Comments on: Being Happy with What You Have

By: addvodka

addvodka — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:18:23 +0000

In reply to afistfulodollars. I definitely agree. I'd love to see more people take control of their lives and own up to their financial mistakes, but that's not how things work all the time unfortunately. They're different, that's for sure!

By: afistfulodollars

afistfulodollars — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:22:07 +0000

Bankruptcy is meant to be a last resort, so yes, I would go to extreme measures to get out of the situation before bankruptcy is required! Declaring bankruptcy isn’t a way to get the slate wiped clean and to continue on your merry way of accumulating debt again through expensive food and strollers. People just have a certain amount of cognitive dissonance and denial that keep them thinking they can just declare bankruptcy and everything will be fine for the rest of their lives.

I can’t imagine living like your FIL and MIL though, that’s taking frugality to an entirely different level!

By: LC

LC — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:14:33 +0000

One of my best girlfriend’s is sometimes frugal to the extremes. She has a cell phone (but it’s not a smart phone) and she asks that no one text her b/c she doesn’t want to pay for a text message plan; she reuses plastic containers from the deli counter instead of buying tupperware; and even though she has a car, she always asks for a ride… trying to save on gas? Oh, and she lives at home and has never paid rent. Sometimes I’m jealous of the part where she’s never had to pay rent (think of the $$$$!) but some of her other behaviours drive me bonkers. Either way, I know she has zero debt. Jealous!

And I would definitely cut back on my expenses before ever considering bankruptcy. That’s just not an option.