Quotes

Quote 7 of 13

There is a tacit understanding among English shoppers to the effect
that shopping is not an act of spending, but an act of saving.  You do
not speak of having 'spent' x amount on an item of food or clothing,
but of having 'saved' x amount on the item.  You would certainly never
boast about having spent an excessive sum of money on something, but
you are allowed to take pride in finding a bargain. ...  Only brash,
crass Americans display their wealth by boasting about how much
something cost them.  Congratulating yourself on a bargain or saving,
however--boasting about how <em>little</em> something cost you--is
universally acceptable among English shoppers of all classes.  It is
one of the very few exceptions to the money-talk taboo.  What
constitutes a bargain, what counts as cheap or good value, may well
differ according to class an income level, but the principle is the
same: whatever price you paid, you should if possible claim that it
somehow constituted a saving.

p. 230

Tags: moneytalk sumofmoney taboo exceptions shoppers lt principle bargain pride shopping incomelevel