Do we live beyond our means ? ( Archived) (42)

My brother and sister-in-law are the worst when it comes to this. They are so far in debt its pathetic and most of it could be avoided but my s-i-l thinks she has to have everything she wants because she didn't have anything as a child. In turn, she makes sure their kids (who are 11 and 7) have absolutely everything they could ever want too. These kids literally have every toy imaginable...and not only that, but they have them in every different size, shape and color. My neice has SEVEN different play guitars.....they're all the same...except they're different colors...its so sick and its teaching their kids nothing....they don't even play with 3/4 of the things that they have....My nephew recently commented to his mother that his dads side of the family give the best presents at Christmas and birthdays...because we give them money...so that THEY can decide what it is they want.....instead of them getting stuff they'll never play with.....

At his 11th birthday party...my s-i-l actually brought old presents he had gotten from the year before for him to play with....instead of letting him play with what he did get that day......it was kinda disturbing to watch her sit there and open the model airplane and space shoes he had gotten for his 10th birthday, the day of his 11th b-day party....

Of course, all my s-i-l does is complain about how they never have any money to do what SHE wants to do.....they send their kids to private Christian school...they eat out almost every night....she refuses to cook......my brother hopes that he'll be able to put up with my sis-in-law's big spending habits.