tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post2630698550037832704..comments2024-02-06T07:57:54.467+00:00Comments on underdogs bite upwards: A long rant on money and debt.Leg-ironhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-49245236776378608252010-02-08T00:54:41.027+00:002010-02-08T00:54:41.027+00:00Buying on credit makes stuff more expensive.
My...Buying on credit makes stuff more expensive. <br /><br />My parents would never have dreamt of taking anything on HP, let alone having credit cards (not that they existed at the time) because they were always on a tight budget. <br /><br />When you have only a little money it is sheer madness to give any away to a lender. After all, what do you get in return? Only the pleasure of owning something now rather than saving and owning it later, and in the meantime your disposable income for other things is reduced by the interest payments.TheFatBigothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17255526385076528633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-1250171480644214442010-02-07T22:05:37.465+00:002010-02-07T22:05:37.465+00:00Beware of Geeks - I'm just hoping my fruit tre...Beware of Geeks - I'm just hoping my fruit trees survive this winter. The plum tree had only just grown big enough to fruit and the apple trees were planted last year. Might be replanting this year :(<br /><br />Polaris - I run my business the same way. No credit, either way. I can't go bankrupt, I can only go bust.<br /><br />Chief Sceptic - the purge is imminent. There are things I didn't know I had in among the clutter. Might have to revive that Ebay account for some of it.Leg-ironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-71302396134775732462010-02-07T21:44:44.291+00:002010-02-07T21:44:44.291+00:00Poverty - been there, done that, got the T-shirt -...Poverty - been there, done that, got the T-shirt - really didn't like it ...<br /><br />Not to the point of being homeless, just to the point of my Bank refusing to let me draw on my Salary or even to pay my Mortgage (to a rival bank) - gigantic (in its time) overdraft ...<br /><br />Avaricious ex-wife problem - I was Bankrupt in all but name - survived only because my parents posted cash to my work address, so that my children and I could eat, and I could afford petrol to actually get to work - this lasted for 6 months ...<br /><br />Now, having emigrated (to Norway) I have a several different credit cards (used in rotation) - and paid off in full every month - plus, I keep a large wad of cash at home, "just in case" ...<br /><br />Oh, and "possession purges" - WELL recommended - I hire a skip every couple of years, and I am ruthless in my 'chucking-out-ness' ! ...Chief_Sceptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02480068808364375600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-53784034325518585302010-02-07T21:13:12.752+00:002010-02-07T21:13:12.752+00:00Great post Leg Iron. I have a basic bank account ...Great post Leg Iron. I have a basic bank account and a pre-pay credit card, no loans no credit. I save to buy and stop spending before I'm broke.<br /><br />I run my business on the same basis - it's been tough over the last year, but that's because things are tough for my clients, small businesses in Scotland, but there is always work if you look hard enough. The most empowering thing for me was finding just how little you can get by on - without freezing or starving. <br /><br />As for 55% or 300% interest loans, that's just insanity.Tridenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10283513703332082614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-88724592511685092292010-02-07T21:03:11.050+00:002010-02-07T21:03:11.050+00:00Great post as always LegIron and some good comment...Great post as always LegIron and some good comments as well.<br /><br />I like to add, get rid of a high spending wife to the list as well.<br /><br />I'm once again engaging in the black arts of homebrew as we speak having been inspired that the quality of the products has been improved since my student days, and plus the fact that I resent paying the government for the increased tax they have subjected us to.<br /><br />I also don't buy and microwave and processed food - bake my own bread, go to the butchers for good cheap cuts of meat and buy veg from a farm shop - and grow my own.<br /><br />A touch of the good life, but with the combined pincer effect of high fuel costs and food inflation, it's an easy way to counter that AND start learning how to cook and make fine meals every day, and quicker than you imagine as well.<br /><br />I'm saving hundreds of pounds a month and as far as I'm concerned, living and eating better for it.Beware of Geeks bearing GIFshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01593142105719207212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-90258455063313733192010-02-07T20:56:41.358+00:002010-02-07T20:56:41.358+00:00Anon 19:21 - good advice. I'm guilty of buying...Anon 19:21 - good advice. I'm guilty of buying unnecessary things and am due for a possessions purge. Any day now...