Comments on: Angry Emails: Is Money The Root Of All Evil?

By: tentaculistic

tentaculistic — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:57:37 +0000

“Renting clearly is a value inferior to owning, and that is one reason why most renters would buy if they could.” Ah, from the viewpoint of 2011, such blithe statements from 2007 are so antiquated it’s almost (almost) cute. This economy taught us what was wrong with that statement, in spades.

#58 – just so you know, getting a camel through the eye of a needle is not actually as hard as you think (i.e. absolutely impossible), since the Eye of A Needle was a narrow gate with which Jesus’ audience were all very familiar. So the camel would have to be unloaded, only one could go at a time, and it might have to even crawl on its knees. Hard and inconvenient, absolutely. Impossible, not at all. Yet another Bible verse that has been quoted incorrectly time and again by people three milennia later trying to relate to ancient cultural references.

By: How to Make a Million Dollars

How to Make a Million Dollars — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:02:25 +0000

Money is not the root of all evil, greed is. This quote is taken out of context and many people are confused by what it means.

By: Dustin

Dustin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:14:58 +0000

Actually, it is the LOVE of money that makes people do horrible things. Money is a necessary part of all our lives.

By: dudelookslikeachimp

dudelookslikeachimp — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 02:35:02 +0000

Money is a catalyst for hidden evil lurking in people – though money itself has no fixed amount of evil per dollar.

Without money, modern industry can provide everyone all the wealth one person can carry and guard at a given time.

With money, one person can horde more wealth than could physically be carried or guarded as actual items. In fact the very rich often have more money than they could realistic spend in a lifetime. Bill Gates is good example.

Yes, it is a given that certain rich people items could never be obtained or at least retained in a barter economy, things like 200 ft yahts and 50 room mansions. Only money can glue servants and guards to your side.

By: Rachael

Rachael — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:05:51 +0000

Last week at my son’s Bday party all of the moms from my son’s school started to talk about our professions. When asked I said my husband and I own some jewellery stores. My lush of a aunt added, “yeah, they’re all in crack central.” This is true. Someone asked me how it felt to know that the money I get every day comes from evil people doing illegal things. ouch. But nothing I haven’t thought about before.
Every day I get money from the drug peddlers and ladies of the evening. That money goes to support my family. Also about 15% of our net earning goes to charities, including crack central’s United Way funded daycare and preschool. Money leaves the hands of these people and comes to me where I can spend it wisely and patriotically (yes the 2nd most patriotic thing you can do in life is to help strengthen your country and not burden it!). If my store can’t be there then maybe the grocery store can’t either- maybe we should make sure that crime prone areas don’t have any businesses in which to spend their ill gotten gains. Keep in mind though that often police only enter these areas when they get a call from Apu at the gas station. We have a stabilizing affect here and prevent utter chaos.
Is my logic faulty? Maybe.
BTW I just found this blog last week. I love to read the thoughtful comments.

By: John

John — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:10:06 +0000

Trent,
We all need a enough money so we don’t have to worry about money. If we have a little extra we can spread it around like sunshine. Is this guy saying that we all should be pennyless and walk the streets? I do believe, however, that as we do well it is good for us to help others. Selfish- ness, greed, and being a miser is a poison to ourself. Trent, keep up the good work of helping people who didn’t learn how to use money wisely to do so. — we will all be a lot happier for it!

By: lyle bremer

lyle bremer — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 05:13:12 +0000

Please be frugal at reading what the true meaning
of what the love of money is. it saddens me to be
called fool because they judge me & don’t know me
as one that is crippled. i still enjoy loving gods respect for me though i am a man with little. the love of money is the root of all evils!

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 19:57:30 +0000

I’m surprised no one’s mentioned this verse, which I’m rather fond of quoting…

“I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:24

By: Thessalonika

Thessalonika — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 17:12:37 +0000

Forgot to add: You DON’T have to defend yourself. If people don’t like it, don’t read it.

By: Thessalonika

Thessalonika — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 17:11:47 +0000

Trent, don’t worry about what some person who read your site for 2 seconds says. That’s typical of people who gloss over something and then come out strongly against it. It’s been said that those who know least are the loudest. I’ve been reading your stuff for a couple of months and it has caused me to move toward a more frugal lifestyle. Keep on keepin’ on, Trent. It really does make a difference. I thank you for your efforts and pray for a healthy and comfortable life for you and your family.

By: Lisa Knight

Lisa Knight — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:57:33 +0000

Not sure if it’s been said already, but my 2 cents… If money is so evil then why do churches & ministries beg for it??? It is what makes the world go round after all. Money is a tool & properly used can do great good! Great article!!!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:36:29 +0000

