Cheap vs Generous Europeans.

[rashka]

Who do you think are the most generous and the most cheapest people?
Most giving and most helping. Most stingy and most miserly.

I think of all the Europeans, it's got to be the Italians who are the most generous to their friends, family and guests. They would not hesitate to help when you need it. They won't cry over a penny.

[arcticwolf]

I'll just quote Mark Twain to clarify what generosity really means so no one is confused. ;) "Generosity is not giving a bone to the dog, it is sharing the bone with the dog when one is as hungry as the dog". Now I think everybody will be clear what generosity truly is. :D

[Zolbu]

Who do you think are the most generous and the most cheapest people?
Most giving and most helping. Most stingy and most miserly.

I think of all the Europeans, it's got to be the Italians who are the most generous to their friends, family and guests. They would not hesitate to help when you need it. They won't cry over a penny.
In order to make a valid conclusion (bias aside) one should have been in touch with various people from diiferent countries. My impessions are that East Asians are skinflints but my sample is insufficient. Richer people are empirically proven to be more stingy with Scots on top. :icon_smile:

[Comte Arnau]

We Catalans have a reputation for stinginess. Only because we are not spendthrifts like the rest of Iberians. :D

On the actual side, we've been subsidizing the South for decades (they call it "solidarity") and TV solidarity shows for Christmas collect more money here than elsewhere in this Peninsula.

[Queen B]

I don't know about the rest, but Greeks are known for their generosity (every foreigner living here, can assure you on that). Some times, more than they should

[Damião de Góis]

I don't give away anything... change, cigarettes... i'm the wrong person to ask. On the other hand i always help with directions and things like that.

[The Ripper]

We Catalans have a reputation for stinginess. Only because we are not spendthrifts like the rest of Iberians. :D

On the actual side, we've been subsidizing the South for decades (they call it "solidarity") and TV solidarity shows for Christmas collect more money here than elsewhere in this Peninsula.

Catalans are the Nordic Spaniards.

[Comte Arnau]

Catalans are the Nordic Spaniards.

Well, Spaniards call us Polish in an offensive way. Maybe not Nordic, but close. :p

[Virtuous]

Who do you think are the most generous and the most cheapest people?
Most giving and most helping. Most stingy and most miserly.

I think of all the Europeans, it's got to be the Italians who are the most generous to their friends, family and guests. They would not hesitate to help when you need it. They won't cry over a penny.

In Malta we organize a fund raising event every Christmas for disabled persons and we collect like 1.5-2 million Euros a Year...considering Malta's population is 450,000 we are pretty generous.

In 2004 after the tsunami that I forgot exactly where it was we re-organized the same event exatly after the fund raising for disabled persons and we also gave alot.

[Hurrem sultana]

the most cheap ones are probably swedes :D i will just mention ONE example.....if your child has friends over,and dinner time comes,,the friend will either be sent home or wait in the room till the family has eaten

Is this normal in your countries? i know in Bosnia the guests eat what you eat,and the woman will not give up easy if you say "no!" :D

[Europa]

Well,I've worked with Brittish,Germans,Yankees,New Zeelanders,Aussies,Italians and Greeks.I've noticed that the Italians are big skinflints closely followed by the Greeks.The Bulgarians are in some way skinflints as well when it comes to a tip in a pub.(meaning not knowing what the hell is that).In fact skinflints are everywhere.

Most generous amongst the Europeans I've worked with are the Germans(at least for me).

[Albion]

Cheap:

Scots, Dutch

Generous:

English, French, Irish

[Hurrem sultana]

Who do you think are the most generous and the most cheapest people?
Most giving and most helping. Most stingy and most miserly.

I think of all the Europeans, it's got to be the Italians who are the most generous to their friends, family and guests. They would not hesitate to help when you need it. They won't cry over a penny.

the more south you go the more generous people are

[Styggnacke]

the most cheap ones are probably swedes :D i will just mention ONE example.....if your child has friends over,and dinner time comes,,the friend will either be sent home or wait in the room till the family has eaten
How come then I always got dinner when I was at my friends' house? :confused:

If we are cheap, that's because we were rather poor a few centuries ago. You had to keep every nickle you got. For some reason, this mentality got stuck in the Swedish mindset.

[Hurrem sultana]

How come then I always got dinner when I was at my friends' house? :confused:

If we are cheap, that's because we were rather poor a few centuries ago. You had to keep every nickle you got. For some reason, this mentality got stuck in the Swedish mindset.

