Why would you ever need...

[ThrottleJockey]

Dave Ramsey is a simpleton that made it big telling people to buy things with cash. If you don't have cash, don't buy things. Pretty much the same things Grandma and Grandpa (or mom and dad) told us after having lived through the depression. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but basically he just teaches common sense to a bunch of sheep that have none.

 

[Bendrx]

It is up to each of us to learn our weaknesses and build upon them. Just because your mommy and daddy didn't raise you right 5, 10, 20 years ago you don't have an excuse for not improving yourself. Ultimately every decision we make is up to us. Time for a Movie Quote: "It's been so many years Resenting the years, and my heredity ... Though the imprint is deep in me It will always be up to me Up to me" The OP wasn't making fun of anyone IMO. He was simply stating that some folks are jealous, and in his opinion it's due to poor money management. "Have Not" is a mindset just like "Have" and "Preper/Survivalist". I'm not saying everyone can afford to go out and buy a new AR. I don't believe in Utopian societies or wear the rosy glasses often. But I am someone who lives in a poor part of town and can watch my neighbors big screen TV from 4 houses down and across the street while standing on my porch. Perhaps they are well to do, and I hope they are. For me, I have a Zenith floor model and no digital converter. That alone improves my life and saves money. I keep my recurring expenses as low as I can. I'm not rich, but I live richly by being somewhat responsible and keeping my priorities in mind. I pay extra on my bills and then get bills saying "DO NOT PAY", that gives me months with $0 expense and reduces service fees for utilites. Either raise your income or lower your expenses. Over the last few years I've managed to do both to some degree. I suspect with some nagging I'd be doing very well in the savings area, but it's not the fault of "non-nagging" that I could do better than I do. It doesn't help me much that I look at money for what it is, a worthless piece of paper. The thought "You mean I can give you this piece of paper for that ?" crosses my mind far to often. I've got some cool "toys" but nearly all are practical and in turn save me lots of money. I probably saved a couple grand over this past week by doing my own auto work. Save what you can, but don't forego something that you need as it may result in coming out ahead in the dollars and cents world. Also, on the car note, rebuild your own parts, this goes for non-car things too, like toasters or just about anything. (Word of caution, unless you're stripping HV caps from a microwave, it's best to not open them up IMO, just buy a new or used one.) Alternator goes out? Don't turn it in for a 50 buck core refund, rebuild it yourself. It's usually just the diodes. I paid 180 for one, the guy said something like don't forget to bring your core back for the refund. I laughted and advised I'd be rebuilding it myself (you get lots of funny looks when you do things yourself, but you'll get use to it), the part only cost 30 bucks. I could have spent 130 for the alternator, instead I'll end up spending and extra 30, but if/when it fails I'll have a spare, or I could sell it for a profit once fixed. Same goes for my power steering pump, it's only 20 for the seal kit to rebuild it. If you stop paying for "services" then you can save huge amounts of money. So there you have it, "Money Management 101" by Bendrx.

 

[irishfan]

Ben, you might want to keep an eye on that zenith as you know how your neighbors like to take the retro items and leave the name brand stuff

You make a lot of good points and we do a lot of the same things. I agreed to getting cable for the house but I made a rule that something else had to go in turn. Also, with a lot of my purchases for lets say "toys" I have been getting rid of things I don't use and using that money to buy things I want. Also, I live in a small house that is paid for where as many my age bought big houses and new harley's or trucks. My house is nothing special but it does get the job done and is in a good neighborhood so I am rich in that regard. Prepping is what you make of it and can be done on the cheap for a lot of quality items but if you want the nicest items then you will have to pay and I personally do not have want for that yet.

I can feed my family for 3 months on about $200 worth of items in a location where as a nice generator will cost me over $1k. Then I may have over 100 gallons of water stored and that is a good start with the cost of under $50 and that is even doing it kind of expensive. I have a nice knife and want another one that is $150+ but in reality I can get buy with a couple $75 knives and machetes that will do way more than just the higher priced knife. It all comes down to what you need and desire but if you lose your house trying to prepare then what good is your preparation in the first place?

 

[ATOMonkey]

Back on topic...

