Counting Pennies

If you think the reason you have debts is because you don’t make enough money, think again. Experts agree that is not how much you make, but how much you spend that makes all the difference. Americans are in debt because they spend more than they earn. Yes, it’s that simple. We all want to live a rich, comfortable life, even if we can’t seem to afford it. That’s where credit cards, loans and layaway merchandise come in.

During a recent survey, almost 64 percent of the people interviewed believed that getting a second job would solve their problems. When asked what they would use the extra money for, they mentioned things like paying off their store credit cards or using it to pay for their next vacation with cash, rather than charging it. While I know we’re all guilty of the same (or similar) excesses, you can’t help but wonder why are these people taking a vacation at all if they’re already in debt? Or why are they charging things (we can assume these are either clothing or electronic department cards) if they don’t actually have the money for them? I’m not saying we have to deprive ourselves of everything, but doesn’t it make sense to hold off on these things if they’re out of reach? Wouldn’t you rather do that than taking a second job and having no days off at all? When will you actually enjoy those things you just bought?

Shouldn’t we at least be thinking about these things?

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