tired of being responsible

[alabamagal]

Jan 18, 2011 11:13:07 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jan 18, 2011 10:05:24 GMT -5 Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ said:

Where I shop, Shop Rite, I routinely see individuals paying for their groceries with food stamps. I hardly see any restrictions in the piles of groceries on the counter.(ETA)...and it is all nationally advertised brands.
As far as medical care, we are already moving towards govt controlled and govt managed health care.
We are already where you say you do not want to be.

If I want to order a pizza or chinese, I can. If I want to go to a restaurant, I do. Last time I checked, you can't use food stamps at restaurants.

We are moving towards managed healthcare, but I still have way more options than someone on Medicaid.

You can't use foodstamps for pizza or chinese, but you can use them to buy groceries, then take the cash you are paid under the table and buy pizza and chinese

[Deleted]

I've lived irresponsibly and now I live responsibly. Responsibly is way better. Contrary to how it might look from the outside, there aren't many choices or much freedom in being irresponsible. You are constantly focussed on how to get what you want or need and working through the plan to get it. There is no security and it is humiliating. These days I can really make choices based on what I prefer, not what I can talk someone else into. I like responsible.

[zibazinski]

Uh, yeah, you can use it for pizza, even delivery pizza. Saw that in Oregon and I thought my aunt would go ballistic about food stamps being used for delivery pizza.

[8 Bit WWBG]

I was behind an EBT (gotta use the trendy name) user. His bill was $90, and EBT covered $80 of it.

I think he was having a party. He had some frozen pizzas, some bags of salad, some tortilla chips, and so on. He had some fruit too.

[Deleted]

I have a feeling most people that are responsible would not be able to tolerate being irresponsible. So maybe try it out for a week and see how ya feel.

[thyme4change]

I got really irked when we were paying off debt and living skinny, but one of my husband's friends was on his last cycle of charging everything in site and then declaring bankruptcy. Although it was a pain in the butt, and probably cost him a few thousand dollars in lawyer fees, he walked away with a bunch of cool stuff. I continued to be irked by it until we went to his house and they had a decent sized living room that was totally overwhelmed with that stupid giant screen TV he bought. So-incredibily-ugly. They probably have upgraded by now, but our lack of buying the latest technology got us to the point where we got to wait for the good stuff.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"They probably have upgraded by now, but our lack of buying the latest technology got us to the point where we got to wait for the good stuff. ":::...

Well, us responsible people also probably paid for all his splurging too.

[hurricanegirl]

Yeah, I get tired, but would rather do it MY WAY

Crone - loved your input. Some people are born enterpreneurs, and can always make something of nothing. If we all could do that it would be a much better place!

[quotequeen]

I mostly get tired of having to get up every morning to go to work.

[jkapp]

Jan 18, 2011 11:13:07 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jan 18, 2011 10:05:24 GMT -5 Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ said:

Where I shop, Shop Rite, I routinely see individuals paying for their groceries with food stamps. I hardly see any restrictions in the piles of groceries on the counter.(ETA)...and it is all nationally advertised brands.
As far as medical care, we are already moving towards govt controlled and govt managed health care.
We are already where you say you do not want to be.

If I want to order a pizza or chinese, I can. If I want to go to a restaurant, I do. Last time I checked, you can't use food stamps at restaurants.

We are moving towards managed healthcare, but I still have way more options than someone on Medicaid.

You can buy pizza with food stamps...take-and-bake pizza places count towards food stamps. The Papa Murphy's place next to my work advertises that they are accepted right on the door.

Nice try, though

[swamp]

Jan 18, 2011 15:53:22 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Uh, yeah, you can use it for pizza, even delivery pizza. Saw that in Oregon and I thought my aunt would go ballistic about food stamps being used for delivery pizza.

In NY, you can have an uncooked pizza delivered to you, you have to cook it yourself. No prepared foods. If I have to cook the pizza after it's delivered to me, it defeats the purpose of having food delivered to me.

IF anyone is tempted by the welfare lifestyle, knock yourself out. I prefer employment, thanks.

[lurkyloo]

I'm okay with living responsibly, but get really irritated about being disqualified from tax breaks, etc. because we're over the magic line in the sand.

I'm expecting to be thoroughly screwed when we get to retirement. I'm half wondering about the wisdom of stockpiling assets like gold or other valuables that wouldn't show up so easily on a 401k/IRA-based means test.