I get it all the time. Why do you have a helmet, you plan on crashing? Why do you have a gun, you want to kill someone? Why do you have so much food, you plan on being a hermit? Why do you care about politics, are you paranoid? Blah blah blah...

No one wants to prepare for the worst, because that means they have to think about it, and that might make them sad. So, they choose to remain happy and ignorant.

 

[Kuting]

How much of this wonderful knowledge that you were blessed with have you taught or shared with others? Unless you know someone elses circumstances, you cant judge them or the life they lead. You werent forced to grow up in a dysfunctional family or a family that never saved money. How could you "judge" them for never having someone to teach them how to budget? I have seen this first hand. People that were never taught how to budget and save dont know how too. I would rather try to teach others how to improve their lives than make fun of others. Then again, I worry more about making God happy than making myself sound great to a bunch of bored people on a forum.

As a matter of fact I did grow up in a dysfunctional family, my dad was a mean drunk and beat my mom senseless. He also spent many checks which were to be used for bills and food on his own addictions and greed. I'm not judging people for being people, I'd judging their decisions to use the past as a crutch. No one grew up in a perfect polished world, but some guys pull themselves together and go on with life. How long is it acceptable to lick your wounds and blame others for your situation??? And you know who taught me how to budget? Me, some books, and being poor.

Simply perfect. Give a man a fish and he will be happy for a day but teach him to fish and he will be happy the rest of his life. The very people we look down upon today for whatever reason may help us tommorrow.

I see your quote and raise you "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Some people don't WANT to hear about being fiscally responsible. They don't want to hear that it's illogical and expensive to pay 200% interest at a rent-to-own outlet just because they can take something home today. We live in an instant gratification day and age, so when people have to save for something nice they feel like the last kid picked in dodgeball because they can't post pictures of their brand new Call of Duty Jeep the day it came out, on facebook.

More importantly, it is not my job to be the evangelist. Why is it my burden to carry that others can not use common sense and a little bit of planning? Am I an economics professor getting paid to teach those who desire knowledge? No, I'm not. Moreover, I won't stand on a street corner with a cardboard sign warning those who don't care. If people want to know how to make their money work for them the information is out there, it just takes the gumption to go look for it. I know all too well how to teach a man to fish, but this society wants to lay on the shore and stare at the water, just waiting for their handout, and then cry "Foul" when someone puts in their time and has more than them.

It all comes down to what you need and desire but if you lose your house trying to prepare then what good is your preparation in the first place?

This is spot on. One of the things I've said for years is you MUST prepare for the fact that nothing may ever happen. Is it logical to save for tomorrow and starve today?

 

[billt]

They don't want to hear that it's illogical and expensive to pay 200% interest at a rent-to-own outlet just because they can take something home today.

You make the most important point in this thread. Hussein said during the campaign, "We are the one's we've been waiting for!" I'll say it better, We are the one's who put us into this mess! Not the Chinese, the muslims, or even Hussein, or Nancy Pelosi. They by no means helped remedy our current situation, but they didn't cause it, The people did.

Who put a gun to anyone's head and told them to borrow 250% of what their house was worth, and sign on to a 5 year A.R.M to pay for it. Talk about playing Russian Roulette with all 6 chambers loaded!

This country has been dumbing down financially for decades. You have adults out there who will sit out in the freezing cold in front of an electronics store overnight so they can be first in line to pay retail price for the latest video game with a credit card, then gripe about the price of gas on the way home.

I'm sick of constantly hearing this crap that "people can no longer afford health care". I can all but guarantee you it isn't they can't "afford it", it is the FACT most all of them have their priorities totally screwed up. People in this country can't manage their money worth a damn. Look at where lottery tickets sell the best. In all of the poor minority neighborhoods. Go to the wealthy communities and you have to hunt for a place that sells them.

Go into these same poor neighborhoods where the people are "too poor to afford health care", and you'll find house after house with 52" Plasma TV's with the latest "X-Box" or "Play Station 34" hooked up to it with games scattered everywhere at $60.00 a pop. These are the same people who whine and moan they can't afford health care.

