AOPA credit card --- WARNING.

Mike V. wrote:

"Chuck" wrote in message
om...

In another reply, I have defended my 3 luxuries, so I wont do it again
here,
but I have reason for those 3.


Chuck, do not give these people a platform by letting them question your
actions. Many folks who never had money problems and cannot understand what
you are talking about either had the backing or were born with a silver
spoon in their mouth. I meet these assholes all the time. Ivy league
schools, mommy and daddy have money, inheritance, parents had money to send
them to good and connected schools, etc. A small boost goes a long way when
starting out in life - it makes all the difference and none of the people
earned it themselves. Many handle the privelege admirably, but many also
know in their hearts they never really achieved anything on their own steam,
and they like to make themselved feel better by looking down on folks like
you.

I don't know about the others here, but you couldn't be more wrong in my
case. I grew up in mobile homes and worked after high school for two
years to save enough money for college. I got through by using my
savings, working the maximum hours per week in work-study (20 hours on
top of an engineering curriculum)and working every break (thanksgiving,
Christmas, spring and summer). I got no support from my parents as they
couldn't afford it, yet they made just enough so that I got basically
zilch in grants ($300 a year as I recall).

Sure, some folks are both into wealth, but you'll also find that most of
them can't manage money to save their lives. The folks I've met who
really know how to manage money are the one's who grew up with none and
have had to learn to make do with what they have. I'm very fortunate
that I now make a decent living, but I've always spent less than I
earned whether I earned $10,000 a year or $100,000. And every car I've
ever bought was paid for with cash saved in advance. Sure, I had to
wait a few years after college before buying a new car, unlike my
classmates who went out and got big loans for BMWs, but I'm not far
better off that almost all of them.

As for looking down on folks, I didn't make the original comment about
idiots and suckers, however, the essence of the message is correct even
if the word choice offends those with thin skin. It isn't a question of
looking down on anyone, it is simply stating that fact that money spent
on finance charges and interest is money no longer available for other
things. That isn't a value judgement, it is a simple fact. I
personally have no problem at all if people want to enrich the same
corporations that they denouce as ruining America. That is their
decision. Personally, I think that is nuts, but to each his own.

Matt

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
What about when the A/C goes out in the house? (This is one of the times
that I am glad that I rent)

Refrigerator goes out?

That is the purpose of saving up a small cash emergency fund. You are
right, you can't predict when things like this will happen, but you can
predict that they will happen so you have to plan and prepare in advance
for them.

Let me try to explain this to you even though you are clearly too damn
stupid to understand: some people do not have enough money to get by, let
alone some extra cash to set aside for emergencies.

GET IT??

Chuck wrote:

"Mike V." wrote in message
news:hU0qd.105841$5K2.41539@attbi_s03...

"Chuck" wrote in message
.com...

In another reply, I have defended my 3 luxuries, so I wont do it again
here,
but I have reason for those 3.

Chuck, do not give these people a platform by letting them question your
actions. Many folks who never had money problems and cannot understand

what

you are talking about either had the backing or were born with a silver
spoon in their mouth. I meet these assholes all the time. Ivy league
schools, mommy and daddy have money, inheritance, parents had money to

send

them to good and connected schools, etc. A small boost goes a long way

when

starting out in life - it makes all the difference and none of the people
earned it themselves. Many handle the privelege admirably, but many also
know in their hearts they never really achieved anything on their own

steam,

and they like to make themselved feel better by looking down on folks like
you.




Yea.. I think that I am done with this thread...

I have tried my hardest to explain to people that I understand what they are
saying and that I agree with them, but unfortunately, they can't understand
that some people are not able to have cash laying around and in an EMERGENCY
have no other choice but to use a credit card.

I understand that very well. That is why I suggest that people start
saving even a small amount each month towards building an emergency cash
fund.


But you are right, I think there are 2 or maybe 3 people here than
understand what I am trying to say and then you have the jerks that have
never experienced money problems and treat anyone that doesn't drive a
Mercedes and belong to the country club, keep their Barron at their house at
the airpark and go to the Playboy Mansion for parties like crap. These guys
just don't get it...

You are talking about that which you have no knowledge. I don't know if
you consider me in the two or three, but I'm guessing you probably do.
My daily driver is a 96 minivan with 160K miles. I have a 10 year-old
pickup I use for plowing my driveway, hauling firewood, etc. I did get
a 2003 minivan for my wife to drive as the 96 was getting to the point I
didn't trust it with her and the kids. However, I bought a stripped
down Chrysler program vehicle and paid only $13K for it. I've never
owned a luxury car and probably never will as I much prefer my pickup.
Likewise for the country club. I don't own an airplane because I built
a new house four years ago and couldn't afford that and an airplane
without going way into debt. So I sold the airplane to partially
finance the house. I didn't buy my airplane until my first house was
paid for. I hope to buy an airplane again, but won't until my current
house is paid for. Sorry to burst your bubble.


Matt

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Welcome to the new America. I hope you like it.

It is still the best country on earth warts and all. I don't like many
things about it, but for the most part I like it pretty well. There are
several hundred other countries available for those who don't like this
one.

