206 replies to this topic

[Orangetj]

Excellent! I am getting pretty tired of paying for TV, myself. No matter how much I use my DVR to rewind it, pause, or fast forward it, it's always the same cr@p! I think our DirectTV service is running us close to $70/month including the receiver rentals. What a freaking waste! There are about 4 shows that I actually care to watch and I'd bet dollars to donuts that I could get them with an old fashioned antenna.

[bishmasterb]

Always a great topic. My favorite comment so far is this one.
On the car talk, we've owned 2 cars. The first lasted 13yrs before we donated the car. The 2nd is 4yrs old and we'll drive it for another 8-10 if all goes well. Both were new, both $25k and under.

Hey cloud, welcome back!

[stacycam]

Excellent! I am getting pretty tired of paying for TV, myself. No matter how much I use my DVR to rewind it, pause, or fast forward it, it's always the same cr@p! I think our DirectTV service is running us close to $70/month including the receiver rentals. What a freaking waste! There are about 4 shows that I actually care to watch and I'd bet dollars to donuts that I could get them with an old fashioned antenna.

I agree that the programming is a total waste of money. Unfortunately, the only program I really care about (Nip/Tuck) is on FX, so I'm stuck.

[Jolene]

How do you define "afford" then? Sure, the bum with $5 can "afford" the coffee today. It's not in his best interest, and will likely hurt him tomorrow (when he wakes up on a bench), but he can pay for it and walk away without any debt.

We try to avoid the "afford" comment as really anyone can find a way to "afford" anything they want. We are attempting to raise Jessica to look at money in terms of "priorities".

She wants to go to Disneyland. Instead of telling her we can't afford it (because, honestly, we can. We could actually afford to go every time she asks), but rather that it is not our priority right now.

[cw68]

We try to avoid the "afford" comment as really anyone can find a way to "afford" anything they want. We are attempting to raise Jessica to look at money in terms of "priorities".

She wants to go to Disneyland. Instead of telling her we can't afford it (because, honestly, we can. We could actually afford to go every time she asks), but rather that it is not our priority right now.

That's a good tactic. It teaches that it's not about "having" the money, it's about being smart with how you spend the money you have.

[folsombound]

How do you define "afford" then? Sure, the bum with $5 can "afford" the coffee today. It's not in his best interest, and will likely hurt him tomorrow (when he wakes up on a bench), but he can pay for it and walk away without any debt.

But, if he doesn't wake up at all, he will have enjoyed a great last cup of coffee. As someone has said, it's all about priorities.

[CostcoLover]

Hey cloud, welcome back!

Thanks Bish!

Agreed. Priorities is certainly a better way to describe it as the term afford really has little meaning in the age of credit cards.

Which brings us back to cw68's comment -

"Saving money is NOT buying the things, even if you can afford them."

Most (if not every) person here can afford most things they need/want if we equate afford to the ability to buy. If that's all it means to you then it's not very meaningful.

If afford means something else to you, then share with us what it means to you.

[bishmasterb]

Perhaps afford simply means that whatever financial choice you make, represents the best use of your money towards some end, usually happiness. Although that's really getting pretty abstracted from the common, albeit ambiguous, use of the word.

[mylo]

Perhaps afford simply means that whatever financial choice you make, represents the best use of your money towards some end, usually happiness. Although that's really getting pretty abstracted from the common, albeit ambiguous, use of the word.

So you're saying I _can_ "afford" a Wii?

[cw68]

How about "my budget can afford this?"

[bishmasterb]

So you're saying I _can_ "afford" a Wii?

Well, by my weird definition of "afford," if the purchase of the Wii will result in the most happiness for you (short and long term) then, yes you can afford a Wii.

Are you trying to convince yourself or your wife?

[mylo]

Are you trying to convince yourself or your wife?

Me! I hate buying technology. She'd buy everything if I wasn't there to stop her!

[Dave Burrell]

Me! I hate buying technology. She'd buy everything if I wasn't there to stop her!

*cough (BS) cough cough....

[mylo]

*cough (BS) cough cough....

Seriously! I never buy new stuff.. I hate spending money on technology that goes out of date by the time you get it to stop crashing!

Wifey, on the other hand, loves gadgets as much as I do, but she has the female excessive-compulsive-VISA gene.

[ChipShot]

she has the female excessive-compulsive-VISA gene.

Wow...I hear that's incurable...