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MrsM-6-7-08
<3
Member since 8/06 4249 total posts
Name:
Nicole
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
I am not interested in keeping up with the Jones's. I don't live in an uber upscale neighborhood but have heard stories and its rough in those area's because of competition.
I like nice things, i like designer handbags, bergdorfs, neimans, bloomingdales, and thats where I buy clothes, shoes, cosmetics but its because I really love that stuff not cause I am competeting with neighbors, I barely know my neighbors lol.
I dont shop at walmart, target or the dollar store, I would never buy cosmetics at CVS because its not who I am, not because of some competition. Even in Highschool I bought from the counters at Dept stores
And no matter how much or how little money someone has it can't buy your health, and honestly without your health you really have nothing.
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Posted 3/6/12 8:40 AM  |
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Ophelia
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Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
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remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by VanderZwang
I dont need to "keep up" because I dont care what others think.
this is essentially how I feel.
I grew up very poor in a pretty wealthy nabe in Brooklyn. we lived in a nice big house but it was my grandfathers. we struggled. from welfare to my mom working to support first 2 kids, then 3, then 4, and then 5! at one point, my 3 after school jobs supported my family. I was buying formula and diapers while my friends and schoolmates where rocking guess jeans and big door knocker earrings lol.
I learned to be scrappy though. I learned you don't need a lot, just a few things to keep you going. I learned to be frugal, and also that it's good to dream.
now, we are so fortunate. I am financially stable and that is something I cherish beyond belief. I feel so happy and blessed every.single.day. but also happy and blessed that I think I understand the true value of this stability.
we have no CC debt. we pay more towards our mortgage every month. we have retirement plans. we have a college fund for my son AND our nieces and nephews.
I do not by any means, dress fly. I shop as Macy's with my coupons like it's my job and I dont' buy anything unless it's on sale.
we have 2 sets of sheets for the beds in my house. no more. there is no need. I make do. I run things to the ground, including myself at times, to try my best to keep our finanicial future, and moreseo, that of my son looking bright.
there are always trade offs. there is always someone who will have more. always someone who will need more.
we are so blessed. we are so LUCKY. I know what it is to struggle. the worry and the hardship. the only thing I worry about doing is keeping that behind me. the Joneses can rock on with their bad selves. I only care about keeping up with the needs of my family.
Message edited 3/6/2012 10:35:04 AM.
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| Posted 3/6/12 10:33 AM |
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by MrsM-6-7-08
I am not interested in keeping up with the Jones's. I don't live in an uber upscale neighborhood but have heard stories and its rough in those area's because of competition.
I like nice things, i like designer handbags, bergdorfs, neimans, bloomingdales, and thats where I buy clothes, shoes, cosmetics but its because I really love that stuff not cause I am competeting with neighbors, I barely know my neighbors lol.
I dont shop at walmart, target or the dollar store, I would never buy cosmetics at CVS because its not who I am, not because of some competition. Even in Highschool I bought from the counters at Dept stores
And no matter how much or how little money someone has it can't buy your health, and honestly without your health you really have nothing.
I respect your site voices but try out Target. Just once if you haven't. you am be first person I know who doesn't shop there lol.
Where do you go for home cleaning stuff ? like detergent etc?
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| Posted 3/6/12 10:41 AM |
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Naner325
waiting on nugget!
Member since 6/10 4432 total posts
Name:
N
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Nope, if I was trying to keep up with the Jonses, they would have left me in the dust a long long time ago! DH and I live comfortably with little to no debt besides our mortgage. We have one newer car and one 98 and I drive both with the same mentality, I need it to get me where I need to go. I admit sometimes I am jealous when you see someone going on extravagant vacations or wearing a new outfit everyday but sometimes, it's a show. Take for example, one of my family members who make decent money but spend it before they get it. They just forclosed on their house and lost everything and that same week, she "upgraded" her engagement and wedding band and bought a new car. You just never know what people's situations are regardless of what they have
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| Posted 3/6/12 11:07 AM |
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MrsS1976
LIF Adolescent
Member since 5/11 534 total posts
Name:
M
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
I agree LI is really bad with the Jones' mentality. Having grown up in Queens and my parents coming to the US as non-English speaking immigrants, I grew up on the border of lower middle class and poverty. Money was always tight, my parents couldn't afford helping out with school and I managed to claw my way out through school toward a BA at SUNY and later financing law school entirely on student loans and partial scholarships.
