
Journal tomhudson's Journal: Some people are shedding debt ... and enjoying it! 120
I've been a strong advocate of paying everything with cold, hard cash. Don't even pay with a debit card - go to the bank, take the money out, put it in your purse or wallet, and then take it out again to spend it. This gives you several opportunities to do something you don't have a chance to do with plastic - several more points in time to change your mind, and keep that money in YOUR pocket.
So it was nice this week to hear not one, but two success stories. Thursday, one woman told me about how she had so far managed to cut her debt from $20,000 to $13,000 after cutting up her cards. She's on track ot be debt-free sometime next year. Friday, a coworker told me about how, for the first time ever, he's completely paid off one credit card, and how he's now going after all the rest of them (because, once you've eliminated one payment, there's more left over to tackle the rest).
They're both proud of their achievements, and rightly so. Certainly it will mean a better quality of life, if only from less stress juggling credit card payments. "Cashless economy" is an oxymoron - if you "can't afford" to pay cash, you're not running your own finances economically.
Just look at how much you're spending in interest each month
The rest of us... (Score:2)
Nice poster child cases you have there. Do you work PR for a casino, too?
If I were the credit card company (Score:2)
I know I wouldn't be hiring him for PR!!!
Also, you should realize that he's Canadian, and that the "rest of us"!=America. (I, OTOH, am an American.)
Still, your point that Tom's anecdotes are exceptions rather than the rule is definitely true for Americans (and very likely most of the rest of the world, too).
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We're just doing the same thing as our federal government; we've been reducing the federal debt in absolute terms (not that "the federal debt is a smaller percentage of the GNP than it was" BS that is trying to hide the fact that the US federal deficit is out of control). In other words, the Canadian federal government stopped with the deficit spending thing more than a decade ago.
Maybe they're exceptions, but I had lunch with another woman today who as of now is pretty much debt-free, except for the leas
I have no idea how typical it is for Candians (Score:2)
I'm not saying all of these are happening, but any one of them could have significant impacts on your perception.
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"The people you hang around might be in better shape financially and intellectually."
I have some friends and family who are so far in hock that its scary. "How could it possibly have gotten that out of hand" is my reaction. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night owing what they owe, and not having anything really to show for it ... I also have friends and family who are fiscally "conservative", have been through a few rough spots, and don't want to have to ever "relive the experience."
"The people willing
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I paid off school debt, secondary education debt... how? With CASH!!
Yep, instead of paying for a wedding, or extra housing, I swallowed my pride, lived with my folks and paid off my debt. Did it stop me from having a love life? No.
I agree with you though... there is no reason that "everyone" will succeed at this. Most people are cowards, fools and 100% ignorant and willing to kill to stay that way. Whether you are or not, is entirely up to you, I can't read your minds, I can on
You seem to be misinterpreting me again... (Score:2)
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I share disrespect for spending yourself broke (Score:2)
For the action, though, and not for the actors. Just like I have no idea what it's like to have homosexual urges, I can't claim to really understand those who spend themselves broke. I agree with you, however, that playing the victim is tantamount to perpetuating the problem. I believe that I also was agreeing with Tom, and was merely pointing out that the trend towards becoming debt-free is possibly a result of selection bias (through no fault of his). I definitely won't argue that those living debt free a
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Agreed on the rest of your post though. I hold contempt for the actions of those people who claim someone "victimized" them. You aren't victimized... only if you let yourself BE a victim.
I heard this put like this once... "As a man, your body will die, presuming that that is a fact, the only choice would be, will you die on your knees, or on your feet?" And yes, I know "asleep" is another choice, but tha
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Despite popular belief, it is possible to stay debt free.
Continued reassertion of an invalid point isn't going to change the historic debt load of American households.
Yes, it's possible for _some_ people to live debt free. It is not numerically possible for all people, or even most people, to live debt free, when the distribution of wealth [google.com] is both radically imbalanced and rigidly controlled.
I hope this [google.com] isn't above your education.
