Does being harsh seem like the best way to influence people to you? Or, are simply too lacking in self-awareness to realize that you are being boorish?

By the way “…5 and a half full days and 1.5 half full days to move yourself forward mentally and financially.” (5.5)*1 + (1.5)*(0.5) = 6.25 days. I think you meant to say something slightly different.

Yesterday I got set up with my first life insurance policy, and today I set up an online savings account at ING with automatic savings withdrawals from my checking account.

Thanks for all of the inspiration!

I dare say that most of us who read Trent’s blog take him seriously no matter what our age or how many jobs we hold down.

For one thing, as any regular or thorough reader of this blog should know, Trent *has* two jobs. Job #1 is a full time job in the real world. Job #2 is writing (not merely because writing well is difficult but because he earned significant money from this blog over the past year).

When Trent writes he is both earning money and developing his craft, so that he’ll be able to make even more money writing.

Plus he has family responsibilities that he shares with his wife. He’s a busy, motivated, sleep deprived man (have you read where he talks about how he finds time to write?) and you seem to begrudge him any kind of relaxation or down time.

Perhaps you find the games he plays to be a waste of time. Luckily we’re all individuals and can each choose the type or types of recreation that truly rejuvenate us. You don’t need to play video games and he doesn’t need to take a 3rd or 4th job to somehow “prove” his committment to getting out of debt.

Taking action now, and positioning yourself for a stronger financial future has to become your top priority.

This post, and it’s support comments give you a strategic way to bring your financial strain to the forefront.

Time out for ignoring our financial futures, time to look our realities in the face and ask ourself what it is that we can do…starting now…to give ourselves greater financial control and bring us peace of mind.

Thanks.

Investing with nickels and dimes

http://kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2007/09/mystory.html

MW when can we expect to see your blog, it costs nothing but time.

But I can see from your defensive nature, you are used to using your 3 half day medical bookings as an excuse to not use the other 5 and a half full days and 1.5 half full days to move yourself forward mentally and financially.

I really like the laptop idea, now all I need is a laptop!

There are a bunch of classes I’d love to take but without money, it’s not gonna happen.

I think this is a perfect example of something that should be solved individually, not systematically. Virtually all government programs are liable to both make things difficult for the people they’re trying to help and allow people who don’t need help to cheat the system. As Trent, some of the commenters here, and other blogs linking to this post mention, other countries do much better on an individual level through individual connections with the people around you. The government shouldn’t replace friends or family.

Although I really like capitalism, I’ve taken this lesson to heart. I never think I’m trying to take on the global economy and the world is against me because all I can do is interact with one person at a time. They have their own goals and rules to follow so they can’t always do exactly what I want. Anyone who tries to take on the global economy has it all wrong. What you really need is work with the people you’re in touch with, not against them.

To some extent capitalism might have been oversold, making people think they can get everything they want without having meaningful interactions with real people and they have to deal with “faceless corporations”. There’s always a face in front of you – it’s your choice to see it or look past it. I see similar things with my involvement in the technology world; some people get so into it that they dream up complicated software to fix a problem when all you have to do is ask people to do something different.

I’m not against helping people at all; I like making loans on Kiva. A lot of problems aren’t merely caused by injustice though. I wouldn’t want to talk about “solving” any big problems without taking the time to point out what each person can to do to improve the situation even if they shouldn’t have to. That’s another reason to like Kiva – I’m giving a little push to people who are already trying to change things. If they become successful they can then help people in their community who have had bad luck – they know a lot more about the specific situation than me.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in emergency funds and debt reduction. I try to live well within my means. I know people can make better and worse choices in life. But I don’t think anyone–especially someone making choices without a full understanding of their options, or someone starting out so far behind in life that they’d have to execute everything perfectly to get ahead–deserves to be cast into the outer darkness for making mistakes. The problem of how to provide against catastrophe is not a problem that can be solved individually, only systematically. It’s the reason we have government in the first place!

GET ACTIVE peoples!

The gap between rich and poor has never been so large. The middle class is being squeezed out.

I agree w/Lois that dental and medical expenses can be staggering even w/employer-sponsored insurance. In the Western New York area there is usually at least one fundraiser a week to help contribute to someone’s medical expenses from a serious illness.

Even having all the other insurances (home, life, disability, etc.) doesn’t guarantee you’ll be safe if disaster strikes, just ask those affected by Hurrican Katrina.

Obviously there have always been challenges in life. I just try and take it one day at a time w/a sensible financial plan.

Aside from that, any attempts to make a “just society where people don’t have to fear poverty” are the source of many more problems. To take an example from your post of the possibility of a recession. No one can have absolute control over that, and when it does inevitably happen the news will make it sound like everything is falling part, creating lots of fear over nothing. People just like running from one side of the boat to the other; they get over-excited and then they get too conservative.

Without “recessions” there wouldn’t be periods of expansion (since they can’t last forever and have to slow down eventually). But it’s never really as bad as people make it seems. They can always point out that the great depression started with stock markets going down, but there may have been a couple of other factors back then.

I’ve accepted that my life will always be subject to forces beyond my control, and my job is simply to deal with things in a positive way and do all I can to secure my needs sooner rather than later. When you look at it that way there’s even some fun in the daily challenges.

p.s. I already have a degree, another one wouldn’t do me any good at my age.

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Again, its your mental outlook that is keeping you down… ‘dont need to get another degree at my age’ and ‘shift work within busing distance’ ‘my medical stuff is stopping me from working’

You could take your laptop with you to your all day medical trips, which I am assuming are kidney related, and when you are sitting there you could study free at MIT.

Or start a blog, or writing on the bus, or many many things that people in your case do.

But I can see from your defensive nature, you are used to using your 3 half day medical bookings as an excuse to not use the other 5 and a half full days and 1.5 half full days to move yourself forward mentally and financially.

I also agree with the fact that we do need life and disability insurance… I will be working on disability insurance ASAP

ACT: Get off your ass, you should be so busy you dont have time to be on the internet writing anyone… get 3-4 jobs, work night shifts at Mcdonalds to get a degree, anything to get out of poverty.

I have all-morning medical appointments three days a week, every week. I don’t have a car, so I am limited to jobs and shifts within walking distance or accessible by transit. With two jobs, I’d have to get to job 1, get from job 1 to job 2, and get from job 2 home again. Oh, and I’d have to somehow work the jobs around my medical appointments. Three or four jobs? Surely you jest.

p.s. I already have a degree, another one wouldn’t do me any good at my age.