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what are some of the craziest things that youv'e seen people do to remain in there SB homes


ganto

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ok so I am curious as to what some of the craziest things that you have seen people do to remain in there SB home??

 

my neighbors bothered worked 2 jobs each and they would complain that they never had time for vacations or even time to spend with each other. after they told me there 400k in CC debt :o:blink: alone not counting car payments and the mortgage I just don't get it why do people go into so much debit and not save. many don't have any money put away for retirement and so on. needless to say they got foreclosed on and the cars repoed

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ok so I am curious as to what some of the craziest things that you have seen people do to remain in there SB home??

 

my neighbors bothered worked 2 jobs each and they would complain that they never had time for vacations or even time to spend with each other. after they told me there 400k in CC debt :o:blink: alone not counting car payments and the mortgage I just don't get it why do people go into so much debit and not save. many don't have any money put away for retirement and so on. needless to say they got foreclosed on and the cars repoed

 

Why do you care? It's called freedom, freedom to make their own choices and freedom to live with the results.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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I believe that the RV community tends to be dominated by people who are of moderate means, but conservative in financial management. Living on credit has become a major part of our county's economy, particularly with younger families. The size of your house and what you own has always been a significant part of how people are judged in society and even the RV community has some traces of that with a pecking order sometimes found where owners of more expensive RVs prefer not to mingle with the folks who own old or home-built RVs. Proof of that lies in the rules found in many of the snowbird and longer term RV parks.

 

When we live in an RV you are forced to limit the number of possessions you take since even the largest of RVs have pretty limited ability to take along and it tends to level the field to some degree in the possessions competition and so few of that type stay out on the road for very long. Many a couple consider the RV life but choose not to become a part of it because they can't bring enough "stuff" with them. Those of us who live in or spend extended periods in our RVs seem to take pride in our ability to value experiences and friends more than we do our possessions and I believe that it is the thing which attracts many of us to the lifestyle and it is what makes our communities different. Living small tends to shift the social order and cause your stature to be based upon how many friends you have and where you have been, rather than who has the most impressive possessions.

 

I put then into the same group as those who can't bring themselves to retire because they might get bored and can think of nothing to do with their time.

 

Those folks who are slaves to their possessions and those who get their personal value from the jobs they do are welcome to that life. In my view they don't have much to show for their years on earth, but who am I do judge them? They are quite welcome to look down their noses at us if they wish as I value the freedoms of our lifestyle more than any sort of possessions. It is far less crowded out here in the parks and campgrounds without them. :D

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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ok so I am curious as to what some of the craziest things that you have seen people do to remain in there SB home??

 

my neighbors bothered worked 2 jobs each and they would complain that they never had time for vacations or even time to spend with each other. after they told me there 400k in CC debt :o:blink: alone not counting car payments and the mortgage I just don't get it why do people go into so much debit and not save. many don't have any money put away for retirement and so on. needless to say they got foreclosed on and the cars repoed

Very easy to do when new cc offers come in the mail several times a week and you are bent on instant gratification. All you have to do is nothing ...no thinking, no planning, just live like there is no tomorrow! If you want to live differently, it does take a little thought and effort.

Paul (KE5LXU), former fulltimer, now sometimer...

'03 Winnebago Ultimate Advantage 40E

'05 Honda Odyssey

Escapees, FMCA, WIT, SMART

http://www.pjrider.com

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This really does not address the question of what people do to stay in their SB specifically, but I think ganto maybe wanted to talk about what holds people back from jumping into this wonderful lifestyle.

 

Whenever I visit with folks about our lifestyle I preface it with "this lifestyle is not for everyone". We knew for quite a few years before retiring that we wanted to RV. A big part of our lives was spent in travel mode with work. We sold the golf-course condo and moved into our '99 Dolphin four years before retiring. That raised a few eyebrows!!

 

Had we not gotten out of the condo, we would have been house-poor. Actually, I would not have been able to retire. Now when I spend my days driving through National and State parks either working or volunteering, I cannot imagine being back in my cubicle writing code. Jeez. I shudder even thinking about it.

 

That's my story, but we have many friends who say they are envious of our lifestyle and dream about doing it themselves but the biggest thing holding them back is fear. They are so used to their 'normal' lives that they cannot make the jump. I get it, but I know some of them would work out well and they would have a grand time. That may not be crazy, but it is kind of sad.