In our circle of friends, we ARE the Jones' to some and to others, we look at them as if they are the Jones'.
We live in a nice town and both DH and I make decent incomes - but we live way under our means. We both have very low mortgage balances, and no credit card debt. My student loan is about to get paid off - our last "major" vacation was our honeymoon to St. Lucia last year. We drive old beater cars (neither of us like financed or leased cars), DH spends half his time at Home Depot so we don't spend $$ on needless furniture or home items. We buy all our food at BJ's, Associated and discount grocery stores. Rarely eat at fancy restaurants (we do Applebees or TGIFridays every other week with our friends). I own only 1 Coach bag (bought from a Macy's gift card in 2009). Half my clothes come from Sears, Target and yes, even Wal-Mart. The only item I splurge on is my work clothes (because as an attorney I have to look good in court), and I get them from mail order catalogs like Jessica London or buy them from Jones NY outlets at Riverhead or maybe Ann Taylor Loft (if I can afford the particular item).
People look at me and DH's jobs and assume we are raking in a ton of $$$$ (both DH and I hold graduate degrees), but the fact is we don't look it. If you saw our home (which is a tiny 2 bedroom Bungalow less than 1,000 square feet!), and the cars we drive, you would think we worked as Wal-Mart cashiers - but we simply don't care what total strangers think.
That book "The Millionaire Next Door" is really wonderful - I wish some Long Islanders who are status obsessed and trying to look like the Jones' would read it and adopt that philosophy. Many of those people who spend $$ on luxury cars, McMansions, designer clothing and fancy restaurant tabs, have very little in retirement or are knee-deep up to their eyeballs in debt. I hope DH and I never get to that point.
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| Posted 3/6/12 11:37 AM |
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maybesoon
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 5981 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by MissJones
Posted by Mrs213
Posted by MrsPJB2007
Long Island is FULL of this menality. Hell LIF in general seems to be a big example of this.
This is what I was wondering too if it's a regional thing.
ETA I never even really thought of this kind of thing until I bought a house really
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
In my experience these people have the cash to do this , and don't use credit cards or loans
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| Posted 3/6/12 1:01 PM |
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JONESES
LIF Zygote
Member since 3/12 1 total post
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Why is everybody so obsessed with me???
So I have better stuff than you...deal with it and stop making posts about me!
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| Posted 3/6/12 1:12 PM |
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AngnShaun
Sisters
Member since 1/10 21015 total posts
Name:
Ang
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
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| Posted 3/6/12 1:17 PM |
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computergirl
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 3118 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Forest Hills.
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| Posted 3/6/12 1:36 PM |
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AScottWolf
I <3 our squish!
Member since 11/10 2237 total posts
Name:
Adriana
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
I think Im in the middle.
I can spend with the best of them but I can save with the best of them. I refuse to spend $ on things just because other people have them. If I buy something it's because I want it or I need it, not because society and peers are telling me to get it.
Believe me, If I had the money I would be the one to buy tons of jewelry and expensive vacations and bags. DH would be the one to buy the newest apple product.
But, even if we had that money, I would still look for a sale, we would read reviews and make sure we were getting the most for our money, and live the way WE want to.
One of DH's friends even said, "I wish we didn't buy a house right when we got married. We did it but it was too much, but on LI there's a certain expectation put on you." I had no clue what expectations he was talking about. My parents lived in an apartment before buying their first house and that was the normal move to make. We are doing the same.
Are there certain areas in LI that live by this mentality, YES, and I work for them every weekend. Even if I could afford to live in some of the best school districts on LI I wouldn't even if someone paid me. The morals and beliefs are so backwards and I would NEVER want my children raised in that type of environment.
