Posted on 01/22/2013 5:41:37 AM PST by rawhide
When James Labrecque listed an old safe—to which he did not have the combination—on eBay, the seller warned, "What you see is what you get, no returns, and no money back." A Tennessee man purchased it for $122.93, had a welder cut it open—and found $26,000 inside. The buyer shared the news with Labrecque via a positive review on the auction site, and Labrecque quickly attempted to convince the buyer to give him some of the cash, to no avail. In fact, WMC-TV reports, the buyer quoted Labrecque's own eBay disclaimer right back to him when turning him down.
"I made a mistake, you know, that's what it boils down to. And it cost me dearly," says Labrecque, who adds that he shook the safe and didn't think there was anything inside. "I feel like the stupidest idiot in the world. … I gave away a safe with $26,000 in it." He also insists that if he were in the buyer's place, he would have offered to split the cash 50/50 with the seller. "That's a chunk of change, you know. That's life-altering money."
“Yet there are (financially) fortunate people who’d turn up their noses at it.”
Fortunate? As in lucky and not that they worked hard to get to that point?
“for me that’s 3 years of income. Seriously life-altering money.”
If you believe in hard work and continued learning, then you will improve and maybe after years of hard work you will be LUCKY!
$26K is a life-altering amount of debt you could wipe out in one fell swoop.
Only if I had any debt to wipe out.
Uh-huh, sure. And if the safe was empty was he going to refund half of the $123 so they could share in the loss, right?
Why so prickly about the word “fortunate?” Would you have taken offense if I’d said “blessed” too?
You know nothing about me and I’d like to keep it that way, but you should not presume anything about my age or experience or prospects. You probably have enough to worry about in your own heart.
Good day to you.
Is that so uncommon now? I owe nothing on mine. Debt will keep you up nights, and that isn't healthy! :)
As a seller I’d have hired somebody to figure out the combination, just under the thought that a safe with a known combination can be sold for more. As a buyer, I bought as is, not my fault the seller didn’t bother to know what he was actually selling.
I suspect that ownership free and clear may becoming more uncommon—but I am in an age group that tends not to be free and clear yet. I fully agree debt will keep one up at night, but with regards to a first home, there may be no choice.
“Why so prickly about the word “fortunate?”
Because it is the language of collectivists that want to deny that hard work and self education is the formula for financial success. We don’t need to promote their discounting of that fact.
“You know nothing about me and I’d like to keep it that way, but you should not presume anything about my age or experience or prospects.”
Fine, but if you look back at my posting you will see that I did not presume anything about you. I did reiterate the formula for success. You may be living that formula, or you may not be. Since you are on FR, then I would assume that you ARE living that formula and the result will be as I described.
“You probably have enough to worry about in your own heart.”
Why? I pointed out that hard work and responsible living trumps “fortune or luck.” You might call it good stewardship. In reality, they are one and the same and will, in the vast majority of cases, lead to financial security.
Do you know the biggest predictors of poverty? Here they are:
1. Failure to get HS education
2. Bearing children before marriage
3. Criminal Activity
The biggest predictors of success are:
1. Passion
2. Determination
3. Self Disciplin
4. Faith
Do you see a clear difference between the 2 lists? The first is a “living in the moment” approach to life, or to be more blunt it is immaturity. The second is a long term approach to life, where one is willing to forego instant gratifaction for future rewards, or to be more blunt it is a maturity.
In the vast majority of cases the formula will play out over the course of one’s life, regardless of the luck involved. Yes, in a very few number of cases there will be ruination or lack of success based on unfortunate situations, however these few instances should not be the basis for anyone’s plan for life.
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