Stupid debt riddled neighbors...

[jmendez29]

Awhile back, a buddy of mine was telling me a story. He worked in a mall kiosk selling hot tubs. I'm sure just about everyone has seen something of the sort. One guy was walking past one day and his kids got all excited about the hot tubs. After looking at them for awhile, the guy and his wife decided to get one. So my buddy gets his information to put this massive expenditure on credit. Looking at the credit report, its just loaded with credit cards, loans, and hospital bills. There was just no way this guy should have even been looking at this hot tub, so he obviously got denied. Of course, he got pretty upset that he got denied and started yelling at my buddy about it. He defended his position saying that his credit score was too low for what the lenders were looking for, and then suggested that he try living within his means. This guys response was funny but true, "If I lived within my means, my life would suck."

And this was probably 15 years ago. Apparently, the same mentality has only gotten worse.

 

[the_bird]

90% of tv buyers after a couple months say the samething- "should have gotten a bigger screen"

How long do you plan on keeping the tv? we keep'em till they die so its better in the long run to spend extra up front (better brand/model/size).
Now have Sony Bravia 32in., worth every penny .

I'm very tight with my money but also know when its best to spend alittle more to save money longterm.

Well, expressed that in the thread; I know what size I *need* for the room based on what I have (I have a 32" right now), and plan on getting a bigger TV when I get a bigger house. Just seems that the default "answer" for a lot of folks was to get something bigger, bigger, bigger, regardless of my budget.

I'm also a fan of buying something GOOD, which is why I bought a Samsung (looked at the Sony, too) instead of a lesser brand.

I'm convinced 90% of that is because of pure, simple envy; keepin' up with the neighbors/friends.

Or small penises.

 

[bob1852]

I'm convinced 90% of that is because of pure, simple envy; keepin' up with the neighbors/friends.

yep. Keeping up with the Jones' had lead to a bunch of this economic crap we are seeing now.

 

[the_bird]

Point being, this isn't just Pol's neighbor we're talking about. See the same exact thing amongst us.

 

[beergears]

See the same exact thing amongst us.

I know... I HAD to get the same MLT cooler as the_bird!

and I glad I did. Paid for too.

 

[McKBrew]

I know... I HAD to get the same MLT cooler as the_bird!

and I glad I did. Paid for too.

Yeah, but what if homebrew stores offered no interest and 1000 trade in value financing until 2016 on the $45K Pol-inator 6000 all electric, stainless, solar back-up with nuclear primary, fully automated E-HERMS,RIMS, gives BJ's Brew System.

Bet you would have got one.

 

[Brew-Happy]

Don't think that way:
SWMBO and I (no kids) got a small dog years ago.
After a few years we nicknamed him "Booie-Booie Savings Bank": his "house" name was Booie, and with him around, we did not go anywhere -movies, restaurants etc., hence the "savings"...!

The savings did accumulate, and a place to live is no longer and issue.

Cool dude too,
Died at the ripe old age of 17, with us since 2-months old!

Well, there is a bit more in the background. In order to provide a decent and secure backyard for a dog, we want to replace the entire fence. While replacing the fence, the yard needs to be releveled so the slope is away from the house (not so currently). For some reason, a past resident dug some deep (~6") trenches in the back yard and next to the house. They spread the soil around the yard, so now the yard slopes toward us and not away.

So, to be responsible, we will take care of security and maintenance, then get a goggie. or two. plus a couple of cats (for me ). Then a grill, ... gets out of hand quick

 

[2-0turbo]

Makes sense, but at the same time you don't have to look "poor" to be smart with your money. You can have nice things, just not ALL of them

As my good friend Chris says, how MUCH money you spend is rarely what gets someone into trouble (within reason.) It is the RATE at which you spend money. The amount of money you'll make in a lifetime is roughly fixed once you get a career. If you try to buy all the toys in your 20's, you'll go down in flames. But, there is nothing wrong with buying a Harley is that is what you want. But, you can't have the fancy truck, the 5th wheel camper, the 4-wheels, the ski boat, nice vacations, etc. all before you're 40 and all at the same time unless you make a ton of money. I'm sure there are folks here who could do that, but the number of folks that can do that is not very large.

This is a large generalization, but there is some truth to it. I realize that some folks are hit with sickness or large medical bills that skews this equation, but it is pretty true.

 

[wildwest450]

No credit card debt, 2 truck payments left, and a brew shed that's sitting 1/2 built. But I refuse to spend anything but cash on the project, so it will sit until it can be paid for. I went through the whole charge it mentality in my 20's, never again.