 

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:
"Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."
That pretty well sums things up in my mind.

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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There are all kinds of people many of whom are not as smart as many of us????. We had a family living on our street both worked long hours at the ford plant. They sent their three kids to parochial school for as they said a better education. They invested and saved money for the kids education. We never saw them take a vacation they did not have new cars. Then came the economic adjustment. Both were eventually laid off from Ford. Jobs were hard to come by. Their investments took a big hit. They wound up losing the house and moving we never saw them again. It can happen to any of us.Our property decreased in value by 30,000 our 401k lost 35%of its value.We were much older and in better financial shape and were able to ride it out.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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Living small tends to shift the social order and cause your stature to be based upon how many friends you have and where you have been, rather than who has the most impressive possessions.

 

 

This is an interesting statement. The idea of "stature" being based on # of friends, or places visited (or even possessions) is strange to me.

 

We're starting our sixth year out on the road. We've volunteered at a variety of parks and wildlife refuges around the country and are completely satisfied with our choices and lifestyle. That being said, we are naturally private folks and count ourselves lucky if we "connect" with even one couple at each assignment that we'll stay in touch with over the following years. I contrast this with some other volunteers who are "friends" with everyone and generate 60 - 100 "likes" every time they go to a restaurant and post it on Facebook. So by this measure their "stature" is higher then ours.

 

On the other hand, we tend to not return to the same places year after year, but run into volunteers who have been returning to the same park for 10 - 12 years. By that measure I suppose our "stature" is higher than theirs.

 

But as full-time RV'ers we have very little in the way of possessions, so by that measure our stature is quite low indeed.

 

And frankly, if someone decides to work two jobs and not take vacations in order to live in the home of their dreams, I am all for them. As long as I'm not asked to bail them out if their "plan" fails.

 

To each their own...

Mark & Teri

2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350

Mark & Teri's Travels

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And frankly, if someone decides to work two jobs and not take vacations in order to live in the home of their dreams, I am all for them. As long as I'm not asked to bail them out if their "plan" fails.

 

 

Agreed. Unfortunately too often we, the taxpayer, are tapped to bail them out. Look at all the home mortgage bailout programs. And now the clamor to forgive all that student debt.

 

Time to demand tough love!

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Agreed. Unfortunately too often we, the taxpayer, are tapped to bail them out. Look at all the home mortgage bailout programs. And now the clamor to forgive all that student debt.

 

Time to demand tough love!

 

I agree completely. Decisions should come with consequences, good or bad.

Mark & Teri

2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350

Mark & Teri's Travels

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There is nothing like dumping the waste tanks to level the 'playing field' in the RV community. ;)

 

I'm not sure I understand the OP's question. There is nothing people have to do or say to stay in their S&B. It is us who are looked at as being the 'crazies' when we sell/get rid of 'everything' and become fulltimers.

 

Barb

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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There is nothing like dumping the waste tanks to level the 'playing field' in the RV community. ;)

 

I'm not sure I understand the OP's question. There is nothing people have to do or say to stay in their S&B. It is us who are looked at as being the 'crazies' when we sell/get rid of 'everything' and become fulltimers.

 

Barb

 

Wow! What an interesting perspective. Maybe we need to start another topic "What crazy things did we all do to GET OUT of our SB?"

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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$400,000 in credit card debt?! Doubtful!

 

Don't know about the USA but fairly common in the UK unfortunately.

 

I was involved in an organisation that helped such people and it was just amazing how the banks would just throw cards at people.

FT since September 2007

Safari Trek + M/C

http://johncarolandcharro.blogspot.com/

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... it was just amazing how the banks would just throw cards at people.

 

Major profit center for the banks. At 20%+ interest on outstanding balances plus late fees, over limit fees etc - they can absorb a large percentage of defaults and still make a killing.

 

It's not surprising that the Banks will throw cards to anyone that will use them and preferably to those that lack the fiscal discipline to keep them current.

 

More interesting question is whether the Government has any duty to protect its citizens from this type of folly?

