Does anyone else happen to think that the government is getting way too involved in bailing us out, let alone doing it improperly? With any handout, there is sure to come a lot of rules, laws, etc that we may or may not want. What ever happened to telling someone "No!" if they just could not afford something. What ever happened to the consequences of when we did not pay our bills? I think writing so much off for people is sending a very bad message to this nation. I'm not sure what the answer is but there has to be a better way than this.
When my eight year old already owes me $5, I'm surely not going to let her get even more in debt by buying her yet another stuffed animal and accepting an "Oh, I'll pay you back with next months allowance." No. I explain to her that I will help her with the things she needs (food, water, shelter and clothes) but that yet another Webkinz is not a need, it is simply a want. And, that food may be hot dogs vs steak, water from the tap vs bottled, shelter is the room that she refers to as hers (and that's when my husband corrects her and reminds her that that is the room he allows her to live in but that it is actually his) and clothes mean Walmart versus The Child's Place, Gymboree or the GAP. I think we are already raising a nation of kids that feel owed. The sense on entitlement is disgusting.
We have to come up with a better solution than all of these banks writing so much off. What about businesses such as Consolidated Credit Services, and debt consolidation companies. You turn over all of your bills and finances, they tell you where you have to cut back, you actually take the advice, and implement the new way to spend (or not spend in some cases) and they set you up on a new payment plan. You wait to purchase the things you want until you have repaired your own credit. Perhaps the freebie here, the helping hand, so to speak, could be this showing up on your credit report as a responsible thing versus a detriment?
I was visiting my sister this weekend. Her youngest, at only 19, is still in college. They were going over the bills pertaining to her education. And, my nieces boyfriend, at only 21 and also a college student, chimed in to say how some of these numbers were just riduculousy high. He wondered, out loud, how any of these kids were ever going to be able to get through college with the cost of it so high. He is on some sort of grant because neither of his parents work. They are considered indigent. Meanwhile, my sister and her husband, who have both worked extremely hard for their entire lives, and are paying for three kids in college, can not get any scholarship money for my niece because they earn too much. Seriously? What is wrong here? What message does it send to these young kids that will very soon be running this nation?
The first lesson I learned as young adult was that responsibility comes with freedom but that just like any other kind of freedom, freedom is not free. It shouldn't be. If it was, we would not appreciate it like we do. Yes, it was hard working two jobs while going to school, to pay for room and board, my own groceries, car payment, insurance, etc... but I lived on my own, made my own rules, and it was well worth it to me. Now, I'm raising my own kids to be healthy, responsible, respectful adults that also appreciate the freedom-responsibility ratio. I do not expect them to be out hugging trees in their spare time but I do expect them to add to this world versus simply taking from it. I expect them to recycle the materials they use. I expect them to pay themselves first... Savings, that is, not spending money. I expect them to take responsibility for their mistakes as well as their accomplishments. And, most importantly, I am teaching them this by doing not just by preaching. You are welcome society... just my little part of helping this great nation that I want to still be strong when I am old! What are you doing to help versus hinder this crisis?
Comments(0)