These are the same people who were stupid enough to borrow twice what the home they were buying was worth, simply because some other idiot who works at a bank was willing to loan it to them. Then, these same idiot's want and expect the government to bail out their stupid asses, and at the same time provide them with health care that they "can't afford".

What ALL of these morons need is to prioritize their finances and get their heads out of their asses! I'm sick and tired of listening to all of it. These fools can afford health care, they just don't want to buy it. They'd rather buy lottery tickets, games, new cars with $3,000.00 worth of custom rims, overpriced houses, and a ton of other depreciating crap that will be worth nothing, sitting on a table at a yard sale in 5 years at .10 cents on the dollar, than they would insure their own health with their own money.

People in this country don't need the taxpayers to pay for their health care. What most all of them need is some financial COMMON SENSE! That is a commodity that is in very short supply in this country. No one saves anymore not because they can't, it's because they won't. They have no financial common sense at all.

This is what got us into this, and it's been a long time coming. In 2011 they are talking yet another 3 million home foreclosures. It will most likely be much higher. This is going to take decades to recover from because people have no money to recover from it. It takes years of investing and financial discipline to have enough assets to be financially independent. Today people can't fill their gas tanks with the cash they possess. Guys like Dave Ramsey are like "Payday Loan" outlets. Neither would have existed 30 years ago simply because neither were needed. Today there are too many sheep. Prepare because when SHTF comes it is going to be very ugly and bloody. There is just no other way this can go. Bill T.

 

[Zoub]

Back on topic...

I get it all the time. Why do you have a helmet, you plan on crashing? Why do you have a gun, you want to kill someone? Why do you have so much food, you plan on being a hermit? Why do you care about politics, are you paranoid?

Same answer works for all of these questions.

People die every day due to not having it.

As for the OP, I agree. We were raised not to discuss our incomes. If people say "you must have a lot of money" they are just plain rude and simpletons at that....................probably watch Opra on a 60" inch TV too.

It is all about priorites. People who prep tend to be the opposite of the immediate gratification crowd and believe in the buy once, cry once motto.

 

[indyjoe]

I often get annoyed by that question: How can you afford x? Especially when it comes from someone who makes the same or more than me.

I will buy quality equipment for what I am interested in. This sometimes cost money. They drool over my $2k camera (which I have made enough money with to about break even, but that is another story) and say, I could NEVER afford that. I reply, actually if you drove a $5k car like I do, instead of paying $400/month on your leased one, you could buy it with the extra $9400 you will be paying for you car in 3 years time. It just doesn't click. Oh well.

As said by so many, Priorities. My Rockport shoes for work cost me $120. They have lasted 2 years and still seem new. $40 shoes are dead in a year. I'll be wearing these shoes when cheaper shoes would have cost more than them in total. But garsh, how can I afford $120 shoes? How can you afford NOT to get quality stuff. It is CHEAPER.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

How can you afford NOT to get quality stuff. It is CHEAPER.

Nothing good is cheap and nothing cheap is good. For the quality stuff I prefer to use the term inexpensive or less expensive over the term cheap. for the jubk stuff that costs less but must be replaced more frequently, cheap fits well.

 

[BigMatt]

Dave Ramsey is a simpleton that made it big telling people to buy things with cash. If you don't have cash, don't buy things. Pretty much the same things Grandma and Grandpa (or mom and dad) told us after having lived through the depression. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but basically he just teaches common sense to a bunch of sheep that have none.

I agree, but that is where our society is. We work to pay our bills. We must have stuff right now. We don't care if we have to pay more for it later.

Dave Ramsey is the Dr. Phil of money.

 

[billt]

We work to pay our bills. We must have stuff right now. We don't care if we have to pay more for it later.

That is the exact reason this nation is in the financial mess it's in right now. You don't get rich by paying people interest to buy depreciating assets. You get rich by investing your money and letting other people pay you interest. Most cannot fathom this concept, and even if they do they don't possess the patience to make it a reality. They would rather pay 21% interest to buy a Play Station that will be worth $5 bucks in 10 years. They'll be worth less with that type of financial reasoning. Then, when it happens it will be the governments fault, not theirs. Bill T.

