Archive for the ‘Rant’ Category:
10 Lies We’re Told About Money
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about money. The following are statements or attitudes that I hear quite often. They’re all false. Or at least they should be!
1 – You’ll always have a car payment
I’ve heard this exact statement from an older adult. I was really surprised, because it seems to defy common sense. You’re only ALWAYS going to have a car payment if you upgrade to a new car every few years. The interesting thing is that people seem to forget that their first car didn’t require a payment. Think about it – when a typical 16 year old buys a car, it’s usually paid for in cash. No payments or interest required. If you can own a car at 16 free and clear, then it’s logical that you should be able to own a car free and clear at the age of 35.
2 – Everybody has credit card debt, so it’s not a big deal
Actually, not everyone has credit card debt. In fact, most people don’t. The reason why the number quoted when discussing average debt is so high is because those with extreme debt – like a mind blowing $60,000 scattered around 8 cards – drive up the average significantly. Even if everybody did have lots of debt, that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. You’re still, essentially, paying “the Man”.
3 – Owning a home is always better than renting
All I need to mention is the housing bubble and you’ll see what I mean. I’m going to go ahead and assume (and probably make an a$$ out of myself) that MANY people who bought homes in the early 2000s grossly OVERPAID and would have been much better off RENTING. Even without the housing mess and recession, I caution everybody (especially recent college grads) to think long and hard about buying a house. It’s a gigantic purchase and there are lots of hidden expenses – and not all of them are financial.
4 – Stuff will make you happy
There’s no doubt that we all need certain things – shelter and clothes for example. There are also some luxuries that can make our lives easier and more convenient – like an iPod
5 – Online bank accounts are scams, unsafe, or inconvenient
No, they aren’t. All the ones I use and have heard of are FDIC insured, just like any other bank. Online banks encrypt your information and force you to make strong passwords. Finally, online banking is one of the most convenient things since sliced bread. Day or night, you can transfer money and it’ll be there either instantaneously or within 2 business days. ING Direct will even MAIL a check to someone for you!
6 – There will be time to save later, so go have fun now
This is simply an immature thing to say. You know what group of people want what they want right NOW? Children, that’s who. When exactly is “later”? After high school graduation? After college? After getting married? Life is always going to get in the way of better finances, so we need to stop making excuses and JUST FIX OUR PROBLEMS. I’m young and want to have fun, which requires money. I’m not against spending for fun, but I’m against sacrificing an awesome future for fun. Yes, I’m trying to have my cake AND eat it too. It’s going to be f’ing delicious.
7 – Having expensive and flashy stuff means you’re successful
It’s not too hard to create the appearance of having it all, without actually owning anything. At a nearby school (not mine), there is an Escalade in the parking lot every day of the school week. I’m assuming that it belongs to a teacher. Yet, when I see it, I don’t think “Wow, she must be doing well.” I think “Wow, she must have a huge loan. That sucks.” Granted, she could have budgeted it and can easily afford it. Or maybe her husband makes a good living and just bought it outright. But I don’t think either of those situations is likely.
8 – You can get rich quickly
No, you can’t. The amount of people who got incredible rich overnight is extremely slim. So slim that a diabetic has a better chance of being run over by a truck carrying insulin. Yes, I just made that up. But still, the majority of wealthy people got to where they are by working hard and not being dumb with their money. If you want to be like them, you need to make good decisions and read The Financial Student.
9 – Money is Evil
No, it’s not. You can do horrible things to get money or with money. But money itself is not the problem. Money can, and often does, enhance our lives. Don’t be afraid to become wealthy because money is “evil”.
10 – Money Does Buy Happiness
Yes, I’m sure all of the starving people in the world are thrilled they don’t have any money. They get by just fine as long they have what really matters in life: family and friends. Oh, and a dash of hopelessness. A certain amount of money is simply necessary to have our basic needs met. A certain amount more is “necessary” for luxuries. It is true however that after that point, more money isn’t going to increase the quality of your life much.
