It's been said that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Whoever said it, though, obviously never saw my aunt's hair. (Only the good dye young.)
I may not spend as much time with it as I'd like, but I love money. It pays for my rent, my electricity, my comics and even the occasional apology bouquet for my boyfriend. I can't get new clothes without it and I can't drive to work to make more of it if I don't have any for gas.
In all reality, it isn't love. Love is what I have for my friends, my family (even for my aunt), and for my boyfriend. And besides: mo' money, mo' problems. So it isn't love, but it is respect.
I respect the "mighty" dollar, and I respect the coin because change comes hard without it.
If you're overweight, dough costs a lot less dough than a salad does. If you don't have a job, friend or significant other, your car won't run on fumes forever and those things are harder to find sitting at home. Whether we like it or not, money makes the world go 'round. As much as I'd like to wager three magical beans rather than half of my paycheck for rent, it's not going to happen. The barter system is dead.
Money is survival, and most of us want to survive so by extension, a healthy respect for money is a healthy respect for oneself.
A very good friend of mine and I were recently carrying groceries in from the car. It was raining and just after a non-rent paycheck, so the bags were heavier and even contained a few name brands. (There's no substitution for Cheez-Its.)