Just Another Day With Me

Lady Gaga + Junk Bonds + 2012= Mayan Prophecy

I think I found the downfall of all society today....  Thanks NYTimes and Fox News.  Now, to wait for 2012 to happen....

So, I have to thank Fox News for getting me to listen to that song "Telephone" by Lady Gaga, I hadn't listened to the "Fame Monster" CD all the way through, but I did after the censorship lady went off about how horrid Lady Gaga was and how she was causing the downfall of our society.   I love the lyrics...."Stop calling, stop calling I don't wanna talk any more"-  hmm, I remember feeling like that in the not so distant past. Great song... the video is controversial and has nothing to do with the song.   But, hey who watches videos anyways? I had it on Fox News most of the day with my iPod in my other ear.  I generally watch CMT or GAC for videos anyways because those networks consistently play music, versus MTV and MTV2 crap.  

So, apparently this will happen in 2012 Junk Bond Avalanche Looms for Credit Market; Interesting parallels drawn with the Mayan Prophecies but I am waiting on John Cusack to save the world (I haven't watched the movie yet with Cusack in it, but its on my list, I try to watch all John Cusack movies).   Kind of feeling the ADHD this evening.  

When a $2.50 Bank Balance and a $5.00 Candy Bar and a Coke Don't Mix...

Math... something I'm not great at.... and apparently neither are millions of Americans (what a relief I thought I was the only one.....)  

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/10overdraft.html?hp.  This New York Times article discusses banks ending over draft fees on purchases made with the debit card; good for them.   I think this is a good idea, instead of charging you for that $50 candy bar they will decline your card.  Personally I don’t bank at big chain banks and I use a small home town locally owned bank.  So I don’t get overdrawn on my debit card, in fact I can’t spend more than $500 a day on transactions with the card. 

 

Another article in the Times addresses pay day loans:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/business/10regulate.html?ref=business

I think this is why many poor people can’t get ahead, yet they are dependent on those pay day loans of $500 to fill the gap or cover the emergency.  A pay day loan will buy that washer and dryer or fix that car, or even buy a junk car.  $500 is important.  A $500 loan might stop someone from going to the rent-a-center (which is only where incredibly stupid people buy stuff).   But they are self regulated, I’m sure the interest rate is fairly high due to the clientele.  I’ve had the $500 loans, I remember when I first began to feel “successful” was the Christmas that I didn’t need to borrow $500 to buy Christmas. 

 

I’ve never been a big saver.  I still struggle, because there always seems to be something we need worse than money in a savings account as much as I want to have it in there.  I was finally getting better at having a nice comfy balance in the bank before the whole separation – marriage- drama happened.   I hope we can get it back to that way, while I need emotional security, I also need economic security. 

 

I used to struggle with the overdrafts, it was so easy because the bank I used at the time, made most of their profits off of overdrafts.  They allowed me the privilege of being $500 in the hole.   I quit banking there a few years ago and it was a huge weight off my shoulder.  I broke that cycle, just as I broke the habit of ebay and shopping online.   I know my vices, I know its hard to break addictions. I always seem to have something that “gets me.”  The overdraft allowance got me in between pay days.  It was too easy to know that – that check would go through.  I didn’t credit cards after the age of 20, but I used the overdraft.   I can see how the demon of easy credit worked.  But, living this way was not good.  When pay day finally rolled around you had to pay bills and had nothing for two more weeks.  Its not living when your entire check is gone on pay day, its slavery and worry.

 

What is funny is money is such a taboo issue to talk about that I can’t find a lot of blogs or writing about people who struggle with money issues, there are plenty about addiction, drugs, alcohol, those people lack filters and will say anything (kind of like me) but those people who struggle with money never write about it.  Because god forbid - no one wants anyone to know their finances or their financial situation.  

 

I think part of our problem with society is everyone wants to “appear” successful, no matter what their income or situation.  It doesn’t matter if people get state assistance or food stamps they still want to look like they are doing well. They will work for $600 a month at burger king to pay a $300 a month car payment, to look cool (personal example, I’ve known a few people like this).    I just don’t get it.  I certainly love to shop too much, it is a stress causer and reliever – I cause myself stress – but it releases stress. I’m still fighting that demon.  But society says through its advertising that you “deserve” it and you should “have this” or “buy that” and its so easy, because the media knows- the media is like the “Eyes of Dr. Eckleberg” in “The Great Gatsby”. The “eyes” of the media know what people are lusting after.  

 

I think my issues are rooted in my childhood.  From the time I was a kid, we lived in the big fancy house, but I was still a poor kid.  My parents lost the business in the early eighties.   So we had the new house, and everything that went with it, we just didn’t have the income.   Big house, no money, looked great on the surface. Not mistreated, had a very interesting childhood.  In High School we moved to my Grandparents house, went from the big house to no money, to the old house and no money.   Mom worked at a nursing home and we lived on $200 a week, for years.  I went to work as a senior in high school, I had a car, and a job and still graduated 3^rd in my class.  

 

My personal issues are clothes and food.   I remember being a teenager and having crackers and no peanut butter, or milk and no cereal. Or even worse :::gasp:::::  shampoo and NO CONDITIONER. That is my obsessive compulsive side, I should work in inventory somewhere, and I’d be great at it!  Hence, my obsessive side about having “everything” I need at home and being “stocked up” I’m not a packrat,  I don’t hoard food, I certainly couldn’t do that with my great fear of food poisoning.  I’m a compulsive “date checker.”  Nice clothes are important; I never got to go to the “mall” when I was a kid at all - so I’ve kind of become a department store shopper in my adult years. There are only so many years of Goodwill and garage sales that you can take.  I can shop that way, and in the spring I do like garage sales.   Poverty does strange thing to a person, a child, as a child you have no control over your financial situation.  

 

No payments, no bills.  My monetary policy is all postal, I don't want a lot of bills,  its ok, I know those utility bills will be there, the phone bill, the electric bill but I can live without more bills in my mail box.  I try to live without a lot of debt (although I have debt… a nice chunk thanks to Sallie Mae) and my house will be paid for this spring and hopefully stay there (God willing and no tornadoes).   Its not pretty, its not big, its affordable and in a location that I love.  I’m stubborn and can live there.  I also don’t want my kids to think that they are “too good” to live anywhere because after all I don’t want them living with me when they are thirty. 

 

Money is a hard issue to talk about.  Dave Ramsey is good-  www.daveramsey.com ;  I like his philosophy although I can *almost* follow it, I’m not the *saver* that he wants me to be.   Money comes and money goes, it does not make you happy, but it helps relieve stress if you can pay the bills (oh and have as few of bills as possible and pay for most things with cash up front).  Don’t dig a hole you can’t dig out of.   There are plenty of other things that can make your life hell; believe me… I know!  

 

But my marriage problems all started with money….and living with someone whose money philosophy is different.   But his philosophy isn’t bad, deep down I think he likes to spend as much as me and I just realized that….  Only took me 14 years. I think I will work at bringing his inner -shopper out, I actually enjoy seeing him want to buy himself things.  That’s why he’s drove me crazy.   You can’t live for money, but I guess if you are a teacher, you can live for Summer Vacation. 

 

*note, I'm reading the news again and posting commentary....  a sure sign that I'm getting over my dreary season of misery.   :-D   A little music.... I want my..... I want my MTV.... (gotta love Sting)  he is a music GOD....great Dire Straights Song too....Download on iTunes (not sure if this official vid)