 

[sbcman]

In my line of work I am sometimes called upon to give assistance to those in need. Sometimes the folks are truly in need and have just simply been hit with a life event far beyond their capabilities. None of us is immune from these types of times, even if we have taken every prudent means to prepare. And I think most of us who try to live reasonable and responsibly are glad to help such folks out.

On the other hand, you would be amazed at how many folks want cash to pay the gas bill while their television blares the already paid satellite bill and is surrounded by about 150 dvds.

Priorities?

 

[WETSU]

I get the "why would you ever need that?" question from time to time, or I used to. Any more, I get the "why would you need to train so hard for that?"

The question that bugs the hell out of me, or rather the comment, common among the gun owner or prepper community is something along the lines of:

" I don't need to train in empty hand skills- thats why I have a gun" or,
" I can do pretty good with a 10/22 and 25 round mags. I don't need to carry all those heavy AK mags" or
"Why should I go out and bust my butt training hard? When the time comes, I'm sure I will rise to the occasion."
" I don't need to be in shape, thats why I have a "sniper" rifle, so I can just sit back and shoot the badguys at 500 yards before they even get to me."

etc, etc, etc...

In other words, I find A LOT of people, normally intelligent, sane men make the most assinine excuses for not preparing for the worst. This among people who should know better. They assume their life or death encounter will come on a 70 degree day, in the daylight, after 8 hours of sleep and a meal. Their Kimber Custom Carry Warrior will solve any problem that crops up. Their shot placement will be perfect. There will be no adrenaline dump. They won't get hit at all, nor will any innocent folks. They will be heros. All 400 wheezing pounds of them.

Sad. Delusional.

Rant off.

 

[irishfan]

I get the "why would you ever need that?" question from time to time, or I used to. Any more, I get the "why would you need to train so hard for that?"

The question that bugs the hell out of me, or rather the comment, common among the gun owner or prepper community is something along the lines of:

" I don't need to train in empty hand skills- thats why I have a gun" or,
" I can do pretty good with a 10/22 and 25 round mags. I don't need to carry all those heavy AK mags" or
"Why should I go out and bust my butt training hard? When the time comes, I'm sure I will rise to the occasion."
" I don't need to be in shape, thats why I have a "sniper" rifle, so I can just sit back and shoot the badguys at 500 yards before they even get to me."

etc, etc, etc...

In other words, I find A LOT of people, normally intelligent, sane men make the most assinine excuses for not preparing for the worst. This among people who should know better. They assume their life or death encounter will come on a 70 degree day, in the daylight, after 8 hours of sleep and a meal. Their Kimber Custom Carry Warrior will solve any problem that crops up. Their shot placement will be perfect. There will be no adrenaline dump. They won't get hit at all, nor will any innocent folks. They will be heros. All 400 wheezing pounds of them.

Sad. Delusional.

Rant off.

You have hit the nail squarely on the head here.

I am a person that believes whether you are 150lbs or 350lbs you need to know your limits and work at extending those limits instead of just saying "thats it" and being satisified. When I was growing up I loved camping but my immediate family including parents wouldn't spend a night under the stars unless they were being held hostage. Now that I am a parent I feel it is my job to learn as many skills as I can that can be useful to my children and pass those on to them so that they can build on that.

I have been asked "Why do you need those guns?" more times than I can count. One day I was sitting in the living room thinking about some things and I had that same exact thought come to mind. I had two nice M1A rifles just setting in the safe not being used and decided to sell them to someone who would and use that money for other things. Now, my collection is much smaller as I trimmed other items but EVERYTHING is a practical use firearm that I have either taken a class on to get better or will be in the near future. Also, my main arms of choice are shotguns now and not only can I use them but so can my girlfriend, mom, dad, sister, close friends and god willing in a couple years the oldest kids. I would rather have a weapon platform that anyone in my house can operate than a platform that takes a lot of extra time and practice that I can't get in let alone everyone else.

IMO, learning basic skills of fire starting, water purification, and first aid will get me farther than having 20 guns and some cool knives. I am not trying to knock anyone or their collections but that is the route I have chosen to go in life.

 

[WETSU]

...and you will vastly increase your odds of survival as a result irishfan.

Good on ya.