<br /><br />Might have to hire a skip for this one.Leg-ironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-13752046844302836732010-02-07T20:55:12.658+00:002010-02-07T20:55:12.658+00:00Mark W - that's a good point. Saving up first ...Mark W - that's a good point. Saving up first saves on interest and has another effect... you might realise you don't really need the thing after all.Leg-ironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-78830181497491118222010-02-07T20:54:00.360+00:002010-02-07T20:54:00.360+00:00I once bought a leather motorcycle jacket in a cha...I once bought a leather motorcycle jacket in a charity shop for £4. I'm incapable of riding a motorbike but it was one amazingly warm jacket.<br /><br />The best part was that it was in PDSA - the people's dispensary for sick animals. A wonderful irony, I thought.<br /><br />OH - Friday nights are good on Ebay too, and watch out for things that end around 5 pm when most potential buyers are in traffic.Leg-ironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-29046581533838398272010-02-07T19:21:46.396+00:002010-02-07T19:21:46.396+00:001. Stop buying unnecessary things. Only buy the ne...1. Stop buying unnecessary things. Only buy the necessities, and always ask yourself: is this truly necessary? Stop the bleeding first.<br /><br />2. Get rid of the obvious things. Stuff that's getting in your way, that you rarely ever use. You can often fill up a few boxes immediately, put them in your car, and donate them to a charity shop or to friends and family the next day.<br /><br />3. Get rid of more obvious things. Now that you've cleared up some of the clutter, you can take a look around and start seeing other things you rarely use. Box these up as well.<br /><br />4. Clear the clutter on your floors. If your floors are barely visible because you have clothes and boxes and different items all over the place, start clearing your floors.<br /><br />5. Clear other flat surfaces. Shelves, table tops, counter tops. They don't have to be completely clear, but should only have a few essential objects.<br /><br />6. Start going into closets and drawers. One place at a time, start clearing out clutter.<br /><br />7. Cut back another third. At this point, you should have simplified drastically, but you can revisit what you still own and see things you don't really use that often.<br /><br />8. Start letting go, emotionally. For emotional reasons, there will be things that you "just can't part" with -- clothes or shoes or books or mementoes or gifts, childhood items. This is difficult, but given time, you'll learn that such attachments aren't necessary.<br /><br />9. Get rid of another third. At this point, you're pretty minimalist, but you can cut back more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-54882195441878267212010-02-07T19:20:54.149+00:002010-02-07T19:20:54.149+00:00Agreed. The IPPR really deserve a good kicking for...Agreed. The IPPR really deserve a good kicking for that.<br /><br />Besides, this is not just about being frugal (a good idea in itself) - if you save up for stuff BEFORE you buy it and then pay cash, over a lifetime you'll be able to have more nice things because you'll be spending less on interest.Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-31060284629005248312010-02-07T18:59:24.773+00:002010-02-07T18:59:24.773+00:00Agree 100%. The socks & slippers I'm weari...Agree 100%. The socks & slippers I'm wearing were new - Christmas presents from friends. My underwear was new - approx 7 years ago. My vest/T-shirt was worn by my son when he was at school - he had his 40th birthday in December, it's M&S & still sparkley white as is my undewear. Surprising what a periodic dunk in bleach does. My shirt was new too - back in around 1997 - it wasn't hi-fashion then so it's not out of fashion now. My M&S trousers cost me £2.50 in one of the local Charity Shops. My sweater was a Christmas present to myself - bought on a day when Sainsburys had a '25% Off' sale. The boots I wore out earlier today were new - in 1981 - surprising what a regular clean & polish can do. My padded jacket was £3.00 in the Charity Shop & the accompanying hat & gloves were £3.00 in Aldis. I certainly don't look like a fashion icon but I'm clean, presentable, and - most important - warm. What more can I ask for?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-32720766408769224112010-02-07T18:56:33.482+00:002010-02-07T18:56:33.482+00:00Let's not forget Ebay
I love the mongs who en...Let's not forget Ebay<br /><br />I love the mongs who end their auctions at 9pm on a Saturday night and can't spell.<br /><br />Best buy yet? a 5 metre by 4 metre antique Iranian carpet. 99pOld Holbornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10164491045068093627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-50760690217213906202010-02-07T18:19:41.235+00:002010-02-07T18:19:41.235+00:00This should be required reading in all schools - b...This should be required reading in all schools - but, of course, it won't be....microdavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-31824147517361477212010-02-07T18:18:34.070+00:002010-02-07T18:18:34.070+00:00I haven't paid full cost for clothes in years:...I haven't paid full cost for clothes in years: wait for the sales (even supermarket ones) and visit charity shops in affluent areas where people are throwing away hardly worn stuff. Another good source is the factory shop.<br /><br />What about credit unions, though? I don't know much about them but they seem to be a benign way of helping people on low incomes who find themselves with an unexpected bill.<br /><br />JayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com