but will it make you happy?

[hover]

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home...make-you-happy

an excellent article alot of people could learn from in this country.

[Phalex]

That's a great article. It's right on the money. (pardon the pun!)

[TheVoiceless]

That was a decent article. I've known many people who put to much value in their possessions. I've lost everything to a flood once. Its sucks that it happened, but I learned quickly that material items are replaceable. But relationships and experiences can not be taken from you.

[MonetBass]

Good article. But in reality, if Americans would do just two things, their lives would get so much better:
(1) Pay off your credit card debt every month. That would, of course, require charging much less.
(2) Get a savings account and put something in it every month.

This is called living within your means and being prepared. Common sense seems to have escaped most Americans.

[hover]

Originally Posted by MonetBass

living within your means and being prepared. Common sense seems to have escaped most Americans.

10000 percent correct.

[Jim Nazium]

Along those lines, I've been wondering if more part-time work would solve the unemployment problem and make people happier at the same time. If, instead of four people working five days a week, a company hired five people to work four days a week, one more person would have a job, and the other four would have an extra day off. They'd have less money, but more time to spend with family and friends. And to play music.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by MonetBass

Good article. But in reality, if Americans would do just two things, their lives would get so much better:
(1) Pay off your credit card debt every month. That would, of course, require charging much less.
(2) Get a savings account and put something in it every month.

This is called living within your means and being prepared. Common sense seems to have escaped most Americans.

Yeah, but you can spread the payments out over decades!! It's just a series of small monthly payments.

My wifes nephew is horrible when it comes to debt. I think the major difference between him and me is that when he makes a purchase he asks "What's my payment going to be?"

I ask "How much does it cost?"

I think this is the big difference between those that want champagne on a beer budget, and those that can afford Sam Adams, but buy PBR.

Wants and needs: Know the difference.

[hover]

Originally Posted by Phalex

Wants and needs: Know the difference.

But when the lines are constantly blurred between the media and all these shows glamorizing an unobtainable ideal, the easily led / dissatisfied can not make the distinction.

[GregC]

That's a very good piece, and I agree that a lot of folks could learn from it. I'm on the frugal side when it comes to some items, not so much with others (like gear ). It sounds to me like that couple truly needed to cut back (as do many folks). $40k isn't going so far in Cali that you can have all the latest cool stuff without going deeper and deeper into debt.

[TheVoiceless]

Originally Posted by MonetBass

Good article. But in reality, if Americans would do just two things, their lives would get so much better:
(1) Pay off your credit card debt every month. That would, of course, require charging much less.
(2) Get a savings account and put something in it every month.

This is called living within your means and being prepared. Common sense seems to have escaped most Americans.

This is solid advice. But its not as easy for some, especially those on welfare or making minimum wage. And considering that last 20 years it was almost in your favor to rack up the debt. It fueled the economy, especially when jobs were still in the US.

And once your poor, your almost guaranteed to die poor. Not much motivation to save your pennies when all you make is pennies.

I was forced into debt because of a disaster. So I was glad that I was able to borrow so much and pay off over time. I still saved what I could, but at some point I realized that being in debt is part of the being poor/middle class in America.

Feel lucky if you can pay your cards off every month. Its more complicated the Americans not having "common sense".

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by MonetBass

This is called living within your means . . .

The problem is most Americans want to live within their favorite celebrity's means.