Quote:
Originally Posted by GH85Carrera
I worked with a lady that was married to a guy with a high paying job at a local tire manufacturing plant. They would go on some expensive vacation every year, and charge it on credit cards. As soon as the old vacation was paid off, they went on a new bigger and better vacation. I asked her why not skip the vacation for one year, and save the money and pay ZERO interest to the credit card company, and make interest on the savings account. She recoiled in in horror at the thought of no vacation for a whole year. I just shook my head in amazement. They usually bought a brand new car every 4 years. Not a dream car, just the car with the lowest monthly payment, and they were always upside down on the cars, and never paid one off, but they had a new car every 4 years to avoid the maintenance costs! Again I shook my head.
They went out "partying" and drinking every Friday night to unwind and because they deserved it!. They were often running to the utilities to pay off the utility bill before they were cut off, and waiting until payday to go buy groceries.
|
Unfortunately, this is now the "American Dream" for many households with an use it, or lose it attitude. I have many friends in this boat who all think that I am "lucky" because I have a nice farm, with paid off vehicles, sizeable retirement funds, and we go on trips to the tropics occasionally. What they don't realize is the sacrifices we made for our kids, and the long hours we worked to pay off everything we have, and invest for a comfortable future. I own one rental that my daughter lives in, but don't plan on extending that offer to anyone else should she move.