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n0th1n
Level 19
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I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
Maybe it's just because I live in such a high cost of living area, and have a family to take care of, but I really don't understand how so many people can afford all the things they have. I'm going to thrift stores for my furniture, doing repairs on things myself, saving money where I can, buying things when they are incredibly discounted and even then forgoing getting a lot if I can stretch something out for longer. I'm not living in poverty or anything, and I have what I thought was a decent paying job (in a tech field, and my wife has similar) and like I said we don't live lavishly. I just don't understand how so many others are able to hit the marks they do.
One possibility I've been thinking is some being more willing to go into debt for their purchases. For instance, we didn't finance our new (used) car when we got it. Everything we put on our credit card we pay off that month (the main reason we even have one is for credit boost and for the benefits of % back which essentially just becomes a discount if you always pay down the complete balance).
On the other hand, I'm relatively young, so I guess others have had time to build up savings or income from raises over time or something. Or perhaps they aren't dealing with as much of all the student loan debt. Or maybe we're underpaid more than we think for this area or something, I don't know, but I don't know how to get much more around here either, or whether people are actually getting much more otherwise.
Maybe we just keep more of a safety net in savings than others. I don't think we have a huge amount or anything, and we keep watching our funds and thinking we're going to start a negative trend in savings with various costs due to things like daycare and other regular bills, but we still have something saved anyway, maybe others play closer to the line.
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Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:28 pm |
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Pantsman
Level 39
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
The trick is not to fall for impulse buying. Especially when you're living in an urban area and there's the whole "BUY NAOW" jive going around. Doubly important if its your first paychecks.
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Yeap.
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Wed Feb 10, 2016 1:21 pm |
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vdweller
Level 0
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
Another good trick is to go be a hobo.
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Wed Feb 10, 2016 1:41 pm |
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Pantsman
Level 39
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
vdweller wrote: Another good trick is to go be a hobo. More like negadollars irl.
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Wed Feb 10, 2016 3:10 pm |
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KingGMY
Level 16
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
My secret.... Steam sales.
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Wed Feb 10, 2016 5:25 pm |
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arch_enemy
Level 7
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
KingGMY wrote: My secret.... Steam sales. that doesn't work... i lost so much money during the winter sale... there were so many cheap games
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Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:03 pm |
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Jewsus
Level 35
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
I think most people are just tards and go into debt because instant gratification.
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Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:04 am |
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vdweller
Level 0
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
It'sh the economy, shtupid!
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Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:34 am |
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n0th1n
Level 19
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Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 1:28 pm |
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
Considering how I actually spend money, and how I'm talking about other people somehow being able to have lots of stuff, the only answer thus far given that makes any sense is everyone just goes way into debt.
For instance with games, I do probably have way more than I need, but I buy most my games on super sale and super late. Like, $1-$2 a game very often, and even THEN I go for a while of "hmmm, but do I really want it? Is it that worth it?" And often don't end up getting said game. I buy humble bundles, but not all the bundles, especially now since I have plenty, and go for psn sales or old games in bargain bins places for the most part (and, like I said, even then I'm a usually fairly picky about what I'll actually buy). I'm not much of an impulse buyer at all, I'll even weight my options for cheap stuff at thrift stores, and I use what I have until it's usually well beyond what most people consider usable (I've gone through several iterations of shoes falling apart in several ways with several holes for many months before replacing them with some new, usually cheap shoes, for instance).
_________________ Back again. I do stuff. Do you?
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Thu Feb 11, 2016 11:12 pm |
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arch_enemy
Level 7
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
sadly thrift stores are expensive (compared to what they use to charge) especially clothes most of my clothes in the last 5-8 years came from goodwill or salvation army
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Fri Feb 12, 2016 12:53 am |
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n0th1n
Level 19
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Re: I don't understand how so many people can afford so much
I find it depends on the thrift store around here and what you are looking for. Typically, the computer stuff is way overpriced for what it is and it's usually so old there is no reason to bother. Clothes at most the ones near me are still usually a lot cheaper than they would be for equivalent new, though it's fluctuated and I haven't looked much lately (Used to put down, like, $15 on trench coats and leather jackets, but it fluctuates in quality and price and is probably more like $40 now). Games skyrocketed in price for the most part, partially due to realizing how much retro games are worth/the surge in retro gaming prices in general I think. But now most places won't even have cartridge games other than a few crappy sports titles as inevitably some reseller will pick them up first. But, thus, I don't buy those. I check prices on other stuff and if it's not worth it or I don't need it I don't get stuff still. If you look long enough, you can often get good furniture deals at some of the thrift stores, but some are better for that than others.
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Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:51 am |
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