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I know that's a funny question, but it seems that some people, despite having all sorts of opportunities to save money or pull themselves out of debt, fail to do so.
I have a friend who's had her share of bad luck, financially. We both worked at the same small company that was going out of business about 5 years ago. Several months prior to our learning we would lose our jobs, she began making plans to build a small mother in law apartment addition to her house, as well as a sunroom. Her mom was already living with her, but it was very cramped at her house, and they needed more room.
When we learned the bad news at work, she didn't cancel her construction plans. Big mistake, i thought, as we both would lose our income. Unfortunately for her, the builder she hired did a half-assed job, kept asking for more money upfront, then when she demanded he do more work first, he stopped showing up. She had to hire another builder to finish the job and undo much of the work the 1st one had done, as much of the work wasn't done to code, etc. It was very, very expensive for her. She also hired a lawyer to try to get some of her money back from the first builder, but he was broke and had no assets. So she got nothing, p lus she was out more $$ she had to pay the attorney.
Since leaving that job, she's had a smattering of jobs, none of which she stayed at for more than a year. There was always something wrong, either she didn't get along with her coworkers or something like that. Each time, she would ask me to act as a job reference, and when they called, i'd praise her to the hilt, helping her to land the next job. That's what happened most recently, but then she told me a week ago she quit this latest job!
It was only a part-time job to begin with, and i know she's got major bills to pay. I was flabbergasted, tho i didn't voice my surprise. More recently, she told me she's back working there, but on a more limited basis (her choice). She's over 65, and i know she doeesn't want to work at all, but as i said, she's got major bills to pay and her health is really not good. She is very overweight and most of her health problems are related to her weight problems.
I've always tried to be a friend and to help her with suggestions for improving her financial picture and also organizing her life. She has a 1-car garage that's overflowing with her mother's junk, and it's gradually all getting ruined by moisture and mice sitting there for probably the last 15 years, but she's never made a move to clear that stuff out. She's the type of person who has piles of magazines all over the house that she will never read. She just doesn't seem to have the initiative to do much.
Sometimes i feel inspired to just help her undertake some massive project like clearing out the garage and making dump runs, but then i wonder if i'd really be doing her a favor.
I have a friend who's had her share of bad luck, financially. We both worked at the same small company that was going out of business about 5 years ago. Several months prior to our learning we would lose our jobs, she began making plans to build a small mother in law apartment addition to her house, as well as a sunroom. Her mom was already living with her, but it was very cramped at her house, and they needed more room.
When we learned the bad news at work, she didn't cancel her construction plans. Big mistake, i thought, as we both would lose our income. Unfortunately for her, the builder she hired did a half-assed job, kept asking for more money upfront, then when she demanded he do more work first, he stopped showing up. She had to hire another builder to finish the job and undo much of the work the 1st one had done, as much of the work wasn't done to code, etc. It was very, very expensive for her. She also hired a lawyer to try to get some of her money back from the first builder, but he was broke and had no assets. So she got nothing, p lus she was out more $$ she had to pay the attorney.
Since leaving that job, she's had a smattering of jobs, none of which she stayed at for more than a year. There was always something wrong, either she didn't get along with her coworkers or something like that. Each time, she would ask me to act as a job reference, and when they called, i'd praise her to the hilt, helping her to land the next job. That's what happened most recently, but then she told me a week ago she quit this latest job!
It was only a part-time job to begin with, and i know she's got major bills to pay. I was flabbergasted, tho i didn't voice my surprise. More recently, she told me she's back working there, but on a more limited basis (her choice). She's over 65, and i know she doeesn't want to work at all, but as i said, she's got major bills to pay and her health is really not good. She is very overweight and most of her health problems are related to her weight problems.
I've always tried to be a friend and to help her with suggestions for improving her financial picture and also organizing her life. She has a 1-car garage that's overflowing with her mother's junk, and it's gradually all getting ruined by moisture and mice sitting there for probably the last 15 years, but she's never made a move to clear that stuff out. She's the type of person who has piles of magazines all over the house that she will never read. She just doesn't seem to have the initiative to do much.
Sometimes i feel inspired to just help her undertake some massive project like clearing out the garage and making dump runs, but then i wonder if i'd really be doing her a favor.
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