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Nate sent me an e-mail. He wants you to let him use his computer.
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Nate also said that you wouldn't get your head broken if you'd quit cozy'ing up to homos just to try and suck money from them.
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As always, since you're hiding behind anonymity, you're free to claim that it wasn't, personally, you. I think this thread--the fact that an AC has been posting at regular intervals for well over several hours--should be enough to suggest that uniquely (not personally) identifying information should be attached to you permanently.
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What other user posts as AC this many times in one day? Will you assert that you are not the same AC that began this thread? How many other threads on Slashdot consist of ACs maintaining dialogue with a user account? How many other users could post as AC at regular (average) 10 minute intervals if they weren't actively interested in
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Did you post this [slashdot.org]? How about this [slashdot.org]? Both of those posts completely ignore the facts governing the original topic. If those posts are not yours then would you like to make note of which ones are?
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You are a stalker. Just face up to it. Accept it. You have a target, and you need that target's attention.
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Not at all - we're still waiting to hear you back up your claims*; even as a wannabe troll, you're hopeless.
(* actually, we're not waiting for that to happen, because we kow you can't ...)
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Seeing as you haven't had the time to actually work, you must have finally decided to go on the dole and enroll in some sort of program. If that's the case, its a potential first step towards getting a job. A word of advice - don't go around telling all and sundry how you're "not like the rest of *them*".
Abusing the system ... (Score:2)
"How many other users could post as AC at regular (average) 10 minute intervals if they weren't actively interested in abusing the system?"
Look in the mirror, Stevie ... you abuse the slashdot system and its users on a regular basis, from what I can see. You're not a troll - just a self-centered hypocrite looking for attention ... go steal a jar of baby food. Oh, hey, its going to be time to go to church and cadge some calories off your betters. Good thing they're not all like you - expecting a job that'
More Stevie Bullsh*t! (Score:2)
"That's accepted etiquette when being harassed by someone who should, by all general rules of the website, have either begun to use a real account or have been unable to continue posting as AC a long time ago."
There's no such rule. Too much dope, dope? (a prime example of "you are what you ingest ..."?).
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BTW - you are hypocritical, as pointed out in the post you cited. Also, its interesting that you're keeping tabs on my journal activity, when I'm completely ignoring yours. Is this going to be another of your wild claims of being stalked, when you're the one doing the stalking?
If so, go for it ... we can use another laugh at your expense.
You're the only person here who goes around pinning a "kick me" sign to his own back, then complains when people get fed up with your crap and oblige.
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"Pretending that the American federal debt is not the same as the American public debt is just pretend."
Get your facts straight. The public debt is more than just the federal debt. There's state and muni debt as well. So no, the American federal debt is NOT the same as the American public debt.
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"You've clearly demonstrated that you will do whatever possible to continue to gain my attention."
Hey Stevie - looks like you made a freudian slip with that one. You're the one who follows the journals of people you've foed (or are you going to deny that you're hairpinblue - my freak #99 :-) and then accuses others of stalking you - which you did again ...
Don't worry - my journal is really a script, generated by a computer at the NSA. We're watching you. And of course, to throw you off, we're telling y
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If I signed $100,000 over to you to go away you would still come back to monitor me.
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"Wah! Wah! I lost my brother so now I'm going to tail this guy on the web because I have nothing else to do with my life!"
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"Hey Tommie... quit living in your pretend universe and expecting people to look up to you just because you have a silver spoon and you might deserve some respect."
You obviously don't know much of my personal history. I was born within the 6-block radius that was later identified as the absolute poorest area of the province ... people who lived in the slums considered US poor. We lived on the poorest block of them all. Not a silver spoon in sight. A phone was a luxury my perents usually couldn't afford.
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Keep up the good work :-)
If he was at least an entertaining troll, or an educational troll, it would be okay - but his sniveling, self-pitying act isn't worthy of the title "troll". He's a greeble - a non-functional piece of the decor that looks interesting at first sight, but in the end is useless.
