Text 26338, 42 rader
Skriven 2009-01-18 13:23:12 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
  Kommentar till text 26295 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
Ärende: Make war or make productive work?
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Ward Dossche wrote to Ross Cassell on Sunday January 18 2009 at 10:24:

WD> A friend of mine in Montana was in a snowball-effect with credit and
WD> mortgages and refinancing. No chance to get out of it. She figured she
WD> owed some $7,000...

WD> So we were there and she said to us there was a brown paper bag with
WD> bills which should give an accurate total.

WD> After $31,000 of unpaid bills we discovered and slips of 7 different
WD> credit-cards, we advised her to sell the 5 bedroom 2 fireplace house
WD> and move into something smaller. There's no way we could help a
WD> situation like that.

I'm personally astonished that people pay so little attention to their own
financial situation to allow it to get into such a situation. I know my
personal situation to the dime and check each day for changes.

WD> I often notice people borrowing too much, building too big a house,
WD> buying too big a car.

On the one hand, that's a result of the different mentality. On the other, this
was also not the case when I was growing up. People lived within their means
then, and there were no "mobile home" parks anywhere. Very European attitudes,
but that has meanwhile changed.

Unfortunately, this kind of thing is spreading to Europe and attitudes that
used to be chanarcterized as "typical American" (living on credit) are
meanwhile not rare even in Germany. The result is as expected: excessive debt,
personal insolvency and all the rest.

WD> I have a Visa, a Laster and a Diners only used during vacation, I have
WD> some savings and no other debt and would like to keep it that way.
WD> When I die I would not like to leave a gaping hole behind ...

Old-fashioned but realistic and reasonable. Just one question: what's a
"Laster"? Never heard of this - some kind of credit card?

Cheers, Bob

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