What did your parents leave you?

[Schumi]

I want to ask the opposite of this thread:

What will you leave your kids?

If your parents are no longer with us... what happened? They leave you anything, or spend it all?

I know this may be a touchy subject, but it's something I have to wonder, as I haven't, luckily, gone thru such a thing yet.

I want my parents to have a good time in their last years here, but they are very frugal people who don't spend a dime. They just wont spend it.

I don't have any children and more than likely wont. So their (lack of) retirement is more than likely going to fund mine. I am not sure how I feel about this.

[Nostril Cheese]

My dad left me his vintage Marantz, a 60's Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Yamaha SA2000. He had no money.

[Bill Douglas]

My dad didn't leave me anything. Mind you I hadn't seen him since I was eight. My Mom, well she was quite a different person. She left me with a knowledge of how good mannered and polite, and caring a person can be. Plus she left me quite a lot of money. People took advantage of her, accountants, lawyers, neigbours. So when she died I said to them "I'm the boss around here and you f*** off before I punch you in the face then sue your arse off." They knew I was best buddies with the most Rotwieller lawyer in the country so they took me seriously. I have a few personal items but ebverything else was sold or burnt.

[Schumi]

I find it interesting how physical posessions amass with families over generations- it is interesting to think about- on average, most people in this country had ancestors that came here within the last 100-200 years, or less. They most likely came here with very few material possessions. As the family grows, more and more generations are handed down possessions-

Not so long ago, very few people 'started' with many things- but now it has come possible to
'keep' things- space wasn't much of a concern.

My parents have a basement that is full of things that were left for them- photo albums, antiques, old paintings- the kind of stuff that people just don't want to throw away and you can't sell (because no one would buy it).

I'm the end of this chain- I have no siblings and no other immediate family. When it is left for me, it's going to have to go away. I can't keep it, and even if I did I would have no one to give it to (even if I did, I don't see a reason, other than the photographs- but even those, I don't know who is in them. )

But my case is a simple one- there isn't much. But I know some people who have, in storage, enough stuff to make people on 'Hoarders' look mild- all neater organized, but with little monetary value and, as it gets older, in my opinion, less relevant.


This wasn't a problem people had, say, 200 years ago. Back then you might be left the house and the farm- but the house wasn't filled with 120 years of family heirlooms simply because that family hadn't been 'around' that long...

[widgeon13]

My mother is still alive and kicking at 100 YO so I don't know yet.

[Rick V]

When my mom passed she left everything to my dad, sounds like a good plan. My dad and I had this conversation a while ago (prompted by him) and I told him I didn't want him to think about me and my sister just enjoy the fruits of his labors and just have a good time.
He is however leaving me his guns and his tools. I am not looking forward to the day when I get them.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Both alive thankfully. They left me good values, a passion for knowledge, a respect for others, a good (but occasionally warped) sense of humor and they got me through college. I expect nothing else, they owe me nothing at this point.

[svandamme]

My dad ran about 2.5 million euro's worth of debt, then buggered off , went missing.

My mum is still working at depleting the funds of her third husband who by now has heart problems...

I doubt either of the 2 will kick the bucket anytime soon, so i'm sure there's more mayhem to be expected from those 2 lowlifes.
So far so good, i'm 36, they are mid 50'ies.. I guarantee you that i will rather spend my money on cheap hookers and blow then on their retirement

[fastfredracing]

Both are still alive and well, and like Pop above, I already have everything that they "left " for me. I am thankful that I had good parents growing up. They helped mold me into the man I am today.
Companies started outsourcing work to India in the late 90's , and work was getting harder , and harder to find for my pop. He was struggling financially for years. He finally landed on his feet, and got a good job, then suffered a major heart attack. They lost everything. It worked out good though. I bought commercial property with a home on it, restored it , and moved them in. I spend every morning with my Dad, my mom makes me lunch every day, and my parents pick up my kid from the school bus daily . It feels really good to be able to help take care of them, and pay them back for all the help they gave me over the years. Plus, they are a major part of my life.

