The Green Eyed Monster....

PinkTwirl

Nargleblast wrote: »

Cazzdevil wrote: »

To add to that life motto, how about "Why keep up with the Jones's when you can drag them down to your level?"

:rotfl: I think I might be able to afford that better!

PinkTwirl

debtdesperado wrote: »

Hmmm ... let's not be too smug - that's almost as unattractive as being jealous!

Oh how I wish I hadn't gradually built up this amount of debt... I had fun doing it but am certainly feeling the pain now. But I think it is a life lesson that is a valuable one, and I wouldn't swap the knowledge that I can pull myself up by my bootstraps and sort myself out for a lifetime of never having made a mistake.

I do earn a good wage, but am currently terrified that I will be made redundant, and so all my careful budgeting and debtbusting slog will all be for nothing. Fingers crossed...

The best lesson I have learnt is why it's not a good thing to build up debt - because it ties you down. Suddenly, you can't up sticks and travel round the world. You can't afford the wedding you want. You can't afford to have a baby. You can't afford to stay at home and look after your children. You can't pursue your hobbies because they wouldn't pay as much as your sensible job, which you have to do all the hours you can. IMHO, debt stops you doing all the things that make life worth living.

Instead, you get buried under a deluge of stuff. It ties you to a treadmill of work, day in, day out, to meet ever growing payments, to afford an ever bigger mortgage, on a bigger house that you have to fill with even more stuff, which you have to spend longer on cleaning....it's all drudgery.

I swear I am never NEVER going to get in this position again - I am going to get debt-free, I am going to build up a comfortable level of cash for emergencies, I will teach myself to buy things wisely and to buy no more than I need, I will pay my mortgage off, I will save for my retirement, which will be as soon as possible and then I will follow my dreams....

I recommend reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad... I thought it was really good on making you think about why you need to keep on the more, more, more treadmill.

Good thread Fascinated!

I think you have summed it up for me there, even the being made redundant bit (I will be in 3 months and have interviews coming out of my ears but no job as of yet). I would add the debt does indeed tie you down. If I hadn't had £20K of debt when I moved in with my ex, I wouldn't have had to have stayed with him when he ignored me all of the time and eventually hit me and now I've ran the same amount up again, I wouldn't have to stay with my dad at 32.

Debt means being trapped, money gives freedom.

When I am debt free, I'm never doing it again. Running it up once should have been enough for me, unfortunately some lessons in life have to be endured more than once to make them stick. :rolleyes:

tara747

debtdesperado wrote: »

Hmmm ... let's not be too smug - that's almost as unattractive as being jealous!

If that is prompted by my comment on Lottebear's post, I should point out that I wasn't being smug - in fact quite the opposite.

Often, in fact, others are smug in flaunting their status symbols, even those which they have bought on credit - and mocking the 'have nots' (as they see them).

It is pride before a fall, pure and simple. And forgive me if it brings a small smile to my face, for some of us have been prudent enough not to go down the same path. I think we feel relieved merely that people suddenly 'get it', and that after a decade-long spending binge people are waking up to the value of saving and deferred gratification.

You are right, incidentally - money does buy you freedom and choices. That is its main attraction.

Twinkles08

Most of the time our lack of material things and lack of money doesn't bother me too much now as I've taught myself not to look and to avoid temptation ie the city centre!But sometimes I have a off day and I huff and puff round my flat muttering 'it's not fair' it's not fair'.Luckily this doesn't happen v often anymore.I do get jealous of my husbands brother and my sister in law as they are v into showing off with the latest gadgets and holidays,and flashing their cash around.I don't like being the 'poor' relative but if my hunch is right they are relying a little to heavily on credit.We have a v modest income (we've been told by the cab that we live way below the line which debt collectors deem acceptable)but we do stick to the budget and we are paying off the debt too,so that one day we can be financially secure.I try to repeat this mantra I made up in my head 'Less now,more later'