 

[conpewter]

Heard the 50% from a friend who said it had just nudged over that. The latest info I could find was from October '09 which showed 47% of Households will not pay federal income tax (no tax liability). They do however still pay social security.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/30/pf/taxes/who_pays_taxes/index.htm

Anyway I guess the point is best summed up in this quote

‘Bread and Circuses’ is the cancer of democracy, the fatal disease for which there is no cure. Democracy often works beautifully at first. But once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state. For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader—the barbarians enter Rome."
— Robert A. Heinlein

Which is why I do believe there should be some sort of "Productive member of society" requirement to vote (no not racial or gender based). I know I won't be popular for saying it though.

 

[jmendez29]

Which is why I do believe there should be some sort of "Productive member of society" requirement to vote (no not racial or gender based). I know I won't be popular for saying it though.

But you know this well. The best man is rarely the most popular man, and the most popular man is rarely the best.

The difficult part of what you propose is that it sounds an awful lot like the times when landowners were the only ones allowed to vote. So how would you skirt that idea without segregating a large number of people.

Not necessarily arguing, just playing devil's advocate.

 

[conpewter]

I'd be ok with the landowners thing

Nah not really as then the bank would get to vote (as I have a mortgage) not myself. I'd like it to go as far as saying you need to have a paying job to vote, but I know that is far from perfect as well.

 

[Bdogg]

Awhile back, a buddy of mine was telling me a story. He worked in a mall kiosk selling hot tubs. I'm sure just about everyone has seen something of the sort. One guy was walking past one day and his kids got all excited about the hot tubs. After looking at them for awhile, the guy and his wife decided to get one. So my buddy gets his information to put this massive expenditure on credit. Looking at the credit report, its just loaded with credit cards, loans, and hospital bills. There was just no way this guy should have even been looking at this hot tub, so he obviously got denied. Of course, he got pretty upset that he got denied and started yelling at my buddy about it. He defended his position saying that his credit score was too low for what the lenders were looking for, and then suggested that he try living within his means. This guys response was funny but true, "If I lived within my means, my life would suck."

And this was probably 15 years ago. Apparently, the same mentality has only gotten worse.

Yknow what I was just thinking about this and, although people don't live within their means and rack up too much bad debt and rely on others, it eventually comes back to bite you in the ass real hard. Credit is interesting - (if this were recent) the next time he tries to go buy a car or a house or something he really needs, a computer is going to tell them that he had a ton of debt and tried to buy a hot tub.

For those of us who spend responsibly it's irritating to hear about things like this but, on the flip side, it sure is nice to know that if I felt like buying a ******* hot tub on a whim, I could do it no problem.

 

[conpewter]

Hmm talking to my wife I was thinking perhaps a system where if you haven't taken any public aid that year, you are allowed to vote.


As for credit biting you in the butt someday... sometimes it happens, othertimes they just go on public assistance and bleed the fed and the state for money, declare bankruptcy so that the rest of us have to absorb their bad mistakes.

 

[IrregularPulse]

*Edited*..

 

[The Pol]

How about if you're on welfare and /or not paying taxes, you don't get to vote.

Okay, I think we are way off OP and entering some dangerous territory

 

[IrregularPulse]

yeah you're probably right. This isn't the "other forum" I suppose.

 

[IrregularPulse]

He a tax attorney or something?

 

[The Pol]

He a tax attorney or something?

Ha ha no...

 

[conpewter]

Seemed to me that your discussion of your neighbor was more of an example of what is wrong with this country, not exactly a "bash your neighbor" attempt. So I just figured that talking about the problems with the country is not really off topic. I don't think there will ever be any change to move away from a perfect democracy, more likely just moving more toward socialism.

 

[uglygoat]

what's wrong with the country is multifaceted, and includes others looking down their long noses, across the sheen of their fertilized lawns at their neighbors, and seeing only scorn.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

what's wrong with the country is multifaceted, and includes others looking down their long noses, across the sheen of their fertilized lawns at their neighbors, and seeing only scorn.

1234G789

 

[lunchbox]

Ha.

I have been riding with 2 car seats in a regular cab pickup for well over a year now.

Wife says the truck doesn't "fit our needs" and wants me to trade in for a Suburban. Fortunately, we can;t afford one. But, sometimes logic is "fuzzy".

I found a 97 Suburban 4wd w/ third row seating for $4500. Engine is just fine and it has more than enough room for me, my wife, two kids, and two large dogs.

PS - I'm 6'5"