contented over 50s waxing lyrical over our good fortune, hard work and careful decisions. Most of us have enough money, we can afford to be philosophical about our status quo.

Most people would snap your hand off for a mil, because they're living in their worst place right now, with limited / missed opportunity to ever change that.

Indeed, this is a very middle class place to live.... even the ones who think of themselves as working class are middle class here

[Yorick]

It's all very well us fat balding contented over 50s waxing lyrical over our good fortune, hard work and careful decisions. Most of us have enough money, we can afford to be philosophical about our status quo.

Most people would snap your hand off for a mil, because they're living in their worst place right now, with limited / missed opportunity to ever change that.

Hang on, only a page ago people were saying happiness is just a state of mind and has nothing to do with your location/circumstances.

Is everyone drunk?

Not yet. But we're nipping down to the beach for lunch when she's had her nap

[Mr. Dazzle]

Hang on, only a page ago people were saying happiness is just a state of mind and has nothing to do with your location/circumstances.

That's not what I read fella.

Location, yeah that's what people said.

If anything people have been saying circumstances are what actually matters.

[MrLongbeard]

It's you that decides whether or not your happy, not your geographic location.

If you won £50m in the lottery you’d stay living in the same house and same location would you?

Yep.
We currently rent a nice bungalow in a cul-de-sac down a private road, I'd buy this place, and then the other 3 bungalows as the owners died off.
Then out come the JCB's, demolish one, chop, change and extend the remaining 3 and chill, 1 for me and the wife, one for our daughter and one for visiting family & friends.

That or get divorced, emigrate to the US, buy a mini ranch, an ATV, a bunker and a load of guns

[Mr. Dazzle]

Better off getting the divorce before you get that fifty million, from a financial PoV at least

[Mr. Dazzle]

Its not like I can go on Rightmove and filter by "will this location make me happy?" though. Besides, few people have ever said "I'm deliriously happy and contented with my existence. I'm gonna change it!".

As I said, I suspect there's a strong element of chicken and egg here.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The place I was unhappiest is about a mile from the place I was happiest, location has little to do with happiness, happiness is a state of mind, not a place.

Why didn’t you stay where you were and just decide to be happy then?

I pretty much have, we moved to a bigger house when we had children, I think we're about 9 miles from where we used to live.

[weeksy]

Hang on, only a page ago people were saying happiness is just a state of mind and has nothing to do with your location/circumstances.

That's not what I read fella.

Location, yeah that's what people said.

If anything people have been saying circumstances are what actually matters.

I can only go on what's posted mate.

Had they posted "Nah location didn't matter but circumstances did" then I'd have had something else to work with.

I'm assuming people chose the location because it made them happy, you'd be a bit simple buying a place to live in a location that made you unhappy.

It's you that decides whether or not your happy, not your geographic location.

I’m curious now, you people that bought houses - did you consider the location...

Location etc 100% makes a difference to me, so does the people i live around.

100% we bought on location more than anything else.

You've mis-represented my comments slightly. I said i bought this house because of location. I never said i was unhappy somewhere else or indeed anywhere else lol.
However, this place does make me happy yes.

[Mr. Dazzle]

And in the same vein, moving somewhere else is unlikely to resolve your problems in and of itself.

[weeksy]

It's obviously not black and white, I was using it for contrast to rebuke the philosophical claptrap that you simply get out of bed of a morning and decide to be happy regardless of your location. There are other factors and sometimes location isn't the most important thing that contributes to happiness, but it certainly can a big issue be if your location is particularly unagreeable.

Sounds reasonable... If i lived in the middle of a jungle with no food/water/shelter i'd struggle to be happy.

Unless.... 1. I didn't know any better or maybe 2. That's what i actually wanted.

But yeah i agree... .however, most on here are basically in either a pretty nice place, or a really nice place... or they've chosen to live where they are or could choose somewhere else if they wanted.

All of that said, i am one of these people who believe 100% that you can choose happiness, whatever... . It's a mindset. (science may disagree, pschologists may disagree, but for me, it works).
I went through a stage of being one of the biggest arseholes on forums, one day i decided to change, at first that change was forced and i was forcing myself to be nicer/happier, but over time, that then became what my personality actually is... I'm now a nice happy boy