Do we live beyond our means ? ( Archived) (43)

Yes we do, but we have no choice. The average N. American car is about $19,000.00, a house, $189,000.00, food and other necessities, about $12,000.00 a year. Our pay structure has not kept up in any way over the past 20 years. Unless you're a DINK, (Double Income, No Kids ) you don't stand a chance. Credit is the only option, and credit is designed to keep us toiling 'till we drop dead.

For you youngins' out there, I remember when a loaf of bread was 18 cents. A gallon of gas was 21 cents. A 3 bedroom house was $12,000.00. A glass of draught beer was 10 cents. Credit cards didn't exist. No, don't even go there, because it wasn't all that long ago.

This years budget for most folks. All you make.all you can borrow,all you can charge...........plus 15%.

More like 24% when you factor in the "Fine Print".

"A buschel of prunes for 3 dollars". Damn, a 59 cent pack of Ex-lax would have done the trick.

i have 2 beautiful acres w/ a good house for 37k

and i live in a good town

and i always save and buy a used car
and seriously what crap!

credit is not necessary
there was a time when financial responsibility was taught and thats how we all did

i know lots of people that save to buy something and are debt free

debt isnt some big monster that we are in danger of
its greed and whispers of society- media and social circles

if i want it i save for it
i appreciate it more and sometimes
before i have it all saved for the item,
the impulse is passed and im so damn grateful i didnt
spend on it in the first place cuz it was dumb and i didnt need it
and then viola' i have money in hand to continue saving, or take a trip or donate to something or whatever

why do people play victim to money rather than use it as the tool that it is and in my hand i get to choose how to wield it

You must replace Henry Paulson.

oh and gas is 2.38 a gallon today

I agree and disagree...
We have many many more **THINGS** to waste money on these days. ie:cell phones, a cordless phone in almost every room of the house, tv-vcr-dvd combo.. in 2 or more rooms with very expensive video games attached, Computers with lcd monitors-printer with ink costing almost $40 for a very small cartridge-fax-web cam- paper shredder- surround sound- digital camera, I could go on forever.................

things we really don't need to have a **good** life.
we have just become a want it all society, the easy life.
And a lazy fun fun life.

working so damn hard as in years past isn't fun?!
So many want it all without working for it and buying it on credit without realizing how much it was going to cost to pay it all back, and that if we stop and look real hard.. we can't pay it back.
A good way to look at it would be........ everyone has accidents.
If you were to have an accident tomorrow and can't work for ^ months.. a year... 2 years............what would it do to you?
Very few people actually have $$$$ in the bank because it is all in credit.
How long would the $$$$ we have in a bank sustain you?
or would you loose it all if you couldn't work for a year???

Personally.... If I can't pay cash for it, I don't really need it.
Have never had a credit card and wont.

I live a simple life and save for what I want.. then buy it.

do the math people.......... over 20% interest on a credit card.........thats a hell of a lot of money out the window.

Maybe in Missouri, but most people would rather live in a real society.

Just f**king with ya. You know me better than that.

""Most people""
are on the verge of loosing it all!

Glad I'm not one of most people!

Neither am I. I've never tried to keep up with the Jone's. In fact, I've never known anyone with that name.

In 1984, Canadians owed about $187 billion in personal debt. Today we owe more than $801 billion. Has your salary kept up ? I think that it would be similar in the U.S., and Europe.

sweetie
you know little about missouri i would guess
but i was raised in NYC tiol i was 22
then lived and union job dog eat dog in L.A. for 16 yrs

i could have never been able to buy a house there because these areas convince you that kind of cost is reality

i realized it wasnt

ive never looked back

a real society is what? keepin up w/ the joneses?
i notice everyone on this forum is on this forum a good amount
so if they are livin in real society with so much thats
better than where i currently live funny how we are all in here innit?


you can and many people do live debt free
its a choice
there are no victims only volunteers

i feel sorry for alot of folks right now but they have some part in 99% of the cases of home loss- sorry-its never all one side

feigning ignorance is just that-false=a lightweight facade

anyone can save if they choose
ive been a sinle mom for 26 years-i saved 5% from every check
i ever got--i mean if i dont take power over it it will rule me-screw that
i dont earn money to be a slave to it

and ive been on welfare and foodstamps and had nothing
and so saved 2%... WE HAVE CHOICE
WHY WHINE NOW-I HOPE PEOPLE WILL JUST DO THINGS DIFFERENT NEXT TIME-IF PEOPLE SAID NO TO THOSE MOTGAGES THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN AN UNSUCCESSFUL PRODUCT AND A MORE PALLATABLE ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN MARKETED

people get a house thats right at the line of what they can afford and then no safety net

childish

why should employers help keep up w/ debt?

dont accrue debt-just a wild idea


we dont owe nothin-maybe they owe 801 billion...

just say no

is it so difficult?

i just seriously dont want a bunch of stuff

I still think most of the debt is caused by buying so much crap that we really don't *need*
Not because our salary hasn't kept up.