Random Thought Thread

[lastlight]

downgraded my house, truck and finally my tank. problem solved. now quit your whining!

[jorjef]

North American culture = wants over needs. We views needs as owed to us and wants as are right. Those beliefs will only intensify over time until something or someone smacks it off our face. Hope I'm long gone when it happens.

[Seth81]

If this world was populated by people who only ever bought what they needed the world economy and technological development would grind to a halt! lol... obviously that is an extreme, but people pushing their budgets helps to drive the economy.

I do agree though that people need to learn to live within their means, I have a lot of nice toys, but I can afford them. Why can I afford them? Because I work my a$$ off!! Some people don't work hard and still expect to drive those $70k+ cars and have expensive homes. I think the parents of those kinds of people did not install the value of a dollar into their children.

Also, inflation is undeniable... if you didn't get a 2.3% raise this year (in alberta), then your effective income dropped.

Originally Posted by kien

It kinda boggles my mind actually. Excuse me for playing the 'old-man card', but when I was growing up and I didn't have enough money to buy that new G.I. Joe super aircraft carrier, I did one of two things. 1. Accepted that I can't afford it and move on. 2. Asked my buddies if I could do their newspaper routes while they were on vacation so that I could pick up some extra cash. I wonder if part of the problem is that some people are blurring the lines between needs and wants. If you focus on living with what you need, life isn't actually all that uncomfortable.

For the record, I am an immigrant whos parents came to Canada with absolutely nothing but the shirts on their backs and young children in tow. I know all about living at the poverty level while mostly all of my peers lived well above the poverty level.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by kien

It kinda boggles my mind actually. Excuse me for playing the 'old-man card', but when I was growing up and I didn't have enough money to buy that new G.I. Joe super aircraft carrier, I did one of two things. 1. Accepted that I can't afford it and move on. 2. Asked my buddies if I could do their newspaper routes while they were on vacation so that I could pick up some extra cash. I wonder if part of the problem is that some people are blurring the lines between needs and wants. If you focus on living with what you need, life isn't actually all that uncomfortable.

For the record, I am an immigrant whos parents came to Canada with absolutely nothing but the shirts on their backs and young children in tow. I know all about living at the poverty level while mostly all of my peers lived well above the poverty level.

I have to agree. I try to be good with my money, which is one reason I love Craigslist, and the main "luxury" expenditures are my tanks and eating out. But I do a lot of transactions with fellow reefers and use Entertainment coupons or Groupon-type vouchers for eating out.

Yet living in Metro Vancouver, with cost of living as high or higher than Calgary, I can see Michika's point about the "working poor".

BTW, I am also an immigrant whose parents borrowed money from relatives to move to Canada with 3 kids in tow and I had to wear hand-me-downs for most of my elementary school years.

I think the schools/parents need to teach their kids/young people about how to spend wisely and not on so much wants as opposed to needs. I have friends/relatives who go on trips all the time and then complain they are always in debt. Paying for vacations with your credit cards is just insane and a good way to dig a debt hole they will find almost impossible to get out of.

A friend of mine just went around the world, 4 months, 28 countries on his credit cards! OUCH!!!

Anthony

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by Seth81

Also, inflation is undeniable... if you didn't get a 2.3% raise this year (in alberta), then your effective income dropped.

Yep. And I'm sure that at least for some, you can add "again" to the end of that sentence. Maybe not so much in the oilpatch, I don't know as I'm not in it, but for some the cost of living is increasing far faster than the earnings and it's been that way for quite a few years now. I'm happy that the oilpatch produces prosperity for some but it's a double sided sword (or whatever the metaphor is) because it drives the costs of things up faster and that affects everyone. My household income today is more or less the same it was 10 years ago, but the costs of everything that is being paid for - and I mean just simple things, like groceries, gas, insurance, etc. - is several orders of magnitude different in that timeframe. Add on top of that the optionals it gets even worse. The choices are "earn more" or "spend less". Neither option may be all that straightforward though. Hard to say.

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

A friend of mine just went around the world, 4 months, 28 countries on his credit cards! OUCH!!!

I'm sure that was a fantastic experience though! Haha, but yeah, if all on CC's then .. yeah, wow, ouch. "Good luck with that."

I would agree that it does seem like people are getting a little casual about debt. That's a bit scary too in its own right..

[Seth81]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

The choices are "earn more" or "spend less". Neither option may be all that straightforward though. Hard to say.

You forgot one option... move East! lol

[Delphinus]

How far east?

[Seth81]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

How far east?

I say keep driving till you find Blue Star beer!

[kien]

Originally Posted by Seth81

If this world was populated by people who only ever bought what they needed the world economy and technological development would grind to a halt!

You are absolutely right, and therein lies our great social irony/paradox of our civilization You can easily see examples of this around the world. Third world countries vs First World, developed vs developing, Communist vs Capitalist vs Socialist, etc. The third world/developing countries are used to not having luxuries so there is little to no economic drive to develop. On the other end of the spectrum first world nations have everything and continue to strive for and want more thus fiercely driving further development. Depending on who you talk to, either scenario can be good or bad.

Unfortunately no one has the right answer. In fact, there probably isn't one. That is unless some miracle happens and we all wake up and collectively say, "Hey, you know what, I don't really want anything but I'm prefectly happy to go to work and do something for the good of all mankind." Star Trek anyone?