[mreid]

My dad died in 1995 with $70M in debt. Yes, you read that correctly. My mom, who squandered every penny and anything of value is now 80 and costing her kids money.

So what did they leave me? Nothing but trouble.

[Mothy]

Mum is still alive so when Dad passed it all went to her - and she will be comfortably covered till the end of days. In the end when she is gone, my brother and I will probably be left the house and contents, very little money but some fantastic memories and lessons learnt over the years - they are worth more to me than anything else.

I think dad's view was to live life so that the last cheque bounces - he got it about right.

[Icemaster]

Still with us. Wen they do head out I hope they leave us nothing but memories. Their money and goods, they earned it. should use the all up before they bolt.

[GH85Carrera]

My dad is still alive. I have power of attorney and access to his accounts. He has a modest accumulation of cash and investments. He had no debts at all. His house is going to be a major bit of work to clean out. My parents were married for 56 years before my mom died. He has several nice watches and a Rolex in a safety deposit box, and I have the key.

I have not seen the will, it is sealed and not to be opened until dad dies. I assume my brother will get 1/2 but that is just a guess. It is going to be a lot of work to empty the house and sell it.

I will not get cash rich by most any definition. I am rich in that I had parents that loved me, never abused me, always had food on the table, and a house to sleep in. They provided an example of how to live and work for a living. I feel I did them proud, I own a house that is nicer than my parents, and my wife & I have a lot more money accumulated than dad has now. I have never been arrested or had handcuffs on, never been to jail, I pay my taxes, and have a loving wife of 20+ years.

[jcommin]

My dad died in 1994 and everything went to my mom as it should. Before he passed on, he had a talk with my brother and me: he told us to take care of ourselves, take care of mom and never fight over anything. We did. My mom died in 1998 after 4 years with Alzheimers and in a nursing home. We burned thru much of their estate but what remained, my brother and I shared equally. We never fought over stuff. On occasions going thru their stuff, I will find something: a picture or something that my mom or dad had that would be best suited for my brother kids. My brother does the same.

My son's see those things as a piece of history.

[KFC911]

I've always told my dad..."if y'all don't spend it...I will"!. Seriously though, my parents "gave" me SO much before I was ten that I can NEVER ever repay (though I always try to)...I don't want/need anything material...just great memories...those I already have. .

ps: There is a great chance that my mom will outlive all of us anyways...I can vividly remember my "granny" who died when I was two years old (in 1962)...she was born the year the civil war started...do the math

[FrankyV]

Dad died young, Mom left the house, about $7k for each of the seven kids after expense to fix and sell. In laws are loaded and fret over leaving money to us kids with our lavish lifestyle, you know Porsches and boats and stuff. My advice to them is to spend it but that is against their thrifty nature. My guess is that MIL will outlive FIL, fully lose her mind (she is halfway there now) and leave all the money to the dog, I am good with that.

[Linderpat]

well, it's hard to say. You see, it was the 3d of September, that day I'll always remember...cause that's the day when my daddy died.
Never got a chance to see him, and heard nothing but bad things about him, so I asked my moma to tell me the truth.





















And she said



































Poppa was a rolling stone, wherever he laid his hat was his home,


and when he died, all he left us was alone.

[Schumi]

Originally Posted by mreid

My dad died in 1995 with $70M in debt.

%@&*.

[porsche4life]

I don't expect I'll inherit a ton of money from my folks, but being the only child ill inherit the house and the acreage and shops. My dad has a huge investment in tools and equipment. Just his tools and toolboxes would take at least one 53' footer to move, and that's not counting the tractors. It will take several months to sort through the shop and the scrap heaps out back...

So what will my folks leave me? A lot of work....

However they have made me the successful young man I am today. They are the reason my business sense is so keen at such a young age. They are who have encouraged me to live my life without regrets, to work for what I want, and have always encouraged me when I get another hair brained idea for what I want to so when I grow up.

[johnco]

a family history of cancer, diabeties, alzheimers and heart disease. so far I've recieved 2.. but now I just can't remember which 2. LOL