[geeshock]

Originally Posted by GMAN

We still don't need much. We just WANT more. If you don't have any debt and resist buying a lot of junk you don't really need, you can live much cheaper than if you go out and buy a lot of stuff that you don't need. I think most people simply don't know how to manage money and don't have the discipline to resist buying things they cannot afford. One reason so many people have such high debt is because they don't have any will power. They are like children who want everything that they see. We need to rethink our priorities in this country.

you hit it g. our cars aren't new but they are paid off. no need to get another till, these don't run. We have a tv, no need to get a plasma/lcd till this one burns out, etc. imagine the savings

[Mackman]

Ok who was the 2 people that said NO. I know Gman was more then likely one. Since he thinks truck drivers make millions lol.

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by geeshock

you hit it g. our cars aren't new but they are paid off. no need to get another till, these don't run. We have a tv, no need to get a plasma/lcd till this one burns out, etc. imagine the savings

I don't plan on buying another TV until the last one dies. I still have 2 that work. I did fire Dish Network. They decided to start charging me $5/month because I didn't have a landline connected to their receiver. That saved me about $70/month. I had a landline that was costing me $45/month and never used it so I got rid of it, too. Most of us don't really have to have a cell phone. We got along for many years without cell phones. Some of us do use them for business. In that case, we probably will need to keep them. We don't need to get phones for all the kids. That could save some households a lot of money each year. Children WANT a cell phone. They don't NEED them. You know, if we would sit down and see what we spend each month on things that we WANT rather than what we NEED I bet we could all save a big chunk of money in the next year.

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by Mackman

Ok who was the 2 people that said NO. I know Gman was more then likely one. Since he thinks truck drivers make millions lol.

Not millions, million. :lol:

[One]

I tendto agree with Gman that we live above our means, but i must say weve been trained to do so by media and tv idolizing living the big life in 'Dallas' over the 'little house on the prairie'. But saving money is not the solution either, this biz barely makes for a middle class living (and not that i know first hand) like another poster said the cost of living has sky-rocketed... My pickup truck cost 1300 new i think...

[geeshock]

Originally Posted by One

I tendto agree with Gman that we live above our means, but i must say weve been trained to do so by media and tv idolizing living the big life in 'Dallas' over the 'little house on the prairie'. But saving money is not the solution either, this biz barely makes for a middle class living (and not that i know first hand) like another poster said the cost of living has sky-rocketed... My pickup truck cost 1300 new i think...

I agree, there needs to be cashflow for our economy. I think the key is pay off the things you need to then if you want that other stuff don't break out the master card and charge away, don't by that car that's going to require you to streach your paycheck to the max, etc. you know, live within your meens.

[GMAN]

You can have cash flow for the economy without all the debt. Just buy what you can afford to pay for with cash. Imagine how much you could save on interest and transaction charges. Merchants must pay a fee every time we use a debit or credit card. Those charges are passed along to us in the form of higher costs for products. When we pay with a credit card there is always the temptation to not pay the bill at the end of the month. It is much easier to only pay the minimum due. We could easily pay from 1/3 to double the price we pay if we stretch the payments out long enough.

[One]

Yes,yes everyone should be managing their money well..I dont even have a credit card or car payment!! But i still cant send 2.3 kids to school, afford a nice house, and 2 descent cars, go on vacation once a year....Thats what a middle class income should get me like it used to. Saving money is not an alternative to getting the wage that you deserve for going out here playing russian roulette every day....

[GMAN]

I am glad to hear that you don't have credit card and car payments. You are ahead of most people these days, even if you think you are not making as much money as you would like. Saving is good, but sometimes we spend a lot of money that we don't even realize. Some years ago I tried an experiment. I wondered where I was spending my money. So, I got a composition book and pen and kept it with me all the time. I wrote down everything that I purchased for several weeks. Nothing was too small to track. Even a soft drink or piece of gum. Over those few weeks I found some things that I need to change. Most people would be astonished at where they spend money. You think that a coke is only $1.29, but it really mounts up over the course of a year. If you only have one coke each day for a year you will have spent over $470. If you have 3 per day you will have spent over $1,300. And that is only one item. I would not discount saving.

I understand that most of us would like to make more money. Longevity tends to pay off with higher wages in this industry. But, I suppose some people consider $40,000 or $50,000 as chump change.

[Mackman]

Originally Posted by GMAN

But, I suppose some people consider $40,000 or $50,000 as chump change.

It is when you have to work 70+ hrs week after week to get it.