Why I Don’t Change My Own Oil
This post was inspired by a classmate of mine who just doesn’t get “it”.
OK, so everyone agrees that changing your car’s engine oil is a good idea. People however don’t agree on who should do it. Some get all smug about it and scream “I CHANGE MY OWN OIL and NOW I’M A MAN!”. Others just take their car to the local Jiffy Lube or wherever, pay 20 bucks, and get it done.
I fall into the 2nd group. And people at school (actually just the one person mentioned above) give me shit about it every time I mention I need an oil change (Note to self: stop mentioning it!) The conversation goes something like this:
Me: Oh yeah, I need to get an oil change soon.
Douche: Oh really? You can get a good deal on the oil at [some random store].
Me: Good to know, but I’ll probably just make an appointment at the local oil change shop.
Douche: OMG. Why the hell would you do that? You’re not a man unless you do it yourself, you know that right?
Me: Um…no, I did not. I actually thought I was a man because I had a penis but maybe I was wrong.
Douche: Whatever, I can’t believe you’re such a pussy and don’t change your own oil.
It pisses me off because he assumes that I don’t know how to change my oil and acts like he’s the fucking inventor of the automobile.
Neither of those two things is true.
Here are the reasons why I don’t change my own oil:
1. It’s a pain in the ass. I’m sorry, but driving/idling to get the oil warmed up, jacking the car up, unscrewing a bunch of shit, cleaning up the oil spill that’s bound to happen, and putting everything back together is not my idea of a good time.
2. Winter. In Ohio, it’s cold for like 4 months out of the year. I’m almost guaranteed to need an oil change at some point in the cold weather. I’m sure as hell am not going to sit under my car for an extended period of time when it’s snowing.
3. It doesn’t save time. I can schedule an appointment and be in and out of the lube shop in 30 minutes. Compare that to doing it myself where I would have to:
- Change clothes
- Go buy the oil
- Unscrew shit
- Wait for the oil to drain, just like I do at the shop
- Clean up any spills
- Clean up myself
- Oh, and dispose of the oil myself!
The last one is ironic, because guess where I would probably take the oil. Yeah, that’s right, the Midas shop 15 minutes from my house!
So that is why I don’t change my own oil. It’s not because I don’t know how. It’s because I choose not to. I know it’s not hard, I even watched a video showing the steps here.
After I watched it, I said “f**k that” and now I’m calling Midas as soon as I hit the save button on this post.
If you’d like a different perspective, one from someone who does change his own oil and isn’t a douche, check this out.
Working in High School is Possible Believe It Or Not
Every so often, I hear a parent or someone on television say that high school students shouldn’t have jobs. They complain about how students need to “put their studies first”, “focus on extracurricular activities” and my personal favorite, “just be a kid”.
All of it is BS.
First of all, it’s entirely possible to put school first and have a part time job. How do I know this? Because I’m doing it! I have a job and believe it or not, I still study when I need to! My job doesn’t interfere with school. If yours does, then you’re doing it wrong. Even better, most of the companies that employ teens (retail type shops like American Eagle, Old Navy, Target, etc) know that you have school and will work around your schedule.
Second, how is working not extracurricular? It something “extra” you do after you’re done with school, a.k.a ” the curriculum”. You learn extra skills like how to fill out tax forms and how to deal with all kinds of people. When I was filling out my college applications there was a specific section titled “Work Experience”. I was able to fill that out and it sure as hell didn’t weaken my application.
Third, what does “just be a kid” even mean? I don’t consider me or my friends “kids”. Some of them are even *gasp* 18, or in other words: full legal adults. For me, I think I stopped being a kid in 7th or 8th grade. Definitely by 10th grade. If by be a kid they mean still being able to hang out with friends and do stupid shit, then I hope I never become an adult in “their” eyes. Even better than being a kid is being an adult with CASH FLOW.
In the end people, it’s called balance. No, teens probably shouldn’t try to work 60 hours (not that you could in this economy), go to school full time, hang out with friends, and expect good results. But we could certainly work a few five hour shifts a week at the mall.