Message edited 3/6/2012 1:53:37 PM.
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| Posted 3/6/12 1:52 PM |
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piggy007
Mommy of 2!!
Member since 11/08 1742 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Eh, I could care less with keeping up with the jonses. DH and I live below our means and are very happy with that. We don't drive fancy cars, go on fancy vacations, almost never go out to dinner without using a coupon, we don't own expensive clothes and I have 1 purse, a coach purse I wear everyday all of which I'm fine with.
We don't have cc debt, have a nice safety net should we need it, and don't have issues paying our monthly mortgage. Our daughter is happy and we have a great marriage. This makes me happier than driving a fancy car or living in a lavish house...but to each his own.
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| Posted 3/6/12 1:53 PM |
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maybesoon
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 5981 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by computergirl
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Forest Hills.
To add bayside, fresh meadows, little neck, auburndale, flushing, college point
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| Posted 3/6/12 1:58 PM |
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jellybean78
:)
Member since 8/06 13103 total posts
Name:
Mommy
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by computergirl
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Forest Hills.
Bayside and Whitestone probably too but those are areas with "wealthier" folks generally speaking of course. In theory those are the Joneses
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:00 PM |
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Mrs213
????????
Member since 2/09 18986 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by JONESES
Why is everybody so obsessed with me???
So I have better stuff than you...deal with it and stop making posts about me!
Ur an ass 
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:08 PM |
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Beth
The Key to your new home....
Member since 2/06 24849 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by maybesoon
Posted by computergirl
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Forest Hills.
To add bayside, fresh meadows, little neck, auburndale, flushing, college point
so true- there are 2 orginal houses on my grandma's block in fresh meadows
I will have no problem selling her house for $600K- (3 bed/1 bath) and it will knocked down with in a month and a stone and stucco house taking up the whole lot will be in it's place
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:08 PM |
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HeathKernandez
Our Ron is an awesome Ron
Member since 4/07 9091 total posts
Name:
baby fish mouth
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by computergirl
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Forest Hills.
ding ding ding!!!! and Kew Gardens...
it's AWFUL
I can't STAND the look of a HUGE HOUSE on a tiny piece of property... they look like they're laying on TOP of their neighbors...
I see areas in LI where people have done this too... I'd be so p*ssed if that was my neighbor
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:40 PM |
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MrsS1976
LIF Adolescent
Member since 5/11 534 total posts
Name:
M
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by Beth
Posted by maybesoon
Posted by computergirl
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Forest Hills.
To add bayside, fresh meadows, little neck, auburndale, flushing, college point
so true- there are 2 orginal houses on my grandma's block in fresh meadows
I will have no problem selling her house for $600K- (3 bed/1 bath) and it will knocked down with in a month and a stone and stucco house taking up the whole lot will be in it's place
My best friend's neightbor in Whitestone did this. The couple got the house from the grandmother when she passed away (all they had to pay for were transfer taxes and taxes). They moved into it around 1992 and had 5 kids from 1994-2000. It was a 2 bedroom house and they invested $100K toward the house to make it bigger (added 3 bedrooms upstairs, a backyard patio and pool, new appliances, kitchen, etc etcetc)..
They sold the Whitestone house in 2006 for around $500/600K to mover into a fixer upper in North Merrick (bought for around $250K) because they wanted a better school district, and because of the crappy market- their mortgage for a construction loan didn't get approved and now its a family of 5 living in a tiny 3 bedroom house with crappy plumbling, floors, etc. They are anything but rich - wife is a legal secrerary pulling $45K and her DH makes $65K in civil service.
Things are not always what they seem.
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:41 PM |
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tourist
Member since 5/05 10425 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by HeathKernandez
Posted by computergirl
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Forest Hills.
ding ding ding!!!! and Kew Gardens...
it's AWFUL
I can't STAND the look of a HUGE HOUSE on a tiny piece of property... they look like they're laying on TOP of their neighbors...
