Another example of how most people function

**Smallsteps** · 03-08-2018, 05:31 PM

I see this kind of crazy everyday. I am amazed at some comments I hear or see each day. Often they do not realize that a simple statement like that lets people see behind the curtain. I used to rack my brain to try to understand the rationalization some people use for things like that.

I worked with a guy who was always on the verge of eviction but bought a $450 dollar ticket to an outdoor music festival that was 11 months away. The organizers had not even booked any acts for next year. Based simply because in the current year they had groups he liked and he hoped next years event will be just as good.

**Gailete** · 03-08-2018, 05:44 PM

It is sad. It just seems like so many think they all should get to live like the folks they see on TV. If some women think all women has 100 pairs of shoes and 50 purses and they don't have that many, then something is missing from their lives so they have to catch up whether they have the cash or not to do so. Please don't ask me why any woman needs so many pairs of shoes. It becomes a vicious cycle of everyone trying to copy the lifestyles of someone else. Funny thing is, I doubt that anyone tries to copy the lifestyle of most of the folks on this forum.

**bennkar** · 03-09-2018, 07:35 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

My wife and I are planning to do a 5K in November.

So this person is traveling to Florida to participate in this race so they have travel expenses, hotel, meals, etc., along with the cost of doing the race itself. And they don't have the money today, Thursday, to even pay for the race registration with their debit card but they'll have it on Monday. I'm assuming that is because they get paid tomorrow.

I take it then this is some Disney related run? I ask as that's when I am normally at Disney (early Nov.) though this coming year we will probably go to Universal for a change of pace.

**corn18** · 03-10-2018, 02:26 AM

I can relate to this thought process. When we were deepest in debt, finding $100 was tough to do and everything depended on the paycheck cycle. I was paying off credit cards with cash advances from other credit cards. Most expenses went on a credit card and my paycheck went to paying the minimum on those cards. And the cars. And the horse trailer. And the travel trailer. And the horse. And there still wasn't enough money at the end of the month.

All of this was happening when I was making over $200k a year.

It was a miserable life.

**disneysteve** · 03-10-2018, 04:46 AM

Originally posted by bennyhoff View Post

I take it then this is some Disney related run? I ask as that's when I am normally at Disney (early Nov.) though this coming year we will probably go to Universal for a change of pace.

Yep. One of the RunDisney events.

**disneysteve** · 03-10-2018, 04:50 AM

Originally posted by corn18 View Post

I can relate to this thought process. When we were deepest in debt, finding $100 was tough to do and everything depended on the paycheck cycle. I was paying off credit cards with cash advances from other credit cards. Most expenses went on a credit card and my paycheck went to paying the minimum on those cards. And the cars. And the horse trailer. And the travel trailer. And the horse. And there still wasn't enough money at the end of the month.

All of this was happening when I was making over $200k a year.

It was a miserable life.

So many people on the Disney forums post about how they book their trip a year in advance and spend a year trying to figure out how to pay for it, sending in a little at a time and hoping to have it paid off in time because there is a date when final payment is due prior to the trip.

It would be so much less stressful to spend a year saving for a trip and then book it when you have the money in hand. The problem, of course, is that they aren't capable of saving. If they don't send the money to Disney or their travel agent the instant they get it, they'll spend it on something else.

This isn't just with Disney trips, of course. I'm just using that as an example. We have family who take a trip every year to an all-inclusive in the Caribbean or Mexico. They charge it and then take a year to pay it off. Then they charge another one and take a year to pay that off. I could never live that way. Just flip the cycle and save for a year and then pay cash. Then save for another year and pay cash. The end result is the same plus you don't pay 20% interest on everything.

**Fishindude77** · 03-10-2018, 06:05 AM

Sheesh !
That person should be doing his / her running on their city sidewalks or streets right outside their house. Last time I checked, that's still free.

**msomnipotent** · 03-10-2018, 07:53 AM

I used to talk about needing to put things on credit cards just so people would stop thinking we were rich. It turned into a bad habit that I had to work to correct. Sometimes I still do it! I wonder how many other people do this, especially in this climate where having money is frowned upon. How much could registration be? I wouldn't think it was all that expensive.

**MooseBucks** · 03-12-2018, 06:25 AM

Originally posted by Fishindude77 View Post

Sheesh !
That person should be doing his / her running on their city sidewalks or streets right outside their house. Last time I checked, that's still free.

Agreed. As with all Disney things you pay a premium for these races also. They need to get out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle before they're taking trips to Disney.

**disneysteve** · 03-12-2018, 07:26 AM

Originally posted by msomnipotent View Post

How much could registration be? I wouldn't think it was all that expensive.

It's somewhere between $85 and $345 depending on what you're doing. And I don't know if it is just one person or a couple or family doing it. My wife and I are both running the 5K so that's $170 right there. If we were both doing the full weekend it would be $690.

**Like2Plan** · 03-12-2018, 07:45 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

So many people on the Disney forums post about how they book their trip a year in advance and spend a year trying to figure out how to pay for it, sending in a little at a time and hoping to have it paid off in time because there is a date when final payment is due prior to the trip.

It would be so much less stressful to spend a year saving for a trip and then book it when you have the money in hand. The problem, of course, is that they aren't capable of saving. If they don't send the money to Disney or their travel agent the instant they get it, they'll spend it on something else.

This isn't just with Disney trips, of course. I'm just using that as an example. We have family who take a trip every year to an all-inclusive in the Caribbean or Mexico. They charge it and then take a year to pay it off. Then they charge another one and take a year to pay that off. I could never live that way. Just flip the cycle and save for a year and then pay cash. Then save for another year and pay cash. The end result is the same plus you don't pay 20% interest on everything.

The first few trips we took to Disney-- we booked a year in advance and made payments each month (to Disney). It allowed us to lock in a discounted price for the room. Once we paid for the room, we would purchase ticket media (and so on) each month. Most everything was paid for by the time the vacation rolled around. I guess that would put us in the out of sight, out of mind category of savers.

We allocated all the other saving categories before we every saw the paycheck and then prepaid the vacation like it was a bill (but not paying any interest).

Now a days I don't think I have changed that much

--Unless there was a discount or incentive I doubt I would pay for it all upfront if I could hold on to the cash and make payments... as long as it was paid for before arriving (or shortly thereafter).

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 03-12-2018, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by corn18 View Post

I can relate to this thought process. When we were deepest in debt, finding $100 was tough to do and everything depended on the paycheck cycle. I was paying off credit cards with cash advances from other credit cards. Most expenses went on a credit card and my paycheck went to paying the minimum on those cards. And the cars. And the horse trailer. And the travel trailer. And the horse. And there still wasn't enough money at the end of the month.

All of this was happening when I was making over $200k a year.

It was a miserable life.

I've wondered about this. I find it incredible that people are making $200k-$300k/year and they are quibbling about finding $1000 to pay a tax bill. They honestly have to consider where they money is and wait until the next paycheck. I feel like asking where the hell is all that money you are making going?

But seriously corn I think you just sort of explained the mindset.

**rob62521** · 03-18-2018, 01:23 PM

Yet again, in a nutshell, because most don't save money. They go by the seat of their pants and use a credit card and "just know" something will work out for them. And the scary thing is they don't see anything wrong with it.

We know a couple who by May or June have overspent and run up their credit cards that they then tap their home equity line of credit to maintain their lifestyle. They have a trailer in a warm part of the U.S. which they stay in 3-4 months a year besides the large home they have locally. They eat out at least once a day, sometimes twice. Their recreation is shopping. And to them this is all normal -- get that credit line working so they can go out an spend more. And live for the next "adventure."

Another example of how most people function