Is it just me, or...

[ducklite]

Ah ha! Look at the calender... Is a tax refund in her near future? The guy I refered to as being on the downslope gets into the frame of mind that if he sees money in his account, or knows it may be there soon then he can go spending.

She told me that she's getting a whopping $300 or so back. Certainly not a windfall.

Anne

 

[marlasmom]

I take orders for junk advertised on tv. Every day there's someone wanting to buy some gaudy junk jewelry who goes through 7 credit cards before finding one that will allow her to purchase $200 to $300 worth of jewelry or giving up before none of the cards will authorize the purchase. They giggle about how much they buy. Really sad.

 

[rie'smom]

We had financial problems about 6-8 years ago and we didn't take a vacation for about 4 years. However'that was us. I don't judge what other people do because it doesn't affect my life. Maybe they're expecting a big inheiritance one day to provide for their future. Or maybe they like living on the edge. It would make me too nervous. We're expecting a large inheiritance from both DH's family and mine,however,who knows what tomorrow will bring-I'm not willing to take a risk. That said,again,it's not my problem what others do.

 

[ducklite]

We had financial problems about 6-8 years ago and we didn't take a vacation for about 4 years. However'that was us. I don't judge what other people do because it doesn't affect my life. Maybe they're expecting a big inheiritance one day to provide for their future. Or maybe they like living on the edge. It would make me too nervous. We're expecting a large inheiritance from both DH's family and mine,however,who knows what tomorrow will bring-I'm not willing to take a risk. That said,again,it's not my problem what others do.

See, that's what I'm getting at. I think it IS your problem. For every person who defaults on a financial responsibility, that debt will be divided amongst all consumers one way or another. Highest interest rates--and for those who don't use credit cards, it impacts mortgage and car loans as well!

If your neighbor doesn't pay thier taxes, the town still has a budget based on that amount, and they will just borrow to cover the shortage and raise your taxes next year, or cut a program like recreation that you might enjoy.

IMHO there's a huge difference between carrying some debt--even credit card debt--and carrying too much debt.

Too much debt is living off credit cards with no end in sight and for no reason except living beyind ones means. It means taking cash advances to pay bills. It means taking out a second mortgage to cover credit card debt and then running the cards right back up. Eventually there won't be anymore credit, and bills won't get paid, and in the long run, other consumers will end up covering those losses.

Anne

 

[Acklander]

some people live beyond their means, some live below their means. Just like there are some who are manic about spending (buy lots on credit, continue to go on vacations, finance new cars etc... all while the financial house of cards is crashing in around them) there are many who aren't just tight with money, but hoard it (I once read about a woman who had hundreds of thousands in the bank, yet wouldn't spend the money for medical care for her son and he ended up losing his leg to an infection). Both ends of the extreme are probably some form of mental illness. Most of us fall in the gray area somewhere in between. Unless I'm loaning someone money (which I do rarely, since I'm not a bank) I don't concern myself with other peoples financial situations, as I don't consider it my business. Some people are always going to be financially challenged - some learn from their mistakes, some don't. Years ago when I was working as a waitress, I was waiting on these 2 very old ladies who were in for dinner. They were trying to decide if they should spring for the lobster or not. Finally one of them said the heck with it, they'll buy the lobster and just put it on her credit card, since she'll probably be dead before the bill arrived anyway. They both found this thought incredibly funny. I loved their attitude about money.

 

[Chereya]

Nope, she's been divorced for six or seven years now, and just wants to be a "princess." I think she's delusionally thinking that her boyfriend will bail her out eventually, what she doesn't stop to think about is that he can barely pay his bills.

Oh, and she had three new outfits last week and said she was planning on doing more clothes shopping this weekend. yeah. I would have left her too if she were my wife.

Anne

Wow, I think your friend must be my MOM! Except that she doesn't have a boyfriend... I honestly don't know what to do with her. She refuses to talk to me about her finances. On one hand it's her right to withhold any information as it's her life and I don't have any say in how she chooses to live or destroy it. But I just know it's going to come back and bite me in the butt when she can't work anymore and has no retirement funds saved and a ton of debt. Guess who she is going to call up needing a place to live?? Certainly not my adult brother... he lives WITH HER and doesn't Work! Ok, I have to stop now, I am getting myself all steamed up again...

Chereya

 

[Chuck S]

I tend to put the people that spend up every dime in the same category as those that squeeze every penny. You know the type, home is paid for, she draws two retirments, he draws a good retirement, but they go split a meal in a restaurant because they can't afford to eat out. They never travel because they don't have the money, they haven't bought a new car in 10 years.

There has to be a happy medium...you need enough to live on, certainly...but why live like a pauper and die a millionaire?

 

[suzimar57]

i have a friend who's like that - she can barely make ends meet, but whenever life "smiles upon her" in the form of a little money she wasn't expecting, she's planning a mini-trip somewhere, or buying unnecessary crap at the mall - never would think to pay bills, just lives in denial - her upcoming divorce may change all this - she'll be even worse off

 

[suzimar57]

ever watch "big spender" on A&E?

on that show, the host intervenes to help these overspenders fix their debt problems - but some of them are just hopeless...

 

[ducklite]

ever watch "big spender" on A&E?

on that show, the host intervenes to help these overspenders fix their debt problems - but some of them are just hopeless...

I've tried to watch it a couple of times, but those people are just too frustrating.

