I just don't understand people sometimes...

[Stepharoonie!]

Over the past few weeks, I've been noticing more and more people coming into my store to buy items, but they end up blowing whatever little money they have in their bank account. The two saddest cases that I saw were:

1) This family came in with a baby that was only a few months old. The mom and dad, both mid 20's, were very unkempt and didn't smell so hot. The baby looked rather dirty as well. They decided they wanted to buy some Dungeons and Dragons book, and I overheard them talking about how the book they wanted was $40, but they only had $35 on them. The girl wanted to use their credit card, but the guy said it was already maxed out. He also said there was only 27 cents in their checking account.

As their conversation progressed, they remembered they had one of our stamp cards, which is good for $15 off of any item. They proudly came up to the register to buy the book (which came to $26.75) and when I gave them back their change ($13.25) they were "congratulating" themselves that they had that little bit of money leftover to buy some food, diapers, and formula until the next payday....two weeks away. I felt so badly for that little baby, and I really wanted to refund that book right then and there.


2) A guy came in today that wanted to buy a tradepaper that was $14. Before he gave me his checkcard, he told me to not put the book into the bag because he wasn't sure there was enough money in his checking account. As he talked to his buddy, he also said he wouldn't be paid for another two weeks and he wasn't sure what he was going to do for food or gas money. The card went through, I bagged the book, then he wanted to know the return policy. I suspect that he'll read it tonight and try and bring it back this week for gas or food money.


Why do people spend literally their last dime on silly items? When you're on vacation, that's really one thing. But to live life day to day wondering where your next meal is going to come from, or if you're able to feed your child...I just couldn't do something like that.

Just makes me sad that people are like that.

 

[Hillbeans]

I work with some people who can't pay their phone bill and have their electric turned off, but they have new, beautiful $150 boots.

I'm a scrimper and a saver, and I want to retire when i'm 50. I say to each their own, however I personally completely agree with you.

 

[Serena]

That is sad.

 

[Divamomto3]

I work with people who make well into the six figures (2 income couples) who board horses and own Disney vacation clubs yet get constant calls from bill collectors and can't buy a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee on their way to work.

 

[WeirdEyes]

I work with people who make well into the six figures (2 income couples) who board horses and own Disney vacation clubs yet get constant calls from bill collectors and can't buy a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee on their way to work.

Me too! I don't get it! DH and I save, save, save!!! We want to retire early also...early 50's. We live life to the fullest, own a nice house, but we could have one twice as big. Who wants to be house poor? I'd rather live below my means and be able to travel and save for retirement.

Steph, I too, feel so bad for that poor baby! I just hope they had enough money to feed it and buy it some diapers. Very sad.

 

[sha_lyn]

Originally posted by Hillbeans
I work with some people who can't pay their phone bill and have their electric turned off, but they have new, beautiful $150 boots.

I remeber well one xmas when I was maybe 9 or so. A good friend received a gold neclace with many coulliusum (sp?) beads, a rabbit fur coat and a juke box. Oh and I thnk suede boots too.

You would think they were rich by the way she dressed and the Cadillac they drove. however they didn't have electricity, water or gas in their home. They had an extension cord running from her grandmothers house to theirs. They had a lamp, hotplate and heater plugged into it.



The church I once attended was helping out a faimly who couldn't pay their bills. The help stopped after the associate pastor received a call one day that they didn't have groceries to feed the kids. He had just taken them several hundred $$ the day before that the church had collected. He went by the home and found they had spent all of it on beer and ciagarettes. He took the kids out to eat and told the parents to eat the cigarettes.

 

[sha_lyn]

oh and she got to unplug the lamp and plug in the jukebox when it was daylight.

 

[oogieboogie]

Sounds like the scumbag renter we had once. He got fired from KFC for stealing chicken and giving them out to people. So, anyway... everyday they would buy beer, cigarettes, pot, and they would eat shrimp and filet mignons... and in the meantime, they'd always have some lame excuse on why they can't pay us rent.

Mind you we lived in a duplex and they rented our upstairs, while we lived downstairs, and we needed their rent to pay our mortgage. We had so much heartache from them especially since we had to go through the procedure of evicting them.

Did they care? No... all they cared about was the now... who cares about tomorrow. For them, having fun now is better.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

Steph, I could totally imagine that couple with the baby you were describing. I seen plenty of those "gamer" types. My husband's dream in life is to one day own a comic shop .
When I lived in Germany I worked in the px and I saw plenty of young soldiers with their families buying things that they couldn't afford. I always hated seeing the parents dressed in very expensive name brands and their kids had holes in their shoes and pants. I saw it all the time. Either that or they were buying expensive electronic items. When my husband and I were younger and we struggled financially, we always said that they way the bills were paid were rent/utilities, food, children's needs, then ours. Alot of people apparently don't think like that.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

People like that will never get ahead in life. They can't distinguish between wants and needs.

My husband used to help a couple out financially. He smoked and she had a huge dog. Cigarettes and dog food took a big chunk out of their food budget. They just didn't get it. My husband got frustrated with them because you can't help people who won't help themselves.

Lori

 

[Keli]

I think it all boils down to a lack of maturity and self control with a bit of not knowing any better thrown in to boot.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

Originally posted by Keli
I think it all boils down to a lack of maturity and self control with a bit of not knowing any better thrown in to boot.

Good point

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Unfortunately, someone close to me has this very same problem. Expensive car with the works inside (a mapping device on what looks like a computer monitor?), and an uber stereo system, an $800 set of golf clubs?!!! 50" screen TV. Yet they can't figure out how to pay off the credit cards and get their credit in shape to afford a one-bedroom apartment to buy.

Sad, really, really sad.

 

[Micca]

When only adults are involved, it's "priorities", when children are a part of the picture, it's "neglect"

 

[FroggyinArk]

we cant figure this younger generation either. my wifes mother took custody of her older daughter 16 yrs ago by fraud, refused to let dw help raise her,, daughter got married last summer at 16, to a boy 18 who was in boot camp. Hes now in bagdad and shes back at her grandmothers,, but this 17 yr old is looking at buying a 170 thousand dollar house. we own a 26000 dollar place that is small old and not in best shape,, she is trying to buy a huge place with in ground pool and in one of the best nieghbor hoods... we are talking about a 17 yr old who is on her 4th new car in a year... whose "husband " thought it was funny to take her 16 yr old friends across 4 states with no money to show them teh army base he was on, and a girl who at 13 drove a car her grandmother gave her 65 miles away to a mall by herself with a 12 yr old cousin,, buying a 150 grand house? these kids cant figure out why we wont help them,, after i payed the marriage fees, her father and i supplied the wedding rings, we payed for them to take a cpl days honeymoon,, all they had on thier own was a run down car that was not street legal, and a 500 dollar dress. we told them at the time that we would help them out, they said make it a loan we'll pay everyone back in a week or two when he could get payed, pay day he bought a car, and wrecked it with in 48 hours. they bought a car while step daughter was staying off base in a 19 .99 a night hotel,, that was bad enough that there were just message phones,, no in room calls... but she had a wrecked brand new sports car to drive.. and when we asked how they were going to buy a house,, answer was well hes drawing combat pay we can afford it, i get 200 a week in cash plus what they are depositing.. i asked what makes her think this was going to last through a 20 yr mortgage,, all i got was a blank stare,, what 20 yr mortgage? waiting to watch them in a year when hes home,, un employed and begging me to hire him to work for our repair service, i gonna have to turn him down, doesnt trust leaving him in customers houses. am expewctingthem to fall flat will really shock us if they survive another year togetrher, amhoping combat has made him grow up and that he'll put his foot down when he gets home.