Is anyone else motivated by money?

Money doesn't make you happy but it has become more important to me now I've got a child, we know things are going to be harder for the next generation. We have just bought a house, my fiance wants to do contracting which is upto £850 a day pay it's going to be hard long hours etc, but we want to send our daughter to private school and have a house bought for her when she comes of age. I want her to have the most comfortable life possible is that such a bad thing?

Nothing wrong with wanting the best for your children and not wanting to see them struggle - as long as they learn the true value of money.

Not at all. I shall be doing an AMA thread about it soon as others have asked about it as well. I ran a construction business for 2 years.

I am motivated by money but not so I can "shop at places that aren't high street brands". That's small-minded and I expect you will soon grow out of it by the time you graduate.

1. There's a major socioeconomic shock coming in a couple of decades' time and you want to be in a position to weather it.
2. If I don't do better than my dad I've failed, because I haven't properly leveraged my privilege.
3. Need savings: you really think the bastards are going to honour our pension plans?
4. Medical insurance and all the other ways the brave new free market world will screw you if you're not rich.

Career is much, much more about positioning, prestige and exit options though.

Before I get a ton of replies saying the same thing, I'm well aware money can't buy you happiness, but at the same time being poor can't buy you anything.
I'm about to go to university this year, so obviously entering the world of work is still a way off, but I feel like if I don't end up in a job making a decent amount of money that would allow me to live in London and travel and shop at places that aren't just high-street brands regularly then I'll feel as if I've failed.
There's always been financial difficulty in my house and so I know, whilst completely unintentional, my parents have made me see money, and lack of, as a source of stress. I hate living like this and can see myself working so hard to avoid it.
People always make being motivated by money into such a bad thing but I don't know if it really is and does anyone else feel the same?

I'm not even slightly motivated by money.

How? Also do people who are motivated by money come across as selfish or maybe materialistic to you?

Not sure I phrased that properly. What I was trying to say was that I'd like to be able to buy a pair of Louboutins or something like that without having to live off soup for the next week because I can't really afford it (I actually know someone who's done that).

You make some good points too. I'm all for the free market as long as you have the money to actually survive in it

I mean, I'm aware I need to earn a certain minimum salary to be able to pay the mortgage, the bills and for groceries etc, and I'd certainly never turn down extra money, but there are more important things, most importantly a) how much spare time I get and b) how interesting and stress free the work is.

For example, if you offered to pay me £20k extra if I was willing to commute to London every morning, I'd tell you where to stick it. The extra money wouldn't offset the extra 3 hours time spent away from home. No point having money if you don't have time to enjoy it.


I try not to judge other people, I probably just think you're a bit naive if you think having more money will automatically make you happier, compared to other more important things like where you live, who you're with, and how much leisure time you get.

Haha you think totally different to me I'm afraid. I would consider that person to have truly earned the Louboutins and a worthier possessor of them (but still a moron for wanting them)