Anne

 

[nuke]

I find it ridiculous to spend 10's of thousands of dollars or more on parties for bar mitvahs or even weddings but it's none of my business. If someone wants to put a second mortage on their house for one day so be it. I don't really care what anyone else does with their money or credit cards.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I find it ridiculous to spend 10's of thousands of dollars or more on parties for bar mitvahs or even weddings but it's none of my business. If someone wants to put a second mortage on their house for one day so be it. I don't really care what anyone else does with their money or credit cards.

But sadly it will effect you. They will have nothing at retirement and you will have saved for retirement. Then the government will means test and say you do not need SS since you have so much but they need SS since they have so little. You will then not get SS after paying into it for decades.

 

[nuke]

But sadly it will effect you. They will have nothing at retirement and you will have saved for retirement. Then the government will means test and say you do not need SS since you have so much but they need SS since they have so little. You will then not get SS after paying into it for decades.

But I don't need it in your scenerio so I won't care.

 

[wilderness01]

I agree Anne that it can sadly become everyone's problem when people are financially irresponsible. I get that people need to get away to refresh themselves either as a person or as a family, but when they are crying poor mouth, talking about their debt and praying for a windfall, all the while planning yet another trip, it drives me crazy. I vacation alot as well. The difference being, we have $$ in the bank for retirement, $$ in the bank for college, no cc debt, a house loan that will be paid in less than 10 years and one car loan. We are responsible when it comes to finances and take care of business first, before planning any trips. Sadly not everyone lives like this, and in the end it will bite everyone in the behind.

 

[PhotobearSam]

I hate it when I see people who build huge houses but can't afford furniture or landscaping and then can't go out anywhere because it costs too much.

We live in a 1200 sq foot home but it does have another 1000 sq feet finished in the basement. We live within our means and we travel for 6 weeks a year...We drive ok cars and we can afford to go out also. Our friends who came over tonight have been together 10 years and if we did not bring them to Florida with us last year, they still would never have been on a vacation because of the $$$ but they have a 3000 sq foot house with no furniture... Crazy...

 

[sha_lyn]

I agree Anne that it can sadly become everyone's problem when people are financially irresponsible. I get that people need to get away to refresh themselves either as a person or as a family, but when they are crying poor mouth, talking about their debt and praying for a windfall, all the while planning yet another trip, it drives me crazy.

ITA.... right now we really need a vacation, but we just spent $3k in surgery/vet bills for our cat, plus we've had other unexpected bills that have added up over the last 5-6 months. Part of me just wants to put our trip to WDW on the CC and not worry about it. However we won't do it. We do have a wedding on the NC coast in Sept, so that will be our vacation for the yr. Luckily between getting a good deal through the mil, and my mother going/paying 1/2 we can swing it without going into more debt. By then we should have the CC paid off if nothing else unexpected comes up. We almost never carry a CC debit, and this is driving us both crazy.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I could probably fall into that category. I still owe a lot on my car, but I vacation every year. I could put that money towards paying it off faster, but I honestly can't imagine all work and no play. I'd go nuts!

 

[Aidensmom]

I can't imagine having credit card debt that equaled my annual income, but I will also say that I have seen many people on this board be condescending towards anyone that has debt.

Do I LIKE having credit card debt? No. However, we live at an income level where a $1000 emergency room bill isn't going to get paid any other way. We don't have that kind of money sitting around to just write a check, it goes on the credit card. Do we cancel our weeked at AllStars at WDW to pay for it? No, we need the time away like anyone else does, and the $70 we would save on the room isn't going to magically put another $930 in our bank account anyways.

Are we behind on any of our payments? NO. Have we had anything sent to collections? NO. Do we pay cash for our non-essentials like WDW? You bet. Would that cash be better paid on the credit card? Perhaps. However, we always pay at least twice the minimum payment as it is, we are not irresponsible. The extra interest we are accruing is OUR problem, no one else's. Your interest rates aren't based on my credit score.

 

[Kath2003]

Yup - I'm a student so I know hundreds of people who live way beyond their means.

They look at me like I'm crazy when I say I can't come out tonight drinking, I don't have enough money.

After rent and bills, I have $50 a week to live off. Food costs $30/week and I don't eat meat so it's just pasta, bread, milk, veggies...$20 a week doesn't get you much fun when it's $10 for a movie or $4 per drink or even $2 for a soda but I manage to live within my means!

 

[mickeyfan2]

But I don't need it in your scenerio so I won't care.

I am not planning on needing SS either. But what if they double your taxes to help pay for those who did live like the OP suggested.

I can't imagine having credit card debt that equaled my annual income, but I will also say that I have seen many people on this board be condescending towards anyone that has debt.

Do I LIKE having credit card debt? No. However, we live at an income level where a $1000 emergency room bill isn't going to get paid any other way. We don't have that kind of money sitting around to just write a check, it goes on the credit card. Do we cancel our weeked at AllStars at WDW to pay for it? No, we need the time away like anyone else does, and the $70 we would save on the room isn't going to magically put another $930 in our bank account anyways.

Are we behind on any of our payments? NO. Have we had anything sent to collections? NO. Do we pay cash for our non-essentials like WDW? You bet. Would that cash be better paid on the credit card? Perhaps. However, we always pay at least twice the minimum payment as it is, we are not irresponsible. The extra interest we are accruing is OUR problem, no one else's. Your interest rates aren't based on my credit score.

But you are not the type who are a problem.