Bosnian families used to be poor too,yet that mentality is very foreign to us

[Queen B]

the most cheap ones are probably swedes :D i will just mention ONE example.....if your child has friends over,and dinner time comes,,the friend will either be sent home or wait in the room till the family has eaten

Is this normal in your countries? i know in Bosnia the guests eat what you eat,and the woman will not give up easy if you say "no!" :D

Whaaat? Are you kidding ? :lol: Here is like
''Come on and eat (lets say) Eleni with us, whaaat???? You don't want?? Nooooh, just a piece of Spanakopita, a bit of Pastitsio, and some fruits, and yeah, dessert then, as well''.
:lol:

I don't know how things are , but I was shocked by some European things that don't happen here.
- Going ''Dutch''. Even between friends, they will have to ''fight'' of who will pay the bill in restaurant/cafeteria.
(I mean, they are fighting because all want to pay)
- Trying to share gas for the car.

But one of the most shocking things for me to see, is what happens with foreign tourists (mostly British) and ''free shots'' offers.
Every club that gives free shot, is overcrowded with people , asking free shots.
I find it very... beggar-ish :(

[Libertas]

Well,I've worked with Brittish,Germans,Yankees,New Zeelanders,Aussies,Italians and Greeks.I've noticed that the Italians are big skinflints closely followed by the Greeks.The Bulgarians are in some way skinflints as well when it comes to a tip in a pub.(meaning not knowing what the hell is that).In fact skinflints are everywhere.

Most generous amongst the Europeans I've worked with are the Germans(at least for me).

Italians may be generous to family and friends but generosity to strangers usually has some ulterior motive.

[Ushtari]

How come then I always got dinner when I was at my friends' house? :confused:

If we are cheap, that's because we were rather poor a few centuries ago. You had to keep every nickle you got. For some reason, this mentality got stuck in the Swedish mindset.
mannen lägg ner, alla vet att de bosnian skrev är sant. Det har hänt mig 10000 gånger

[Europa]

I think that some of you mistake Hospitality with Generosity.

[Styggnacke]

Whaaat? Are you kidding ? :lol:
Very few people are like that in Sweden. bosnian like to over emphasize such things about Sweden because she is an ungrateful immigrant. The proverb "don't bite the hand that feeds you" is obviously unfamiliar to her.

[Styggnacke]

mannen lägg ner, alla vet att de bosnian skrev är sant. Det har hänt mig 10000 gånger
Hur många svenskar känner du ens, albanen? Var det inte du som sade att du kom från en "svennehåla" i Svealand, men som det senare visade sig att du var från Malmö?

[Queen B]

Very few people are like that in Sweden.
I hope so .
I come from a country where feeding someone is a must (no, my big Greek fat wedding wasn't exaggerating on that :lol:), and this is just socking me !

[Hurrem sultana]

Whaaat? Are you kidding ? :lol: Here is like
''Come on and eat (lets say) Eleni with us, whaaat???? You don't want?? Nooooh, just a piece of Spanakopita, a bit of Pastitsio, and some fruits, and yeah, dessert then, as well''.
:lol:

I don't know how things are , but I was shocked by some European things that don't happen here.
- Going ''Dutch''. Even between friends, they will have to ''fight'' of who will pay the bill in restaurant/cafeteria.
(I mean, they are fighting because all want to pay)
- Trying to share gas for the car.

But one of the most shocking things for me to see, is what happens with foreign tourists (mostly British) and ''free shots'' offers.
Every club that gives free shot, is overcrowded with people , asking free shots.
I find it very... beggar-ish :(



This is true,first time i visited my swedish friend(i was 7) when dinner time came she told me "wait here in the room i am just going to eat"..so i waited:eek: when she visited me..my mom "forced" her to eat with us(mom never accepts no as an answer :D).

[Hurrem sultana]

Very few people are like that in Sweden.


this is a lie,,,even swedes are talking about that cheap "Swedish mentality"

[Queen B]

(mom never accepts no as an answer :D).
No Balkan mom takes no as an answer :lol:

[PetiteParisienne]

I think the Scandinavian people live up to their reputation for being genuinely good-hearted and kind. Every one of them that I've met has gone out of their way to be helpful and giving.

[Europa]

No Balkan mom takes no as an answer :lol:

That is true.Not to mention the grandmothers.