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It's my understanding that schools are now teaching budgeting and other financial handling since kids are no longer learning frugality from parents. Our daughter was offered her first credit card (a store card not a bank card) while she was still in high school. If you can catch them that young what are the odds they understand the implications of buy now pay later? Once you go down that rabbit hole it is very hard to get back out.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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Our daughter was offered her first credit card (a store card not a bank card) while she was still in high school.

................................

Once you go down that rabbit hole it is very hard to get back out.

As far as I know, our boys didn't get any card solicitations in HS but I know that they did in both the Army and in college. Two of the three had a period of being in over their heads and my career soldier son's wife lost control of credit from such offers while he was deployed in Iraq to a point that it took several years after he returned to the states for them to dig their way out. I really think that most of us & our peers have been through a period of credit difficulty at least partially due to credit card use and learned from the experience. We went through that many years ago when our sons were in their teens and as a result we also made a big effort to educate all three of them about the problem and also about money management. In spite of that experience and our effort with the boys, they each still experienced a period of credit difficulty, but fortunately they do seem to have learned from the difficulty.

 

All of this leaves me with the question of just who is responsible for our actions? It is really a matter of self-control as credit cards can be a wonderful financial tool if you have what it takes to manage their use properly and well. Should we have laws to protect us from our own weaknesses? Perhaps a minimum age for companies to issue credit cards? Should the schools attempt to teach credit management? I think that it may have been that our credit card that we got into trouble with, cut us off sooner than they do today, but it is difficult to compare numbers since credit lines are higher, but so too are wages. Today we have 4 different credit cards and we pay all of it each month, using them because it saves money via the 1% to 5% cash back that it gets us on most of what we spend. Young people could do exactly what we do, if they had the self discipline to do so.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Young people could do exactly what we do, if they had the self discipline to do so.

 

And change the entire card industry as a result. It's their folly that allows us the luxury of paying off our cards monthly, incure no fees and enjoy those cash rebates. All those bennys we take advantage of are used as inducements by the banks to get the vulnerable to sign up.

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And change the entire card industry as a result. It's their folly that allows us the luxury of paying off our cards monthly, incure no fees and enjoy those cash rebates. All those bennys we take advantage of are used as inducements by the banks to get the vulnerable to sign up.

 

And while I too enjoy the cash rebates, I recognize that "we" are paying for those as well. The entire group of credit card users, as well as the businesses that pay the fees to the card companies are paying for us to get that small percentage of money returned to us. I have often wondered if there were no cash rebates at all on cards, would we see an equivalent reduction in the prices we pay for goods and services?

Mark & Teri

2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350

Mark & Teri's Travels

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Young people could do exactly what we do, if they had the self discipline to do so.

And the knowledge of that being the right way to use credit. We never did the math of interest rates when we were young and stupid. It was that lack of knowledge that caused our own problems. If we had ever said to ourselves, "If we only make partial payments of this amount each month it will takes us six years to pay for that cheap item with the added interest making its actual price $n," we would have looked at those purchases differently. That's the lesson we need our kids to learn somewhere somehow.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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I have often wondered if there were no cash rebates at all on cards, would we see an equivalent reduction in the prices we pay for goods and services?

 

I have a merchant account and I don't believe there is any difference in the rate I pay (~3%) based on the type of card used (Cash Rebate vs no Cash Rebate)

 

I believe those are absorbed as marketing costs by the bank - hence the severe fine print restrictions on what gets a rebate.

 

So no - if cash rebate Credit Cards went away the merchants would not change their prices.

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awe actually got a phone call from a credit card company advising us that we were paying off the card every month before interest was incurred and we did not have to do that.I could not stop laughing.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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More interesting question is whether the Government has any duty to protect its citizens from this type of folly?

 

Are we talking about the US here? Like the same government that is $19,000,000,000,000 in debt?

 

 

I have a merchant account and I don't believe there is any difference in the rate I pay (~3%) based on the type of card used (Cash Rebate vs no Cash Rebate)

 

I believe those are absorbed as marketing costs by the bank - hence the severe fine print restrictions on what gets a rebate.

 

So no - if cash rebate Credit Cards went away the merchants would not change their prices.

 

If credit cards went away entirely and we all payed cash for everything, merchants could all lower their prices by 3%.

Class B, 1984 Dodge Xplorer van by Frank Industries.

 

Follow my life and travels at my blog, Live Hoppy. :)

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