Thread: Do you have $400?

Makes me realize how blessed and fortunate I am.

^^^^^^^ This!!! I shake my head in wonder when looking around quite often. Seeing high $$$ boats being pulled by high $$$ trucks one after the other just baffles me. Wonder if the banks pulled back on the reins and stopped giving 12-15 years on boats and now up to 10 years on trucks and cars if the prices would drop when people quit buying them. Then the current housing, thought after the recession people might have settled down some, but what I see getting built around here is all $350,000.00+++, dirt has gotten expensive and builders see very little ROI on subdivisions built toward 1st time home buyers or young families. First time home buyers are beat down, the investors bought up all the low $$ foreclosures and rehabbed and selling high or renting, leaving very little market for 1st time buyers. I am by no means a financial expert but things do not add up to me and fear it will all show its ugly head again sooner than we hope. Just praying we can manage to scratch by again and come out on the other side with heads held high again. Cant say unscathed as we took a beating along with everyone else. But I ain't going out and financing $140,000.00 on boat and truck either, heck my house was not even that. Like he said we can only blame ourselves for management of our monies.

Interesting read. My only response is "priorities". Another good one is "choice". This comes from being raised by a dad that taught me about choices. I remembered them
well and lived by them. If only my dad had lived by what he taught. Our family learned at an early age about "itchy feet". He couldn't work for another person and he
couldn't stay in one place long enough to make a go of anything he attempted. He taught me well. I never wanted to follow in his foot steps. I promised myself as a teen
that I would do better, and in my mind I did. I learned what it took to become a team player and how to roll with a changing work atmosphere. I became more proficient
at my job than any other operator and it paid dividends. I learned early that all jobs do not exist just down the street so I can be home for lunch and in my own bed every night.
I learned to reach out beyond my safe zone and test the work climates in other states and work areas. You have to be willing to step out of your safe zone and
believe you can overcome any obstacles. The good jobs are out there if your willing to do what is necessary to hold them. The railroads are looking for men willing to
step out there and hold down good paying jobs and reap the benefits of a good retirement. The young men today are not willing to take that step anymore. Too easy to
sit at home and hold their hands out. I see too much of it and have talked with too many young men and they are not willing to take that step. So the jobs go to the
outside contractors that hire the illegals. So sad and so true. We can be our own worst enemies when we are afraid to take the step and take the job that is beyond our
safe zones. So sad. We raised a nephew that had a great job for 15 years making more money than I ever did. His pay checks were in the neighborhood of $10,000.00 per month and he gave it up so he could be home every night in his own bed with his wife. Priorities change for everyone and so goes the choice to make less money.
Now he flounders from payday to payday and the company he works for is floundering financially. He realizes why and he has tried to turn the company around, but
when the big fancy home bug bites you, you become consumed with material things more than the money making business. Priorities and choices can be tough.
Money isn't everything........but it does grease the skids so they slide better. My opinions may not be agreeable with others, but I've learned they worked for me.

You're so right Joe (RetiredRR), the truth for sure. I paid my dues big time. I never want to ride the ranch on horseback and deal with barbed wire fences ever again, let alone roughneck on drilling rigs in West Texas. I am debt free because the price I paid and I believe I earned it. I can care less about those who want to impress others about what they have - or make payments on. The way I roll.

Debt free for decades. We eat at Praters Taters and Mc Donalds. We high class here. We own the dirt they gonna throw on us one of these days.

Paw paw taught me don't buy anything you can make yourself unless you really need it and don't buy anything unless you have the money to pay for it