Is anyone else mad?

[spareparts]

a while back I read an aritcle that explained the eeconomy has been fueled by dept for the last 30 years. I hear about people rationalizing the cost of operation(payments) rather than the cost of ownership, I see monthly payments advertised rather than how much it actually cost. Kids today don't even understand ownership, its all monthly service.Seems to me everybody has been riding the credit train too long. Don't misunderstand me, I can't afford to buy a house outright, but the one I have is resonable, and affordable, I'd love to have a new car, but I own two dependable 10 year old cars that are gong to be here for a while longer. People ask me whats wrong with the economy, i tell them $50,000 pickups, $90,000 cars, $500,000 homes, and $5000 TVs. No one actually owns those things when they are worth anywhere near what they cost, and you end up paying 4 times what they are worth if you keep them, while depreciation makes them worthless. Who really needs a 5 year payment plan on a freaking TV? We have been living in a dept fueled economy too long, now its time to reap the benifits of it. Thats why I like my V and my McKee, I don't owe anyone a dime on either one

Couldn't agree with you guys more. Spareparts, you hit the fffinng nail right on the head. People don't save up and buy what they can afford and the teenage generation is learning to live this type of lifestyle as well.

My 17 year old step-daughter had a crying fit yesterday because her computer monitor (17" in tube style) was too big for her new (to her) computer desk. She wants a flat panel!

I explained to her that we have two other computers in the house that work well and there is no urgency for me to buy a flat panel. In fact I told her she should save for it from the tips she makes working at Dunkin Donuts. "But what am I suppose to do for spending money, you keep all my paychecks?"

My wife and I do not keep them by the way. We put them in her savings account so she can have some money to put towards college. Just trying to teach her how to save. Not to mention my wife, the catalyst, bought her three new skirts yesterday.

She even asked if I could put the monitor on a credit card and she would make payments.
They don't know how to SAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course mean old step-dad said absolutely not, you have to save it out of your tips. I even sweetened the pot by saying "I will add $1 for every $2 you save".
I will now have to keep you posted on how long this takes.

It is attitudes like this that got us into this mess.

Sorry, guys had to get this off my chest. My old man spoiled me rotten, but he also found a way to teach me the value of a buck! And the value of being able to say "I own that", not the fffing bank.

Okay I am done now.............I think

That was like therapy only cheaper, thanks guys

[Mac_Attack]

Spare, I seem to remember a while back an article about Americans savings habits. We save too little was the gest of the article and we should be saving around 20%. How bout cell phone payments approching a car payment cost. 700 Billion, bend over fellas here it comes!


Here's an article from 1997 that talks about our saving habits.
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/...ditorial4.html

[parishht]

Americans don't save because the government taxes the interest income as pure income.
By the way I read an article today about a CEO in India was bludgeoned to death
by an angry mob of sacked workers.
That would really be something if it happened here.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4810644.ece

[dmoore]

Don't let it bother you too much.......there ain't a damn thing you or I can do about it...

I say go fishin and let her ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[randlemanboater]

Thats easy for you to say, you have TWO garages full of toys.

Seriously, I am ready to vote against ALL incumbants.....the new guys may not be any better, but they couldn't be much worse.

(I know its not good or possible to just do a wholesale change of everyone, I'm just spouting)

[Stillrunning]

I agree people do not know how to save now days and part of that is because our goverment promises SS & health care when we get older. The only thing me and my wife owe money on right now is our home. Both cars are paid for and we have an account which we put money so when one breaks down or we need to buy another we have the cash on hand. Thats not saying that I might not take out a small loan for a car but it will only be financed for a few years at best with a small payment. I've never owned a new car but could afford one very easy. We purchased a home when the market as going off and we had to look long and hard to find a home I thought we could turn a proffit when the market corrected. We got lucky and found a Dr. (thought he new everything which was good for me) who was selling his home for about 3/4 of its value and after 4 years we have about $100,000 equity in these times. I just see so many people spending way more than we do and they make about 1/2 as much and just wonder how they make ends meet. They have to be living from one paycheck to the next and gof forbid is one looses their job. I could walk from my job today and go about 1 to 2 years without a pay check. it would be tough but we could make it until a new job turned up. Sorry for my rant.

[spareparts]

seems like everbody is getting a good rant out of this, made me feel better for a little while. Right now my biggest out of pocket expense is insurance, deductables and copays, our familly is spending more each month in those cost than our house payment. I've seen the bills, and I'm happy that the insurance is covering alot of our medical bills, we got our daughter qualified for disabilty, its picking up what our primary isn't. Just when I thought we might be turning the corner, my wife just got the results back form her biopsy, they came back positive. I raelly don't know just how much more of this crap i'm going to be able to take

[willy]

Sorry about your news Spare, hope things come around for your wife, she is in my prayers.
The rest of you fellows make good points and there is truth in all of it. But you are also doing what good men do when they discuss tough times, they bring it back on themselves.
We should save more, we should use less credit, all true.
But WE are not the problem.
When you guys get the chance I would like for you to go to Mark Levin . com and pull up a transcript of his radio show this past friday.
He is FIERY type of guy, a conservative, and he tells it like it is. He did a show about what has happened and laid out in detail what is happenening to us and why and it was the most intelligent comprehensive explanation I have heard and explains in detail what we need to do as citizens of this country to fix it for good.
He is very mad at what is being done to the American people and so am I. When you hear
it laid out all at once it will make you mad too.
You will have no doubt about what happened and why.
It SHOULD BE BROADCASTED ON EVERY TV AND RADIO STATION IN THE COUNTRY MORNING NOON AND NIGHT ALL WEEK.