[Deleted]

I get incredibly frustrated by trying to be responsible. Logically I know that it's better this way and when crap happens I'm happy that I can handle it without freaking out. I've been battling a serious case of "I want" for a long time now. I just keep reminding myself that it wasn't fun in the past when something would come up and I'd freak out about how I was going to take care of it. That helps me stay the course and I resign myself to having 'fun' in small doses.

So yes, for me being responsible sucks sometimes.

[stantonjane]

Yes. Tired of being the breadwinner. I want to retire asap. Ironically I feel guilty wanting to leave the workforce after only 35 years, I know others work much longer. Ive seen too many people die before they get there, I dont want that to happen to me.

Ive got 18 months to go, unless they kick me out first.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

<<< I don't see living the welfare queen life as something to aspire to. >>>

...but when you're tired, THIS is easier...

[MN-Investor]

When the responsible folks who have been saving retire, they are going to start pulling money out of their traditional IRAs and 401(k)s. That money will be taxed at ordinary income rates. The government will be receiving a good chunk of income taxes from retirees.

The problem will be the Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s. They are going to come in as non-taxable. I wonder what percentage of savings will be in traditional plans vs. Roth plans. The drawback of Roth plans is that you don't get the current deduction from income for them. I wonder how many people will opt for the traditional 401(k) vs. the Roth 401(k) because of the current tax difference.

[lynnerself]

I guess I have always lived responsibly without even thinking about it. Most of my marriage we have never had an actual "budget", but just saved some and never spent more than we had.
Of course there were times when I was jealous of material things that others had.
But being responsible then as a huge pay off now. Life is quite comfortable.

[Frugal Nurse]

Jan 18, 2011 9:54:11 GMT -5 Urban Chicago said:

I really do get tired of it. Especially when I realize that the irresponsible ones probably won't be punished too much later on.

I seriously doubt we're going to have hoards of homeless elderly who planned on only social security.

No, but we will probably have hoards of elderly in state-run nursing facilities. I'd rather be homeless than spend my days in one of those places. Planning now will hopefully prevent that from happening.

[Frugal Nurse]

Tired of being responsible? Nope. I had a good example of how not to live set out for me by my parents. They are very free spirits, which led us to live in a variety of sub-par situations. When I was a kid we lived in a few different trailers, low-rent, dangerous apartments, and even tent for 4 months. We had an old VW van that didn't run well that my grandparents gave us so we had some shelter from storms. We went into the woods and picked wild berries for our meals. Luckily, my parents could swing the camp ground weekly rent fee (i think it was like $5.00 or something at the time- this was in '89). Eventually we were found out and my parents had to suck it up, both got jobs, and we moved into the previously mentioned dangerous apartment.

Do I get envious of people who have more? Sure. Would I compromise my stability in order to get that stuff? not a chance.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

<<< Do I get envious of people who have more? Sure. Would I compromise my stability in order to get that stuff? not a chance. >>>

...well said...
...but we do have friends who have been in the system for at least 15yrs... they've been able to put food on the table, have a roof overhead, get relatively prompt medical attention, fall in love, raise children, all in the same town so the family can feel a part of a community... so there are some of us to be a bit envious of that kind of stability...

[kdamron]

I am really feeling it today. Drove a beautiful could be new (to me) Corvette last night - silver, convertible. Trying hard to pull the trigger. Telling myself that even though my 04 Envoy is perfectly servicable it would be so nice to just do it. Telling myself that it really won't be the end of the world if I'm only saving 1,000 a month instead of 1,500 (after 401K and Roth of course), but somehow I just keeping thinking that another 6-8 months I could buy the d**** thing outright

Being responsible is no fun some days...

[998fbird]

Yes, I get really really tired of being responsible and lately I haven't been as responsible as I could be. But, I know that I am too frugal to the bone to get totally out of control.

My goal is to have some balance. For years I watched my father be penny wise and pound foolish and deny himself many things he would have enjoyed because 'it cost too much' and he couldn't take a penny of it with him. I have been grateful and careful, yes, responsible with the inheritance he left me, but I'm also not going to go totally without as long as I'm healthy enough to work and blessed with the ability to distinguish between wants and needs.

[Plain Old Petunia]

Tea, maybe you don't have enough fun and/or indulgences in your life? I am all for being responsible, but you have to live a little too.

[dcmetrocrab]

I have those days, but it's usually only when I see peers spending freely and really enjoying themselves. My gut reaction is always, wow, I wish I made just a little bit more, then I could be like them! When I see people who I would assume make much lower than I, I wonder... wow, how are they able to afford that? Obviously they aren't saving, but that's the first thought bubble that pops up.