[Hurrem sultana]

No Balkan mom takes no as an answer :lol:

very true haha:cool:

[Queen B]

That is true.Not to mention the grandmothers.
Grandmothers don't even know what a ''no'' is :lol:

[Hevneren]

the most cheap ones are probably swedes :D i will just mention ONE example.....if your child has friends over,and dinner time comes,,the friend will either be sent home or wait in the room till the family has eaten

Is this normal in your countries? i know in Bosnia the guests eat what you eat,and the woman will not give up easy if you say "no!" :D

Do you have anything positive to say about the nation that took you in and gave you a chance at a peaceful life? I'm just curious.

[Hurrem sultana]

Do you have anything positive to say about the nation that took you in and gave you a chance at a peaceful life? I'm just curious.

that was not meant to be as an insult,it is just pure fact...swedes joke about it themselves

[Pallantides]

I have lived in Sweden for period and I also have many Swedish friends, I can confirm that what Bosnian is saying is not really true... at least not for most of the ones I have met.



When I was at a friends house I was not sent away when they had dinner, more often than not I was requested to join.

[Padre Organtino]

Georgians are probably the most hospitable country in the world but then again:

a.We are lazy - hence we don't sweat as much as other people and value what we have less
b.Are not European.:D

[The Ripper]

I have lived in Sweden for period and I also have many Swedish friends, I can confirm that what Bosnian is saying is not really true... at least not for most of the ones I have met.



When I was at a friends house I was not sent away when they had dinner, more often than not I was requested to join.

May be its a case of Bosnian assuming that you're given food without announcing that you will attend dinner? I think most people here assume that kids get food at home, and won't prepare you dinner unless you ask for it.

[Pallantides]

May be its a case of Bosnian assuming that you're given food without announcing that you will attend dinner? I think most people here assume that kids get food at home, and won't prepare you dinner unless you ask for it.

In my experience they always ask if you are present.




It was the same in my own family, if I had friends over; my mom would always ask if they would stay for dinner.

[Hurrem sultana]

May be its a case of Bosnian assuming that you're given food without announcing that you will attend dinner? I think most people here assume that kids get food at home, and won't prepare you dinner unless you ask for it.

Exactly! if you come after school with your friends,they will not ask(mostly)...you will stay in their room


but if you come over weekend to sleep over then of course they will make dinner,sweets and all that

[Albion]

Georgians are probably the most hospitable country in the world but then again:

a.We are lazy - hence we don't sweat as much as other people and value what we have less
b.Are not European.:D

It's a bit off topic, I know, but what exactly do Georgian see themselves as? West Asians, Middle Easterners, Caucasians or just Georgians?

I suppose the uniqueness of that entire region probably makes it distinctive from both Europe and the Middle East.

[Hevneren]

that was not meant to be as an insult,it is just pure fact...swedes joke about it themselves

It just seems like a pattern that you only write negative things. :shrug:

Anyway, just like Pallantides and Anacrhonistic, I too can say that at my home we would also invite someone to eat with us if we had dinner. When I was a boy, I had a friend come over on some occasions, and I remember he'd sit with us and eat.

By the way, Bosnian, have you considered that your friend's family might have had pork that day, and they didn't invite you to eat because they knew you came from a Muslim Bosnian family? People often look for the worst possible explanation. Especially ungrateful immigrants like yourself. ;)

[Hevneren]

I don't think Norwegian will make dinner for someone who's coming uninvited, if they're not already having dinner themselves. My family never did. They'd offer drinks, snacks, sweets etc. but not dinner.

[Padre Organtino]

It's a bit off topic, I know, but what exactly do Georgian see themselves as? West Asians, Middle Easterners, Caucasians or just Georgians?

I suppose the uniqueness of that entire region probably makes it distinctive from both Europe and the Middle East.

Most as either Caucasians and/or Orthodox Christians. Some also identify with Euros. I guess cultural differences between most Middle Easterners (some like Assyrians are an exception) do not allow Georgians to identify with people from there. A Saudi Arabian is much more distant from us culturally than a Pole (then again I am not sure how it is in racial terms).

[Scrapple]

Over here the Scots are known for being cheap. I think that is where I get my cheapness from, my Scots ancestors.

[The Ripper]

The cheapest, stingiest Europeans are to be found in Laihia, Ostrobothnia, Finland.

Some facts about Laihians:

What is a Laihian car stereo?
-A nagging wife in the front, a nagging mother-in-law in the back.