Basically. Go screw youself. You and your big spending corporate
protectionist conservative friends do not own the country. If I do not like
what I see I get on my soap box and start speaking my mind. Which is exactly
what I am doing.

Mike V. wrote:
"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

What about when the A/C goes out in the house? (This is one of the times
that I am glad that I rent)

Refrigerator goes out?

That is the purpose of saving up a small cash emergency fund. You are
right, you can't predict when things like this will happen, but you can
predict that they will happen so you have to plan and prepare in advance
for them.


Let me try to explain this to you even though you are clearly too damn
stupid to understand: some people do not have enough money to get by, let
alone some extra cash to set aside for emergencies.

And how does spending even more money on interest and finance charges
make this situation any better? If they don't have the money to set
aside in advance, where do they get the money to pay the credit card
bill after the fact? Yes, I really don't get it. Actually I do, but it
embarrasses people when you point it out.

Matt

Mike V. wrote:

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

Welcome to the new America. I hope you like it.

It is still the best country on earth warts and all. I don't like many
things about it, but for the most part I like it pretty well. There are
several hundred other countries available for those who don't like this
one.


Basically. Go screw youself. You and your big spending corporate
protectionist conservative friends do not own the country. If I do not like
what I see I get on my soap box and start speaking my mind. Which is exactly
what I am doing.

I never said I owned it. You are really a bitter person. This isn't
good for you.

Matt

"Chuck" wrote in message
. com...

Are buying school clothes an luxury?


No. What's your point?



Are buying tools for work a luxury?


No. You've already said you spend money on luxuries you clearly cannot
afford.

"Mike V." wrote in message
newsd1qd.675986$8_6.344569@attbi_s04...

Let me try to explain this to you even though you are clearly too damn
stupid to understand: some people do not have enough money to get by, let
alone some extra cash to set aside for emergencies.

GET IT??

I get it. And there are people who are in poor financial situations because
they've made poor decisions. Do you get that?

"Chuck" wrote in message
m...


Well, what if my transmission falls out of my truck or the engine blows?
Both could be a reality with my truck since it has almost 200,000 miles on
it. In this case, I would have to "spend money that I don't have". We do
not
have public transportation here to speak of and I work night shift
anyways.
Don't think that I could afford $40 for a cab every day...

What about when the A/C goes out in the house? (This is one of the times
that I am glad that I rent)

Refrigerator goes out?

Chuck, someday, hopefully, you'll get in the position of a set aside
or reserve for those contingencies. Just as I suspect a number of folks here
have. I'll bet more than one lurker is applying all this verbosity to
themselves. How does the saying go? "....you are not alone...."
Maybe you could start by putting away $20 a month, even if you have
to cut back on something to do it. Take offense if you want, but unless you
have the fortitude to leave that tiny fund alone, go get someone to help.
Help in this case by you setting up an account that requires two signatures
for withdrawal. If you go to church, ask your pastor, for example. In any
case it has to be someone you can't bully into caving in. Relatives and pals
are poor choices. The agreement you set with them is that the money is for
legitimate emergencies, only. If you lie to beat the setup, you shouldn't
cry about it. $20 doesn't sound like much, but you have to start somewhere.
You have the misfortune at this point of opening yourself the the
world with all the stuff you've presented. I think the thread was opened by
somebody else. You've just become a focus.

Matt Whiting wrote in
:


Because there is a lag time for these large attacks due to the planning
involved. It is well documented that the worst attack on Americal soil
was conceived, planned, and partially executed under Clinton. I
haven't tried to count, but what is your data to claim more attacks on
US soil under Bush than under Clinton? I can't think off-hand of any
that have been conceived, planned and executed since Bush was in
office.

Matt

1) It was planned under Clinton, but executed under Bush. What part of
9/11, exactly, was executed under Clinton? Where is your data?

2) http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884893.html provides a list of Al-Qaeda
sponsored terrorist attacks since 1993. You are correct, though. In my
second post I misspoke - these attacks were not on American soil, but they
were on American targets.

I don't think either of us will be swayed in this dispute...

You seem to believe that the lack of another 9/11 type attack is due
largely to the merit of Bush's policies, and do not consider the lag time
for such a large attack in the equation, even while you use the same lag
time to blame Clinton for the attacks in the first place. You have been
fooled into feeling safe, and want to thank Bush for that, even though in
reality, you are not much more or less safe than you were in 1993 or 2001.
You go on with your life, happy to be protected by your wonderful, all-
powerful Government.

I, on the other hand, believe that Enemies of Freedom and of Western
Civilization will continue to attack Americans and their Allies in whatever
way they can, as indicated by the rise in terrorist attacks on American and
Allied targets. I believe a better way to stop this than unilaterally
taking down an Arab country or two is to get more of our powerful Allies to
work with us against the problem. The Bush approach alienates many allies
so that they sit idly by as we increase our size on the dartboard. I don't
feel safer than I did in 2001 or 1993. But then, I am also not so afraid of
another attack that I stop shopping at WalMart. I go on with my life, being
a bit more suspicious and attentive, but mostly just happy to still be
free, despite the best attempts of my all-powerful Government.