Money Moral Dilemma: Should you save a stranger money?

Thunderbird_2

new wrote: »

heehee ...we are on a mission! too bad if the useful advice falls on deaf ears, but we can only try! MSE RULES OK!

We are on a mission!lol If the useful advice falls on a deaf ears, then at least I relieved my conscious!!lol

I always try to guess what the other person might be interested in and tell them about how to save money on it ( I tell the young boys about the car insurance cutting system, the young girls about Boots grabbit threads, mid-aged about car and house insurance and utility bills including the latest landline deals, etc) and always recommend the forum if they ever need to ask any questions about anything as we are a proud community of helping each other apart from some members who might come across rude( but every family have got on or two misbehaving sometimes) lol



I love MSE!! :T

debbsie

Thunderbird wrote: »

I agree with you regarding those who speak loudly on the train are selfish.

At the same time, a lot of people, who don't ask for advice or help, they don't know such advice or help exists, what do you think?

You'd have to be living in a cave in the middle of nowhere (and, therefore, not needing any home improvements anyway), to know that there is help and advice on almost anything, let alone money . . Any advice I got, I went and found it myself. Personally, I would leave him to it . . like others have said, if he is stupid enough to rant on about his personal life, he is stupid enough not to seek advice! . . That'll teach him to spoil my nice quiet train journey . . .

JayD

Basically the question is 'Am I my brother's keeper?'

Well, in this circumstance I would say I am not.
I 'overheard' something that was none of my business and it should stay none of my business.

If the shoe was on the other foot, I don't know how I'd react to someone giving me financial advice based on overhearing my conversation .. I think I would be pollite and thank them but I am unlikely to take much notice of what they said (I'd probably be too worried about how much they heard from the earlier topic I'd discussed on my phone!).

So, short answer - no I wouldn't step in with unsolicited advice. I'd button it.

Lydia.42

I had this recently when i was queuing in the bank. The lady at the counter was being hassled by the bank clerk about her commitments - you know the typical sales talk 'when is your mortgage due for renewal', 'i see you have a loan here', maybe we can offer you a consolidation loan). When the woman mentioned she was struggling and may be interested in the loan, i was trying not to shout!!!!! Thankfully her kids were playing up and she said she didn't have time today. So when i got outside i caught up with her and apologised for over-hearing.......and recommended this site.

Thunderbird_2

debbsie wrote: »

You'd have to be living in a cave in the middle of nowhere (and, therefore, not needing any home improvements anyway), to know that there is help and advice on almost anything, let alone money . . Any advice I got, I went and found it myself. Personally, I would leave him to it . . like others have said, if he is stupid enough to rant on about his personal life, he is stupid enough not to seek advice! . . That'll teach him to spoil my nice quiet train journey . . .

Some people when they want to buy a house, they go to somebody who might charge them a fee to sort a mortgage out for them. They think they needed advice and got it, but they could have done better if they knew Martin's 3 questions to filter our those who use a loophole to claim to be a whole of market!

Another example, somebody who wants to buy car insurance. They used confused.com, moneysupermarket, !!!!!!!!!, Tesco and direct line. They found the cheapest price and bought it and they are happy with the money they have saved, but they could have saved more only if they have heard of quidco or topcashback which might save them even more money.

And another one who has got a credit card with an outstanding balance on a high interest rate ( a standard rate ) they want to shift it to a new card with 0% balance transfer interest rate. They go and apply for X card with 9 months 0% interest and they are happy with it, but, they might not know there is one offering 15 months0% or if they have been turned down, they might think tough luck and carry on trying to clear the balance on that card, but they might do better if they heard of credit card shuffle!

All the examples above needed help, and sought advice, and got it and they were happy. But, they didn't do better than what they could have done, simpley because they didn't know a further advice exists. I can go on and on forever!!

Let me put it this way, no matter what I know, there must be something I don't know and sometimes, I didn't even know it exists ( Stoozing for example)

The above dilemma is not meant to know people's opinion on those who speak loudly on the train! (By the way, he shouldn't speak loudly!)

Happy Money Saving!

robpw2

if it was a women maybe if it was a man no , women are happier to take advice men tend to think they know whats best .

sorry guys im male and i know if somoene told me something id be like whats it to do with you

Bargainetta

Yes I probably would let him know about other credit cards but only once he had come off the phone, otherwise it would be rude to interrupt. If he discusses his love life in public on a train when and where people will be bored enough to eavesdrop,well that's his problem.

A.Jones

JayD wrote: »

Basically the question is 'Am I my brother's keeper?'

If it was my brother, then I would give advice. I have done many times before and often it is accepted. If it was a stranger, then I wouldn't give advice. Family and friends are different to strangers.

A.Jones

Thunderbird wrote: »

The above dilemma is not meant to know people's opinion on those who speak loudly on the train! (By the way, he shouldn't speak loudly!)

If they were being respectful of other passengers, then they would not have been talking loudly, and so you would not know they were after a new credit card. So there would be no dilemma in this case. So the fact that they are being rude talking loudly is part of the dilemma - should you help someone that is oblivious to others around them even if they don't ask for help.

mancrob26

When I first came across MSE (someone told me at work) and got into moneysaving, I used to always tell my friends and family about opportunities.
I don't think one of them ever took me up on the advice, and I got a reputation for being a tight git, so I just keep it to myself nowadays.
I don't even tell anyone if I've made any major savings myself or found ways to make money, as it was always met with derision. I think a lot of people have a ridiculous stigma attached to it.
I was always brought up not to live on the never-never, and my folks didn't have credit cards until I was in my 20s. But I don't know many people like that. Loans and cards are so easy to obtain and everyone just sees bankruptcy as a very soft option. I don't think many people think about paying money back, they just want the readies!