There was a recent analysis that cited examples of people having $200/month and larger cell phone bills, spinner rims for their cars, jet skis, and the like, but not providing other basic things for themselves. Actually I was guilty of the same thing for a brief time in college. Had all kinds of money for fancy audio equipment - but got caught short for rent, tuition, and food. Fortunately was able to recover from it (by working til 2 AM at Burger King) and learned a valuable lesson: pay for the stuff you need FIRST, and wait for the other stuff. Sadly a lot of folks are not learning that lesson soon enough these days.
Yeah, and that’s the problem with socialism. I make calls all the time on people who are living in subsidized housing, but can afford hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of tattoos.
You have made a very valid point and I agree with you.
A few weeks ago I helped a friend who is a landlord empty out the house of a couple that bolted owing three months rent. The entire story could be told by the boxes they left behind.
They had boxes for:
A Playstation 3
A 52” Television
Two Apple Notebooks
Several generations of iPods
Assorted car audio hardware
Assorted camera equipment
They left behind a color laser printer and fridge sized wine cooler!
No wonder they couldn’t come up with rent, but naturally their story was one of them had lost their job and they had to buy a second car to get to their new job in the middle of nowhere and yada yada yada.
Perhaps true, perhaps not - but the recent purchases suggest they might have come up with the funds otherwise.
Great post. What you say gets right to the heart of one of Ameruca;s greatest ailments. Wanting and expecting things that you cannot afford.