[cronewitch]

I don't buy all the little things others do or spend freely anytime. I don't have a problem buying a house, car, boat or anything that holds some value but not the little things. Last night I went grocery shopping, just needed eggs and veggies but would have liked some meat. I couldn't get myself to buy meat, it was all over priced. I was going to get sherbet that was on sale and all they had left was lime, lime isn't my favorite and it has been more than a year since I had any ice cream or sherbet. I looked at the stuff next to the sherbet and it was 1.75 quarts or 6.99. Someone is buying that stuff, why can't I have the good stuff? I am saving thousands a month, made 13K so far this month in the stock market 6.99 isn't a big deal but I can't do it. I have been drinking water instead of soda while others who earn less and save less drink soda and alcohol but I am too cheap to buy soda. I looked at other ice cream and found a favorite on sale for 3.99 just twice as much as sherbet so I bought some. I looked at the little individual ice cream like some smaller than a pint for about a dollar probably 8 to make a half gallon. Why to I need to look at price per ounce and calories and always decide I don't need sugar in my diet and ice cream is bad for me. I got some and ate ice cream anyhow but I am jealous of those who can splurge and not even know they are splurging, never look at price per ounce but just grab what they want and swipe a credit card.

[Deleted]

Yes tired of being responsible... but the peace of mind is so worth it.

[suzwantstobefree]

I do get tired of being responsible from time to time also. I save money - both in an emergency fund and my 401K - and I pay all my bills on time every month. I don't "deprive" myself completely and spend within reason. BUT, I would love to "" my rental home and not have any consequencies for it (it is underwater) like so many people are doing with the short sells. However, I diligently pay the mortgage every month and hope for better times.

JMO - but food stamps really **tick** me off! My niece has food stamps and wic. She is 18 and has two kids and her and her deadbeat mother live together in public housing. They get over $800 a month in food stamps. I don't know how they get this much but I live alone and spend about $200 a month in food. The $800 per month is spent on steak and other good quality food and at the end of the month they "sell" the remainder of their food stamps to someone for cash.

I wouldn't want to live like this - don't get me wrong here - but I would like to get a break every once in awhile and get "credit" for my responsibility. I know my day is coming (retirement will be great) but still - would someone pay for me to have a nice lobster dinner?

[swamp]

Jan 20, 2011 1:10:47 GMT -5 cronewitch said:

I don't buy all the little things others do or spend freely anytime. I don't have a problem buying a house, car, boat or anything that holds some value but not the little things. Last night I went grocery shopping, just needed eggs and veggies but would have liked some meat. I couldn't get myself to buy meat, it was all over priced. I was going to get sherbet that was on sale and all they had left was lime, lime isn't my favorite and it has been more than a year since I had any ice cream or sherbet. I looked at the stuff next to the sherbet and it was 1.75 quarts or 6.99. Someone is buying that stuff, why can't I have the good stuff? I am saving thousands a month, made 13K so far this month in the stock market 6.99 isn't a big deal but I can't do it. I have been drinking water instead of soda while others who earn less and save less drink soda and alcohol but I am too cheap to buy soda. I looked at other ice cream and found a favorite on sale for 3.99 just twice as much as sherbet so I bought some. I looked at the little individual ice cream like some smaller than a pint for about a dollar probably 8 to make a half gallon. Why to I need to look at price per ounce and calories and always decide I don't need sugar in my diet and ice cream is bad for me. I got some and ate ice cream anyhow but I am jealous of those who can splurge and not even know they are splurging, never look at price per ounce but just grab what they want and swipe a credit card.

Holy crap, Crone, just have an ice cream and a steak once in a while without torturing yourself.

[998fbird]

DOG yes I'm tired of being responsible! Every morning when the alarm goes off I think about how much I'd just like to sleep in and not get up and go to work. But then I think about the alternative and realize that responsible beats the alternative. And since the money fairy (probably) isn't going to show up to pay off my bills (baring the odds of winning the lottery) I'll just keep my debt in check cause responsible makes it possible for me to sleep at night.

[DVM gone riding]

somedays I hate it-so I bought a flat screen TV-and now I have to pay the CC bill-not a really big problem or anything but it will probably keep my being responsible for the rest of the year! Then next year I will need to buy myself/house something-last year it was a Dyson-best thing I ever bought but not the responsiblest thing.