Min Wage…
I can sympathise with the defaulted student loans. And yes, if they are garnishing your wages, you work them out of default by paying extra…but above what the government thinks you can pay.
Since I have just figured out my way out of my garnishment (although I make more than min wage.), let me make a couple of suggestions.
One: Apply for a hardship deferment or decrease, if you haven’t already. When you apply, look at the allowances for food and misc, the categories you don’t provide concrete proof for. Put in an amount near or at the highest allowed. (With blackbelt frugality, you should be able to live under those allowances)
Two: AS SOON AS you have a reduced amount taken out of your check, move to the cheapest housing you can find. Maybe even look for a “live-in” companion for the truly elderly. (Cause you may be a baby-boomer, but you ain’t really old yet) Move in with your parents. What ever it takes.
Three: Use Blackbelt Frugality. Get a copy of Tightwad Gazette.
Four: Get a second job which lets you eat there to reduce food expenses. Possibly on under the table.
Five: Look into getting a new job (even at min wage) because if you read the fine print, they can’t garnish a new job for a year, I think.
Four: Immediatly upon the reduced amount, START MAKING PAYMENTS IN THE REHAB PROGRAM TO GET OUT OF DEFAULT/GARNISHMENT. And save an equal amount so that when you have it to pay when you re-submit for hardship issues and they jack up your garnishment.
If all goes well, then you should be out from under garnishment in a year. (earlyier if you can get a new job) Then you can look at more acceptable housing, or lowering your hours at the second job. So you will have to remember during this PAIN IN THE BUTT time is that it will ONLY BE FOR A YEAR.
Also, I just learned this…even though the US government can garnish your wages forever, they can’t report it on your credit report after the specific number of years for your state. Your credit report may be better than you think. If you get a credit card it may help you get through some emergencies during this year.
Also look gaining some short-term vocational skills, like para-legal which you have the aptitude for. It may be radical, but if you could get a credit card, I would even put it on that.
Sharon

By: Londres

Londres — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:16:15 +0000

I once heard that money is not the root of all evil it’s the lack of it that is the root of all evil! :)

By: MS

MS — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:47:00 +0000

The irony of your reader’s statement is that unless someone can manage their finances (which you do an excellent job of educating people on, BTW), then they can’t afford to be “above” money.
If I don’t know how I’m going to pay the rent or put the next meal on the table, then money, or the lack of it, will take up most of my thoughts and effort. However, If I live on a budget and spend less than I make, then money’s not such a big deal, and I don’t have to obsess over it.

By: Tordr

Tordr — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:22:16 +0000

In my last comment I wrote: “…, but this structure of money is only a conversation topic for lunatics and central bankers.”

It was not correct of me to use the word lunatics. I would rather say that the structure of money is only discussed by people on the fringe, people specially interested in things like that (e.g. me), philosophers and central banks. But it is something that should have been discussed by the general public because it concerns us all.

By: John

John — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:06:33 +0000

Truly, it is selfishness that is the root of all evil, not money. Selfishness leads to lusting after more of everything, not just money, and only for one’s self. It is selfishness that causes murder, gluttony, greed and all other evils.

Trent, you are doing a great, unselfish, service by writing this blog. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Thank you!

By: Tordr

Tordr — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:28:35 +0000

I would not say that money is evil, but I would say that money as it is currently structured is not optimal. Money is currently structured as debt, that is the more dept there is in the world the more money exists. There are other ways at structuring money, e.g. about 30 years ago money was based on gold. None of these two methods are optimal in my view, but this structure of money is only a conversation topic for lunatics and central bankers. But we are all using money each day and we should be concerned about how it is structured.

The blog is about living fugal and getting out of debt, but the ironic thing is that if there where no dept today we would not have any money. Therefore there is no way of getting totally dept free for everyone.

Another case is that inflation is going at 2% per year, but the amount of money is increasing by 8% each year (M3,M4), and most of that new money created is going to people with lots of money already. Therein lies the problem, the structures currently in place seem to favor distributing money in an non-equal way.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:50:04 +0000

hino2k—you seem to have forgotten lust(for sex/power/material objects) when blaming all of the world’s problems(past/present/future) on the greed for money.

The evil that men do eminates from one’s heart and blaming money is like saying cars are bad because some people have used them to kill other people(intentionally or unintentionally).

Osama Bin Laden is not motivated by money but by idealology that wants to convert the entire world into a Muslim world. He is pure evil and only uses his money as a tool to accomplish his goals.

By: minimum wage

minimum wage — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:54:33 +0000

Um, excuse me? Where did you get the incorrect idea that I was hospitalized for mental problems? I have never been hospitalized for mental problems, I was hospitalized for physical problems which went untreated and became critical because I had no insurance and no money.

I don’t feel persecuted, I just made two enormous money mistakes. First, I blew the $4,000 (appeox $20,000 in today’s dollars) I had worked and saved up from the time I was ten on a liberal arts degree, which I believed I needed to go to law school. (I should have gotten a half-decent job out of high school or started a business and then invested the rest of my money.) My savings were insufficient and I took out student loans on top of the low-wage jobs I had. My second mistake was NOT going to law school because I thought I couldn’t afford to borrow the boatload of money it was going to cost. I had four rent increases in four years and defaulted on my student loans after the fourth rent increase, so I can’t borrow because I’m one of those evil student loan defaulters Reagan warned you about. (I am making partial payments now from my min wage income but can’t get the loans out of default unless I make larger payments.)

I just wish there were a reasonable way out of this mess, and I have yet to see one. Persecuted, no…but I do think it’s a little unfair that a person can overspend extravagantly and then get a fresh start with BK while I never lived large and I’m stuck in a big financial hole. Oh, and I don’t literally flip cheeseburgers (although I have done that and been there) but I do earn my state minimum wage in a thankless retail job with a clientele with a large underclass component. There is no internal advancement available here and my bad credit (went in the tank when I was unable to work and lost my income, can’t fix on min wage income) pretty much precludes a lateral move with advancement potential.

By: hino2k

hino2k — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:40:18 +0000

I believe money is the root of all evil because if you look back into history, wars and fights and everything that causes harm was because of peoples greed for money; but that’s just my opinion.