I’ve noticed that a lot of people I know have an obsession with money. I see it in two forms: buy material things or hoard.  I understand we need money to survive. But what about this need to accumulate wealth?

I ask this because I have fallen (note past tense, thankfully) into this camp before. I have hoarded money. I avoid spending to “save for a rainy day”. But when is that rainy day? Is it death? Is it if I’m paralyzed? I mean seriously, at that point, who cares about comfort…I’m paralyzed.

I’m sure there are numerous psychological studies on this. Maybe people came from a poor background and feel a need for financial security. What is it about money that makes us comfortable? Is it just another “thing” that gives us security? Do some people find comfort in relationships or something other than money, maybe love (friendly or deeper)? Does everyone have a dependence on something for some reason, and for some people, it just happens to be money?

A friend of mine won’t turn the air conditioner on in his car because he feels like it costs money. He says it uses too much gas. So if people are hot, they have to roll down the windows. I do the math in my head. Spend $30 to fill up a tank. Let’s just say you did that every week, so your cost was about $1500 a year. What if you had to fill up ONE MORE TIME? You’d spend $1530. So the $30 ANNUALLY wasn’t worth the additional comfort of having a cool car when it’s hot as hell outside? I don’t get it. Then again, maybe my brain is just wired to do cost/benefit analysis for even the most trivial things.

Maybe we’re irrational because of what money represents (e.g. Power, Status, etc…). And it’s so strange too because it’s usually the people who have a lot of money that care so much about it. Of course people without money want to make more, but they’re doing it at the subsistence level to eat, stay warm, and have shelter. People with money who do things like keep the AC off in the car easily have enough to afford it. So what is it that makes someone want to save that $.60 per week? What causes this?

Deeper questions and I’m sure there’s no right answer. I also feel this represents a minority of the population, but a minority that I find often in the business world.