randzig

A few weeks ago I mentioned the woes we were having with our cars. The engine in our Nissan Altima needed to be replaced. It ended up it was a better deal to just sell the car, so we just let GoodYear buy it from us for about a 1/4 of what it was worth before the problems. I mentioned in a previous post I’d talk more about debt. And I know I have many readers just waiting for me to chime in. This post is all over the place. Sorry bout that.

I’ve seen people with a moderate income not have any debt living fine then …”snap“… they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. I’ve seen people who are extremely wealthy providing for many and then…”snap“… its all gone and they have nothing.

I’ve personally seen people handle debt two ways. One is that they ignore it and go on happy and content as if they have mastered it. This is obviously a lie that your telling yourself and everyone around you. All the while you are being raped by enormously high interest rates on your credit cards. The second way I’ve seen people handle debt is it absolutely disables them in every way. Not only do they become disabled financially, but also emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and yes even physically. I’m all of the above. Matter fact I become a total baby. The thought of having to underspend even for a few months to catch up with mistakes and its literally all I can think about. Its definitely a fault I have.

In my mind I get so disgusted with myself (and those around me) because I know that in perspective of the rest of the world and history I live like a king. The Bible says so much about finances and how we are to deal with them. The general concept that many need to grab is that of stewardship or management. Even when I am profitable I need to see the world from the posture that everything past, present, future is Gods. 1 Corithians 3

Marriages are ruined. Dave Ramsey claims that 70% of divorces are caused by problems with finances. I know many of us can remember our parents arguing over finances at least a little. I’ve even heard of people that get to the point where they think the only way out is suicide. Suicide? Who ever thought that buying your kid the Christmas present he wanted would lead you down a road where the only answer would be to take your life. Surely you can do more for the kid by not buying the gift and preserving your life. That is the perspective I have.

We need to have a more realistic view of debt personally and nationally. All recent presidents have borrowed money from social security. Its sad really. No matter which party you claim allegiance too this is truly a problem. This country is so far gone that balancing the budget as they say is a total joke. You know its really bad when we pay off debt with other debt. And thats what this country is good at. Not only in government but also individuals. Its called Debt Surfing. Many people get a “no interest” credit card and transfer everything to it. That is a pretty smart move and I’d suggest it if needed. But at the core it is what it is. For many it just puts the problem off even longer. These are the people that have a “taste for debt”. In the documentary Maxed Out(watch it here) that I recently watched the former CEO of Citi Bank said that they were interested in the clients that have a “taste for debt” and pay the minimum payments for the rest of their lives. He mentioned it wasn’t important if they had a really high balance or even that they spend constantly. He just wanted their minimum payments forever. That guy is about his fathers business and his father is the devil.

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