Me? I'm an old(er) broad. I've been here a minute or two.
Them? They're an accident waiting to happen.
<Do I dole out some sage advice in an attempt to head off impending trouble at the pass?
Or...
Do I keep my mouth shut because it's really none of my business?>
Ah, what to do...what to do?
It happens all the time; I see someone about to make a big mistake and I'm suddenly in a quandary. Big mistake translates to financial and/or real estate-related. It could be family, friend, stranger, or foe. It's an equal opportunity type of situation. It's the cousin who's decided he's going to take out a Pay Day loan to finance a spring break trip to Mexico.
"Say what?", I manage to mutter.
It's the neighbor who's decided to forego payment into his child's college fund the next couple of years in lieu of installing a new in-ground poo in the backyard.
It's the co-worker who's decided to refi her house so she can return to school to be in a better position to get a better job in her company. This is the co-worker with tens of thousands of credit card debt and 2 kids in High School.
Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dumb. and Tweedle Dumber.
I'm not all-knowing by any stretch of the imagination, but I am endowed with a plentitude (is that a word?)of common sense. So, when I see someone who's about to make a huge mistake that they'll suffer the consequences of for some time, I feel the need to...well, bite my tongue. 
If it's an acquaintance, I'll argue with myself that it's really none of my business. Who am I to tell the lady at the gym that she'd be a fool to buy an overpriced 760 square foot house with 2 bedrooms and 1 extremely outdated bathroom located on the main thoroughfare of an area with a 'less than desirable' school district? The lady in payroll, you know her, the incredibly underpaid single mom who just stopped paying for life insurance so she can have more disposable income? Yes, her. Who am I to tell her anything, especially when I'm not her REALTOR and she's hell-bent on:
1. grabbing this 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity to own a house with a ridiculously over-improved kitchen
AND
2. enrolling her son in private school anyway?
"Where exactly is the money for private school coming from?", I mutter under my breath while rolling my eyes heavenward.
Quandary, I tell ya.
Now, if it's friend or family, you'd better believe I'm in their face.
Literally.
"Do you really think it's wise to take money out of your 401K to buy a car that'll break down in xx years? They haven't made a car yet that won't break down. I know you've always wanted a 'Ja-GU-wARRR' and you're getting up there in years, but this is your retirement income we're talking about and...well, you are getting up there in years," I mutter under my breath.
"Do you really think that's a wise decision?" I say.
I'm confronted by these situations all the time, it seems, and each situation requires a unique approach. I find it difficult to just stand by blithely when I see a train approaching and I know I can easily push someone out of harm's way.
But, where does one draw the line?
I think back when I was younger and full of great ideas on how to proceed. If someone had offered me an unsolicited piece of advice, especially someone I hardly knew, I would've been hard-pressed not to offer them a piece of my mind, if you know what I mean.
So, here I stand -- everyday trying to do the right thing, make the right decision. Do I say something or do I not? Well, she asked, so , yeah...I'm saying something this time around. But, alas, he's just an aquaintance, so I'd better bite my lip.
Ugggh...the Ins and Outs of being Lanette. It's a quandary, I tell ya.
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Just a little of what's on my mind,
Lanette in Bel Air
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