Category: Credit Relationships
Isn’t it wonderful? There is absolutely no reason to wait for something you can’t afford now. And the deal is much better than buying it on regular credit that has to be paid starting next month. Ah! what a wonderful consumer-driven world we live in.
It’s also dangerous. In fact, it’s a trap – a credit trap. The objective is to have you commit future income towards the purchase of something you just can’t (don’t want to) wait for. We are such an impatient society aren’t we? Wait! It gets better – you are further tempted (expected) to spend more than you normally would on the item(s) AND the gamble is that you won’t pay it off completely by the time it comes due.
I’ve been struggling holding off buying my kids a DS. My daughter is 7 and my son is 5. All their friends have one. I have a momentary flask back, “But Mum, I plead, all my friends have jeans”. (I was in Grade 6 and still wearing polyester pants). That was 1978. Oh how far we’ve come. Hmmm. Really. Today’s pleas would be “But Mum, all my friends have a DS, computer, ipod, cell phone, (fill in the blank).”
I know…it seems wrong doesn’t it? You are in a state of having to consider filing for bankruptcy and you find out that you have to pay. Often I get asked, “How can someone pay you if they are bankrupt?”. More often than not, the amount you are required to pay into your bankruptcy, is a manageable payment considering what you are required to pay to maintain your current debt (let alone pay it off). This simple Bankruptcy Payment Calculator will help you estimate what that payment might be.
Wonderful, accessible, way-too-easy-to-get, way-too-had-to-pay-off, credit.
It makes the world go around and sometimes makes our head spin. It can be our best friend or our worst enemy. Using it gives you a temporary high. Owing it gives you a log-lasting headache.
Where am I going with this you ask? I shall tell you.
If you’ve found yourself in a cash flow crunch for an extended period of time, you may have noticed how much it costs to be broke. If you haven’t noticed, please let me enlighten you.
Seriously, why do you have more than one credit card? The likely answer is (although I’m sure many won’t admit it) “so I can spend more money than I earn”. The intentions might be good (buy necessities, pay for the kids sports, buy gifts) but the results are the same (if you consistently spend more than you earn, you will eventually hit a financial brick wall, and your finances will crash). This might mean something as drastic as losing a home or something less severe like paying for a decade or more for living above your means for a few years.
I think credit should come with the above warning. We tend to be overly-optimistic when it comes to using credit. The warning signs are easy to recognize. we can afford that loan because I’m...