I see areas in LI where people have done this too... I'd be so p*ssed if that was my neighbor
I've seen this in the Floral Park/Glen Oaks area too. I think (and this is just a guess) the reason it is more common in Queens than LI is b/c in Nassau your already high taxes would sky rocket with a huge house like that. There may also be more local town & village ordinances that make it harder.
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:44 PM |
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by MrsS1976
so true- there are 2 orginal houses on my grandma's block in fresh meadows
I will have no problem selling her house for $600K- (3 bed/1 bath) and it will knocked down with in a month and a stone and stucco house taking up the whole lot will be in it's place
My best friend's neightbor in Whitestone did this. The couple got the house from the grandmother when she passed away (all they had to pay for were transfer taxes and taxes). They moved into it around 1992 and had 5 kids from 1994-2000. It was a 2 bedroom house and they invested $100K toward the house to make it bigger (added 3 bedrooms upstairs, a backyard patio and pool, new appliances, kitchen, etc etcetc)..
They sold the Whitestone house in 2006 for around $500/600K to mover into a fixer upper in North Merrick (bought for around $250K) because they wanted a better school district, and because of the crappy market- their mortgage for a construction loan didn't get approved and now its a family of 5 living in a tiny 3 bedroom house with crappy plumbling, floors, etc. They are anything but rich - wife is a legal secrerary pulling $45K and her DH makes $65K in civil service.
Things are not always what they seem.
I am not going to renovate my grandma's house- I am flat out selling it to a builder
but on a side note- yout friends could get an FHA 203K refi on the north merrick house
it sounds like they may have bought it cash from the math you gave me
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:51 PM |
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MrsS1976
LIF Adolescent
Member since 5/11 534 total posts
Name:
M
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by Beth EXIT Realty
I am not going to renovate my grandma's house- I am flat out selling it to a builder
but on a side note- yout friends could get an FHA 203K refi on the north merrick house
it sounds like they may have bought it cash from the math you gave me
Yes, Beth thats correct - the problem is they said they couldnt qualify for the 203K because their credit is absolutely ruined because of some problems with the $100K loan they took out back in the mid 90s for the Whitestone home renovation (they made 1 late payment and the wife never thought it would get reported)...The wife said she didn't even know until they put in the application for the construction in 2007-2008 (they had moved into a Rental expecting the Merrick house would get fixed up in a year) and the bank said her FICO was only 550 or so . She basically was stuck and they were forced to deal with a subprime lender to get a $150K loan to do some minor renovations until their credit scores improve and they can afford to move back into a rental again for the major renovation work on the home's foundation..its been a NIGHTMARE for them!
Message edited 3/6/2012 2:58:56 PM.
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| Posted 3/6/12 2:56 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
The obvious question everyone seems to be avoiding is....
Is it:
Keeping up with the Jones'
Keeping up with the Jones's
Keeping up with the Joneses
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| Posted 3/6/12 3:11 PM |
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Theresa05
Sofialiciciousssssssssssss
Member since 10/06 4891 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by AngnShaun
Posted by MissJones
See, i disagree. In suffolk, people buy a house and in time fix it up. In queens, people buy a house, TEAR IT DOWN and build a brand new one that is three times bigger all while parking luxory cars and carrying louis. im talking entire blocks of this. If thats not keeping up, i dontbknow ehat is.
I dont know anyone in queens that has ever done that... ive lived here my whole life.
Howard beach.............
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| Posted 3/6/12 3:36 PM |
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lmarino
LIF Infant
Member since 2/09 67 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Middle Village too!
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| Posted 3/6/12 3:52 PM |
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AngnShaun
Sisters
Member since 1/10 21015 total posts
Name:
Ang
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Posted by lmarino
Middle Village too!
i grew up in MV... ive never seen a house knocked down and rebuilt...
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| Posted 3/6/12 4:03 PM |
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lmarino
LIF Infant
Member since 2/09 67 total posts
Name:
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Re: "Keeping Up With the Jonses"
Check out 74th Street between Juniper and Metropolitan Avenue. There have been about 5 houses knocked down and rebuilt from the ground up in the past few years. I know the people personally from 3 of them.
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| Posted 3/6/12 4:28 PM |
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