Letter from a Dodge Dealer

[javacontour]

I've often wondered the same thing. The only things I could figure out was they got more of a head start from mom and dad.

I paid for and/or earned my college education, bought my cars, etc. No handouts from Mom or Dad.

Or they were in debt up to their eyeballs and it wasn't going to last.

Probably a combination of the two.

I was behind my peers because I had to pay Uncle Sam for that $50K college education in the 1980's with 4 years on active duty in the U.S. Army

I was working as a co-op engineering student and actually took a pay cut when I went on active duty. So I know many of my peers were out earning me out of the gate.

Some had student loans. Others like my roommate not only had the same ROTC scholarship, but had a healthy trust fund he didn't need to touch for his undergraduate degree.

He's over in Iraq right now, just pinned on LTC, so keep him in your prayers those who do that sort of thing.

 

[javacontour]

BTW, if you want to read his blog, you can find it here:

http://www.henrybass.com/blog/index.asp

 

[PandaBear]

With cars lasting longer both mechanically and aesthetically these days, it is a matter of time before we need fewer cars. How many people need a rebuild of their engines every 60k like the old days? You'd get a class action lawsuit instead. I'd be surprised if the average cars that got junked will be less than 200k and 15 years in a few years and even longer when we couldn't afford like we did in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Cell phones plans? There's a cheap way around it with all those "Fave five", "roll over", "pay as you go" plan if you know what you are doing. Internet? May be neighbor can share and split, or down right stealing each others' wifi. Cable? What do you need cable for if you can download all the movies online and you still have free broadcast over the air?

In the end, we have a lot in general that we can cut cost on, and economy eventually have a way of settling itself. The way our society works is to have someone start a new business, found a new job, get into the workforce when others went bankrupt, got laid off, and retire. Yet eventually things work out over time.

 

[Gary Allan]

A very positive thinking man who is seeing a broad expanse of experience. From its finest benefits ..to its most demanding challenges.

 

[javacontour]

I'd like to think it was from a year of being my roommate, but he comes from a fine family and they had far more influence on him than I did. (And that's a good thing, I wasn't the best of influences in my late teens early 20's)

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette

But I can tell you one thing for sure.... so many people now look back and wished they didn't blow cash on [censored] they didn't need in the first place.


Boy is that not true.

Lucky for me I have always spent fairly wisely. (as anyone who knows me and most of my posts/actions here for the last 7 years)

(call me cheap...

)

A few times I may have spent more than what was needed but overall, I'm pretty happy with where I am.

I listen to some of my Co-workers/friends/family and am blown away how much debt they are in.

It is so nice to see the end of the debt tunnel. Except the house, we are free. End of 2009 early 2010 that will be taken care of.

But still, I'm VERY concerned with where we are heading. It is a MAJOR wreak that all of us will suffer. And our great grandkids...

Take care, bill

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear

Cell phones plans? There's a cheap way around it with all those "Fave five", "roll over", "pay as you go" plan if you know what you are doing. Internet? May be neighbor can share and split, or down right stealing each others' wifi. Cable? What do you need cable for if you can download all the movies online and you still have free broadcast over the air?


Speaking of cell phones, cable and internet. What we're working on currently is cancelling our cell phones, $73/month for 2 lines. Instead we'll have vonage, $30/month, and a prepaid cell, 1000 minutes for $100 hoping it will last a year. Save's us $35/month with only one income anything helps. We only have OTA TV.. with a HD set I prefer it over cable anyways. For internet we have RoadRunner Lite for $26.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette

But I can tell you one thing for sure.... so many people now look back and wished they didn't blow cash on [censored] they didn't need in the first place.


Boy is that not true.

Lucky for me I have always spent fairly wisely. (as anyone who knows me and most of my posts/actions here for the last 7 years)

(call me cheap...

)

A few times I may have spent more than what was needed but overall, I'm pretty happy with where I am.

I listen to some of my Co-workers/friends/family and am blown away how much debt they are in.

It is so nice to see the end of the debt tunnel. Except the house, we are free. End of 2009 early 2010 that will be taken care of.

But still, I'm VERY concerned with where we are heading. It is a MAJOR wreak that all of us will suffer. And our great grandkids...

Take care, bill

I hope where we are heading is a decline in conspicuous consumption and consumerism.
How many mcMansions, cars, phones, kitchen appliances, have been made and disposed of just to have the newer model? Or to show up the neighbor?
I don't think your grandkids could care less what car you drive or how big your house is, unless they're old enough to be brainwashed already...
Here a simplified version of the treadmill of consumerism, ignore some of the political commentary.
The Story of Stuff
For me I'd rather have a society with less disposable stuff and more value on clean air and water. I think people would be happier in general as the materialist treadmill always turns up something better than what you have now.
Right now much of the US and Canadian economy is based on the cycle of waste so its hard to get onto something better but hopefully we will figure it out.

 

[jigen]

It's just the way people are.

I know a man who got the $16 extra-a-month Comcast HD/DVR box for his big flat screen and blu ray player. Funniest thing, he uses no hi-def cables. All his signals are in standard definition! Literally throwing money away for something that looks worse than it would on a regular TV.

This is the same guy when I recommended him $18 a month DSL instead of paying $60 a month Fios, he said he wanted the fastest internet around -- he only checks his email...

People straight up don't understand how to manage money.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
People straight up don't understand how to manage money.


I just think too many people can't manage the chaos. Can't see the forest cause all the trees are in the way ..say it in whatever manner works for you. Each "thing" gets its own priority that isn't subordinate to anything else. It ends up being a fire drill and they can't get above periscope depth to see the needless toil to go nowhere.

Ehh

What else would they do? It appears to be a good enough purpose for many.

I gave up seeking satisfaction from the inside of a squirrel cage.