Two Laihians were in a bank when suddenly a group of bank robbers burst in and told everyone to empty their pockets. One of the Laihians quickly slips out a 1000 euros from his wallet and gives it to the other one, saying "here's the 1000 I owed you."

Why are there so many priests from Laihia?
-Because priests don't need to donate to the offertory.

How can you tell a Laihian is in love?
-In the taxi, he looks at the girl he's with instead of the taxi-meter.

And on and on it goes. :D

[Loddfafner]

Back in the day, I spent a few months hitching through Europe. Although hitchhiking seems to have vanished as a custom to the point of being as antiquated as horse-draw wagons, landlines, and books, there were noticeable differences in how easily I could get a ride that might be relevant to this thread.

Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy): hitching was reputed to be so bad I didn't bother.

France: hitching was poor but I eventually reached my destination.

Germany: hitching was so easy I could easily get a ride even on a rural back road. Germany therefore is the most generous country.

Netherlands: it was just as easy as in Germany.

Belgium: the most ungenerous country. I spent two full days at the same highway onramp outside Brussels.

England: in between France and Germany.

Wales: Good. I got to some interesting and obscure places even though I had my brother with me at that point. One of our drivers claimed to speak only Welsh, no English.

[Ushtari]

Hur många svenskar känner du ens, albanen? Var det inte du som sade att du kom från en "svennehåla" i Svealand, men som det senare visade sig att du var från Malmö?
Jag växte upp i en svennehåla, så tro mig jag vet vad jag snackar om. Ni är det snålaste folket som finns och ni skäms inte för att visa det heller.

ta inte illa upp, det finns massor med positiva saker om er också.

[The Ripper]

Jag växte upp i en svennehåla, så tro mig jag vet vad jag snackar om. Ni är det snålaste folket som finns och ni skäms inte för att visa det heller.

ta inte illa upp, det finns massor med positiva saker om er också.

Säger albanen som bor i Sverige.

Hur kom du till Sverige? Säkert för att jobba på en IT-firma och betala massor av skatter, eller?

[Hurrem sultana]

Hur kom du till Sverige? Säkert för att jobba på en IT-firma och betala massor av skatter, eller?

vad har det med saken att göra? här pratar vi om mentalitet,,,och de är inte kända som världens mest generösa,det är väl deras mentalitet,inget negativt med det hela


de kanske tycker det är påträngande med en bosnisk,italiens,albansk mamma som tvingar på en mat?

[The Ripper]

vad har det med saken att göra? här pratar vi om mentalitet,,,och de är inte kända som världens mest generösa,det är väl deras mentalitet,inget negativt med det hela

Ja, vad kan det ha med saken att göra? Tänker du på saken lite så tänder nog lampan snart.

[Ushtari]

Säger albanen som bor i Sverige.

Hur kom du till Sverige? Säkert för att jobba på en IT-firma och betala massor av skatter, eller?
När invandrare ska gå ut och käka mat så typ bråkar man om vem som ska betala(dvs alla vill vara den som betalar "officiellt"), medan ni svenskar redan i förväg gör det klart för varandra att ni betalar var för sig.

[The Ripper]

När invandrare ska gå ut och käka mat så typ bråkar man om vem som ska betala(dvs alla vill vara den som betalar "officiellt"), medan ni svenskar redan i förväg gör det klart för varandra att ni betalar var för sig.

Jag är inte svensk. Men berätta för mig hur du o dina bruschor kom till Sverige?

[Ushtari]

Jag är inte svensk. Men berätta för mig hur du o dina bruschor kom till Sverige?
hör ej till diskussionen

[Hurrem sultana]

När invandrare ska gå ut och käka mat så typ bråkar man om vem som ska betala(dvs alla vill vara den som betalar "officiellt"), medan ni svenskar redan i förväg gör det klart för varandra att ni betalar var för sig.

Förr förra året 2 svenska tjejer var med oss i Bosnien,,,alla bosnier där nere hånade hur de alltid ville dela på notan,,där betalar man för alla,en gång jag,nästa gång någon annan..det jämnar ut sig

[Queen B]

Y U NO Speak English ?

[The Ripper]

hör ej till diskussionen

Nej nej, förstås inte. Ni är inte skyldiga svennarna ett skit. ;)

[The Ripper]

Y U NO Speak English ?

We are balkanizing.

[Hevneren]

Förr förra året 2 svenska tjejer var med oss i Bosnien,,,alla bosnier där nere hånade hur de alltid ville dela på notan,,där betalar man för alla,en gång jag,nästa gång någon annan..det jämnar ut sig

Cultural differences. Yes, they exist. And let's keep this discussion in English.

