AOPA credit card --- WARNING.

"Rich" wrote in message
...
I don't KNOW if YOUR luxuries are excessive.

I DID read that you have had some financial setbacks, and aren't able to
save even $20 per month. I think I remember that you are using credit
cards to finance your purchases... at high credit card rates.

IF it were ME, I would choose to bypass some of these luxuries in order
not to get further behind... and be able to afford good things to
enhance my children's education and get a good start in life.

Life is about choices, Chuck, and their consequences.

Rich


Chuck wrote:

Oh... OK.... well, are my luxuries excessive? Apparently, you already
had
your opinion of me and my luxuries...






Rich, maybe you need to re-read the thread...

I have said numerous times that I have ONE credit card that carries a
balance. It is Sears. We use it for necessities like school clothes, etc. We
don't go buy wide screen TV's on it. In fact we are currently watching a 20
inch TV right now, so it would be very easy to run to Sears and charge a new
TV, but we have chosen to wait until our tax refund comes in so we can pay
cash for a new TV.

In otherwords, NO I am not using credit cards for my (our) purchases. Even
Christmas is COMPLETELY paid in CASH! How many of you can say that?

In the past we have had other credit cards, but they are all PAID OFF with
ZERO balances (have been for several years) and we have closed the accounts
on them.

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


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"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.

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

"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.



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.

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...


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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

Almost 5 years ago I bought (with the help of my wife) a 1953 Piper
Tripacer. I still remember the initial reaction in the Piper mailing list.
It was typewritten laughter and comments such "THAT'S not a plane."

It's all I can afford, and barely at that. Often when I have had maintenance
questions, I was chided for taking the cheaper option, even though it did
not compromise safety in the least. I've found that there are many,
especially in the aviation world, who just do not understand living on a
shoestring.

The only real idiots when it comes to credit are the ones who apply for
every card offer they get and max them all out while paying minimum
payments, if that. I work with a guy who did that. He was filing bankruptcy
and getting everything reposessed in a year or 2.

mike regish

"Chuck" wrote in message
. com...



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.

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...


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"mike regish" wrote in message
newss3qd.402824$wV.36458@attbi_s54...

snip

The only real idiots when it comes to credit are the ones who apply for
every card offer they get and max them all out while paying minimum
payments, if that. I work with a guy who did that. He was filing
bankruptcy
and getting everything reposessed in a year or 2.


snip


Mike, I fully agree with your statement... Seems as though we are in a
minority though...


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The only real idiots when it comes to credit are the ones who apply for
every card offer they get and max them all out while paying minimum
payments, if that. I work with a guy who did that. He was filing
bankruptcy and getting everything reposessed in a year or 2.

This is frighteningly common.

In the early 90s I served as a volunteer on the board of directors of an
employee credit union at a small newspaper. As a director, I had a direct
say on whether people -- my co-workers and friends -- received loans of all
kinds.

We were VERY free and easy with our policies and procedures, but there were
people -- some very prominent people -- who literally were one paycheck away
from utter disaster. They were literally spending EVERYTHING they made on
minimum loan payments, yet they were applying for another loan from us.

In one notable case, we had to turn down a loan to a VERY important person
in the organization -- for a snowmobile! This woman could not muster
enough credit to borrow the pittance required to buy a snowmobile -- yet,
from the outside, she looked like a pillar of the community.

We saw this same predicament many times, much to my amazement and dismay.
In each case, they were incredulous that we wouldn't loan them the money.

Credit cards are like booze. For some, used sparingly, they are healthy.
For others, they are addictive and deadly.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

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