must be broke...

[greenskeeper]

I love stereotypes. I drive a 14 year old car, work overtime without hesitation, don't spend my money on stupid ****. That must mean I "need" the money, as if I live paycheck-to-paycheck, and have a mountain of debt to pay off. LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE MONEY PROBLEMS

[jpg7n16]

There's gotta be a story to go with this rant right? What happened??

That's what you get for dressing like Bill Murray

[stazstaz]

Yeah I'm really curious about this too, I came across this thread and want to hear the rest

[AccountantSalary]

I think the point is his outward habits indicate he's broke, but he really isn't because he doesn't spend money on outward appearances.

But I do hope an interesting story comes up.

[jpg7n16]

I think if he doesn't post a story that prompted this, we should make one up!

[nick__45]

Here is the story:

I drive a 19 years old subcompact car that had seen its better day and probably was owned by a very heavy set person that loved to transport heavy passengers because the shocks and struts are gone. With comp-time (overtime pay = regular pay), I could say 6-figure salary is easily within reach. I used to dress very well but frugally, meaning a same trouser/jacket combo from JCPenny and 8 dress shirts while working in D.C. but went dressing in jeans and t-shirts on the cheap for the last 6 years. Recently, I am starting dressing in dress shirts again but still wear jeans but they are nicer Levi and Lucky brands now. Overall, my clothes and shoes budget is about 150-175 dollars a year.

The route I take to go to work is the same route to work as many people in my profession and they tend to downn dress a lot since the job doesn't require fancy clothes. But they tend to drive nice cars. On that same route for folks in the lower and moderate income segments and they tend to drive very nice cars and living beyond their means too. I am sure they love to look down on me from their big trucks and SUV, thinking it must be nice to have made it. In their mind, they are superior and sometime I do feel somewhat frustrated that I must save, save, and save and plan for the debt-free future when other folks just get bailed out over and over again. I even went to dealership sometime and just wanted to get a nice vehicle with cash but then I come to my good sense when the salesperson leave me sitting alone while he had to go "talk to his manager." I would often pull out my wallet to admire all of my credit cards totaling over $200k in limit with less than $2k in monthly-incurring debt that is paid off every billing cycle. It is nice to be debt free and only have the mortgage to worry about.

I am sure many of you have the same story. But then again, this is America and it is hard to prevent folks from feeling entitled to cable TV, iPod, iPad, vacation, and "a life" filled with materialistic joys.

[bucks_online]

Here is the story:

I drive a 19 years old subcompact car that had seen its better day and probably was owned by a very heavy set person that loved to transport heavy passengers because the shocks and struts are gone. With comp-time (overtime pay = regular pay), I could say 6-figure salary is easily within reach. I used to dress very well but frugally, meaning a same trouser/jacket combo from JCPenny and 8 dress shirts while working in D.C. but went dressing in jeans and t-shirts on the cheap for the last 6 years. Recently, I am starting dressing in dress shirts again but still wear jeans but they are nicer Levi and Lucky brands now. Overall, my clothes and shoes budget is about 150-175 dollars a year.

The route I take to go to work is the same route to work as many people in my profession and they tend to downn dress a lot since the job doesn't require fancy clothes. But they tend to drive nice cars. On that same route for folks in the lower and moderate income segments and they tend to drive very nice cars and living beyond their means too. I am sure they love to look down on me from their big trucks and SUV, thinking it must be nice to have made it. In their mind, they are superior and sometime I do feel somewhat frustrated that I must save, save, and save and plan for the debt-free future when other folks just get bailed out over and over again. I even went to dealership sometime and just wanted to get a nice vehicle with cash but then I come to my good sense when the salesperson leave me sitting alone while he had to go "talk to his manager." I would often pull out my wallet to admire all of my credit cards totaling over $200k in limit with less than $2k in monthly-incurring debt that is paid off every billing cycle. It is nice to be debt free and only have the mortgage to worry about.

I am sure many of you have the same story. But then again, this is America and it is hard to prevent folks from feeling entitled to cable TV, iPod, iPad, vacation, and "a life" filled with materialistic joys.

Ouchy, that's why, control with our impulses is a big help for this one... Just minimize expenditures and start looking for opportunities out there, then for sure a big change would come ur way. Success is a choice.

[nick__45]

Ouchy, that's why, control with our impulses is a big help for this one... Just minimize expenditures and start looking for opportunities out there, then for sure a big change would come ur way. Success is a choice.

Trust me, I am always looking for opportunities. I am actually doing very good at controlling my spending. What I forgot to say is that the "stereotype" is that folks think that people driving cars like me must be broke but the true fact is that I am doing better than most of the folks on the road around here. It is funny that sometime people drive by in their fancy cars giving me a dirty look because my vehicle is old, then they see the vehicle decal on my windshield and their facial expression change. Around here, anyone with the vehicle decal I have works for a very large firm that has our own parking garage and a $70k+ starting salary. Yes, most vehicle in that garage cost about %40k new and most of them are under 5 years old. But many of them are in a dual-income family so they can afford them. While I could afford such vehicle, I opt not too while saving money to possibly opening my own company. The issue is the bond of $500k needed to open a small business in my profession. One fellow started his own consulting firm last year with just himself so he only needed to put up $200k collateral. He is earning $300k now and gets to keep most of it because his overhead is less than $25k a year (insurance, licensing, company car, etc.)

[bjl584]

I get this too. Sometimes people assume that i must be poor because I don't own fancy things or spend a lot of money on different activities. It's a good feeling knowing how much money I actually have though.

[PetMom]

I am fascinated by the age of the cars especially op who has a 14 year old care (although he does not detail the make and problems he has had with that).

[HousingCounselor]

I get this as well. A few years ago I took on a second job to apply more payments to my CC debt and to pay off some collections. I was driving an 8 year old car and had about 10 to 12 outfits for work that I rotated. I would run into people that I knew while on my second job and they assumed I was on hard times. I remember the looks I used to get from people. It was as if they pitied me.

I did have to catch myself once for judging someone I knew who was working as a server in a restaurant. I judged her in the same way. By the time I quit my second job I was debt free except for my car and I had approx $5000 in savings. Furthermore I had gotten a raise that allowed me to put $300 a month away in savings, which I did.

I have since bought a new car (older car driven into the ground) that is now 7 years old and paid for and I'm getting the same treatment from my co-workers. Especially from four co workers who all bought new cars last year. Including one co-worker who's on her fourth car since I bought mine in 2005.

[thesmartnickel]

I don't know how much sarcasm was in the first post, but I do like to be underestimated. I also don't see the appeal in all the fancy things people blow money on. I prefer to live my life simply on my own (although I will spend when I'm with good company).

[disneysteve]

I have since bought a new car (older car driven into the ground) that is now 7 years old and paid for and I'm getting the same treatment from my co-workers. Especially from four co workers who all bought new cars last year. Including one co-worker who's on her fourth car since I bought mine in 2005.

I have been at my job for 12 years. I am the only person there still driving the same car as when I started. Everyone else has had 2, 3 or more cars in that time period. The ironic thing is that I'm the one earning the most of all of them.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I don't know how much sarcasm was in the first post, but I do like to be underestimated. I also don't see the appeal in all the fancy things people blow money on. I prefer to live my life simply on my own (although I will spend when I'm with good company).

Me too, smartnickel. Besides, I never have made any guess about what other drivers might think of my economic status. I doubt they are ever thinking about it. Even if they are, so what? No skin off my nose.