Here in the Nordic countries we care about treating people fair. Everyone has equal rights. We consider it polite to share, and to be equal rather than unequal.

And it matters how immigrants who call their host (Sweden in this case) stingy, came there, because if Sweden and Swedes were stingy they wouldn't let thousands of immigrants come there, give them welfare money and pensions and do their best to help them and offer them education and work.

Would Albania or Bosnia treat Swedes the way Sweden has treated you, Bosnian? Would Swedes be able to get decent pensions, welfare money, free or nearly free education, excellent health care etc. in Bosnia or Albania? Would Bosnia and Albania accept thousands of Swedes who'd get all these benefits? Be honest.

Who do you think pays for everything in Sweden? Come on, Bosnian. You don't see me or Swedish and Norwegian members in general making negative comments about Albania and Bosnia. Why not be proud of your own culture and celebrate that, instead of looking down your nose at our cultures in the Nordic countries?

[The Ripper]

Also here, in the Nordic countries, people take pride in being able to take care of themselves. Its not stinginess when each of the dinner participants pays their own share (as is common among friends, especially younger people who aren't as wealthy), it is a matter of principle: don't owe others anything, take care of yourself and your own.

The welfare state worked with such a mentality. A mentality which has allowed for generosity of catastrophic levels, allowing people who have no such solidarity and dignity to abuse the system. Sometimes I think this mass-immigration is just a way to get rid of the welfare state, since no one will want to pay for the good life of a bunch of ungrateful foreigners in the long run.

[Hess]

Who do you think are the most generous and the most cheapest people?
Most giving and most helping. Most stingy and most miserly.

I think of all the Europeans, it's got to be the Italians who are the most generous to their friends, family and guests. They would not hesitate to help when you need it. They won't cry over a penny.

Northern Italians, yes, but Sicilians are kinda cheap from what i've seen.

[Queen B]

Also here, in the Nordic countries, people take pride in being able to take care of themselves. Its not stinginess when each of the dinner participants pays their own share (as is common among friends, especially younger people who aren't as wealthy), it is a matter of principle: don't owe others anything, take care of yourself and your own.

Νο, sharing your own share it's not stinginess. Its fair.

But when you offer to pay , at least here, you don't do it because you owe the others, neither that because they can't take care of their selves, but because you want to .

[Styggnacke]

vad har det med saken att göra?
Är det inte uppenbart vad Ripper menar? Vi lät både din och hans familj flytta till Sverige och gav er rätten till skolgång, sjukvård etc. utan några egentliga motkrav. Ganska generöst, inte sant?

Den enda gången jag har upplevt det du beskriver var en gång på en vardag när mamman bara köpt mat till tre personer. Det var lugnt då det bara tog mig fem minuter att gå hem och käka.

[Gamera]

No Balkan mom takes no as an answer :lol:

I've noticed this even at the Croatian colony here lol. They will always offer you food and such.

[Amapola]

Catalans are the Nordic Spaniards.

Granada, in the far South, is called the "land of the pennie" (tierra del chavico) for a reason. :thumb001:

We must be Eastern-Nordics then.

[Turkophagos]

The more Eurojewish (Protestant) the country is, the cheaper the people are. The level of "protestantization" defines the cheapness of the people. The Anglican (Catholic practically)won't be as cheap as the Presbyterian Scot, like the pagan-influenced Scandinavian is more generous than the hardcore Evangelical German.

Still, they are all cheap asses compared to the generous Cretan or Sicilian.

[Libertas]

I can't speak for Sicilians but Italians from Naples upwards are among the LEAST generous in Europe.

[The Lawspeaker]

We Dutch have a reputation for stinginess (we are penny wise but pound foolish, I suppose, I only need to look at the mortgage debt and at the fact that so many are over-insured to come to that conclusion) but we are still the most generous givers to charity here (http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/07/dutch_are_most_generous_givers.php) in Europe.

[Albion]

Wales: Good. I got to some interesting and obscure places even though I had my brother with me at that point. One of our drivers claimed to speak only Welsh, no English.


How do you know? Did they tell you....

[askra]

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/annual-letter/2010/PublishingImages/11-net-aid-gdp-chart.gif

swedish people because Sweden spends 0,99% of its GDP in humanitarian donations



http://www.voxeu.org/sites/default/files/image/halla_fig1.GIF
http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/3109