Comments on: Does The Size Of Your Image Equal The Size Of Your Debt? http://youngandfrugal.com/2008/03/31/does-the-size-of-your-image-equal-the-size-of-your-debt/ Business and Personal Finance for Millennials Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:25:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: ontsaver http://youngandfrugal.com/2008/03/31/does-the-size-of-your-image-equal-the-size-of-your-debt/#comment-189 ontsaver Wed, 07 May 2008 05:10:51 +0000 http://youngandfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=36#comment-189 Great post. I always felt kind of left out in high school when my friends had brand new cars they were either leasing (or their parents were) and I had to walk to school. In fact, I didn't get my first car (from the repo shop and cheap no less!) until I was 19, just so I could drive to school. Those friends are now still driving the same "new" cars but they work all the time just to make the payments and still don't have a penny to their name - but I guess for some people it's all about how they are perceived and how it makes them feel. Another friend of mine was considering purchasing a brand new car (cash) last summer and was also thinking about purchasing a new house or condo at some point in the near future. I commend her on saving that much money for the car, but at the same time when I showed her the extra interest she'd be paying over a 20 year mortgage vs. putting that money into a car she kind of stopped dead in her tracks and realized the fancy car could wait. I was actually totally surprised and expected her to just brush it off and say, "I'll worry about the mortgage later" - but I think she made a smart decision. Great post. I always felt kind of left out in high school when my friends had brand new cars they were either leasing (or their parents were) and I had to walk to school. In fact, I didn’t get my first car (from the repo shop and cheap no less!) until I was 19, just so I could drive to school. Those friends are now still driving the same “new” cars but they work all the time just to make the payments and still don’t have a penny to their name - but I guess for some people it’s all about how they are perceived and how it makes them feel.

Another friend of mine was considering purchasing a brand new car (cash) last summer and was also thinking about purchasing a new house or condo at some point in the near future. I commend her on saving that much money for the car, but at the same time when I showed her the extra interest she’d be paying over a 20 year mortgage vs. putting that money into a car she kind of stopped dead in her tracks and realized the fancy car could wait. I was actually totally surprised and expected her to just brush it off and say, “I’ll worry about the mortgage later” - but I think she made a smart decision.

]]> By: torbjornrive http://youngandfrugal.com/2008/03/31/does-the-size-of-your-image-equal-the-size-of-your-debt/#comment-116 torbjornrive Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:48:48 +0000 http://youngandfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=36#comment-116 You make some good points here, especially with the flashy cars; most people don't buy cars anymore, it's pretty much all lease. Although you'd think that their income would still be higher if they are paying the monthly cost of the new Audi comfortably rather than the Kia. Some people would sacrifice a lot for that image so I think we'd all be surprised... As for the tv thing. Yea, TV is a joke. Since we download our fave shows, and stream hockey games off the net, we haven't plugged in our 19" 50lb Panasonic in years. I went big on the 22" widescreen for the computer which makes a great tv. AND that's included in our internet/phone bill rather than paying for 100 channels of shit. Keep it cool. P.s. Yep, I moved my blog over from blogspot to wordpress recently. You make some good points here, especially with the flashy cars; most people don’t buy cars anymore, it’s pretty much all lease. Although you’d think that their income would still be higher if they are paying the monthly cost of the new Audi comfortably rather than the Kia. Some people would sacrifice a lot for that image so I think we’d all be surprised…

As for the tv thing. Yea, TV is a joke. Since we download our fave shows, and stream hockey games off the net, we haven’t plugged in our 19″ 50lb Panasonic in years. I went big on the 22″ widescreen for the computer which makes a great tv. AND that’s included in our internet/phone bill rather than paying for 100 channels of shit.

Keep it cool.

P.s. Yep, I moved my blog over from blogspot to wordpress recently.

]]> By: danielb http://youngandfrugal.com/2008/03/31/does-the-size-of-your-image-equal-the-size-of-your-debt/#comment-114 danielb Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:33:03 +0000 http://youngandfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=36#comment-114 Philip, I don't think it's irrational to want a flat panel TV. Everything around us tells us to want it, what is irrational is the concept that we "need" a big fancy TV, that it is a status symbol, and that by us having it it will somehow change what we are watching. Thanks for the comment! -Daniel P.S. It's not that hard to cancel Cable. Just don't think about it. I'll be cancelling our sattelite in about 2 weeks so we will have a clean break and won't have to deal with it when we move. J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly did a financial breakdown of he and his wife's TV viewing habits, they decided that only having NetFlix made the most sense for them... Philip,

I don’t think it’s irrational to want a flat panel TV. Everything around us tells us to want it, what is irrational is the concept that we “need” a big fancy TV, that it is a status symbol, and that by us having it it will somehow change what we are watching.

Thanks for the comment!

-Daniel

P.S. It’s not that hard to cancel Cable. Just don’t think about it. I’ll be cancelling our sattelite in about 2 weeks so we will have a clean break and won’t have to deal with it when we move. J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly did a financial breakdown of he and his wife’s TV viewing habits, they decided that only having NetFlix made the most sense for them…

]]> By: Philip http://youngandfrugal.com/2008/03/31/does-the-size-of-your-image-equal-the-size-of-your-debt/#comment-113 Philip Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:19:41 +0000 http://youngandfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=36#comment-113 I am in the same boat, I just got a house recently and any time I am at a store I start looking at the flat screen TV's, but I really have NO need for one. I have a 36" sony CRT that works great, and is plenty big enough. I know it is irrational to want it, and don't need it but it is one big item that is tempting me. Now if I could just pull the cable and only use it to watch my Netflix shows I would get sooooo much more done in a day. I am trying to ween myself from television at the same time to try to buy one. Thanks for your post, it is really helping me to stave off the desire for the big new fancy TV. I am in the same boat, I just got a house recently and any time I am at a store I start looking at the flat screen TV’s, but I really have NO need for one. I have a 36″ sony CRT that works great, and is plenty big enough.

I know it is irrational to want it, and don’t need it but it is one big item that is tempting me.

Now if I could just pull the cable and only use it to watch my Netflix shows I would get sooooo much more done in a day. I am trying to ween myself from television at the same time to try to buy one.

Thanks for your post, it is really helping me to stave off the desire for the big new fancy TV.

]]>