He can change that, if he were to devote as much energy into finding a job as he does in whining about "everyone else's problems."
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"The only person on the face of the earth who could possibly want to spend an entire Saturday, and then a Sunday, posting AC messages just to try and hit me with "It's all your own fault"... Look, unless you truly are a stalker, a complete stranger just wouldn't bother."
Stevie, you flatter yourself. Most people can do more than one thing at a time. Posting replies to your nonsense wouldn't take more than a few seconds every once in a while, if you're already at your computer doing other stuff.
Silly gre
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Or you could accept reality and acknowledge that inescapable debt has been used as a way of controlling people since the inception of financial systems.
A few questions: what debt is inescapable and what was it that required these people to assume that debt? I can imagine that some people have lived beyond their means for so long and built up so much debt at a high interest rate that it's like they've dug themselves a hole that they can't climb out of. Aside from their own financial mismanagement -- or due to costly emergencies for which they don't have sufficient insurance -- I'm at a loss as to how someone can be put in such a position.
I'm a similar st
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what debt is inescapable and what was it that required these people to assume that debt?
The Federal Government has operated in debt since its inception. Section 4 of the 14th Amendment states that the public debt cannot be challenged.
What would happen in your neighborhood if one or two families, out of say 100, could receive loans on everyone's credit? Do you understand how the situation would be worsened if those one or two could also dictate their own share from the loans when they were initially made? Do you understand how the situation could be worsened if those one or two families cou
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So Stevie, you're going to pay your share of that Federal debt? You're going to suck it up [bourbonhipster.com] so as to be able to contribute your share?
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You can't possibly be serious or, if you are, you've never had it as hard as you think you have.
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You can't possibly be serious or, if you are, you've never had it as hard as you think you have.
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"You continue to demonstrate stupidity, though, and you need the attention."
Oh for crying out loud, Stevie, get a haircut, get a job, and get a life. There's nothing wrong with you a swift boot in the rear end woldn't cure.
Living Within One's Means... (Score:2)
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Using that simple methodology the only debt I have is my mortgage and my car payment (only necessary because my last car was totaled. It was fully paid off.). Otherwise I have been debt free for 10 years or so. OK, fine. I had one credit card, but that was so I could get my credit score u
Good for them (Score:2)
Want a house? A car? Pay for your college loans? Or your kids' college loans?
Now, wasteful spending in some forms can be offset - but that does not necessarily mean that everything that people spend on is unnecessary or that we all can be debt free if we stopped doing things other than the bare minimum (or that we would do so if we'd all simply use cash).
A little off-topic, but sometimes, it is those other things that we
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All I'm advocating is waiting a bit to buy the things you want - not do without. By waiting a bit, you get to pay them up front. If you end up with tens of thousands of dollars in credit card and consumer debt, the interest spent means there's less available for "the goodies."
Besides, its harder to enjoy life if you have to worry about juggling payments. The best vacation most people could give themselves is a permanent vacation from credit card debt and consumer term debt.
Sure, taking on debt to buy a
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I can see them all (unfortunately) (Score:2)
Hmm.. I'm not experiencing that bug, as their entire conversation is unfortunately readily available to me. I confess that I'm currently reading this on an XP box (hey, but at least I'm using Firefox).
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Interesting ... and strange. Thanks for the feedback. I'm running ff/linux. However, I checked with opera/lunux as well, and in nexted mode, most of the thread has also gone bye-bye, so its not just a firefox issue. Ditto for konq and seamonkey.
Putting itinto threaded mode didn't show the hidden comments before in firefox, but it does now. It must be a boundary condition.
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Its a "sploit" that allows you to hide parts of threads by triggering a bug in slashcode. I explain it better here [slashdot.org]. It's probably happened before, but people wouldn't notice it on a front-page story with many comments from a variety of posters - especially since the hidden thread is still visible to the people involved in the feud, since they get notifications with valid links when they get a reply - so who's going to notice that a thread only has, say, 400 posts visible instead of 470?