Forum Discussion
- CroweExplorerThis is an article by a reporter that may have put his slant on the book.
May have? LOL! - Grit_dogNavigator
TechWriter wrote:
Grit dog wrote:
While there, again, are many who have a good reason for being in the situation they are, there are more that who spent more than they earned and somehow thought it would magically work itself out.
How do you know this?
Go back and read my post above. That’s how I know. Saw these folks daily and hung out with several of them.
When people with “normal” incomes are suddenly spending big bucks on things regularly and then you hear the stories later about how they “lost everything” in the housing market, it pieces it all together.
I’m pretty certain this was a fair representation of the average x section of America.
Oh, and in the following years, had a string of tenants who “lost everything” and then you look into their finances, you know, because they owe you money, and find the same story. - Grit_dogNavigatorThe sympathizers here probably were my neighbors in Arizona! Lol
- spoon059Explorer IIIt was an interesting read, for sure. Life is all about choices, the decisions you make. Some people make good decisions, some people make bad decisions. I have been putting away money in my 457 deferred comp plan since the day I got hired 16 years ago. I invest towards the conservative side of the middle of risk. I have "sacrificed" my spending now with the hopes that my money will grow and allow me to live more comfortably in my retirement.
I have coworkers that don't put aside a penny for the future. They are convinced that between social security and good luck (maybe inheritance?) that they will survive. They spend their entire paycheck to get by and think they will magically and comfortably be able to live on less than half of that.
There are some people who literally just get by on their earnings and can't really save for the future. I'm not sure how many people live like that and I still believe that they live that way because of decisions that they made. For those that skated by in high school, didn't go to college or learn a trade, didn't join the military or didn't do anything else to prepare yourself for the future then you have nobody to blame but yourself. On the other hand, I can imagine their are situations where you worked in a dying industry and have no other skills, are older and less likely to be hired in another "career" type job.
Either way, the main subject of this article is a couple who was intelligent, had professional jobs, had money and had the ability to invest... but blew all their money. They made their bed, now they gotta sleep in it. I feel bad for them and their poor decisions, but just barely. - toedtoesExplorer III
Grit dog wrote:
The sympathizers here probably were my neighbors in Arizona! Lol
No, I wasn't. But I understand that there are many reasons why people fall into bad times and it's not always because of their own greediness. Many people just don't have the common sense to work things out for themselves. They really don't get it. They may be book smart and educated, but they missed something. Maybe they are too trusting, maybe they never had someone to provide that type of education. And then maybe they got just screwed by a greedy person.
As for the article, who knows what happened. Maybe they invested with Madoff. Maybe they ended up supporting an ailing family member who had no health insurance. The article is garbage. It tells us nothing but little bits and then walks away. Leaving us to make judgement on others without any actual data, let alone enough for a diagnosis.
But lets make those judgements anywah so we can feel superior because we aren't in their shoes. - chuckbearExplorerMy wife and I have been freelance writers for a number of publications for 25 years. This article is yet another example of why "journalists" are now held in such low regard. For this particular writer, I use the term loosely. This person did little to no research, knows nothing of the subject matter and wrote the article for reasons known only to themselves. Had the article been written to report the plight of the individuals involved, it might have had some value. But written as a testament to a whole sector of society that travels and enjoy the RV lifestyle, it's just another example of junk journalism. It has no merit or journalist value in my opinion. And we all know what opinions are likened to. Chuck
- full_moseyExplorerBelly Buttons?
- TechWriterExplorer
Grit dog wrote:
TechWriter wrote:
Grit dog wrote:
While there, again, are many who have a good reason for being in the situation they are, there are more that who spent more than they earned and somehow thought it would magically work itself out.
How do you know this?
Go back and read my post above. That’s how I know. Saw these folks daily and hung out with several of them.
Well, if I had known that you are drawing your conclusions from a whole "several" people, I never would have questioned your vast generalizations. - toedtoesExplorer III
chuckbear wrote:
My wife and I have been freelance writers for a number of publications for 25 years. This article is yet another example of why "journalists" are now held in such low regard. For this particular writer, I use the term loosely. This person did little to no research, knows nothing of the subject matter and wrote the article for reasons known only to themselves. Had the article been written to report the plight of the individuals involved, it might have had some value. But written as a testament to a whole sector of society that travels and enjoy the RV lifestyle, it's just another example of junk journalism. It has no merit or journalist value in my opinion. And we all know what opinions are likened to. Chuck
I agree. I've read and heard quality journalism. It is not this.
But even sadder than these writers who think they are journalists, are the public who continue to buy into it. - pnicholsExplorer IIWell .... I consider myself and the DW quite "responsible": Advanced college training for the DW and an advanced degree for myself, USAF officer military service by myself, after my military service max 401K contributions plus employer matching for over 32 years, built our own house to save $$$ over buying one ready to go, bought only one new vehicle over our entire working lives and then a new inexpensive RV in retirement, no "toys" to speak of except for a used 14 foot aluminum fishing boat, etc., etc..
After 20 "responsible" years of 401k contributions while working in industry we had a grand total of ~$200K in our 401K ... plus our house. I looked at the situation and said "no way is that anywhere near enough to retire on while trying to stay in our home during a bunch of those retirement years and then go into to a rest home". I then made a risky investment not recommened by the experts ... which turned out well merely by us being blessed ... so now we're getting by without having to work in an Amazon warehouse or a Micky D's.
Most of us should never do the risky thing I did with our hard earned savings. I fully understand why so many folks here in the good old U.S. of A. can wind up living the way they have to in their older years. I'm convinced that a lot of it has nothing to do with "living irresponsibly". A lot of it has to do with PURE LUCK while being in just the right country at just the right place during just the time(s). There is no room for smug arrogance from any us.
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