Parents

When you've gone through life with very little money, always having to scrimp and save, you just get into the habit of not spending when you have it. As you get older there's not much that you want or need and usually it's too late, the extra money would have been useful when you had a mortgage, children etc. This is probably why money is found tucked away.

yes, I think it's normal. For my mum and dad it was a fear of running out of money, they never would but I think it is age. At their age they went through a lot of unstable finances run away inflation etc. (when I bought my first house interest rate was 17% this was 1976).

Maybe mine were the outliers then!

My DMIL used to worry DH and I as she constantly talked about being a pensioner and the cost of things. We even approached her to tell us if she was struggling and we’d help out where we could. She never asked for help, but we were shocked at how much money she had in the bank.

OPs last post says it all. They do nothing and have nothing else to talk about. I suspect that that is the story of their lives.

Look on the bright side, if they go into care you will be able to make sure they are in a care home of their choice because they will be self funding. When they finally die, providing they have left their money to their children, you will be able to have the comfortable retirement that they had the means to have, but chose npt to have.

Also my Dad has to have money in his wallet.

He takes money out, every week, regardless ‘just in case’.

Doesn’t go anywhere or do anything to spend it.

Maybe it is because he didn’t have much when he was growing up?

Elowen33

Could it be that they didn’t have a lot of money previously.

Thank you.

You could be right.
My Dad certainly didn’t have much when he was growing up.

Georgesgran

Back to the OP’s question and I wonder if that is all they have to talk about? Do they go out, holiday, see friends or do activities that they/you could converse about?
DH was always keen to tell the DDs to invest as much as they could in pensions, even if we had to subsidize the shortfall.
He had a good financial head, as a trustee of his Company's fund, but it certainly wasn’t his sole topic of conversation.

I must admit that when I meet friends for coffee, the talk often turns to income and expenditure, but without going into too much detail.

Thank you.

No they don’t go on holiday, see friends or do any activities.

So, yes, there isn’t much else to talk about, when I do visit.

Quite sad 🥺

No it is not normal at all, they are both miserable gits who are comfortably off. Why is a woman of 82 still working, not enough money for some I guess? Why doesn't she try to enjoy the years she has left. I, aged 84 widow live on a very modest pension and am quite content. I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, clothes, pay all the bills and run a four year old Toyota Aygo all on £14,000.00 a year.

There are people of all ages with comfortable incomes who whinge constantly about paying taxes.

Isn't all the current political furore about the need to raise taxes based on most people's expectations to have a Scandinavian style social security system at US tax rates?

As it is people of all ages. It will incude some old people, 2 of them are the OP's parents.

I come from a large family that very rarely talks about money. My mum lived to be 90 and also rarely discussed it except in practical terms.

Likewise with my friends we rarely talk about it.

I think this is probably because none of us have any!

Only people who have it talk about it- glad I'm not so boring...

Back to the OP’s question and I wonder if that is all they have to talk about? Do they go out, holiday, see friends or do activities that they/you could converse about?
DH was always keen to tell the DDs to invest as much as they could in pensions, even if we had to subsidize the shortfall.
He had a good financial head, as a trustee of his Company's fund, but it certainly wasn’t his sole topic of conversation.

I must admit that when I meet friends for coffee, the talk often turns to income and expenditure, but without going into too much detail.

Perhaps they're letting you know that you don't have to worry about helping them pay for a care home if they ever need one.

My parents only had the State pension, didn't own a house. Dad worked hard all his life - nothing to show for it except us 4.

Interesting, as I took a considerable amount of cash to the Bank to pay into my parents account before he passed away, he also would carry about £500 in his wallet.
On saying to the lady, it was found in my dad's odds and end draw, she said happens a lot they just don't spend it.
My MiL when she passed away we found thousands in a draw as well.
Both not wealthy but my folks were comfortable, MiL just never spent any money.

Could it be that they didn’t have a lot of money previously.

No. I don't think so.
I think it's to do with personality

My retired parents had "enough" but not a lot and weren't interested in it.
They spent it happily.

My mother-in-law has more and if her husband had been alive, quite a bit more between them...
They have both always talked money!
They were much less likely to splash out on small treats and enjoy what they had.