As the world goes into a financial meltdown, I am not surprised.
What does surprise me is that other people are surprised…
Why would this financial meltdown surprise anyone?
Have you seen how much stuff people have that they do not OWN but they OWE on??!!
In basic terms, if you have not bought something outright, you do not OWN it… But you sure as hell OWE on it.
Whether that be the house you pay a mortgage on, the car you have financed, or the clothes on your back that you paid for with a credit card you have not fully paid off.
If you have not paid for something free and clear, then you do not OWN it… it OWNS you… and you OWE for it.
I know that governments, banks, car dealerships, department stores, computer makers and credit card companies have all sold you a convenient story, but kidding yourself that you OWN something when you have not paid for it in full is a recipe for disaster.
Look around you and see –
Houses are in foreclosure – why? Because they were OWNed by people who had not and could not pay for them?
Debt is mounting – why? Because credit cards offer a false sense of superiority that leads to unnecessary purchases. Yes, I wrote superiority – because credit cards allow you to live beyond your means…
Possessions are excessively available, and all the while they are bought by people who cannot afford them and do not deserve them.
Most of the problems people face are brought about by dishonesty – and most of the dishonesty is with the person buying.
If you cannot easily afford it, then do not buy it.
Take the complication out of your life and start to appreciate what you have instead of pretending to be able to afford what you do not need.
Trying to screw over the system will only screw you up in the end – it really is not complicated unless you refuse to be honest.
I am fully aware that sometimes we need to borrow money to make a purchase that will ultimately be an investment, and that is all well and good as long as the payments are affordable and the investment is logical – if you buy a house and you borrow the money, be sure to factor in the taxes, yearly bills and fees, improvement costs and furniture needs – if you buy a house and cannot afford it in the longterm you will not only lose the house, you will lose your pride, your health and your peace of mind.
And remember, you do not OWN that house until you have paid it off – so, for 35 years you OWE on the house.
If your mortgage payment does not pay down the principal, then your mortgage payment is a trick that is wasting money.
If you cannot sleep at night because you are worried about your mortgage payment, then your house is not a good investment.
If you are not easily affording the possessions you buy, then the momentary thrill is only going to come back and bite you in the ass.
Be aware of what you earn and then make sure to spend less – save… and then spend – the loss of anxiety is worth all the money in the world.
Would it not be better to save up for what we want before we buy it?
If we saved our money, then we would have a twofold benefit – we would value what we bought and we would not be in debt.
Why is debt so bad?
Because debt leads to anxiety which leads to illness which leads to hospital bills and more debt which leads to more anxiety…
Before you buy that thing you do not need, try saving up for it first and then seeing if you still want it once you have the money to really OWN it.